Piano Works

$25.95 USD

Piano Works

Name: Piano Works
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-EP20041
Price: 25.95 USD
Availability: InStock

28 intermediate to advanced pieces: Preludes, Waltzes, Songs Without Words and others

By Florence Price / ed. Michael Clark

Level: Intermediate

Item: 98-EP20041

$25.95

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Florence Price, celebrated as the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra, left a vast compositional legacy, much of which has received little attention to date. The collection Piano Works: Preludes, Waltzes, Songs Without Words and others brings together a representative selection of 28 of her piano pieces, rooted in the 19th-century Romantic tradition. Although Price focused more strongly on Romantic idioms in the early stages of her career, the waltz (exemplified by the Rainbow Waltz) remains a consistent presence throughout her output, reflecting both a lasting affinity and an integral aspect of her compositional voice. This first Urtext edition of the composer's piano works, intended for intermediate to advanced pianists, makes many of these works available in print for the first time, while others are presented here for the first time in an edition of a high editorial standard.

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Series: Edition Peters

Publisher: United Kingdom

ISBN13: 979-0-577-02585-8

UPC: 9790577025858

SKU: 98-EP20041

More about this title

About the Composer: Florence Price

Florence Price (1887-1953) broke significant barriers as a composer, conductor, and pianist whose work earned her a place in American musical history. In 1933, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra premiered her Symphony in E Minor, making her the first Black woman to achieve this distinction with a major American orchestra. Her compositional voice drew deeply from the Romantic tradition while remaining distinctly personal, grounded in her experience and artistic vision.

Price's catalogue spans symphonies, concertos, chamber works, and solo piano pieces. Though she was extraordinarily prolific, much of her music disappeared from circulation after her death, relegated to archives and private collections. Recent decades have brought renewed scholarly attention to her legacy, revealing the breadth and sophistication of her compositional thinking across all genres.

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Why we love this

This collection restores works that shaped American piano repertoire yet vanished from standard editions for decades. Price's command of the Romantic idiom is unmistakable, and her voice emerges clearly through 28 pieces that span preludes, waltzes, and character pieces, each revealing her ear for melody and harmonic color. Programming from this edition connects your students directly to a composer whose absence from textbooks and recital programs represents a significant gap in music history.

What to expect

Opening these pages, you encounter the warmth and lyricism of 19th-century Romanticism filtered through a voice uniquely Price's own. The waltzes ripple with grace; the character pieces reveal intimate harmonic thinking and memorable thematic material that lingers long after the final chord.

Who it's for

Intermediate to advanced pianists ready to engage with substantial Romantic material and teachers seeking historically significant repertoire that offers both musical reward and pedagogical depth. Students preparing for competitions, recitals, or portfolios will find substantial solo works alongside shorter pieces suitable for varied performance contexts.

How to get the most out of it

Approach Price's waltzes with the lilting character she intended. These are not mechanical dance forms but singing melodies set in triple meter; allow the rubato natural to the Romantic tradition.
Study the harmonic language carefully before performing. Price's use of chromatic voice leading and unexpected tonal shifts requires clear voice projection to reveal her compositional thought.
Balance the lyrical singing quality with structural clarity in longer works. Mark phrase endpoints and structural divisions so the listener follows the architecture beneath the Romantic surface.

How to use it

Feature a single Price waltz or prelude on a chamber or solo recital to anchor a thematic program exploring Romantic nationalism or women composers. Pairing works from this collection with contemporaries like Amy Beach creates programming that both educates and delights, filling a genuine repertorial need while honoring Price's contributions to American music.