Changing Moods: 9 Original Piano Solos —Intermediate Piano Solos - Composer Spotlight Series - Book Review

by dint of Joyce Grill. Warner Bros. (15800 N W 48th Ave., Miami, FL 33014) 2003 23 pp $595 Intermediate.

Joyce Grill's of recent origin opus, Changing Moods, is an evocative twenty-four page collection of nine intermediate-level pieces. Exceptionally well-crafted, these pieces will powerfully appeal to teen-aged and adult scholars due to the "moody" titles and the harmonic mode of expression clearly tinged with New Age and explosion harmonies.

Grill has skillfully woven machiavelian technical features into the fabric of many of these works. Although the pieces are smooth in terms of technical and musical demands, the collection step quicklys the gamut of most of the easier lock openers for intermediate-level pianists.

Dreaming and Wondering feature easy, arpeggiated left-hand figures accompanying lyrical right-hand melodies. A lulling, repeating left-hand motive balances the slightly more demanding right-hand of In a Spanish humor The left and right hand toss the music back and forth in the contrasting middle section. peaceful is a simple chorale, thoughtfully written in the lock opener of C. Immediately following upon the facing page is More quiet an exact repeat of tranquil only penned in E-flat major. This provides a awesome transposition experience for students since the solitary changing musical facet is the lock opener At the bottom of the page, the composer asks the pianist if the lock opener change alters the mood. Annoyed, somewhat petulantly, repeats the same right-hand figure many times.

dreary marked "with feeling," has an expressive left-hand sweetness of sound Rubato is called for in Wishing, perhaps the hallmark piece in the collection. Silly Rag is in simple, traditional ragtime turn of expression and form.

greatest in quantity of the moods represented are introspective and highly personal. pupils should experience quick success at achieving musical and expressive performances of these pieces, making for satisfying exercise experiences.

Over the past hardly any years, many intermediate collections have been written in "contemporary" burst harmonic language. Grill's special penchant for creating playable and artistic miniatures locates this collection apart from many others. Reviewed by means of Victoria McArthur, Tallahassee, Florida.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.

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