Series Spotlight: Rhapsodies and Reveries

Do you have students who love flowing, expressive music, but aren't yet ready to play works by their favorite Romantic composers?

If so, the "Rhapsodies and Reveries" series might be just what you need to help your students play beautiful pieces while learning important skills at the same time!

In today's "Series Spotlight," I'll be discussing this series of books that features dramatic and expressive music for students at every level--from beginner to upper intermediate!

​Keep reading to learn more...

---

What is special about the "Rhapsodies and Reveries" series?
This series features expressive pieces that introduce students to techniques found in Romantic and contemporary classical piano literature in a level-appropriate way. 

Inspired by the sights and sounds of nature, these pieces range in style from quiet and reflective to powerful and dramatic. These pieces draw inspiration from the works of Chopin, Debussy, Satie, Yiruma, and other popular composers known for their lyrical piano music.


What type of student will enjoy this series?
Students that enjoy lyrical, dramatic, and expressive music will enjoy this series.

While this series is appropriate for students of all ages, I have found that teen and adult students in particular have enjoyed the sophisticated sounds used in these books.


Here is an overview of the concepts you will find in each book in this series:

First Rhapsodies and Reveries

• Elementary Level (equivalent to Faber's Piano Adventures books 1 and 2A)
• ​14 solos (4 with optional teacher duets)
• No key signatures
• Concepts covered: reading notes across the entire staff, phrasing, accidentals, eighth note pairs, intervals up to a fifth, root position chords, introduction to the damper pedal.

​Click on the cover for purchase information and to see and hear samples of every piece in this collection.

Easy Rhapsodies and Reveries

• Late Elementary Level (equivalent to Faber's Piano Adventures books 2B and 3A)
• 12 solos
• Key signatures up to 2 sharps and 3 flats
• Concepts include: intervals up to a seventh, 6/8 time, dotted quarter notes, triplets, overlapping pedal and pedaling with chord changes.

​
​Click on the cover for purchase information and to see and hear samples of every piece in this collection.

Rhapsodies and Reveries

• Early Intermediate Level (equivalent to Faber's Piano Adventures book 3B)
• ​11 solos
• Key signatures up to 2 sharps and 2 flats
• Concepts include: broken chord, Alberti bass, arpeggiated chord and waltz-style accompaniment patterns; pedaling by ear; 6/8 time; quarter note triplets; expressive playing with changes of tempo indicated in the music.

Click on the cover for purchase information and to see and hear samples of every piece in this collection.

More Rhapsodies and Reveries

• Early to Mid-Intermediate Level (equivalent to Faber's Piano Adventures book 4)
• ​9 solos
• Key signatures up to 3 sharps and 3 flats
• Concepts include: intervals up to an octave, left hand leaps, one-octave scale and arpeggio patterns, sixteenth notes, rubato playing. 

​Click on the cover for purchase information and to see and hear samples of every piece in this collection.

Rhapsodies and Reveries, Volume 2

• Intermediate Level (equivalent to Faber's Piano Adventures book 5)
• ​11 solos
• Key signatures up to 3 sharps and 3 flats
• Concepts include: 12/8 time, chromatic passages, rolled chords, grace notes, two-octave scale and arpeggio patterns, longer rhapsody-style pieces with multiple changes in mood and tempo.

​Click on the cover for purchase information and to see and hear samples of every piece in this collection.

I hope you have found this short introduction to my "Rhapsodies and Reveries" series helpful!  Any questions about this series? Feel free to drop them in the comments below!