Reviews: Piano Hive book series

In the elegantly colourful Piano Hive series we have a flexible, user-friendly selection of anthologies which pianists of all persuasions could find extremely useful in the early and intermediate stages of their development; so far there are eight books serving beginner to Grade 5 level. The Grade 1 and 2 selections present a compilation of pieces from the other anthologies. All the books come with MP3 recordings, easily accessible through QR codes.

Although there are welcome contrasts of characterisation throughout each book, the overriding mood of each volume is relaxed. We are in the world of generic background music and film scores, where the dulcet sounds of Ludovico Einaudi and ‘easy listening’ always seems close by. This is music that calms and soothes.

Developing players need time off from grade examination angst and targeting. They need to hone their digital reflexes so that elementary musical patterns can be assimilated and co-ordinated with emotional comfort and ease. It could well be argued that this is best done from music of our own time, as music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (by their distance) can seem intimidating for developing pianists. These pianists certainly need the opportunity to build their pianistic confidence and facility in a safe space – and for many that will be a more modern, populist area of the repertoire. This is where Piano Hive comes into its own.

The Piano Hive collection has the added bonus of providing sophisticated rhythmic demands that are common to popular modern music. We have syncopation, the freedom of jazz, cross accentuation and much more. I also like the fact that pedalling is encouraged from the earliest stages. Perhaps it was wrong to assume that students would not need an explanation of the ‘Steinway’ or ‘sostenuto’ middle pedal, but the concept of using the mute middle-pedal as an artistic, interpretive device is certainly creatively stimulating.

By their own admission, co-authors Janette Mason and James Alexander Thompson seek to provide music that can be used as ‘positive mental health tools’. This seems especially relevant at a time, post-COVID, when too many students battle with anxiety and stress.

Relaxing Piano begins with a 13-bar miniature, ‘Into the Light’, that creates maximum atmosphere with the minimum number of notes. Hovering around A natural minor, with a steady flow of right-hand crotchets supported by dotted minims in the left, this is a confidence-building beginner’s miniature that could well prove a useful ‘party piece’ at a school concert or festival. The variety of moods, contrasts of keys and rhythms, and consistent melodic appeal certainly make Relaxing Piano a useful source of material, though the most inexperienced players may well struggle with the syncopated figures in ‘Longing for Home’ and ‘Light and Shade’.

The early-intermediate selection, Cinematic Piano, also requires rhythmic awareness and focus – such an important but sadly often neglected area of solo playing in the foundational stages. Rotary movement, balancing between melody and accompaniment, and an awareness of harmonic shifts when pedalling are just some of the valuable areas which these compositions cover. There are useful mini-practising/interpretive tips from the authors at the start of each piece. Though the lack of guidance over fingering was perhaps disappointing (more than a few students may need direct guidance with the left-hand shifts of ‘Sunday Solace’), both the Grade 1 and 2 books (collections built from the other Piano Hive books) are extremely helpful in this respect.

All credit to the authors for approaching the Grade 2 book’s ‘Third Time Lucky’ double-thirds (bar 8) in a manner that Ferruccio Busoni would have approved! The inclusion of popular Christmas carols, with often delightfully surprising bass lines and unusual harmonisations, is an added bonus.

Cinematic Piano: A collection of 8 cinema-inspired original piano pieces (Grades 3, 4 & 5)

Relaxing Piano: A collection of 15 peaceful and charming piano pieces (beginner, Grades 1 & 2)

Grade 1 Pieces for Piano: Twenty Solo Piano Pieces for Grade 1 (with free audio)

Grade 2 Pieces for Piano: Twenty Solo Piano Pieces for Grade 2 (with free audio)