Dreams From Childhood for Piano, Four Hands. (Keyboard).

Dreams From Childhood for Piano, Four Hands, by Robert Maggio. Theodore Presser Co. (588 N. Gulph Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406), 2001. 39 pp., $10. Late intermediate to early advanced.

Most teachers recognize the importance of ensemble playing as being integral to students' musical and pianistic development. In the solitary existence of a pianist, great joy can be shared with colleagues, fellow students and the audience when thoughtfully composed, attractive ensemble music appears. Dreams from Childhood is a collection of four late intermediate to early advanced pieces for piano composed by Robert Maggio. Each piece is a delightful excursion into the descriptive elements of ensemble playing and music-making. Popular, minimalist, new age, descriptive and traditional styles are presented in a way that promotes both educational and musical challenges in a diverse collection that never descends into the cliches so often associated with these composition styles. The pieces are pedagogically sound, very well composed for four hands, melodically clever and harmonically daring. In short, they are welcome additions to the duet literature and are technically approachable, musically intriguing and aurally scintillating.

Each of the four pieces is very clearly reproduced with appreciated attention given to the accommodation of page turns. The parts are consistent in level, with great consideration given to pedagogical issues such as part distribution, keyboard patterns, ensemble considerations, and rhythmic and metrical relationships.

"I Am a Rock Star" is notable for the challenges associated with rock-style syncopations and rapid pattern changes.

"Swimming Beneath the Frozen Surface of the Lake" is comprised of melody against swirling repetitive patterns. While difficult to count, the symmetry of the ...