The Swan

The Swan, from “Carnival of the Animals,” arranged as an evenly-leveled duet for intermediates by Sandra Zylstra. This piece is part of the Classics for Two duet songbook.

Dance of the Three Arabian Kings, is a mashup of the Arabian Dance from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet and We Three Kings, stylishly arranged for intermediate piano by Jennifer Eklund. This piece is part of the Yuletide Treasures songbook.

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, arranged for intermediate piano by Jennifer Eklund.

Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, arranged for intermediates, by Lisa Donovan Lukas.

Pas de deux, from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, abridged and arranged as a lyrical intermediate piano solo by Jennifer Eklund.

Medley from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, including the Pas de deux and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, arranged for intermediates, by Lisa Donovan Lukas.

Theme from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, arranged for intermediates by Jennifer Eklund. This piece is part of Piano Pronto: Movement 3 and includes a teacher duet part.

Waltz of the Flowers, from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, stylishly arranged for intermediate piano by Jennifer Eklund.

Dance of the Reed Flutes from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, arranged for intermediates, by Lisa Donovan Lukas.

Sleeping Beauty Waltz, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, arranged by Lisa Donovan Lukas for solo piano, is a delightful, lyrical showcase piece for the intermediate pianist.

March of the Toy Soldiers, from Tchaikovsky’s iconic Nutcracker ballet, arranged for early intermediates by Jennifer Eklund.

March of the Toy Soldiers from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, stylishly arranged as a sassy jazzy romp for intermediate piano by Jennifer Eklund. This piece is part of the Yuletide Treasures songbook.

March from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, arranged for intermediates, by Lisa Donovan Lukas.

Dance Medley from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, including the Russian, Arabian, and Chinese Dances, arranged for intermediates, by Lisa Donovan Lukas.

Contemporary showcase arrangements of themes from Tchaikovsky’s iconic Nutcracker ballet arranged by Lisa Donovan Lukas. This collection will be enjoyed by intermediates of all ages!

Overture from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, arranged for intermediates, by Lisa Donovan Lukas.

Grieg’s iconic melody Anitra’s Dance arranged and modified for intermediate piano solo. Part of the Piano Pronto: Encore method book.

Circle of Friends, by Rick Robertson, is a two-volume collection containing a total of 24 character pieces for piano in each of the major and minor keys (minus enharmonic equivalents), in a manner similar to the Prelude sets by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and the like. The sequence as published is arranged in a rough order of difficulty, allowing for convenience in page turns here and there.

The title alludes as well to the familiar “Circle of Keys’. As for “friends”, each piece is dedicated to a close friend, colleague, or student. A few pieces in Volume One are at the early intermediate level, while Volume Two is solidly at the intermediate level with a steady trajectory of more demanding musical concepts.