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Songbook Review: Near the Edge of Light
Isadar
Cover image of the songbook Near the Edge of Light by Isadar
Near the Edge of Light
Isadar
2010 / Mainya Music
52 pages
Review by Kathy Parsons
Near the Edge of Light is the companion songbook to Isadar’s 1990 debut recording by the same name, which is also solo piano. Expertly transcribed and engraved by David Shenton of New York Music Publishing, the notation is clear and crisp and printed at a very readable and roomy size. This is a really nice collection from several different standpoints. There is a variety of musical styles from smooth and flowing to quite syncopated and jazzy; some of the rhythms are more complicated than others, but most are fairly easy; most of the accents that make Isadar’s music so distinctive are notated, making it easier to sound like the recording when playing the sheet music. Several of the pieces are suitable for players in a later-intermediate playing level. The timing in a couple of the pieces (the title song and “In A Corner”) is a bit more advanced, and “April Showers” is in the key of F# (six sharps), but there are no reaches beyond an octave and several of the pieces have running eighth notes in the left hand which makes the timing easy. If you are a pianist and a fan of Isadar’s music, this collection is a must! It is available from isadar.com and Amazon. Recommended!
July 23, 2010
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