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Songbook Review: Night Visions Nos. 1-8
James Michael Stevens
Cover image of the songbook Night Visions Nos. 1-8 by James Michael Stevens
Night Visions Nos. 1-8
James Michael Stevens
2021 / James Michael Stevens
25 pages / 8 songs
Review by Kathy Parsons
This review is of the solo piano version of James Michael Stevens' Night Visions Nos. 1-8 (there are also versions of the songbook for flute and piano, and violin and piano). One of the most prolific composers on the planet, Stevens writes his sheet music out before he records it, ensuring that the sheet music and recording are a match. (The recording for this album is also solo piano - it is just the sheet music that has arrangements available for different instruments.)

All eight pieces in this collection are at an intermediate level and all are in easier key signatures. With the theme of nighttime, the music is quiet and often dreamy - no nightmares in the mix! - and the rhythms are almost all eighth notes, making it very easy for students and less-advanced pianists to count without having to do too much "one and two and"! Warm and expressive, pianists of all ages should find plenty to enjoy playing in this songbook.

The piano pieces themselves are very well-spaced and roomy, making them easy to read. All of them have metronome settings and easy-to-understand expression markings. The titles are also colorful and make it clear what the music is "about." There are some chords and octaves on the left hand, but no reaches of more than an octave. It's a really nice collection and is available to download from SheetMusicPlus.com and SheetMusicDirect.com. (Each of the eight pieces is also available to download individually as solo piano as well as piano with other instruments).


The titles of the pieces, the keys they are in, and the number of pages are:

Night Visions No. 1 - Dream - Key of D minor (1 flat) - 3 pages
Night Visions No. 2 - Stars - Key of Eb (3 flats) - 3 pages
Night Visions No. 3 - Shadows - Key of G minor (2 flats) - 3 pages
Night Visions No. 4 - Enigmas - Key of A minor (0 sharps or flats) - 3 pages
Night Visions No. 5 - Musings - Key of C (0 sharps or flats) - 3 pages
Night Visions No. 6 - Velvet Sky - Key of D (2 sharps) - 3 pages
Night Visions No. 7 - Darkness - Key of E minor (1 sharp) - 3 pages
Night Visions No. 8 - Dust - Key of C (0 sharps or flats) - 2 1/2 pages
January 28, 2022
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