Impressions is the companion sheet music book for Shoshana Michel’s 2020 album by the same name. The music was transcribed by the artist and proofed and edited by myself to ensure that the sheet music matches the recording as closely as possible. Available as a beautiful spiral-bound book or PDF download (the complete book and/or individual pieces), I think this is Shoshana’s best songbook yet. The music ranges from the very light and carefree “Joyful Moments” to the darker “Elegy” and “Loneliness,” and includes my favorite piece by Shoshana yet, the haunting “Nocturne in Eb.” A couple of the pieces have fairly difficult key signatures (see below), but I would say that the music ranges from a late-intermediate to early-advanced playing level with none of the pieces being overly difficult. The rhythms are all easy to grasp and there are no reaches of more than an octave. The layout is roomy and very easy to read, with plenty of dynamics. The cover artwork of an original painting by Mark Briscoe looks great on the piano, and the book also includes an introductory page with playing notes by Shoshana as well as a biography at the end of the book.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this songbook, both as editor and playing the book several times for my own pleasure, so I can highly recommend it. The songbook is available from www.ShoshanaMusic.com and SheetMusicPlus.com.

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

Imagination - Key of G# Minor (5 sharps - 8 pages
Dancing in the Shadows - Key of A minor (0 sharps or flats) - 6 pages
Quietly, Gently, Peacefully - Key of A (3 sharps) - 3 pages
Loneliness - Key of F# sharp Minor (3 sharps) - 4 pages
Joyful Moments - Key of F# (6 sharps) - 5 pages
Pierrot - Key of C# Minor (4 sharps) - 4 pages
Prelude in E Minor - Key of E Minor (1 sharp) - 3 1/2 pages
In My Dreams - Key of C Minor (3 flats) - 4 pages
Nocturne in E Flat - Key of Eb (3 flats) - 5 pages
Summer into Fall - Key of C (0 sharps or flats) - 5 pages
Yearning - Key of F Minor (4 flats) - -3 1/2 pages
Elegy - Key of C Minor (3 flats) - 3 pages
Long Ago and Far Away - Key of A (3 sharps) - 3 1/2 pages