Graded repertoire: Favourite pieces from the AMEB Manual List - Kabalevsky

Collections of graded repertoire can be a very cost effective way for students to learn a wide range of pieces of varying levels, without their having to purchase many different anthologies or books. This is the second post in a series of posts about collections of pieces I use in my studio and where they fit into the AMEB syllabus. You can read the previous post here.

Kabalevsky’s 30 Children’s Pieces Op 27 is a favourite volume in my studio. The students enjoy the great variety of pieces and the book is excellent value for money for parents, as there are pieces from grades one to five, and almost every piece in the book is in the AMEB syllabus. Several of them appear only in the AMEB grade collections, some appear only in the manual lists, and some are in both.

Some of the pieces are also found in other exam syllabuses and it is interesting to compare the gradings. For example, Nos 2 and 4 are both listed for Grade 2 in the AMEB syllabus, and yet they are in the Preliminary list in the ANZCA syllabus. The two pieces which appear in the Trinity Syllabus are a grade higher than in the AMEB syllabus.

Many of the pieces have evocative titles to capture the students’ imaginations. The idea of storytelling is a recurrent theme in these pieces, with titles like A Sad Story, A Short Story, Tale, Novelette and Ballade. This gives me the perfect opportunity to encourage students to make up their own story to tell in their performance.

Take care when choosing pieces from this collection for exams, as some of these are in List A, some in List C, and some are in List D.

Here is the complete list of pieces in the volume. The translations given in the titles below are taken from the Boosey and Hawkes edition. The translations in the AMEB syllabus, where they differ, are included in brackets. Any other translations are also noted where known.

Here’s the same list, organized according to AMEB grade level, to create an easy reference guide for you:

The grade listings are taken from the 2017 AMEB Manual of Syllabuses. Please do check your copy of the Syllabus in case I have made an error (and please let me know in the comments below).

The great variety of repertoire found in this collection provides a wealth of learning opportunities for your students. I’ll be addressing the teaching issues in some of these pieces in one of the sessions at our October workshops. Find out more on our Events page.

Have you looked in the AMEB Manual of Syllabuses and seen titles of pieces like 'Ditty,' 'Study in F' or Sonatina' and wondered what opus number or collection that the work may have come from? Look no more! Click here to subscribe to our mailing list in order to receive your free copy of Catalogue and Opus Numbers for Australian Music Examination Board’s Pianoforte Series 15-17, which we have compiled.

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Previous posts in this series: 1. Graded Repertoire for Students - Introduction 2. Graded Repertoire for Students – Sonatinas