Castle Tales, Vol. 1. Collection, Inspired by Medieval Video Games, Studio License
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Castle Tales is a set of 6 original compositions exploring a wide range of moods from Epic to Tender - created to encourage pianists to achieve musical expression. These descriptive pieces are educational as well as inspiring to play; appealing to tweens, teenagers and adult pianists. The Collection is designed as a whole- offering contrasting pieces to work on different musical skills, inspired by stories of Medieval life as seen in video games; but each piece stands equally on its own.
Titles: Journey to Castle Roche, The Chase is On, When Winter Comes, Defender of the Realm, Waiting for Your Return, and Night Flight
Level: Early Intermediate - Intermediate, RCM 4 - 5 equivalent
This is a STUDIO LICENSE: One purchase - One person is allowed multiple copies for students in their Studio. Thank you for honoring the creativity and work of the composer.
Information about the pieces:
Journey to Castle Roche: We begin our Adventure emerging from a mysterious blanket of fog, to find a road with twists and turns, leading us to Castle Roche. What or who will we find there?
The movement of the melody in measure 13 starts us on our way. This piece is very pattern centric - making it easier to learn. You’ll find lots of 5ths, both broken & blocked. The lyrical melody in the beginning and contrasting B section gives students a chance to study shaping the phrases. Moderate hand position movement.
Key: E Natural minor with occasional accidentals
Time signature: 3/4
Skill development: Pattern recognition, Left Hand position movement
What level: Early Intermediate
How long: Cover + 2 pages, Performance time 01:30.
The Chase is On: Right away, we can sense the urgency! We’ve only just arrived and there’s already trouble! Are we on the hunt, or being chased?
This piece is all about triplets & fast tempo! A great chance to work on technical finger practice & strength in the Right Hand ostinato. The melody makes an appearance in both Right and Left Hand. Pianists are asked to play Octaves in Left Hand; both blocked & broken. Another skill to practice- playing staccatos in Left hand while keeping steady Right hand legato. Check out the cross hand figure at the end - This one is epic and exciting to play!
Key: A Natural minor with a touch of Harmonic
Time signature: 4/4
Skill development: Triplets, Right Hand ostinato, fast tempo
What level: Intermediate
How long: Cover + 4 pages, Performance time 01:40.
When Winter Comes: Desolate. Bone chilling cold. Sadness…. Explore lyrical musicality in this ballad with haunting melodies and expressive Rubatos. The grand beginning sets the stage for conflict, but then turns to…. sadness? memories? “what could have been”?
The sweeping Left hand patterns offer wonderful practice for accompaniment figures, and are accessible for Early Intermediate, as they do not compete with Right Hand melody. Limited octaves in Right hand. Notice the gentle Time meter changes from 3/4 to 4/4; the second time this happens- it creates momentum; a sense of urgency rushing towards the climax. Bonus tip- exaggerate the dynamic range for a more dramatic effect.
Key: A Natural minor with a touch of A Dorian
Time signature: Alternating 3/4 and 4/4
Skill development: Dramatic playing, Left Hand accompaniment
What level: Early Intermediate/Intermediate
How long: Cover + 3 pages, Performance time 02:33.
Defender of the Realm: Standing at the top of a hill, looking down into a valley; the mist begins to clear. What do we see? Is it time to stand and fight?
The main melody of this piece is taken from the notes of the D Dorian mode; which gives it that haunting, Medieval sound. Placing that melody in different octaves creates ambiguity - just who are we are talking about here? Did you notice the heavy, accented quarter notes in measure 21? What does this remind you of? Maybe clashing swords? Marching armies? Horses hooves stomping? The contrasting B section moves faster- maybe call to action? Charge or Retreat? Pianists are asked to play You’ll find blocked octaves in Left Hand with some stride-like chord jumps from bass note to chord accompaniment- but slowly. The piece ends with a restatement of beginning melody- is it now a distant memory? How will you portray this one?
Key: D Dorian mode and D Natural minor
Time signature: 4/4
Skills: Interesting lyrical melody, Right Hand rotation figures, Dramatic mood
What level: Early Intermediate/Intermediate
How long: Cover + 3 pages, Performance time 02:45.
Waiting for Your Return: Have you ever had to wait for something to happen? Or someone to arrive? Unsure of what will happen next or what the outcome will be? In this age of instant gratification, it’s sometimes difficult to imagine how it feels to “wait” for something.
This sweet ballad gives us time to pause & reflect- don’t rush the rubatos and fermatas. The beginning immediately sets up a mood of uncertainty by introducing a C natural into the harmonic mix. The contrasting B section gives an opportunity to explore technical skills- let your mind and fingers wander as you beautifully play the E Major scale: an effort to busy ourselves to pass the time.
Key: E Major
Time signature: 3/4
Skills: E Major scale, Lyrical melody, Patience
What level: Early Intermediate/Intermediate
How long: Cover + 2 pages, Performance time 02:00 minutes
Night Flight: We have reached the end of our journey - for now… How did you emerge? Victor or defeated? Will you rise again to fight another day?
No mystery here- immediately, the Right Hand ostinato creates determination and urgency. The dramatic Left Hand octave melody make a bold statement. And yet, the contrasting B section surprises us with a tenderness…. a longing- maybe regrets of the past? A truly epic piece to play!
Key: C Natural Minor with occasional accidentals, and Relative Major A♭ Major
Time signature: 4/4
Skills: Right and Left hand lyrical melody, sixteenth Rhythmic Ostinato
What level: Intermediate
How long: Cover + 4 pages, Performance time 02:40 minutes
