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Description

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Darlene Koldenhoven Solo Piano Collection from the Album The Grand Piano Spa and Darlene Koldenhoven Solo Piano Collection from the Album The Grand Piano Spa: Legacy are the companion songbooks and individual sheet music to the GRAMMY® Winner’s Albums The Grand Piano Spa and The Grand Piano Spa: Legacy, sold separately. Both albums debuted at #4 & #8 on the prestigious Billboard Classical Crossover Albums Charts in May & October, 2021 and in the Top Ten on worldwide radio charts.

 

Ms. Koldenhoven’s solo piano compositions are very melodic, and the collection ranges from simply beautiful, to haunting, to grand, to relaxing in the styles of Classical Crossover, New Age, and Contemporary Instrumental. There are a total of 19 piano pieces of luxurious sound to soak in, suitable for inclusion in a concert recital or background music at home, church service, or an event performance.

 

The range of proficiency required is upper-intermediate to early-advanced with some pieces using syncopated rhythms, crossing hands, traveling melodies between fingers of RH/LH, and the full range of the piano. Keys range in difficulty from C to Db & B in various major and minor modes. Tempos are easy going. Meters include 3/4, 4/4, 12/8, 13/8, 6/8. Dynamics are generally in the softer ranges with the occasional forte. Fingerings and chords are not indicated and sustain pedal markings are rare, leaving these interpretations up to the individual player. These pieces explore not only mastery but a keen sensitivity of expression on the grand pianoforte. Treat your audience and musical self to a soothing time at The Grand Piano Spa.

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Two Reviews

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1. Darlene Koldenhoven Solo Piano Collection from the Album The Grand Piano Spa is the companion songbook and sheet music collection for Darlene Koldenhoven's solo piano album by the same name. All nine of the original piano solos from the 2021 recording are included, ranging in difficulty from upper-intermediate to early-advanced. I have found all nine of the pieces to be very enjoyable to play and will revisit this book often!

The layout of the scores is well-spaced and easy to read. Each piece includes metronome settings and ample dynamics for playing with expression. Darlene is blessed with large hands, so there are a few reaches in the music of more than an octave, but pianists who can't reach those chords are encouraged to roll them or shorten them as needed to fit their own hands. The moods and experiences expressed in the music are varied, something that I think adds to the enjoyment of playing the music. This would be an excellent book to work on with adult and teen piano students as well as for pianists to play for their own enjoyment.

Darlene Koldenhoven brings a wealth of experience to her music from life in general to her wide-ranging music career. Her 2017 vocal album, Color Me Home, won a staggering 20 awards including Zone Music Reporter's "Best Vocal Album" and received 35 nominations. Her 2019 Chromatones, an instrumental album that features some of the biggest names in New Age music, was named "Music of the Year" by COVR Awards plus other awards and nominations. Although her resumé would fill pages, Darlene is possibly still best-known as the lead soprano singing “Aria” on Yanni’s 1993 tour and Live At the Acropolis concert video and PBS special. She received an MVP award from the GRAMMY organization for “Best Studio Singer” for singing on more than a thousand recordings that include movies, television shows, CDs, commercials, live shows, and charitable causes; she has been nominated for three other GRAMMYs. Darlene was also the tambourine-waving nun in both Sister Act films and worked off-camera as the production vocal coach, vocal contractor, and music director for those films. This is just a brief outline of Darlene's career so far, and she she really knows her "stuff"!

–Kathy Parsons, MainlyPiano.com 3/8/2021

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2. Darlene Koldenhoven Solo Piano Collection from the Album The Grand Piano Spa: Legacy is the companion songbook and sheet music collection for Darlene Koldenhoven's solo piano album by the same name (not to be confused with The Grand Piano Spa, which was released earlier in 2021 and is already winning multiple awards!). All ten pieces from the recording are included and were transcribed note-for-note to match the recording as closely as possible. The sheet music for this album can be purchased as a download of the complete book or as individual pieces; printed songbooks can be special-ordered through Darlene's website.

The Grand Piano Spa: Legacy songbook contains an interesting variety of musical styles - from very slow and ambient ("Glaciers") to livelier and more rhythmically-complex ("Radiance") to warm and romantic ("Love Eternal") to majestic ("Ancient Forest") and more. The music isn't difficult to play, but is somewhat more challenging than some of the sheet music in the new age/contemporary classical genres. I might also mention that Darlene Koldenhoven has a wide reach and can easily play tenths, but those of us with somewhat smaller hands can always play octaves or adjust the chords as needed. (There are not a lot of reaches of more than an octave, but there are a few.)

The notation itself is well-spaced and easy to read. Metronome settings are included and the expression and dynamics are clearly marked, as are places where one hand or the other changes clefs. The music is both beautiful and expressive and I would  recommend this sheet music for teachers to work on with advancing students - especially those in their teens and adults - as well as for pianists at an upper-intermediate to early-advanced (and beyond) playing level to play for their own enjoyment.

–Kathy Parsons, MainlyPiano.com 10/19/2021
 

More of Darlene’s vocal and instrumental compositions

can be found at her website here: DarSongs Music.

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