RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire, Celebration Series Sixth Edition [Overview]

Last Updated on December 16, 2022 by Rebecca

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Table Of Contents
  1. Where to Buy RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire Book
  2. Pre-requisite Skills for RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire
  3. New Skills and Concepts You'll Work On in RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire
  4. Categories in RCM's Level 1 Piano Repertoire Book
  5. Song List (RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire Book)
  6. Female Composers Featured in RCM Level 2 Piano Repertoire
  7. Why You Should Listen to Performances When Practicing Piano
  8. Performances of RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire List A Pieces: Baroque and Classical Repertoire
  9. Performances of RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire List B Pieces: Romantic, 20th-, and 21st-century Repertoire
  10. Performances of RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire List C Pieces: Inventions
  11. Final Thoughts
  12. Related Posts

Where to Buy RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire Book

The Royal Conservatory of Music's Level 1 Piano Repertoire book (Celebration Series, Sixth Edition) is available on Amazon.

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Pre-requisite Skills for RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Even though it's called “Level 1,” this level will be far too difficult for a brand new piano learner.

If you're just starting out, make sure you start with a method book series. Method books are designed to introduce the very basics of piano, like reading music and how to sit properly at the piano.

Once you've completed a method book series… you're probably still not ready for RCM Level 1. (Sorry!)

RCM's Preparatory A and Preparatory B books will help you build up the additional skills you'll need in order to be ready for Level 1.

You know you're ready for RCM's Level 1 Piano Repertoire if you're comfortable with the following:

  • time signatures: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8
  • 8th notes
  • playing hands together
  • key signatures
  • moving hands out of position
  • harmonic intervals (2-note chords)
  • chords
  • playing pieces a full page long

New Skills and Concepts You'll Work On in RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

  • 16th notes
  • lots of big jumps within a piece of music (but will be a repeated pattern, not a variety of different big jumps)
  • expression of interpretive elements (ex: being able to play a piece in a way that makes it sound spooky)
  • pieces with up to 2 pages of unique material (could be as long as 3 pages if there is some repeated material in the piece)

Categories in RCM's Level 1 Piano Repertoire Book

The RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire book is divided into 3 categories:

  • List A: Baroque and Classical Repertoire
  • List B: Romantic, 20th-, and 21st-century Repertoire
  • List C: Inventions

If you're working towards an RCM examination, be aware that the pieces included in the book are not the only approved pieces. Review the RCM Piano Syllabus 2022 for a complete list of all Level 1 pieces.

You'll also need to work on some pieces from RCM Level 1 Piano Etudes in preparation for your RCM examination.

Song List (RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire Book)

List A: Baroque and Classical Repertoire

  • Minuet in C Major, op. 38, no. 4 – Johann Wilhelm Hassler
  • Bourrée in D Minor – Christoph Graupner
  • Burlesque in G Major – Anonymous
  • Andante in G Minor – Georg Philipp Telemann
  • German Dance in D Major, Hob. IX:22, no. 2 – Franz Joseph Haydn
  • Gavotte in G Major – Thomas F. Dunhill
  • Minuet in D Major – Leopold Mozart
  • Minuet in D Minor – Anonymous
  • High Spirits – Daniel Gottlob Turk
  • Ukrainian Folk Song, op. 107, no. 3 – Ludwig van Beethoven

List B: Romantic, 20th-, and 21st-century Repertoire

  • Early One Morning – Traditional English song, arr. Frederick Silvester
  • The Swiss Cuckoo – Traditional, arr. Boris Berlin
  • Sweet Jasmine – Dennis Alexander
  • Niimi Aandeg (Crow Dances) – Barbara Assiginaak
  • This Guy's Disguised – Bradley Sowash
  • Lunar Eclipse – Nancy Faber and Randall Faber
  • March of the Terrible Trolls – Linda Niamath
  • Mist – Clifford Poole
  • Clear Mountain Sky – Mike Springer
  • Angelfish – Anne Crosby Gaudet
  • A Simple Waltz – John Burge
  • Amber Moon – Kevin Olson
  • Waltz, op. 39, no. 13 – Dmitri Kabalevsky
  • Song of the Dark Woods – Elie Siegmeister
  • Reminiscence – Edwin McLean
  • Uptown News – Tom Gerou

List C: Inventions

  • Cranky Cat – Teresa Richert
  • Mary Had a Little Lamb – English nursery rhyme, arr. Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee
  • Young Ludwig Exploring – Forrest Kinney
  • The Playful Parrot – Gary K. Thomas
  • The Snake – Renée Christopher
  • Invention on a Latvian Folk Tune – George Juris Kenins
  • Conversation No. 3 – Béla Bartok
  • Teapot Invention – Andrew Markow
  • Follow My Leader – Felix Swinstead

Female Composers Featured in RCM Level 2 Piano Repertoire

  • Barbara Assiginaak
  • Nancy Faber
  • Linda Niamath
  • Anne Crosby Gaudet
  • Teresa Richert
  • Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee

Why You Should Listen to Performances When Practicing Piano

When practicing piano, it is always useful to hear and study performances of the pieces, for several reasons:

  • Helps you select those pieces you are most interested in learning.
  • Helps you learn what the pieces are meant to sound like
  • Helps you think critically about others' interpretations, to inform your own interpretations

With this in mind, here are performances from YouTube of each piece from RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire, Celebration Series Sixth Edition.

Performances of RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire List A Pieces: Baroque and Classical Repertoire

Minuet in C Major, op. 38, no. 4 – Johann Wilhelm Hassler

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Bourrée in D Minor – Christoph Graupner

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Burlesque in G Major – Anonymous

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Andante in G Minor – Georg Philipp Telemann

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

German Dance in D Major, Hob. IX:22, no. 2 – Franz Joseph Haydn

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Gavotte in G Major – Thomas F. Dunhill

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Minuet in D Major – Leopold Mozart

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Minuet in D Minor – Anonymous

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

High Spirits – Daniel Gottlob Turk

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Ukrainian Folk Song, op. 107, no. 3 – Ludwig van Beethoven

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Performances of RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire List B Pieces: Romantic, 20th-, and 21st-century Repertoire

Early One Morning – Traditional English song, arr. Frederick Silvester

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

The Swiss Cuckoo – Traditional, arr. Boris Berlin

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Sweet Jasmine – Dennis Alexander

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Niimi Aandeg (Crow Dances) – Barbara Assiginaak

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

This Guy's Disguised – Bradley Sowash

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Lunar Eclipse – Nancy Faber and Randall Faber

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

March of the Terrible Trolls – Linda Niamath

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Mist – Clifford Poole

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Clear Mountain Sky – Mike Springer

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Angelfish – Anne Crosby Gaudet

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

A Simple Waltz – John Burge

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Amber Moon – Kevin Olson

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Waltz, op. 39, no. 13 – Dmitri Kabalevsky

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Song of the Dark Woods – Elie Siegmeister

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Reminiscence – Edwin McLean

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Uptown News – Tom Gerou

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Performances of RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire List C Pieces: Inventions

Cranky Cat – Teresa Richert

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Mary Had a Little Lamb – English nursery rhyme, arr. Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Young Ludwig Exploring – Forrest Kinney

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

The Playful Parrot – Gary K. Thomas

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

The Snake – Renée Christopher

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Invention on a Latvian Folk Tune – George Juris Kenins

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Conversation No. 3 – Béla Bartok

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Teapot Invention – Andrew Markow

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Follow My Leader – Felix Swinstead

RCM Level 1 Piano Repertoire

Final Thoughts

If you're interested in learning the pieces above, you can find The Royal Conservatory of Music's Level 1 Piano Repertoire book (Celebration Series, Sixth Edition) on Amazon.

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