I’m always a little wary of published books whose focus is primarily on repertoire for music exams. Exams don’t feature hugely in my teaching, and there are still many teachers around who believe that the exam syllabus provides them with their curriculum. I therefore approached these Graded Piano Anthologies from Edition Peters, with some trepidation. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised, as I’m sure you will find out below!
The four Graded Piano Anthologies cover Grades 5-8, and feature selected pieces from the ABRSM practical and performance syllabuses for 2025-26 (catch up with my review here). The books also offer a selection of pieces which might be offered as an ‘own choice’ item for the recorded performance grades. Also included are very useful performance notes on each piece. In fact, these four volumes are absolutely jam-packed with exciting repertoire to suit any pianist playing at these levels.
There were, of course, some familiar pieces, but many, many works with which I was unfamiliar. The repertoire felt fresh and inviting, and therefore, I think these four volumes serve as hugely valuable piano anthologies, whether they are used for exams or not. The suggested ‘own choice’ pieces in particular were very varied, introducing me to a lot of new repertoire and composers. The Graded Piano Anthologies, whilst nevertheless drawing many pieces from existing publications, pull together an excellent, varied selection of repertoire in a single book, published for Grades 5-8 in four volumes. I think that ultimately this is a good thing because none of us can claim to own every published book. For both teachers and students, the Graded Piano Anthologies enable easier selections to be made from the alternative pieces on the 2025-26 ABRSM Piano Syllabus. We would all I’m sure, examiners included, relish hearing repertoire beyond that in the ABRSM-published books of selected pieces.
I can see that some people might be put off by the price, particularly at Grade 8, but let me reassure you that these Graded Piano Anthologies are well worth the money, with almost all working out at less than £1 a piece. They are nicely presented and clearly laid out, in true Edition Peters no-nonsense style. Highlights for me included Pam Wedgwood’s ‘Beauly Abbey’ at Grade 5, Stephen Hough’s ‘Little Lullaby’ at Grade 6, Clara Schumann’s ‘Scherzo’ at Grade 7, and Chaminade’s ‘Pierrette (Air de Ballet)’ at Grade 8.
Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by these books. Although their primary focus is on repertoire for ABRSM piano exams at Grades 5-8, they offer pianists and teachers four volumes of fresh, varied and exciting music. Indeed, I have already recommended them to some of my students: a glowing endorsement in itself!
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Published 4.12.24.
The Edition Peters Graded Anthologies 2025-26 are published in four volumes:
Grade 5 Piano Anthology 2025-26, ISMN 9790577024585, RRP £14.95
Grade 6 Piano Anthology 2025-26, ISMN 9790577024592, RRP £15.95
Grade 7 Piano Anthology 2025-26, ISMN 9790577024608, RRP £15.95
Grade 8 Piano Anthology 2025-26, ISMN 9790577024615, RRP £18.95
I was sent a review copy of these books free of charge; however, this review is my honest opinion as a teacher. You can find my Reviews Policy here.
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