Where I Live is a charming suite of three piano pieces by Alfred Nieman — composer, improviser, and long-time teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

 

Written for pianists around Grade 1–2 level, these miniatures combine graceful simplicity with quiet sophistication. Though accessible to late elementary players, each piece is full of subtle delights — playful rhythmic motion, gently surprising harmonies, and beautifully crafted melodic lines that sing with cantabile elegance.

 

The outer movements flow in quick waltz time, framing a lyrical central piece in 2/4. Throughout, there’s a sense of delicate wit — a quiet humour and expressive clarity reminiscent of early 20th-century French composers, particularly members of Les Six. The first movement, The Musical Box, gives a hint of the magical world these pieces inhabit — but all three have their own unique sparkle.

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Click below to listen to Where I Live.