Piano Masters: 1950-2000

[snyprrr]

Richard Barrett - Tracts
Elliott Carter - Night Fantasies, other works [NF is my pick] <-- Ooh, I'm so predictable
Peter Maxwell Davies - Sonata (1981)
Brian Ferneyhough - Lemma-Icon-Epigram
Alexander Goehr - Symmetry Disorders Reach*, ...in real time, other works
Donald Martino - Pianississimo
Robert Morris - Nine Pieces, Fourteen Little Pieces, other works [recommended if you like Babbitt]
David Rakowski - Piano Etudes [100 of them!]
Ralph Shapey - 21 Variations, Fromm Variations, other works
Toru Takemitsu - various [the short Rain Tree Sketch is a favorite]
Charles Wuorinen - 4 Sonatas, other works [The Blue Bamboula is a favorite]

* The lone recording of SDR went OP seemingly within a year, and I've never heard this but am convinced I would love it.

That's a nice list.

[snyprrr]

I'd like to lift up Castiglioni amongst all these pianist-composers. Out of all the serialist stuff  from the late '50s to the '70s, Castiglioni has a unique piano voice. Many early pieces by now mature Composers (Donatoni, Denisov) come off very dry, but Castiglioni's Cangianti (1959) is quite a flamboyant workout that really has some personality, and isn't just a dry exercise.

[PaulSC]

Thanks for the Castiglioni tip, I should pay more attention to him. Thoughts on either of these?

Nicolls/Metier, Alberti/col legno


[asin]B000B6VUUM[/asin]

[asin]B000WULWVY[/asin]

[snyprrr]

Thanks for the Castiglioni tip, I should pay more attention to him. Thoughts on either of these?

Nicolls/Metier, Alberti/col legno


[asin]B000B6VUUM[/asin]

[asin]B000WULWVY[/asin]

I have the purple one (Alberti). It has a couple of extra 'Complete' pieces, which are really some of the best, so, I'd go with that one. The sound is right, too.

[PaulSC]

Thanks, I preferred that one, for sound at least, from the online previews. Adding it to my list.

[lescamil]

For something a bit different, check out the ongoing cycle of Sorabji's 100 Transcendental Etudes, of which 62 have been recorded by the great Swedish pianist Fredrik Ullén (just peruse his discography for some great modern piano works, whatever that man touches turns to gold). These pieces are perhaps the greatest collection of etudes of the 20th century, up there with Ligeti's great studies. I have the score to all 100, and they offer the greatest variety of pianistic configuration, musical expression, and anything else you can think of. Of course not all 100 are memorable, but these are much more than your garden variety of etude, firmly in the tradition of Liszt's survey of etudes. Check it out here:

http://www.bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-CD-1373

http://www.bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-CD-1533

http://www.bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-CD-1713

Of course, this is only a small survey of Sorabji's output. He has a ton more works, but this is perhaps the best place to start.

[some guy]

I don't remember liking the Ferrari much, but that only says to me that it's probably time to give it another spin. I like Ferrari as much as anyone.

Otherwise, there's Walter Marchetti. Tons of stuff by Cage, early, middle, and late.

Simeon Ten Holt if you like that kind of thing.

George Brecht if you don't.

Ross Bolleter, too, if you like ruined pianos, and who doesn't now and again. (Nudge nudge.)

There are also tons of piano and electronics pieces. Some of my favorites, besides Marchetti, are Ludger Bruemmer's Glasharfe, Michele Bokanowski's Pour un pianiste, and a piece by Hans Tutschku that "prepares" the piano electronically, simply by hanging a microphone over the side and running the sounds it picks up through a computer program. I heard it in Vilnius a couple of years ago, so I probably have it written down somewhere.

(Just found it on his site. It's Zellen-Linien.)

[springrite]

Yea, tons of garbage.

It sounds a bit better in the French pronounciation.

I love the Lutoslowski sonata!

[some guy]

Yea, tons of garbage.

Hahaha, James. Still got that Tourette's have you? If I didn't know how much you enjoyed your affliction, I'd recommend some treatment. But, as it is....

[snyprrr]

It sounds a bit better in the French pronounciation.

I love the Lutoslowski sonata!

Whaaat? I think I remember a disc on ASV, though,... but?, a WL Sonata??? huh!?!

[springrite]

Whaaat? I think I remember a disc on ASV, though,... but?, a WL Sonata??? huh!?!

Lutoslawski [1913-1994], Sonata for Piano. Esa-Pekka Salonen [b.1958], Yta II; Three Preludes; Dichotomie. Steven Stucky [b.1949], Four Album Leaves; Three Little Variations for David. (Gloria Cheng, piano. Total time: 71'35')
TELARC

[bhodges]

I love this CD of piano works by Tristan Murail, beautifully played by Marilyn Nonken (for whom he wrote one of the works, I believe).

[asin]B0009S3HWQ[/asin]

--Bruce

[springrite]

Whaaat? I think I remember a disc on ASV, though,... but?, a WL Sonata??? huh!?!

It is actually a rather early piece, somewhat Debussyan.

[snyprrr]

I don't remember liking the Ferrari much, but that only says to me that it's probably time to give it another spin. I like Ferrari as much as anyone.

Otherwise, there's Walter Marchetti. Tons of stuff by Cage, early, middle, and late.

Simeon Ten Holt if you like that kind of thing.

George Brecht if you don't.

Ross Bolleter, too, if you like ruined pianos, and who doesn't now and again. (Nudge nudge.)

There are also tons of piano and electronics pieces. Some of my favorites, besides Marchetti, are Ludger Bruemmer's Glasharfe, Michele Bokanowski's Pour un pianiste, and a piece by Hans Tutschku that "prepares" the piano electronically, simply by hanging a microphone over the side and running the sounds it picks up through a computer program. I heard it in Vilnius a couple of years ago, so I probably have it written down somewhere.

(Just found it on his site. It's Zellen-Linien.)

Just wanted to highlight those names. Isn't there a solo piece b y HJ Hespos for 'one pianist' (CPO) where the whole crew joins in for an orgy of smash 'n' crash? Like you said, who doesn't need ONE piece for Destruction of Piano?!!

[bhodges]

The only one of those I've heard is Simeon Ten Holt; I have Solodevilsdance II with Kees Wieringa, pianist. Haven't heard it in quite awhile, but recall liking it. Ten Holt is a Dutch minimalist whose work is mostly consonant, and he often writes for multiple pianos.

--Bruce

[snyprrr]

I love this CD of piano works by Tristan Murail, beautifully played by Marilyn Nonken (for whom he wrote one of the works, I believe).

[asin]B0009S3HWQ[/asin]

--Bruce

ok, I was hoping we would get here.

Murail- Nonkin (Metier)

Aperghis- Hodges (Neos/Aeon??)

FB Mache/ Ohana- Music for 2 Pianos (Naxos; only in EU)

Dufourt-none that I know of

Grisey- ditto

Manoury- Pluton?? w/live IRCAM (Ondine?)

Denis Cohen?- live IRCAM piece,... is it Cohen, or someone else on 'that' label?

Levinas- ??,... I have some inconsequential etudes, or something

[bhodges]

I am familiar with most of those composers, but oddly, none of their piano music! Both Aperghis and Grisey are among my favorites, in general.

--Bruce

[Henk]

Tho from 1946, always was fond of the Piano Sonata, a masterful epic solo ..

[asin]B000003GK2[/asin]

Cage is garbage, Carter too.

Henk

[snyprrr]

Richard Barrett - Tracts
Elliott Carter - Night Fantasies, other works [NF is my pick] <-- Ooh, I'm so predictable
Peter Maxwell Davies - Sonata (1981)
Brian Ferneyhough - Lemma-Icon-Epigram
Alexander Goehr - Symmetry Disorders Reach*, ...in real time, other works
Donald Martino - Pianississimo
Robert Morris - Nine Pieces, Fourteen Little Pieces, other works [recommended if you like Babbitt]
David Rakowski - Piano Etudes [100 of them!]
Ralph Shapey - 21 Variations, Fromm Variations, other works
Toru Takemitsu - various [the short Rain Tree Sketch is a favorite]
Charles Wuorinen - 4 Sonatas, other works [The Blue Bamboula is a favorite]

* The lone recording of SDR went OP seemingly within a year, and I've never heard this but am convinced I would love it.

I just got a really nice disc by Russell Sherman called 'Premieres & Commissions' (w/Schoenberg Op.19, Schuller, Helps, Perle) which has Shapey's Late Sonata Profondo (1996) which really surprised me (I have enjoyed Seven (1963), a virtuoso piece for 4 hands, which Feinberg distatches awesomely with just two!).

You allude to the 2-cd 'Radical Traditionalism', which includes the two monster variations (21 & Fromm). Shapey has undeniable STYLE,... somthing we can get into on the Shapey Thread,... I just find a certain high standard running through everything I've heard by him (from any point in his development, no less).

As for his Piano Music, is it not worthy as perhaps the most successful interpretation of (strickly) the Second Viennese School, specifically Schoenberg? I mean, perhaps, as compared to Sessions, Perle, any Boriskin recital, and so forth? Basically, as far as the NewWorldRecords, Albany, and CRI catalogs are concerned, haha?

Tawk amoungst youwarselves

[snyprrr]

In the spirit of the comraderie of this Thread, I am writing a new Piece for Veiled Insult for reciting non-pianist!