Piano Forum

Piano Board => Repertoire => Topic started by: lilypiano on March 24, 2006, 02:45:27 AM

Title: American Piano Music
Post by: lilypiano on March 24, 2006, 02:45:27 AM
What's some of your favorite American piano music?  I just heard "To a Wild Rose" and it almost made me cry.  It's so sweet.  I like Louis Moreau Gottschalk's music  too. 
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: cjp_piano on March 24, 2006, 05:15:50 AM
I like:

Ives

Liebermann

MacDowell

Copland
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: arensky on March 24, 2006, 07:58:54 AM
I also like MacDowell, there's a lot of great music of his that isn't played a lot. His four big Piano Sonatas are underrated IMO. There are other suites like the "Woodland Sketches" that have some very attractive short pieces in them, the "New England Idylls" for instance; several great pieces in there, including "From Puritan Days", "To an Old White Pine" and "Of Salamanders". The "Sea Pieces" op.55 are also very good. You should investigate this literature more if you already like "Wild Rose". Gottschalk is extraordinary, the first composer to use material from America and the New World, although the forms the materials are in is standard 19th century virtuoso format. A remarkable composer...

I also enjoy the piano music of Gershwin, Beiderbecke, Ives, Griffes, Barber and some Copland. And the ragtime composers.

I've only heard a few of his pieces but the music of Arthur Foote seems to be worth further investigation...

Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: instromp on March 24, 2006, 10:38:47 PM
Could someone maybe post a link to thier music so I can have a listen to it,since i never heard any of there music,thanks

Instromp
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: burstroman on March 25, 2006, 01:22:12 AM
Much American music is overlooked.  Some of my favorite composers are Amy Beach, Charles T. Griffes, Arthur Falwell, Wallingford Riegger, Louise Talma, Elie Siegmeister, and Leo Ornstein.
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: lilypiano on March 25, 2006, 02:24:58 AM
Sometimes I listen to samples of music on amazon or Barnes and Noble if I want to hear something.   Which Liebermann are you talking about? I found a Rolf and a Lowell Liebermann.  Thank you for posting.  i'll try to listen to those.  If any of you have never listened to Gottschalk, please do.  he's amazing.  he was half Creole. 
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: cjp_piano on March 25, 2006, 03:42:11 AM
 Which Liebermann are you talking about? I found a Rolf and a Lowell Liebermann. 

Lowell  - Gargoyles is fun, as are both sonatas (the second one is all one movement, check it out!).  He also wrote nocturnes.
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: sharon_f on March 26, 2006, 02:06:52 AM
Don't forget Gershwin and Barber! I would also add Dello Joio and Bolcom.
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: 4tissimo on March 26, 2006, 07:58:02 AM
To a Wild Rose is by McDowell, isn't it?  I like Charles Ives, Wm. Gillock, but I love Bonnie Millier.
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: cjp_piano on March 28, 2006, 12:48:28 AM
Don't forget Gershwin and Barber! I would also add Dello Joio and Bolcom.

Yes, I love Gershwin (preludes are my favorite!)

Dello Joio and Bolcom too, there are just so many!
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: menancyandsam on March 28, 2006, 01:24:08 AM
Just came across a huge collection of American classical sheetmusic, over 2200 pages.  At https://www.cdsheetmusic.com/.  It's nicely laid out & a great resource.  You can find it for free fhere https://pianosheets.org/browse.php?incldead=1&search=cd+american&page=1.

Btw would anyone like to recommend a American composed beginner piece (at or little more difficult than To a wild Rose). 
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: lilypiano on March 29, 2006, 05:47:45 AM
do you any of you really like the "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" melody? 
I just love it.  It has an exultant quality to it, but also has an agitated and bitter sound.  when johnny comes marching home again HooRAH  HooRAH. 
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: ted on March 29, 2006, 09:06:17 AM
The ones mentioned so far are good but, as an outsider looking in, it seems to me that many fine contemporary American ragtime composers are not as highly regarded as they should be, either in their own country or outside it. In particular, David Thomas Roberts creates piano music of real emotional power, individual stamp and distinction; once heard never forgotten. Other fine composers working in similar genres are Frank French, Scott Kirby, Hal Isbitz and Reginald Robinson.

Much of this music is not strictly ragtime in the same way as Joplin is ragtime, but contains strong Latin and other New World influences. David's "New Orleans Streets", and much of his ragtime is going to be regarded as great one day, of that I am convinced. It is at once intimate and universal in much the same way as Chopin. It continues to amaze me how many Americans have simply never heard of him.

Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: carlsayres on March 29, 2006, 12:42:50 PM
John Corigliano has some terrific piano compositions. Look at his Etude Fantasy and Fantasia on an Ostinato.

Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: superstition2 on March 30, 2006, 04:56:37 AM
Ornstein!

(https://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_2/images/music-5-16-03-leo-ornstein-weber.jpg)
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: pita bread on March 30, 2006, 04:59:09 AM
Stuff worth checking out:

Antheil-
Jazz Sonata

Barber-
Piano Concerto
Piano Sonata

Copland-
Cat and Mouse
Variations

Corigliano-
Etude Fantasy
Piano Concerto

Danielpour-
Piano Sonata
Metamorphosis for Piano and Orchestra

Dello Joio-
Capriccio on the interval of a second

Ives-
Concord Sonata

Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: franzliszt2 on March 30, 2006, 10:08:46 AM
Barber sonata!!!!!!!!!!

A must hear, an amazng piece
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: ahinton on March 30, 2006, 11:44:33 AM
No one has even mentioned Elliott Carter yet!

Best,

Alistair
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: amanfang on March 30, 2006, 12:36:53 PM
Liebermann is my favorite living composer. 

Other names not mentioned - Howard Hanson, Kent Kennan (I especially like his 3 preludes)

Has anyone said John Adams yet?
Title: Re: American Piano Music
Post by: JCarey on March 30, 2006, 11:36:51 PM
No one has even mentioned Elliott Carter yet!

Oh yes, good call! Unfortunately, there seems to be much negativity towards the music of Carter, though I don't know why - his music has always been fairly easy for me, personally, to comprehend and enjoy.

I'm surprised at the lack of jazz composers mentioned in this thread - after all, jazz could possibly be considered the "classical music" of America.