War-themed pieces

[nolan]

Hello,
I'm looking for war-themed pieces for solo piano. The piece itself could be about war, maybe it was written during a war, or maybe the composer was affected by a war when he wrote it, etc...Would anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,
-nolan

[amanfang]

Off the top of my head....

Beethoven - Sonata Op. 81a Les Adieux
Prokofiev - Sonatas 6, 7, and 8 are all War Sonatas

There are also numerous children's piece about war or soldiers if you wanted to do a set of children's pieces.  It seems like Bach wrote something for his brother going to war, but I can't remember what it was at the moment.

[liszmaninopin]

A number of Messiaen's piano works, while not expressly about World War 2, would certainly reflect a personality that endured much suffering in that war.  His Vignt Regards are perhaps his best known piano pieces, and offer a wide range of mood and difficulty for you to choose from.

One living composer who comes immediately to mind is Frank Abbinanti.  His works are hard to come by, and some might find his political positions controversial, but he has written a number of pieces that reflect the tension in Israel/Palestine.

George Flynn's Trinity is in reaction to the Vietnam war.

Roger Sessions' third sonata is also from that era, and although it was actually composed in memory of John Kennedy's murder, it definitely bears the stamp of the turbulence of those years.

I've read that Chopin's "Revolutionary" etude was written in response to war in Poland.

Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin is also a poignant example, each of the six pieces is dedicated to a friend of his who died fighting World War 1.

[spitz]

Beethoven's 5th Symphony Piano Transcription by Liszt.
Beethoven was inspired to write this because of a war and also his increasing hearing loss.
The logic in this is that the "da-da-da-daaa" is morse code for 'V', in Beethoven's eyes meaning victory. And his deafnees becasue he proclaimed the song to also resemble 'Fate knocking at the door'. So Beethoven's 5th Smyphony Piano Transcription by Lizst would be a good piece to play for a war themed piece. And you find it at, https://www.sheetmusicarchive.net/single_listing.cfm?composer_id=3.

[infectedmushroom]

I don't know if this piece is about war, but it really sounds like it's about war:


Prokofiev - Toccata Op. 11 in D minor

 

[ted]

"Au Pays Devaste" by Chaminade

[pianistimo]

chopin's revolutionary etude?

has anyone transcribed the 1812 overture for piano?
 
frank bridge's 'requiem for the dead of wwI' is 'oration, concerto elegiaco' for cello and orchestra (transcribed for piano anywhere?)

didn't copeland write something with lincoln's address?

wagner (marches, etc)

sousa?

[alwaystheangel]

Off the top of my head....

Beethoven - Sonata Op. 81a Les Adieux
Prokofiev - Sonatas 6, 7, and 8 are all War Sonatas

There are also numerous children's piece about war or soldiers if you wanted to do a set of children's pieces.  It seems like Bach wrote something for his brother going to war, but I can't remember what it was at the moment.

Bach wrote Capriccio On the Departure of a most beloved brother(Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo).  Bach wrote it when his younger brother (Johann Jakob) left to be an obeoist for the bodyguard of Charle XII (I think) in Swedenin 1704.  The Piece has 6 movements with very descriptive titles. It's more of a lament over his brother leaving than war although the last part (VI) is in a fugal style that could be used. The rest is too funeral dirgy.  Wonderful piece. I'm learning it right now

[donjuan]

Chopin: Military Polonaise

In 1939, as Germany invaded poland, it was played continuously on the radio; it only stopped when German troops went in to the station and turned it off.

It was also played in Warsaw at the year 2000 celebration.

[elgreco]

Dear Nolan,

From the romantic period I can name Franz Liszt's piece "Lyon" (1835).

Then there is Debussy with his "Berceuse heroique", dating from 1914.

Paul Dessau wrote a little piece that bears the title "Guernica" (1937), as Picasso's famous painting. In 1943, Erich Itor Kahn composed a "Ciaconna dei Tempi di guerra".
Stefan Wolpe has written many works in reaction to WWI & II, here just a few of them that come to my mind right now: "Battle Piece" (1943-47), "The Good Spirit of a Right Cause" (1942) and the "5 marches caractéristiques", Op.10 (1928).

George Flynn's "Trinity" has been mentioned already, but he has written more pieces that relfect war in one or another way, for instance "American Icon" or his "Pieces of Night", which consist of three "American Nocturnes" and two short Interludes. Another contemporary composer-pianist, who writes politically flavoured works, is Frederic Rzweski, of course.

Best wishes,

—ElGreco

[nicco]

Harald Sæverud: Ballad of Revolt.

As the germans occupied norway during the 2nd world war, mr. sæverud composed this piece wich is a protest against the german occupation with its march-like theme.

[pianistimo]

the star-spangled banner.  with piano variations afterwards?