20th Century Composers

[robertzhang123]

I am auditioning for a music school. They require a substantial piece by a 20th Century Composer. What piece should I learn? I am looking for a very difficult piece.

[pies]

a

[tanman]

what are the guidelines for it?

anyway...
Barber Sonata

[minor9th]

Gubaidulia: Chaconne
Carter: Night Fantasies
Schnittke: Sonata No.1
Sessions: Sonata No.2 or 3
Shapey: Mutations I or II
Reimann: Variations
Fernyhough: Lemma-Icon-Epigram
Ramey: Sonatas 1-4; Toccata

[tanman]

hmmm... a VERY difficult piece?

does Sorabji OC count?   

[bella_brito]

Maybe some Villa-Lobos, like Festa no sertão or Impressões Seresteiras. Really difficult...

[jabbz]

Some Finnissy maybe?

[indutrial]

How long does it have to be?

Some generic suggestions:

Ligeti etudes - L'escalier du diable, Desordre, Automne a Varsovie, Fanfares, White on White, and others.
A movement from a Medtner sonata maybe
Rzewski - Squares, Four Pieces, North American Ballads
Sorabji - 1920 toccata, Carmen Pastiche if you're feeling crazy 
Messiaen - Something from Vingt Regards, or an etude
Persichetti has some interesting sonatas
Carter - Piano Sonata
Ives - a movement from the Concord sonata
Antheil - Airplane sonata, Jazz sonata
Tobias Picker - Four etudes for Ursula

I always wonder how often pieces like these are made to sound like total shite by people who decide to perform them without bringing the first clue about the music to the table. Hmm...who's next in line to roll over in their grave?

[zemyk4e]

hmmm... very difficult .... Not too difficult....

Antheil - Sonata Sauvage
Finnissy - Jazz
Kapustin - sonata no. 2
Yedidia - sonata no. 3
Rzewski - Squares
Sorabji - Prelude, Interlude, & Fugue
Villa-Lobos - Amazonas, Rudepoema
Mosolov - sonata no. 2
Stockhausen - Klavierstuck I-IV

..... the list goes on, but I wouldn't be inclined to recommend you any more notoriously difficult pieces, as you will need an 'Ian Pace' technique to execute almost any of them.

my last suggestion ..... 

Dillon - Spleen

 

[ollymuxworthy]

Try some Rachmaninoff - he lived most of his life in the 20^th Century.
I recommend 23/5 (Prelude in G Minor). It's quite a physical piece that requires strong wrists, but it's well worth it.

[retrouvailles]

Try some Rachmaninoff - he lived most of his life in the 20^th Century.
I recommend 23/5 (Prelude in G Minor). It's quite a physical piece that requires strong wrists, but it's well worth it.

He doesn't count as a "20th century composer", given his music sounds like it was composed in the previous one. Just take a look at all of the composers previously mentioned. Rachmaninoff sounds very antiquated compared to them.

[tanman]

does Ravel count?

[burstroman]

Shostakovich, Sonata #1.

[camstrings]

A Michael Tippett piano sonata might fit the bill. He wrote 4 or 5, I think.

[kelly_kelly]

How about Griffes? I particularly like Fountains of Acqua Paulo, from the Roman Sketches. Here's a performance on YouTube:

[j.s. bach the 534th]

I think Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was written in the 20th century

[retrouvailles]

You can't use the fact that a piece was written in the 20th century to call it "20th century" in a lot of cases, especially if it was written by those who persisted with keeping romanticism alive. Those are people like Rachmaninoff, Medtner, Dohnányi, and others. I think Rhapsody in Blue would qualify, but it wouldn't work for the original poster because it isn't that difficult.

[darcyhj]

How about the Berg Sonata, it's pretty difficult and 20th century but not twelve tone so it's kinder on the ears.

[richard black]

I think Rhapsody in Blue would qualify, but it wouldn't work for the original poster because it isn't that difficult.

I guess you've never played it then!

[indutrial]

I think Rhapsody in Blue would qualify, but it wouldn't work for the original poster because it isn't that difficult.

Further than this, I'm sure a ton of music professors operate on the misinterpretation that Gershwin is too jazz to be classical and, when asking for a 20th century piece, are probably just after some Prokofiev, Barber, Shostakovich, or one of the neoromantics mentioned above.

In terms of pieces that are A.) the right length, B.) the right difficulty, and C.) not too too avant-garde, I would suggest looking into suites or sonatas by:

Feinberg, Mosolov, Skalkottas, Tansman, Bacewicz, Jolivet, Dutilleux (esp. the op. 1 sonata), Protopopov (maybe too out there), Hindemith, N.V. Bentzon (wrote loads of good stuff for the piano).

Embracing the twentieth century's music should go hand in hand with disavowing the idea that there's a set-in-stone repertoire that everybody needs to adhere to. There's an exponentially larger amount of material out there to suit any individual's specific tastes. Students should really become enthusiasts instead of expecting people to be able to supply a correct answer to the above inquiry.

[retrouvailles]

I guess you've never played it then!

Hehe, I actually have. I played it when I was about 14. It was one of the first serious pieces I learned. I still have it in my repertoire to this day and still perform it on occasion.

[thorn]

Danielpour- The Enchanted Garden (take your pick- all difficult)
Ichiyanagi- Cloud Atlas (again all difficult)
Takemitsu- For Away or Piano Distance

[mozenrath]

Bartók?

[pokeythepenguin]

Jesus...

Well, in keeping with the great () suggestions people have been making so far, why not like... Cogluotobusisletmesi or Evryali?  No, I know, the entire History of Photography in Sound.  Or even better, Tract.  Wait, I know, why not try ...when the panting STARTS?  Maybe Sorabji Tantrik Symphony or Opus Archimagicum?


Play Rzewski's North American Ballad No. 4  The judges will mostly be familiar with the work, it's more difficult than, say, a movement from Prokofiev or Bartok Sonatas (although the Bartok Etudes Op. 18 might be another good suggestion, but are more difficult) (and also, keep in mind that there's no point in learning some MASSIVE work like that, because they will ask you to only play a movement) and the Rzewski NAB4 has an *extremely* good success rate at competitions and auditions.

So, besides avoiding a huge, 4 movement sonata, I suggestion avoiding Neo-Classicism altogether (because *everyone* will be playing Prok 2/6/7).  I also suggest not playing a Futurist piece (composers such as Mosolov, Feinberg, Roslavets, Lourie etc.), and seriously, don't play something too intensely wild like Xenakis or Bussotti, or any of the New Complexity composers.  There's nothing wrong with any of those composers, but it's just not what they're going to be looking for, and if you play something that just sounds like a pile of notes to someone who's not intimate with the piece, they have no way of judging your ability.

If you just HAVE to have something very very difficult, the 1st Movement of the Boulez Deuxieme Sonate pour Piano would probably be acceptable, if they allow movements.  Most pianists are familiar *enough* with that piece.  No Stockhausen though.

Danielpour- The Enchanted Garden (take your pick- all difficult)

A good suggestion as well.  They will surely make you play Mardi Gras if you choose this, so make sure if you decide on this work you have that one particularly ready.

[ahinton]

Jesus...

Didn't know that he was either a composer or 20th century...

Well, in keeping with the great () suggestions people have been making so far, why not like... Cogluotobusisletmesi or Evryali?  No, I know, the entire History of Photography in Sound.  Or even better, Tract.  Wait, I know, why not try ...when the panting STARTS?  Maybe Sorabji Tantrik Symphony or Opus Archimagicum?

I know that you mean well but are at the same time being somewhat less than serious here. All of these works are at or near the outer edges of what is possible for pianists (as I know you know) and the two Sorabji works have yet to be edited in nice typeset formats that will make the task of preparing them just SO easy (by comparison with what would currently be the case, that is).

Play Rzewski's North American Ballad No. 4  The judges will mostly be familiar with the work, it's more difficult than, say, a movement from Prokofiev or Bartok Sonatas (although the Bartok Etudes Op. 18 might be another good suggestion, but are more difficult) (and also, keep in mind that there's no point in learning some MASSIVE work like that, because they will ask you to only play a movement) and the Rzewski NAB4 has an *extremely* good success rate at competitions and auditions.

Now you're talking good sense. The Bartók Études are all too little known music by an obviously very well known composer and, of all the suggestions you make here, I think this to be one of the best.

So, besides avoiding a huge, 4 movement sonata, I suggestion avoiding Neo-Classicism altogether (because *everyone* will be playing Prok 2/6/7).  I also suggest not playing a Futurist piece (composers such as Mosolov, Feinberg, Roslavets, Lourie etc.), and seriously, don't play something too intensely wild like Xenakis or Bussotti, or any of the New Complexity composers.  There's nothing wrong with any of those composers, but it's just not what they're going to be looking for, and if you play something that just sounds like a pile of notes to someone who's not intimate with the piece, they have no way of judging your ability.

I don't quite see why Roslavets in particular ought to be avoided in such a context, actually - and I agree that the so-called "New Complexity" (now very old complexity) folk will likely cut no ice in this particular situation.

If you just HAVE to have something very very difficult, the 1st Movement of the Boulez Deuxieme Sonate pour Piano would probably be acceptable, if they allow movements.  Most pianists are familiar *enough* with that piece.

I submit that it would not only be a shame but perhaps also a bad tactical move to present an extract from anything, however well it might be played - especially a single movement from Boulez's Deuxième Sonate.

Best,

Alistair

[Petter]

Something by Jarret, Haydn or Hans Zimmer or Philip Glas maybe

[ahinton]

Something by Jarret,

As with poor Mr Carter, you make this person short of a cup of tea - and he's been dealt with very recently on another thread...

Haydn

Er - excuse me?...

Philip Glas

Removing a final E flat from the personage whom a musicologist of my acquaintance rather delightfully calls "Philippe de Vitry" won't make his music sound any better...

Best,

Alistair

[naturlaut]

Depends on what you're offering in the rest of your programme.  If you're already playing a Scriabin, I'd avoid Feinberg, etc.. 

Aside from all the great ones above, here are my suggestions:
Shostakovich 2nd Sonata
Sorabji Transcendental Etude (eg., No. 4)
Myaskovsky Sonata No. 3
Kapustin Sonata No. 6
Earl Wild Fantasy on Porgy and Bess

By the way, it also depends on where and what you are auditioning for.

[scottical]

(removed)

[ctrastevere]

My recommendation goes to York Bowen's toccata. It is quite challenging without being terribly difficult, and is one of the most impressive pieces you'll play for most audiences. And furthermore, due to it's relative obscurity, most juries will be unfamiliar with it.

This piece is usually shoved to the back of the line due to the immense popularity of his other works, namely Herma and Evryali...

I would be hesitant to call any piece by Xenakis immensely popular.

[ctrastevere]

A- that's actually on a lot of conservatories' lists of, "here, choose one of these quasi-modern pieces".

Most professors of conservatories I've come in contact with have never heard the piece. One professor of piano I met had played a viola sonata by Bowen once but was not familiar with the toccata.

B- you don't *want* a piece to be unknown to the jury.

I'm not necessarily saying that that should be a primary factor in a person's decision on what to include in their program, but it it can't be denied that it puts them at an advantage to some extent over one who chooses a piece that the jury will know every note of.

C- it's not a substantial work.

You're right, my mistake.