help choosing a contemporary composer

[youjean88]

i dont have much knowledge on contemporary music so i need a little help picking a composer to play from the contemporary era

here is the list i have compiled of composers i am interested in.

*Bartok 1881-1945
*Busoni 1866-1924
Stravinsky 1882-1971
Villa lobos 1887-1959
*Griffes
Ginastra 1916-1983
Kabalevsky 1904
Khachaturian
*Medtner 1880-1950- late romantic?
*Moszkowski 1854-1925
*Gershwin


- few things
if any of the composers up there are not contemporary please let me know
please dont worry about skill level
if there are any other good contemporary composers i have missed please let me know


thank you for your time

[quantum]

Scriabin (ranges from very Chopin like to very avant garde)

de Falla

Ligeti

Turina

Messiaen

Kapustin

[birba]

Those composers aren't very contemporary.  I think pianostreet has helped me very much in this area.  Becoming aware of living contemporary composers today.  Go to the thread "composers you would like to kill"

[pies]

How long?  How difficult?  How hard to swallow?
The generic suggestion I often give is Rzewski's Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues.  It seems to be an effective competition/audition piece.

[n-mi]

you can try at www.sheetmusicfox.com
i've already use it n that web is very2 useful!

[retrouvailles]

you can try at www.sheetmusicfox.com
i've already use it n that web is very2 useful!

There are no contemporary composers there, given that most contemporary composers are not public domain.

*Bartok 1881-1945
*Busoni 1866-1924
Stravinsky 1882-1971
Villa lobos 1887-1959
*Griffes
Ginastra 1916-1983
Kabalevsky 1904
Khachaturian
*Medtner 1880-1950- late romantic?
*Moszkowski 1854-1925
*Gershwin

There is not a living composer listed among this list. A good number of them are not even "contemporary", which is defined as coming from nearly the same time period as the present. Moszkowski and Medtner are actually considered (late) romantic, and therefore not contemporary by any means. The closest one there is Ginastera, who is an excellent composer I would recommend. Any of his piano sonatas would be very good. The Rzewski idea is good too. Look at his 4 North American Ballades. Also, if you are not too familiar with contemporary music, but like someone a bit more approachable, you might like Lowell Liebermann, who writes in a neo-romantic style. His nocturnes are great short works. He isn't an excellent composer who is ground breaking in any way, but he might suit your purposes. Do some self research, and you will find quite a bit of good music from the last 50 years.

[youjean88]

sorry i should have been a little more clear

by contemporary i mean a style after romantic. so anything other than romantic/classical/baroque/late romantic will do.

that being said. would busoni be considered to be romantic? wikipedia says hes moved beyond romantic but i dont know how reliable wikipedia is.

[communist]

As for Khachaturian you should take a look at his poeme in C-sharp minor, his suite for piano and his piano sonata (I can E-mail you the sheet music to any of those). The Ginastera piano sonatas are fantastic but very difficult (leaping tone clusters among other things. The doce preludious americanos are easier and good. Samuel Barber's piano music is generally not to difficult and it suits your purpose. Feinberg's piano sonatas are great but notoriously difficult.

[youjean88]

im not a big fan of sonatas. i usually look for shorter music because i have a very short attention span and i get bored very very quickly, most pieces i play range from 3-8 minutes but i do make exceptions for music that is(are? my grammar sucks) unusually good. i think prokofievs visions fugitives are perfect.

btw does anyone know the answer to my busoni question?

thank you all for your responses

[retrouvailles]

btw does anyone know the answer to my busoni question?

Busoni was definitely a Romantic composer to some extent (and only lived till around 1924), but some of his works contain atonal or polytonal elements. I think he and Scriabin share the same situation, in that they both straddle the border. But he is definitely not "contemporary".

Anyways, I would suggest Ginastera as your best candidate. His 12 Preludios Americanos, 1st sonata (the least difficult), the Danzas Argentinas, and Tres Piezas (probably the easiest of his short pieces) are my picks.

[youjean88]

thank you very much

[sharon_f]

For Ginastera I would also add the Suite de Danzas Criollas.

[point of grace]

did you try Ginastera's danzas argentinas? also ginastera's American Preludes...

[communist]

im not a big fan of sonatas. i usually look for shorter music because i have a very short attention span and i get bored very very quickly, most pieces i play range from 3-8 minutes but i do make exceptions for music that is(are? my grammar sucks) unusually good. i think prokofievs visions fugitives are perfect.

btw does anyone know the answer to my busoni question?

thank you all for your responses

each movement of Ginastera piano sonatas 1 and 2 are about 4 minutes each.

[quantum]

Ginastera's sonatas are anything but boring or conventional.  More like concentrated bursts of energy. 

[lontano]

Ginastera's sonatas are anything but boring or conventional.  More like concentrated bursts of energy. 

And it should be noted that while the 1st is the more attention grabber for the typical audience, and less difficult, both, especially the far less performed 2nd sonata, are quite difficult. I've been witness to several advanced pianists flub parts of the 1st "in concert". I also have my own very specific idea as to how the 1st movement should be played, for the greatest effect, but it seems few performers see it "my way".

And I honestly think the 2nd sonata is a bit more difficult for the "un-atuned" audience 

The American Preludes offer interesting options, and the Danzas Argentinas are both playable and accessible.

Villa-Lobos was a wonderful composer of piano music! His many works, including 2 (or 3) volumes of "Proles a bebe" (sp??) are short works descriptive of a child's environment, but are often brilliant and virtuosic displays, not intended as works for the (average) child to perform. And he wrote many other collections of piano (and an enormous catalog of varied other forms of music) all from the period following the late-romantic through the mid-20th century, with that great Brazilian (and general South American mixture of Spanish and indigenous influences)!

There's so much actually that it might be overwhelming at first glance, but I believe everyone coming up in piano studies should acquaint themselves with the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos! 

Lontano

[ted]

I suggest the man I usually suggest - David Thomas Roberts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTI3UGPHl5U&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UpTtGs1veg

[retrouvailles]

I suggest the man I usually suggest - David Thomas Roberts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTI3UGPHl5U&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UpTtGs1veg

Those are cute, but I think the original poster is looking for something much more serious. Those might make a good fun encore.

[thetamman]

I'm not sure whether the poster means "late 20th century?" or contemporary? But contemporary-wise, I think the Timescreens by Jay Alan Lim deserve attention. 

[retrouvailles]

I'm not sure whether the poster means "late 20th century?" or contemporary? But contemporary-wise, I think the Timescreens by Jay Alan Lim deserve attention. 

Is there a recording around anywhere? I don't think I've ever come across a recording of any of his work, and I have been looking for a commercial recording of his piano piece ":[ten]dril". There is one on YouTube, but I want one on CD.

[sharon_f]

Villa-Lobos was a wonderful composer of piano music!
,,,,,,,
There's so much actually that it might be overwhelming at first glance, but I believe everyone coming up in piano studies should acquaint themselves with the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos!  

Lontano

Many years ago, my first piano teacher always taught Villa-Lobos "The Three Maries" a charming, brilliant set of 3 not-too-difficult pieces. I don't think I've heard any one play them since back then. Did a search on Google and not a single video of any of them posted. A shame.

[youjean88]

where do you guys buy the sheet music for this? i usually buy dover publications because they tend to give a large amount of the artists compositions for a very low price. they dont seem to have a book on ginestera (maybe hes still too new)? where do you guys buy the sheets ?

[retrouvailles]

where do you guys buy the sheet music for this? i usually buy dover publications because they tend to give a large amount of the artists compositions for a very low price. they dont seem to have a book on ginestera (maybe hes still too new)? where do you guys buy the sheets ?

Boosey and Hawkes publishes Ginastera's music. It should be very easy to get. Just because a piece was composed less than 50 years ago doesn't mean it is hard to find.

[lontano]

Many years ago, my first piano teacher always taught Villa-Lobos "The Three Maries" a charming, brilliant set of 3 not-too-difficult pieces. I don't think I've heard any one play them since back then. Did a search on Google and not a single video of any of them posted. A shame.

"The Three Maries" do appear on several CDs of collections of Villa-Lobos piano works.

[thetamman]

hey lontano, check your messages

thetamman

[communist]

where do you guys buy the sheet music for this? i usually buy dover publications because they tend to give a large amount of the artists compositions for a very low price. they dont seem to have a book on ginestera (maybe hes still too new)? where do you guys buy the sheets ?

just to let you know, Dover Publications only published standard repertoire (I.E. was Murray Perahia plays) so if you are looking for a contemporary composer (excluding Bartok) you should not bother checking there.

[jpowell]

Perhaps you might like the work of Mompou. He died not so long ago - the 1980s I think.

Also Maurice Ohana.

Or Dutilleux.

Or Gnattali.

There are quite a few pieces by Gabriel Erkoreka, published by Oxford University Press. The least demanding are the earlier Nubes.

There are a couple (at least) of short pieces by Murail, Mandragore being one, and some hommage to Messiaen being the other.

There are some very recent miniatures of Boulez as well. Also the Wasser-/Erden-/Feuer- klavier set by Berio. Also dead, by the way.

Some early pieces by Xenakis have come to light and have been recently published.

The sonatas of John White, of which there are 169, present you with quite a choice (enquire at www.soundandmusic.org I think).

Also Dave Smith (at the same address) has written a lot of piano music.

The Gershwin Arrangements of Michael Finnissy might also appeal. Many of these are not as challenging as some of his other works.

Morgan Hayes (publ. Stainer and Bell) has written quite a bit of piano music: the two sets of Strides might be good places to start.

There is a lovely Ballade by Kaija Saariaho (published by Chester).

Bent Sorensen is a good composer, but I don't know if he has written piano music.

Perhaps try Valentyn Silvestrov - very intimate, evocative music. Everything from sonatas to miniatures. Published by Beliaeff. A current favourite of mine.

[retrouvailles]

Bent Sorensen is a good composer, but I don't know if he has written piano music.

Yes, he has. He has at least two pieces: Lullabies and The Shadows of Silence. They were both recorded by Leif Ove Andsnes on his CD entitled Shadows of Silence, which also features piano concertos by Witold Lutosławski and Marc-André Dalbavie and György Kurtág's Játekók, which would also be some great works to play. He has I think 8 books out now. They are very small pieces, so I would pick at least 5 of them to play.

[milibabie]

Is there a recording around anywhere? I don't think I've ever come across a recording of any of his work, and I have been looking for a commercial recording of his piano piece ":[ten]dril". There is one on YouTube, but I want one on CD.

I also saw the Timescreen piece on YT. Lim is a good composer. Do you by any chance have a sample of the score for Timescreen or tendril?

as for the new Andsnes cd, who publishes the Sorensen's music? Kurtag's 'Jatekok"?

to J Powell: Would you be kind enuff to inform me which Xenakis pieces have just been published and where they can be purchased..

thanks everyone

[retrouvailles]

as for the new Andsnes cd, who publishes the Sorensen's music? Kurtag's 'Jatekok"?

Bent Sørensen's music is published by G. Schirmer. Here is the link to their site:

https://www.schirmer.com/default.aspx?TabId=2419&State_2872=3&ComposerID_2872=1480&CategoryID_2872=27

Kurtág's Játekók is published by Edition Musica Budapest. Here is their site:

https://www.emb.hu/en/

[milibabie]

many thanks for your info! extremely helpful for all of us!

any infoon the J.A. Lim pieces?
or even these Skalkotas etudes that were also posted online ... the user is hard to reach ...

thanks retrouvailles in advance, and j powell , please let me know if you have information on where to find the Xenakis music ... I already find it hard to find his music ...

thanks everyone ..best choice ever to join PS!!

[jpowell]

Xenakis is published by Salabert, Paris.

[ahinton]

Perhaps you might like the work of Mompou. He died not so long ago - the 1980s I think.

Also Maurice Ohana.

Or Dutilleux.

Or Gnattali.

There are quite a few pieces by Gabriel Erkoreka, published by Oxford University Press. The least demanding are the earlier Nubes.

There are a couple (at least) of short pieces by Murail, Mandragore being one, and some hommage to Messiaen being the other.

There are some very recent miniatures of Boulez as well. Also the Wasser-/Erden-/Feuer- klavier set by Berio. Also dead, by the way.

Some early pieces by Xenakis have come to light and have been recently published.

The sonatas of John White, of which there are 169, present you with quite a choice (enquire at www.soundandmusic.org I think).

Also Dave Smith (at the same address) has written a lot of piano music.

The Gershwin Arrangements of Michael Finnissy might also appeal. Many of these are not as challenging as some of his other works.

Morgan Hayes (publ. Stainer and Bell) has written quite a bit of piano music: the two sets of Strides might be good places to start.

There is a lovely Ballade by Kaija Saariaho (published by Chester).

Bent Sorensen is a good composer, but I don't know if he has written piano music.

Perhaps try Valentyn Silvestrov - very intimate, evocative music. Everything from sonatas to miniatures. Published by Beliaeff. A current favourite of mine.

In this large, interesting and informative list you made a glaring omission, if I may say so. Jonathan Powell has a considerable body of piano music to his credit, including nine sonatas; well worth investigating.

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Carter?

[gep]

Carter?

Call me silly, but I think Alistair meant Jonathan Powell the composer being the glaring omission. (Don't know if said JP has the Carter Sonata or the other piano music in his repertoire; I'm quite sure the combination Powell/Carter would be an utter delight!). I've so far only heard Powell's Sonata VI, which I found quite interesting, more then enough to wish to hear the others (although Sonata IX, as far as I know, is as yet unfinished).
Alistair, surely you saw the name of the poster of that list with that glaring omission? (Silly question, perhaps... )

Gep

[ahinton]

Call me silly,

I wouldn't dream of doing so. Thal might, as is his wont, I suppose. Still, even that might be marginally preferable to calling you Doris, which is even sillier...

but I think Alistair meant Jonathan Powell the composer being the glaring omission.

You think correctly (although I'd have thought my statement of glaring omission to be obvious to anyone).

Don't know if said JP has the Carter Sonata or the other piano music in his repertoire;

He's not yet performed the sonata as far as I know and I'm not sure if he has Night Fantasies or any of the shorter more recent pieces in his repertoire, but I have to admit that I have never heard him play any Carter.

I'm quite sure the combination Powell/Carter would be an utter delight!).

You are not alone in that!

Alistair, surely you saw the name of the poster of that list with that glaring omission?

Yes, I did(!)...

(Silly question, perhaps... )

Yes, that's right. Silly question(!)...

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Call me silly

OK silly, but i was just pointing out that AH had forgotten to mention Carter.

Thal

[thalbergmad]

I'm quite sure the combination Powell/Carter would be an utter delight!

I am foaming at the mouth in anticipation already.

Especially if it is the "typewriter" sonata.

Thal

[gep]

I am foaming at the mouth

Nothing new there....

Especially if it is the "typewriter" sonata.

So you do not know the Carter Sonata.
I think he won't mind too much!

Quote from: gep on Today at 12:09:33 PM
Call me silly,

Quote from: ahinton on Today at 12:23:26 PM
I wouldn't dream of doing so. Thal might, as is his wont, I suppose.

Quote from: thalbergmad on Today at 06:00:12 PM
OK silly,

Still better than Doris. And your getting predictable..

Sweet dreams,

Gep

[thalbergmad]

So you do not know the Carter Sonata.

There was one piece played at the proms the other year and i cannot remember its name. I use the term "typewriter" as watching the pianist play it reminded me of someone on the typewriter.

Thal

[thalbergmad]

your getting predictable..

Actually Doris, I think it is you're or you are.

Thal

[retrouvailles]

There was one piece played at the proms the other year and i cannot remember its name. I use the term "typewriter" as watching the pianist play it reminded me of someone on the typewriter.

Thal

You are mistaking this piece (for maybe the third time now) for Caténaires, which is a totally different work. The Piano Sonata is neo-classical and very tonal, and is something that doesn't sound anything like a typewriter. It has some very nice melodies and is something that should be right up your alley.

[youjean88]

wow this is a pretty popular thread. and it was started by me! hi 5

anyway, to whoever suggested the john white sonatas. i never heard these before but they are amazing. there wouldnt happen to be a company that sells a compilation of all his sonatas would there? (i think im dreaming the dream)

[jimpenn]

In this large, interesting and informative list you made a glaring omission, if I may say so. Jonathan Powell has a considerable body of piano music to his credit, including nine sonatas; well worth investigating.

Best,

Alistair

I'm sure ahinton would be far too modest to consider that he may have made a glaring omission of his own, but I think his own body of piano music is worth exploring. The two of his sonatas I've heard (3rd and 4th) are marvellous things, and neither of them are too long to fit into a standard length recital. And for anyone with a bit of stamina (and nerve), his "Variations & Fugue on a theme of Grieg" and "Sequentia Claviensis" are magnificent and significant works.

And I'm amazed no-one's mentioned Ronald Stevenson yet, either.

[communist]

I'm sure ahinton would be far too modest to consider that he may have made a glaring omission of his own, but I think his own body of piano music is worth exploring. The two of his sonatas I've heard (3rd and 4th) are marvellous things, and neither of them are too long to fit into a standard length recital. And for anyone with a bit of stamina (and nerve), his "Variations & Fugue on a theme of Grieg" and "Sequentia Claviensis" are magnificent and significant works.

And I'm amazed no-one's mentioned Ronald Stevenson yet, either.

His music is certainly very good but his sheet music that he sells at the Sorabji Archive is very expensive 

[gep]

I'm sure ahinton would be far too modest to consider that he may have made a glaring omission of his own, but I think his own body of piano music is worth exploring. The two of his sonatas I've heard (3rd and 4th) are marvellous things, and neither of them are too long to fit into a standard length recital. And for anyone with a bit of stamina (and nerve), his "Variations & Fugue on a theme of Grieg" and "Sequentia Claviensis" are magnificent and significant works.

Most heartily seconded! Alack and alas I haven't heard these two sonatas you mention, or any of the others (you wouldn't have some highly illegal recordings thereof you'd be willing to sell, now would you? ), but these Variations and the Sequentia are hugely interesting works indeed! I should have brought them up here myself!

his sheet music that he sells at the Sorabji Archive is very expensive 

I do not think so, sheet music is usually quite expensive (judging from regular prices for sometimes quite small works), but hey, thay are a source of income for the composer, who has spent any amount of time and trouble writing them. Surely that is worth someting? And the prices I've seen aren't that huge, GPB24 for a typeset edition (which comes by grace of the work of two people) I'd call rather cheap for such a huge work!

[ahinton]

His music is certainly very good but his sheet music that he sells at the Sorabji Archive is very expensive  

Thank you - and others here - for your kind compliments; however, I am sorry that you think that our prices are "expensive" and wonder with what or whose you are comparing them. We have not increased most of our prices for quite a few years, despite increases in shipping and consumables costs. When we first set up, we checked the prices of other organisations such as British Library and set ours way below theirs. All the equipment required to prepare and ship scores has to be paid for and accordingly reflected in our prices (which, incidentally, include shipping within UK). I would be pleased to hear your views on this, especially as quite a few people have described our pricing as very reasonable.

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

His music is certainly very good but his sheet music that he sells at the Sorabji Archive is very expensive 

You obviously have not visited the Scottish Music Centre, The British Library, Senate House Library and hundreds of other places that charge a lot more than Alistair does. The Breitkopf archive service is $7 per page.

Perhaps it is postage to Siberia that makes it expensive for you.

Thal

[gep]

You obviously have not visited the Scottish Music Centre, The British Library, Senate House Library and hundreds of other places that charge a lot more than Alistair does. The Breitkopf archive service is $7 per page.

Good grief! I expect the Breitkopf comes printed on gold plaques? And gets personally delivered by Rolls Royce??

Having seen the scores of scores you have, you are either very rich, very poor (by now) or unmarried (also by now)...

[ahinton]

You obviously have not visited the Scottish Music Centre, The British Library, Senate House Library and hundreds of other places that charge a lot more than Alistair does. The Breitkopf archive service is $7 per page.

Indeed so - this was my point - although I'd still be happy to hear what "communist" has to say about the sources of the lower prices with which he appears to compare ours; not that there's any intended price competition as such going on here, but...

Perhaps it is postage to Siberia that makes it expensive for you.

Actually, UK Royal Mail's postage rates to the entire former Soviet Union are their European rates (i.e. no more expensive than sending to Ireland, France, etc.), so shipping to Siberia ought not to be an issue.

Best,

Alistair