Your Opinion on artists like Michael Nyman?

[tranquillis]

Crap may have been your initial response, but I think differently; Nyman pieces such as the Heart seeks pleasure are very "commercially" appealing, and alot of people can connect with it. One plays a Bach piece and perhaps fewer will enjoy the listening experience as much (in a casual setting); SO I think there's a place for music like Nyman and notable composers, the latter being performed in concert halls, the former on a saturday evening at home in front of company...

"Controversy"  

[thalbergmad]

SO I think there's a place for music like Nyman

Completely agree

Thal

[ahinton]

Completely agree

Thal

You discreetly avoid revealing what particular place you personally might have in mind - as well indeed you might...

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

I hate to say it, but i have missed you

[nanabush]

I was actually showing one of my students "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" today.  She really enjoys playing pop music, and is quite advanced, and I remember playing this piece as an alternative study a while ago for an exam.

As far as 'pop' music, or 'movie' music goes, the music from The Piano is pretty damn fun to play, and pretty tough at that.

[retrouvailles]

There are far better things to give your students than "piano pop", in terms of speaking about pieces that are easy and fun. Just about everything that Nyman has written, with the exception of his piano concerto (a bit of a guilty pleasure for me), is fit for the dust bin, if you ask me. If you want something easy, fun, and "academic", look at György Kurtág's Játekók. He has written many books of these very small and fun pieces. Just because Nyman's music has commercial appeal doesn't mean it is good. It is like saying that just because Britney Spears has commercial appeal means that it is good (well, they are both pop music, really). There are some concert music works you can play in a casual setting. Bach, I would say, can be good for that in his smaller works. And surely there are tons and tons of miniatures written by composers over the years that could work, in addition to Kurtág's pieces.

[nanabush]

whoa, wait a second.

She does her exam pieces, and wants some contrasting stuff.  There's nothing wrong with giving her something that exists as pop music.

I played it for her, and she really liked it, so I don't see any problem with letting her learn it.  I'm not saying that it's good because it has commercial appeal; I'm saying that even though it has some commercial appeal, it is still fun to play.  You kind of reversed what I said.  I don't usually play much pop music, but I was saying that for a pop piece, this was a good one imo.

[gorucan]

Kapustin is in Jazz waters but also very appleaing to public and quite complex to play.

However there is no substitute for good old Wolfgang if you need something fun!

[slobone]

I didn't know what this was, so I just listened on Youtube.

No, it's certainly not crap, in fact it's very pretty. Although it's not a style of music I can listen to for very long. And I do think that the music Holly Hunter played in The Piano was anachronistic -- her character certainly wouldn't have been playing like that.

But Nyman is talented, I also like the score from Hairspray. There's plenty of room in the world for every kind of music...

PS Is the melody a folk song, or have I just heard it so often it seems like one?