Piano Forum



The ABRSM 2025 & 2026 – Expanding the Musical Horizon
The highly anticipated biennial releases of the ABRSM’s new syllabus publications are a significant event in the world of piano education, regardless of whether one chooses to participate in or teach the graded exams. Read more >>

Topic: what is a great contemporary piece?  (Read 3065 times)

Offline adidaschica

  • PS Silver Member
  • Newbie
  • ***
  • Posts: 15
what is a great contemporary piece?
on: August 24, 2004, 09:31:44 PM
hi, do you know if there is a great contemporary(20th century)or impressionest  piece to play in a competition?

Offline amanfang

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 841
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #1 on: August 25, 2004, 12:14:48 AM
Try Lowell Liebermann's Nocturne #3.
When you earnestly believe you can compensate for a lack of skill by doubling your efforts, there's no end to what you can't do.

Offline bernhard

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5078
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #2 on: August 25, 2004, 01:07:07 AM
Here are a few (I am sure people will add more):

Villa Lobos – Rudepoema

Barber – Sonata

Prokofiev – Toccata, Sonatas

Debussy – Feux d’artifice, L’Isle Joyeuse

Ravel – Miroirs, Gaspard de la Nuit, Le tombeau de Couperin

Bela Bartok – Sonata

Alban Berg – Sonata

Arnold Bax – Toccata

Manuel de Falla – Fantasia Baetica

Elliott Carter – Sonata

Charles Griffes – Sonata

Camargo Guarnieri- Choro Torturado, Toccata.

Just the tip of a very large iceberg.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.
The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. (Hunter Thompson)

Offline liszmaninopin

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1101
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #3 on: August 25, 2004, 01:42:44 AM
Also, the Scriabin Sonatas, and Bartok's Allegro Barbaro.

I think that Violette's Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Sonatas are great contemporary pieces, but I wouldn't recommend them for competition.

You could look into one of Sessions' Sonatas.  Mathias' Sonata #1.  For Debussy, you should look at the etude.

Offline donjuan

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3139
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #4 on: August 25, 2004, 01:45:41 AM
Rachmaninoff's arrangement of Flight of the Bumblebee is always a great piece- shows off chromatic scale technique and  control over the instrument, and it really isnt too difficult.
donjuan

Spatula

  • Guest
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #5 on: August 26, 2004, 10:59:20 PM
How about Oscar Peterson?  ;)

Offline Tash

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2248
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #6 on: August 27, 2004, 12:54:31 PM
being a bit patriotic- carl vine piano sonata it's the bomb
'J'aime presque autant les images que la musique' Debussy

Offline PL

  • PS Silver Member
  • Newbie
  • ***
  • Posts: 9
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #7 on: August 27, 2004, 11:38:10 PM
being patriotic:  ;DIn Memoriam Bela Bartok, by Lopes-Graça (in seven parts: Portico / Dance I / Incantation I / Dirge / Dance II / Incantaion II / Tribute -- Festive)

Offline donjuan

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3139
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #8 on: August 28, 2004, 01:38:23 AM
oh I just thought of a great work, but it isnt piano.

the American Symphony.  (I forgot who the composer is, but it is the piece from "Mr. Holland's Opus")

Offline liszmaninopin

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1101
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #9 on: August 28, 2004, 01:53:22 AM
A number of the Feinberg Sonatas are excellent.

Offline sharon_f

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 852
Re: what is a great contemporary piece?
Reply #10 on: August 28, 2004, 04:24:44 AM
You might consider one of the selections from Messiaen's
Vingt regards sur l'enfant Jésus. Number 13, titled Noel is an absolute knockout!

Or how about one of the Ligeti Etudes?
There are two means of refuge from the misery of life - music and cats.
Albert Schweitzer
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert