Which modern/ultra-modern piece should I learn?

[pies]

88street,

I am returning to the piano after a weird semi-hiatus that lasted over a year.  I don't know what I should learn next.  What do you think?


Requirements:

not too long, maybe 20 minutes max
not impossible (e.g., Ferneyhough and other garbage)
not easy

[sordel]

I think that you're sending out mixed messages asking from something "ultra-modern" and then describing Ferneyhough as "garbage". It sounds rather like you want to say you play contemporary repertoire but don't actually want to play any (which, by the way, is fine).

If all you want is some modern music that lies withing existing repertoire, try the Messiaen Etudes de Rythme.

[pies]

I actually have played one of the etudes de rythme already, Ile de feu I.  Not interested in the others.

Ferneyhough is garbage, btw.

[sordel]

Ferneyhough is garbage, btw.

For all I know, you're right, but saying so doesn't get you any closer to an answer to your question.

Give us an idea of what modern music you don't think is garbage and we'll be in a better position to suggest something that you might enjoying playing.

[pies]

Anything that's not physically impossible to perform or uninspired minimalist garbage.  Whatever falls in between these extremes is fair game.

[pies]

So it's pretty obvious from the response to this thread that I should learn some Sorabji.

[fast_forward]

There are some I enjoy (mostly fairly well known composers)
Berio- Sequenza IV, or Cinque Variazioni
Berg- Sonata op.1
Bolcom- Etudes, New Etudes
Boulez- Douze Notations, Piano Sonata no.1, Incises
Carter- Piano Sonata
Donatoni- Rima
Ligeti- Etudes
Rzewski- North American Ballades, Four Pieces, Squares, Variations on "The people united will never be defeated" (or selection of the huge set of variations)
Schoenberg- op.11, op.19, op.23
Stockhausen- Klavierstucke (I personally like VI, VII, VIII or IX the most, but they are all nice)
Ustvolskaya- Any of the sonatas
Claude Vivier- Shiraz

A few suggestions to consider.