Avant-garde recommendations?

[argh]

Hello.

I'm gearing up to finally commit to actually paying for the diploma exams and trying to think about actually starting to sort out working towards organising local recitals...

Any recommendations for any of the more contemporary stuff?
(I can't really deal with the romantic era).

So far this year I'm learning petrushka (arghnononoarrrgh), that nice violent sounding barber sonata and some schoenberg and cage stuff.

I want to get massively into playing reich, berio, and webern and ligeti and stuff but in terms of interpreting the actual notation (in the case of berio anyway), I'm finding it quite difficult...this would possibly be rectified with a good teacher (or at least a maths teacher), but I'm a: predominantly self taught, b: I can't find anyone else who actually likes this stuff and wants to teach/talk about it and c: I'm poor, so can't afford lessons. Or manuscript actually.

Also, I'm agoraphobic/autistic, so talking to people in real life isn't exactly an option. I realise this sounds completely mental, but these are the actual problems I'm having with piano at the moment. I can't engage with society so it's difficult to get stuff done.

The problems I'm having are in terms of actually sourcing reliable editions of the music ESPECIALLY WITH STEVE REICH, as some of it seems to be expensive and difficult to get hold of. For instance. I wanted to buy NY Counterpoint and work out a version of that for piano with tape loops and stuff, but it's about 50 quid new and sometimes out of print....and also, as I said before, no one seems particularly keen on the massively atonal stuff, so it's difficult to find people to talk to about it.

Any suggestions for interesting repertoire that sounds like a clockwork toy falling apart would be grand....also for stuff that I can buy in editions that have other pieces....I can't really bring myself to pay so much money for a single piece of music.

I also find that there's a problem getting any information about reliable editions on site like amazon/foyles, as most of it seems to be second hand without reviews...i need isbn numbers and publisher names and stuff really...

I mean, I'd obviously opt for really getting into the Cage prepared piano stuff, but i live in a tiny flat in London and can't exactly start getting into the mechanics of preparing a piano....especially since i have a digital....i guess I could do something to get around that, but it would involve building a lot of machines, and lots of wires, and ways of converting the signal into something and triggering a way of hitting a physical machine anyway.

Anyone else here really into the whole "not music" thing, with any good resources? I've given myself a rough guideline of about 2 years to get everything to the point that I can start "demoing" it, and freaking out about it, so it'd be good to start researching some nice new weird things to play now....

Cheers...

[michael_sayers]

Hi Argh,

I highly recommend the music of John Carollo.  Some of the piano etudes and suites are extraordinary.  This is his piano composition Watery Abstractions played by Hugh Sung:

And this is one of his orchestral works, Anguish in Every Household:

Here is his website:

https://sites.google.com/site/johncarollocomposer/


Mvh,
Michael

[visitor]

There is a LOT if this stuff to choose from , ranging from playable and enjoyable to utter garbage that makes your ears hurt ( honestly feels like making ears bleed by flossing them with fishing line).
I digress

Modern music will be problematic to obtain for free legally due to copyrights etc

Hmm I'll just start throwing few thugs out
I love Ryabov. It sounds like you are playing a score to somethig else but accidentally started with your hands in wrong spot of the keyboard , or that pixies got into your piano and trolled you by messing around with your tuning/pin block

[visitor]

Hmm perhaps some Tchaikovsky?  *no the other one. ** no not Alex, the other other one

Boris is 'da man ( I mean come on Shosty was a fan! )

More info
https://www.boris-tchaikovsky.com/osolovieva_bt.htm

[j_menz]

I mean come on Shosty was a fan!

And following that endorsement, do check out Shosty's pupil (much as she loathed the description) Galina Ustvolskaya.

Sample:

[quantum]

I would recommend getting to know your local university and reference libraries thoroughly.  You can borrow scores to sight read and investigate.  For those pieces you really want to add to your repertoire you can then consider purchasing, at least you would have a chance to preview them first. 

Become familiar with inter library loan.  It will be a significant help to you.

[michael_c]

I mean, I'd obviously opt for really getting into the Cage prepared piano stuff, but i live in a tiny flat in London and can't exactly start getting into the mechanics of preparing a piano....especially since i have a digital....i guess I could do something to get around that, but it would involve building a lot of machines, and lots of wires, and ways of converting the signal into something and triggering a way of hitting a physical machine anyway.

There are sample libraries with the prepared piano sounds, which permit you to practice the Cage pieces on a digital piano. Have a look at https://www.bigfishaudio.com/John-Cage-Prepared-Piano

[michael_sayers]

I would recommend getting to know your local university and reference libraries thoroughly.  You can borrow scores to sight read and investigate.  For those pieces you really want to add to your repertoire you can then consider purchasing, at least you would have a chance to preview them first.  

Become familiar with inter library loan.  It will be a significant help to you.

Hi Quantum,

I think John Carollo would be happy to send pdf files of some scores to Argh.  The best way to find out would be to email him.

As the quantity of music is quite large, I would be happy to suggest and/or discuss specific recommendations if these would be of interest.


Mvh,
Michael

[michael_sayers]

Hi Argh,

I have a complete collection of John Carollo's works on file [and not only the piano solo works], and if you want to look at some of the piano solo compositions I can ask if he would mind for me to email some to you, and then you and I can sort out which ones ourselves.  I am one hundred per cent sure this would be okay, but I still would ask him first before proceeding.

Some of the music is extraordinary in its beauty . . . and sometimes, also, in the challenges it presents to a pianist.


Mvh,
Michael

[lhb_]

If you want to dive straight in to the hardcore serialist pieces, go for Boulez and Barraque's Sonatas and Stockhausen's Klavierstucke.

If you're looking for violence, look for Corigliano's Etude-Fantasy, Carl Vine's First Piano Sonata, and Herma and Evyrali by Xenakis. There are also pieces like Finnissy's Solo Piano Concerto No. 4 and Richard Barrett's Tract, but those are impossible unless you're Ian Pace.

There's lots of really weird stuff out there, but my personal favorites are probably Guero by Helmut Lachenmann and NOTES for a Pianist by Vinko Globokar.

Just throwing out a couple pieces. Modern music is much more diverse than any other era in music history. While I do think it is essential to get advice to know where to start, exploring composers' works and finding out your preferences is largely a personal endeavour.

[argh]

Oh my god! thank you so much for all the recommendations!!!

I'm enjoying listening to lots of different weird sh*t at the moment.

I have no life, so it's nice to have something to do

I was getting a bit bored of all my old repertoire, but it seems to be gradually coming together so it's a bit more interesting again, so hopefully will be able to perform it soon and sort of put it away and then just move onto weirder stuff and get into something new that I haven't tried before....

I haven't really tried anything genuinely new to me in ages....i'd be interested to see what the learning process is like when you're completely unfamiliar with a composer's style...

Will check all that out, nice one!

[thorn]

Has anyone mentioned George Crumb yet? Look up his Makrokosmos I and II.

My favourite discovery in recent years is Dai Fujikura- I have two of his piano studies and I love them, though they're bloody tricky (I can only claim to play the second).

Study 1 "Frozen Heat"

Study 2 "Deepened Arc"

[visitor]

chester has good edition of these fantastic "Techno Etudes for Piano" by Karen Tanaka; US NA distribution is held by Hal Leonard

$19.00 (US)
Inventory #HL 14017496
ISBN: 9781849382649
UPC: 884088487966
Publisher Code: CH61805
Width: 9.0"
Length: 12.0"
18 pages
examples of nos 1 and 2

Programme Note
Karen Tanaka Techno Etudes (2000),
In January 1999, I was asked by Tomoko Mukaiyama to write a new piano piece for her. Originally she requested that the piece should synchronize with techno music chosen by her which would be pre-recorded on a tape. As we discussed the piece over the following months, we realized that a solo piano work without a tape part would be more substantial. However, the idea of techno remained constantly between us. Finally I wrote a set of three pieces, entitled 'Techno Etudes'. The idea of the whole piece can be summarized with the three key words; techno, rhythm and speed.

© Karen Tanaka 2000

https://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/work/11825


https://www.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=14017496