greatest twentieth/twenty-first century piano pieces

[op.109]

What do you think are the greatest pieces of piano solo music composed in the past 75 years or so?

[sharon_f]

Messiaen: Vingt regards sur l'enfant Jésus
Copland: Variations (written in 1930, just made it)
Barber: Sonata
Ligeti: Etudes

[dmk]

Hard question!!! There are so many fantastic works to chose from...

For fairly recent works

Carl Vine

Piano Sonata No 1 (1990)...This piece is great BUT if you really want to be blown out of the water

Piano Sonata No 2 (1997/1998).  This work is monumental.....all of the professional pianists on this forum, you should seriously consider adding this to repertoire as a late 20th century sonata. If you are interested you can to these pages and follow the links for more details:

https://www.amcoz.com.au/comp/v/cvine.htm

https://www.carlvine.com/

enjoy!

dmk

[jlh]

Lowell Liebermann has some very good scores out that are recent additions to the repertoire.


Check out Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.2 Op.36 (1992)
-Commissioned by the Steinway Foundation
-First performance:11 June, 1992; Kennedy Center, Washington; DC
Stephen Hough, piano; The National Symphony, Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor
-Dedicated to Stephen Hough

This work was also performed in competition by the winner of the 2002 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Collegiate Artist Performance Competition, Amir Khosrowpour.  It's very nice!

or...

Piano Sonata No.1 Op.1 (1977)
-First Performance: 15 May 1977 Carnegie Recital Hall, NYc. Lowell Liebermann, piano
-Dedicated to Stephen Hough
-Outstanding Composition Award, Yamaha Music Foundation, Tokyo, Japan, 1982
-First Prize, National Composition Contest, Music Teachers National Association, 1978

or...

Piano Sonata No.2 ("Sonata Notturna") Op.10 (1983)
-First performance: 7 July 1983 Wavendon Music Festival, UK Stephen Hough, piano.
-Dedicated to Stephen Hough
-Honorable Mention, National Composition Contest, Music Teachers National Association 1985

or...

Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini Op.72 (2001)
-Commissioned by the Board of the Indianapolis Symphony in honor of Raymond Leppard's 10 years as music director of the Indianapolis Symphony
-First Performance: May 23rd, 2001; Stephen Hough, piano; The Indianapolis Symphony; Raymond Leppard, conductor

Here's a review of this piece:
"One of the finest pieces I've heard among American concertos."

The Indianapolis Star

There are several other works for piano and lots of music for various other instruments as well.

Van Cliburn on Liebermann:
"When Sam asked him if he liked any composers in the last 100 years, the pianist dropped a heavy compliment on Dallas. The first name he mentioned was the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's composer-in-residence, Lowell Liebermann. "He's a wonderful pianist and a fabulous composer," noted Van."

Van Cliburn, interviewed by Sam Donaldson, quoted in the Dallas Morning News

https://www.lowellliebermann.com/

[ehpianist]

Alberto Ginastera - Piano Sonata
John Cage - Sonatas and Interludes
George Crumb - Makrokosmos I and II
Frederic Rzewski (pronounced Jevsky) - Variations on "The People United will never be defeated!"
Sophia Gubaidulina - Chaconne
John Adams - China Gates

For a decent list, take a look at Steve Drury's Repertoire List:

https://www.stephendrury.com/Repertoire/Repertoire.htm

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[dlu]

I second the Ligeti etudes. Also both the Ligeti and Lutoslawski Piano Concerti.

DLu