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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
PhantomeFive: I can't remember them right now, nor I want to say 4 (fireworks) and 12 (stairway to heck (heh)), but there's plenty I really enjoy listening to and thus playing.
Heather: Honestly, this was not my purpose (Are the admins reading this?). If I was to do that, I'd wait until the publication was closer, whereas now I'm just wondering if I should just attempt to transcribe them or not.
It's roughly 11 minutes of music, kept in a midi file. And without a metronome, so I have to notate everything note by note... It's a painstaking job and I'm actually considering if I should go on or not... :-/
Better finish it, otherwise I'll have to hire someone to come steal the midi file! How's that for motivation?
I think most of us do find out about composers the way you describe -- from person to person. We meet a composer, or we go to a concert to hear one work or one musician we like and are impressed by something else on the program, or we have a friend who plays some piece and loves it so we try it, etc. works the same with Beethoven and Chopin, but they've been around long enough to build up a pretty big fan base!
Heather Reichgott, piano
Working on: Mel (Mélanie) Bonis - Sevillana, La cathédrale blessée William Grant Still - Three Visions
PhantomeFive: I can't remember them right now, nor I want to say 4 (fireworks) and 12 (stairway to heck (heh)), but there's plenty I really enjoy listening to and thus playing.
Ligeti etude 4:
The 3-2-3 pattern has interest, but I can't find any meaning in the chord harmonies other than really being a rhythmic element. As such, what reason is there to actually learn the precise notes instead of just pounding the keys rhythmically?
First of all, the basic idea of the piece is not "just" the 3+2+3. While this main pattern penetrated the whole work, the musical short phrases are never only 1 bar long. They are 1 bar + something. So each phrase actually has a different length. You get 3,2,3,3 then 2,3,3,2 or 3,3,2,3,3 etc...
That's as far as the rhythm is concerned.
The melody is itself ingenious but I'll allow you some time to think it over: Just ponder why each phrase sounds so close to each other? Even the faster ones with the 8ths. Is it a mode? Is it the intervals? Is it something else? (Sorry... I sound like preaching, or doing a lesson. Didn't mean, but it's kinda funny).
the issue here is that music moved away from being an art to being part of the background noise in modern life
music that demands concentration from listeners or technical skills from players has a very limited audience these days. And then, you also gotta compete with works in the canon.
but good luck
unlocked by keys wordless poetry sings free - piano music -
The melody is itself ingenious but I'll allow you some time to think it over: Just ponder why each phrase sounds so close to each other? Even the faster ones with the 8ths. Is it a mode? Is it the intervals? Is it something else? (Sorry... I sound like preaching, or doing a lesson. Didn't mean, but it's kinda funny).
I have been looking for preludes that are fairly unknown (or "not the usual suspects") for a non-PW prelude-themed recital later this year. Yours sound perfect. So I'm hoping you can publish soon! (Any way to buy an advance copy of the one(s) closest to grade 7 level?)
Working on: Schumann, Faschingsschwank aus Wien Op. 26; Mozart Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330; Grieg, 25 Norwegian Folk Songs and Dances, 0p. 17 (selections)
Oh well... I might as well share the recordings now. After all we're all a family here (by that I mean that normally I'd wait to have the score out, in order to promote any existing recording, but....).
The problem is that these were recorded in midi, so while I can get the notes, I can't get the rhythms, because they were recorded without a metronome, of course! So the transcribing part, over some of them (being quite complicated) is a bit of a nightmare... one that I'd love to enter now, but unfortunately I'm afraid that my time is limited. Thought I'll do every attempt to complete them in a timely fashion, if, indeed, there's such interest.
There's a very "not lovely" story behind these, but it's kinda private, but be warned that these are completely depressive in nature. It's NOT my usual happy quirky self!
I felt immediately upon hearing them that this is music that will connect with people who are in a dark place, or people who have ever been in a dark place and can remember what it's like. That probably covers all of us. I think they're excellent, especially the first five. Looking forward to the score.
Heather Reichgott, piano
Working on: Mel (Mélanie) Bonis - Sevillana, La cathédrale blessée William Grant Still - Three Visions
And then I thought to myself: Why the heck bother? Who's gonna play them, or buy the scores anyways? ...
Well, play them yourself? More and more I get the feeling that there is something wrong with the sharp divide between composer and performer in classical music. It wasn´t always like that. Performers should be composers, and composers should be performers.
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The problem is that the better pianist you are the more spoiled for choices you get. So, while the competition for educational material is dominated by contemporary stuff (method books), most of which are not great music, when you enter grades 5 onward, then you get your Chopin, your Bach, your Rachmaninoff ...
I think another problem is this: With the internet it has become more dificult to sell sheet music. I would never buy a classical score today for example. I get it from IMSLP. It is not only cheaper but also more convenient. Of course there is also more choice. On ISMLP there are now 19 different composers with the name Bach. 19! Have you researched all those Bach´s yet?
I have by the way visited your page and publishing site, and listend to some of your work. Interesting and nice music! And I admire your initiative with your publishing company.
But to sell scores today, I don´t know. My personal opinion as a composer: I have decided to put my piano scores for free on my web site. When other pianists want to play them I think it is great. I don´t want to take money from them.
The only sheet music I have published as a book is educational material.
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Or if you will: How many of you are playing contemporary works, from relatively unknown composers?
I have (but as a student I admit I played mostly the famous classics).
But is it? I don't like modern classical music, so why would I play it? I get plenty of profound fulfillment from other music.
And thats the reason you it. Most composers do stuff which pays the bills so they can do other stuff which is fulfilling. And not popular because its ahead of its time or for some other reason. David Sheppard painted pictures of elephants. So he could fund his steam train activities. Which he also painted. . .and me? I compose simple stuff and got no sleep last night until it was sorted. No money, no publicity, . . .just for fun. https://m.youtube.com/my_videos Beethoven contemplated suicide because of deafness related frustration. But he had to dischzrge his inner creativity. . .
I really enjoyed the Youtube link.
And Nikolas I'm listening to your preludes. You're right about their darkness, but it seems my sad and tragic pieces are my most popular ones. Elton John had something to say about that.
Last edited by Steve Chandler; 04/10/1610:48 PM. Reason: add comments for Nikolas
Your post is a very interesting one and I'd like to tackle it little by little...
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And then I thought to myself: Why the heck bother? Who's gonna play them, or buy the scores anyways? ...
Well, play them yourself? More and more I get the feeling that there is something wrong with the sharp divide between composer and performer in classical music. It wasn´t always like that. Performers should be composers, and composers should be performers.
While I see what you mean, I've been through the road of a performer, and it's simply impossible to be able and do all the things that I do and also study as hard as a performer should. Plus it's very very selfish and esoteric. Something that bothered me about these very preludes and started this thread.
IF I was to learn a few of my pieces, it would take me a long long time and that's a "luxury" that I can't afford, if I'm running a publishing house, composing, teaching, etc...
But what's also interesting is that I always felt that composers tend to play their own music "like composers do". I get a feeling that because we're really attached to our own music and our own perception of what our music should really be like, we tend to disregard any other ideas, or notions, any normal performer would do.
Additionally I have this rather peculiar fear in my head that if I keep playing my music, then how on earth will I prove that it's right for others to play as well? Won't it mean that I can't find another performer to bother with my music? I know it's weird, but...
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The problem is that the better pianist you are the more spoiled for choices you get. So, while the competition for educational material is dominated by contemporary stuff (method books), most of which are not great music, when you enter grades 5 onward, then you get your Chopin, your Bach, your Rachmaninoff ...
I think another problem is this: With the internet it has become more dificult to sell sheet music. I would never buy a classical score today for example. I get it from IMSLP. It is not only cheaper but also more convenient. Of course there is also more choice. On ISMLP there are now 19 different composers with the name Bach. 19! Have you researched all those Bach´s yet?
I haven't researched a lot about IMSLP, but I have gone through it enough to know about the quality of what it offers and the problems associated with the CC (Creative Commons) licenses, since a few of my works were up in IMSLP once...
I hear this argument a lot and I'm afraid that I'm quite unsatisfied with where this is leading us:
IMSLP is an amazing project and one that should be paid by some miracle funds to keep going for all eternity!
That said, there's a very clear reason why Henle charges as much as it does for their edition, and the reason is their research! It's quite simple, but I can't excuse any serious pianist, who is downloading the Chopin preludes (for example) instead of buying a Henle score that will last a lifetime and offer a much better insight on the music.
It's like handing your students, or yourself, very poor tools and expect to do the same job as someone with great tools!
Even more, this whole idea about free and whatnot.
I work as a piano (And composition) teacher in London. The fees here are semi-insane, but according to the living expenses, they make sense. I can get even £60 (around $85 currently) per hour of teaching piano! If a student can pay THAT much money per month (£240, or $340), I'm very ready to bet that I could discount them £10, or them paying £10 per month in order to buy one new score per month!
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I have by the way visited your page and publishing site, and listend to some of your work. Interesting and nice music! And I admire your initiative with your publishing company.
But to sell scores today, I don´t know. My personal opinion as a composer: I have decided to put my piano scores for free on my web site. When other pianists want to play them I think it is great. I don´t want to take money from them.
The only sheet music I have published as a book is educational material.
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Or if you will: How many of you are playing contemporary works, from relatively unknown composers?
I have (but as a student I admit I played mostly the famous classics).
Thank you.
What you may not be aware is the amount of time it takes to run this publishing house. I do not mean this as a rant, but...
It's obviously your choice to concentrate on the huge amount of works available in IMSLP, as well as not be interested in what's happening today. Now that I think about it, for my listening pleasure I usually turn to the classics as well, without this precluding any contemporary works, but the classics are surely there.
So it's not that it's bad or anything.
But if I can't make a living out of this publishing house, I should just shut it down (I won't... just saying, for argument's shake). What's the point is spending money (a lots of money), along with so much effort in order not to be able and make any kind of living. How many hours per day should I be working to manage and do all the things that I mentioned?
And here lies the danger of it all: Beethoven, Chopin, Scriabin, Ligeti, they all had the support of the publishing houses and the public. If the publishing houses go extinct, then the composers will do eventually. Because even now, in 2016 (For example) youtube or myspace or soundcloud is NOT an equal substitution to the record industry. Similarly almost all the self published scores that I see have some glaring issues that should be corrected, but lack the correct (commercial?) filters in order for that to happen.
On the other hand, any kind of argument such as the above can be translated as such: "Please... buy my music. Otherwise I won't have money to feed my kids (even if you don't like my music)", which is as rubbish as it reads!
But it remains valid: Would we be better off without Henle? (I keep talking about Henle, both because of the quality it offers, but also because they only publish public domain works).
I don´t play much anymore, but when I do I am more interested in contemporary music than classical. When I brought up IMSLP it was more to show the perspective a classical pianist today is likely to have.
Originally Posted by Nikolas
... While I see what you mean, I've been through the road of a performer, and it's simply impossible to be able and do all the things that I do and also study as hard as a performer should. Plus it's very very selfish and esoteric. Something that bothered me about these very preludes and started this thread.
IF I was to learn a few of my pieces, it would take me a long long time and that's a "luxury" that I can't afford, if I'm running a publishing house, composing, teaching, etc...
I can see that. I agree it is impossible to get time to do everything, and one should specialize. But I have to think about jazz musicians, they don´t have such a strict divide between composer and musician.
Originally Posted by Nikolas
... I hear this argument a lot and I'm afraid that I'm quite unsatisfied with where this is leading us:
IMSLP is an amazing project and one that should be paid by some miracle funds to keep going for all eternity!
That said, there's a very clear reason why Henle charges as much as it does for their edition, and the reason is their research! It's quite simple, but I can't excuse any serious pianist, who is downloading the Chopin preludes (for example) instead of buying a Henle score that will last a lifetime and offer a much better insight on the music.
It's like handing your students, or yourself, very poor tools and expect to do the same job as someone with great tools! ...
My opinion is: for students, a good edition is important. For a professional pianist however - I wouldn´t trust Henle blindly. A pianist should do his own research from the sources (and from performance traditions). Chopin published several versions of his compositions, and the publishers today interpret and choose what they think is "right" from the sources.
Originally Posted by Nikolas
... And here lies the danger of it all: Beethoven, Chopin, Scriabin, Ligeti, they all had the support of the publishing houses and the public. If the publishing houses go extinct, then the composers will do eventually. Because even now, in 2016 (For example) youtube or myspace or soundcloud is NOT an equal substitution to the record industry. Similarly almost all the self published scores that I see have some glaring issues that should be corrected, but lack the correct (commercial?) filters in order for that to happen.
I agree, that is a problem. It is hard (or impossible) nowadays to make a living selling sheet music, or recordings. How can the modern composers earn a living? Many of them have positions in universities or do teaching, but that is somehow unsatisfactory, since then you don´t live directly of composing. But I could be too pessimistic. Maybe there still is money in sheet music.
But what's also interesting is that I always felt that composers tend to play their own music "like composers do". I get a feeling that because we're really attached to our own music and our own perception of what our music should really be like, we tend to disregard any other ideas, or notions, any normal performer would do.
Additionally I have this rather peculiar fear in my head that if I keep playing my music, then how on earth will I prove that it's right for others to play as well? Won't it mean that I can't find another performer to bother with my music? I know it's weird, but...
As a composer my thinking has always been, If I'm not willing to learn my music why would anyone else bother? When others have learned my music the result has always been interesting and very different from my own perspective. However, my personal requirement that I eventually learn my pieces has been a filter that substantially improved my output in that if a piece didn't inspire me to learn it, it got put in a (now) large pile to maybe revisit later.
Regarding these pieces I have to ask if they were improvised? They do sound it. That's not a bad thing but they are a very personal utterance. In my own efforts I find that by composing over longer periods (multiple days, weeks, even months for larger pieces) an editing process takes hold. If you were to transcribe these pieces I'm certain that same process would come into play because a composer feels free to make revisions until the ink is dry (and sometimes after). In other words these pieces would be better if you were to transcribe them, the salient question is, are they worth the effort? That's for you to decide.
I know what you mean about your own music being played by you, but right now I'm simply lacking the time, to do anything worthwhile with my own music, unless it's somewhat easy (grade 8 and below, ABRSM, lets say).
On your 2nd paragraph: Obviously they were improvised. In fact if their duration is around 11 minutes, I'd say that I played the whole lot in about 15 minutes in total (including stop - move the track ahead, record, repeat).
Right now their form shows that, but once in paper and transcribed, I will be able to pay attention to all those details... However, in this case, and especially due to my psychological situation, I'd say that they are worth as they are. :-/
Over the past couple of days I was able to separate the hands in the Cubase project and export a midi file, to import in Finale. The results are atrocious, as to be expected, but while on the train to work yesterday (yes I teach on Sundays), I was able to separate the bars in each piece of score, which makes my work considerably easier.
Now to actually sit down and go ahead with the proper transcription and notation...
Thank you everyone. At some point I may be able to share exactly what's happening but for now I'm just thankful that I'm able to share these preludes with you and this thread is helping me, for which I'm grateful!
(Sorry... I sound like preaching, or doing a lesson. Didn't mean, but it's kinda funny).
