Klarinet Archive - Posting 000414.txt from 2000/10

From: HatNYC62@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] Real musicians don't....
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 10:50:42 -0400

In a message dated 10/9/00 4:12:35 AM, klarinet-digest-help@-----.org writes:

<< <<<Player pianos are kinda neat.>>>

As a toy or curiosity, sure. Who hasn't marveled as a child at the one at
the carnival, seemingly played by a ghost?

As a serious music making conduit? Depends. Certainly can be. >>

If any of you have not been exposed to the music of Conlon Nancarrow, who
died recently, you are missing out on one of the most ingenious composers of
the 20th centruy. And that isn't just me speaking, Gyorgy Ligeti said the
same thing.

The vast majority of his mature output consists of about 50 compositions for
player piano. He chose the medium because at the time he started composing
(40s) there was no other medium on which to execute his incredible rhythmic
ideas. Had he started much later, he probably would have chosen another
electronic medium.

His rolls were punched by hand, a process which must have involved thousands
of hours of painstaking measurement and work. Many of his works are based on
exact mathematical accelerandos and decellerandos, calculating the
porportions of these must have been a mammoth task.

But the important thing about Nancarrow's work are the sounds he created,
which are unique and often quite beautiful, and his musical ideas regarding
form and counterpoint, which are absolutely revolutionary and at a very high
level of genius.

All of the works have been recorded for the Wergo label, and were recently
released in a reduced-price boxed set. I urge anyone with even a passing
interest in great music to hear this.

-David Hattner, NYC

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