Description
Contemporary Piano Music - CD | Modern Classical Piano Works by Leading Avant-Garde Composers
Product Information
- Product Type: Audio CD
- Genre: Modern Classical/Contemporary Classical
- Format: Compact Disc Digital Audio
- Label: Hungaroton
- Catalog Number: HCD 12569-2 (previously SLPX 12569)
- Duration: Approximately 49 minutes
- Recording Method: ADD (Analog recording, Digital mixing, Digital mastering)
- Release Year: 1984 (original release), CD manufactured in West Germany
- Performer: Klára Körmendi (piano)
Overview
"Contemporary Piano Music" is a distinguished collection of avant-garde piano compositions performed by acclaimed Hungarian pianist Klára Körmendi. This recording brings together significant 20th-century works by five major composers who revolutionized piano music through innovative techniques, expanded tonal possibilities, and radical approaches to the instrument. From Stockhausen's structured serialism to John Cage's pioneering prepared piano pieces and Xenakis's stochastic complexity, the album presents a compelling portrait of how modern composers transformed traditional piano techniques to create entirely new sound worlds. Körmendi's virtuosic interpretations demonstrate remarkable technical precision and deep understanding of contemporary musical language, making this collection an essential document of piano music's evolution in the 20th century. The program offers an excellent introduction to avant-garde piano repertoire while showcasing how composers from different backgrounds approached the challenge of finding new expressions on this traditional instrument.
Product Features
- Format: Audio CD
- Recording Quality: ADD (Analog recording, Digital mixing, Digital mastering)
- Track Count: 8 compositions by 5 different composers
- Cover Art: Features "Vega-Black" by Victor Vasarely
- Design: Péter Nagy
- Liner Notes: Includes essay on 20th century piano composition (English and German)
Track Listing
- Karlheinz Stockhausen: "Klavierstück IX" (1954) - 8'20"
- Zsolt Durkó: "Son et lumière for piano" (1980) - 7'20"
- Attila Bozay: "Piano Piece No. 7 Op. 30b/1" (1978) - 9'24"
- John Cage: "Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano" (1946-48):Iannis Xenakis: "Mists for piano" (1980) - 12'13"
- V. - 1'52"
- XIII. - 3'25"
- XI. - 2'23"
- XIV-XV. 'Gemini' after the work by Richard Lippold - 4'26"
Interesting Facts
Revolutionary Piano Techniques:
This collection documents how composers reimagined the piano in the 20th century. John Cage's "prepared piano" pieces transform the instrument by inserting objects between strings, creating percussive sounds reminiscent of a gamelan orchestra. Xenakis applies complex mathematical principles to create dense, cloud-like textures in "Mists," while Stockhausen's "Klavierstück IX" employs innovative rhythmic structures and extended performance techniques.
Historical Context:
The recording bridges several important movements in 20th-century music. Stockhausen represents the Darmstadt School and European serialism, Cage embodies the American experimental tradition, Xenakis developed stochastic composition methods using probability and mathematics, while Hungarian composers Durkó and Bozay reflect Eastern European modernism that maintained connections to folk traditions while embracing avant-garde techniques.
Performer Excellence:
Klára Körmendi is one of Hungary's most distinguished interpreters of contemporary music, having premiered numerous works by Hungarian and international composers. Her technical command and musical sensitivity have made her recordings definitive versions of many modern piano compositions, and this album demonstrates her exceptional ability to navigate the diverse technical and interpretive challenges of avant-garde music.
Cultural Significance:
The inclusion of works by Hungarian composers Zsolt Durkó and Attila Bozay alongside international figures like Stockhausen, Cage, and Xenakis highlights Hungary's significant contribution to modern classical music. This Hungaroton release represents important cultural documentation of both Hungarian and international contemporary music traditions.
The Compositions
Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007): "Klavierstück IX" (1954)
Part of Stockhausen's series of piano pieces, this work opens with a repeated chord struck 142 times with decreasing intensity, followed by contrasting fast passages. It employs serial techniques while creating dramatic textural contrasts.
Zsolt Durkó (1934-1997): "Son et lumière for piano" (1980)
This Hungarian composer's work (title means "Sound and Light") features dramatic contrasts between quiet, contemplative passages and explosive virtuosic outbursts, reflecting the light-and-shadow concept suggested by its title.
Attila Bozay (1939-1999): "Piano Piece No. 7 Op. 30b/1" (1978)
Bozay's composition displays his distinctive musical language that balances modernist techniques with Hungarian folk influences and a strong structural clarity.
John Cage (1912-1992): "Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano" (1946-48)
These selections from Cage's landmark prepared piano cycle feature exotic, percussive sounds created by placing screws, bolts, rubber and other materials between piano strings. The "Gemini" movement specifically references a sculpture by Richard Lippold.
Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001): "Mists for piano" (1980)
This challenging work employs Xenakis's stochastic composition methods, creating dense clouds of notes that evolve according to mathematical principles, requiring extreme virtuosity from the performer.
Technical Information
- Recording Producer: János Mátyás
- Balance Engineer: Jenő Bányai
- Score Publishers: Universal (Stockhausen), Autographs (Durkó, Bozay), Peters (Cage), Salabert (Xenakis)
Publishers
Published by Hungaroton (Hungary's state recording company) in 1984. CD manufactured in West Germany.
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#ContemporaryClassical #ModernPianoMusic #KlaraKormendi #Stockhausen #JohnCage #PreparedPiano #Xenakis #HungarianClassical #AvantGardeMusic #HungarotonRecords
