World Music Exploration 2010/11 Week 7 - Alberto Ginastera

This week, my students and I are exploring one of my favorite composers, Alberto Ginastera. He lived from 1916 - 1983.His musical output is extremely diverse, from ballet (Panambí and Estancia) to concerti, and from opera (Don Rodrigo, Bomarzo) to solo piano works (Danzas Argentinas, Suite de danzas criollas). Ginastera's compositional style incorporates folk elements, serialism, polytonality and cross rhythms.

One interesting tidbit: His second opera Bomarzo premiered in Washington in 1967, but was banned in Buenos Aires for its content and was not staged until 1972.

The following clip is of a piece I performed for my ARCT in Piano Performance, Danzas Argentinas. It was fun but boy, was III - Danza de le gaucho matero ever a doozy to learn!

Danzas Argentinas, op. 2I - Danza del viejo boyero (“Dance of the Old Herdsman”)II - Danza de la moza donosa (“Dance of the Beautiful Maiden”)III - Danza del gaucho matrero (“Dance of the Arrogant Cowboy”)

The performer is Italian pianist Roberto Plano. Career highlights include: First Prize Winner of the 2001 Cleveland International Piano Competition, Finalist at the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2005),Laureate of the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition and the 2006 Axa Dublin International Piano Competition.(c) 2010 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Angry Piano Music

A few weeks ago, two of my female students (one pre-teen, one teen), were going through a rough week. When we talked about the songs they are currently working on, we came to the realization that there was a gaping hole in their repertoire: they didn't have any " angry" music. When I told them that "angry" piano music does exist, they asked for some to work on.The more advanced student is currently working through Robert Starer's "Crimson" from his Sketches in Color. The 7/8 time signature is delightfully lopsided and it's all fast and furious.

After speaking with some colleagues and conducting a quick Google search, I found a few more titles to add to the list:

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Allegro Barbaro Piano Solo. Composed by Bela Bartok (1881-1945). Edited by Laszlo Somfai. Sheet Music. Paperbound. Henle Music Folios. Classical. Softcover. 12 pages. G. Henle #HN1400. Published by G. Henle (HL.51481400).

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Piano Sonata No. 7, Op. 83 Piano Solo. Composed by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953). Piano. Classical, Contemporary, Russian, Sonata. 32 pages. Sikorski #SIK2178. Published by Sikorski (HL.50483889).

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Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonlight) Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). Edited by Murray Perahia and Norbert Gertsch. Arranged by Murray Perahia. Sheet music. Paperbound. Henle Music Folios. Classical. Softcover. 28 pages. G. Henle #HN1062. Published by G. Henle (HL.51481062).

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Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11 Composed by Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951). 20th Century. Score. 11. Published by Belmont Music Publishers (BE.BEL-1034).

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Danzas Argentinas Opus 2 For Piano with an introduction by Gerald Hugon. Composed by Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983). BH Piano. Classical. Softcover. 32 pages. Published by Boosey & Hawkes (HL.48024360).

If you would like to contribute to this list of angry music, please feel free to post a comment.

I am still trying to find some angry music for my Grade 1 student. She's going to ask her mother to get her some Avril Lavigne sheet music though, so that will help channel her angst.

(c) 2007 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.