Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3a    
2. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3b    
3. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3c    
4. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3d    
See all 10 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 4    
2. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 5    
3. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 6    
4. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 14    
See all 13 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3
1. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 1    
2. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 2a    
3. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 2b    
4. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 7    
See all 14 tracks on this disc
Disc: 4
1. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 9    
2. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 11    
3. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 12    
4. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 13    
See all 15 tracks on this disc
Disc: 5
1. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 42    
2. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 45a    
3. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 45b    
4. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 45c    
See all 10 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
To speak of Conlon Nancarrow's music for player piano shouldn't be mistaken to suggest some still broader range of musical output of which the composer's piano rolls are but a subset. Quite the contrary: Nancarrow's meticulous scores--generally unplayable, at least by most primates--are the body of his life's work. This five-CD set contains dozens upon dozens of his studies, each a fairly self-contained exploration of tempo, pitch, rhythm, counterpoint--and the interaction between pairings of those core musical categories. Certainly, this is "difficult" music, hard on the ears, off-kilter in a manner that both demands attention and may repulse listeners unfamiliar with experimental composition. After initial exposure, this collection is the sort of thing that sits on the shelf for some time, before your imagination breaks its internal code. Once that code is broken, though, the vast life inherent in this "mechanical" music becomes almost intoxicating. On some of the quieter pieces, the piano's tone is similar to that of a harpsichord. On others, the palimpsest of ragtime is undeniable. Yes, some pieces seem overly chaotic, but spend some time with them and you'll see, in your mind's eye, dozens of hands working the keys. --Marc Weidenbaum --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano, Music, Conlon Nancarrow, Canon for Keyboard, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Etude for Keyboard, Keyboard, Suite/Partita for Keyboard, Tango for Keyboard
Player Piano 3: Conlon Nancarrow Vol. 2 - Studies 13-32
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Player Piano 3: Conlon Nancarrow Vol. 2 - Studies 13-32

    Manufacturer: Mdg
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by NancarrowAll Works by Nancarrow | Nancarrow, Conlon | ( N ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    EtudesEtudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Similar Items:
    1. Player Piano 1: Nancarrow Vol. 1

    ASIN: B000LP4OHY
    Release Date: 2007-04-24

    Tracks:

    1. No.13
    2. No.14
    3. No.15
    4. No.16
    5. No.17
    6. No.18
    7. No.19
    8. No.20
    9. No.21
    10. No.22
    11. No.23
    12. No.24
    13. No.25
    14. No.26
    15. No.27
    16. No.28
    17. No.29
    18. No.30
    19. No.31
    20. No.32
    Conlon Nancarrow: Studies and Solos
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Conlon Nancarrow: Studies and Solos

      Manufacturer: Wergo
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B0002E48SO
      Release Date: 2004-01-01
      Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano (arranged for Chamber Orchestra) / Piece No. 2 for Small Orchestra / Trio / Sarabande & Scherzo
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Beautiful
      • mostly worthless
      • Something to behold
      • A fantastic testament to a great, long-neglected composer.
      		 Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano (arranged for Chamber Orchestra) / Piece No. 2 for Small Orchestra / Trio / Sarabande & Scherzo
      Conlon Nancarrow , Ingo Metzmacher , Thomas Fichter , Hermann Kretzschmar , Wolfgang Stryi , Ueli Wiget , Rumi Ogawa-Helferich , Rainer Romer , Mathias Tacke , Noriko Shimada , Catherine Milliken , and Ensemble Modern
      Manufacturer: RCA
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B000003F9B
      Release Date: 1993-07-13

      Tracks:

      1. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 5 - Wolfgang Stryi/Hermann Kretzschmar/Ueli Wiget/Thomas Fichter
      2. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 2 - Wolfgang Stryi/Hermann Kretzschmar/Ueli Wiget/Thomas Fichter
      3. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 1 - Wolfgang Stryi/Hermann Kretzschmar/Ueli Wiget/Thomas Fichter
      4. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 6 - Wolfgang Stryi/Hermann Kretzschmar/Ueli Wiget/Thomas Fichter
      5. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 7 - Wolfgang Stryi/Hermann Kretzschmar/Ueli Wiget/Thomas Fichter
      6. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 3c - Wolfgang Stryi/Hermann Kretzschmar/Ueli Wiget/Thomas Fichter
      7. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 9 - Wolfgang Stryi/Hermann Kretzschmar/Ueli Wiget/Thomas Fichter
      8. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 14 - Wolfgang Stryi/Hermann Kretzschmar/Ueli Wiget/Thomas Fichter
      9. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 12 - Rumi Ogawa-Helferich/Ueli Wiget
      10. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 18 - Rumi Ogawa-Helferich/Ueli Wiget
      11. Studies for Player Pno: Study No. 19 - Rumi Ogawa-Helferich/Rainer Romer/Ueli Wiget/Hermann Kretzschmar
      12. Tango - Rumi Ogawa-Helferich/Rainer Romer/Ueli Wiget/Mathias Tacke
      13. Taccata - Rumi Ogawa-Helferich/Rainer Romer/Ueli Wiget/Mathias Tacke
      14. Piece No. 2 for Small Orchestra - Roland Diry/Noriko Shimada/Herman Kretzschmar
      15. Trio: Presto - Roland Diry/Noriko Shimada/Herman Kretzschmar
      16. Trio: Andantino - Roland Diry/Noriko Shimada/Herman Kretzschmar
      17. Trio: Allegro molto - Roland Diry/Noriko Shimada/Herman Kretzschmar
      18. Sarabande & Scherzo: Sarabande - Catherine Milliken/Noriko Shimada/Hermann Kretzschmar
      19. Sarabande & Scherzo: Scherzo - Catherine Milliken/Noriko Shimada/Hermann Kretzschmar

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars Beautiful.......2004-05-26

      The previous reviewers said enough about Nancarrows history so that I won't touch on it. I like the orchestrated versions of the player piano pieces much more than the originals, they're more emotional, have greater dynamics, are less robotic (they swing at times) and the variety of timbres adds a lot to the listening experience. What were originally studies are now fully realized pieces. Perhaps not groundbreaking in the way the originals were, but so what. The beauty of Nancarrows' melodic and sometimes humorous music is really brought out by the orchestration. Very nice.

      2 out of 5 stars mostly worthless.......2003-07-21

      I couldn't get into this CD. I've heard some of Nancarrow's piano pieces and found them interesting, but when taken to a larger scale with an orchestra or ensemble, it sounds formless, senseless, and lazy. The piano trio is alright, but not worth getting the CD for.

      5 out of 5 stars Something to behold.......1999-10-15

      Certainly a departure from his work on the player piano, these are very delicious arrangements of some of his most interesting studies. It was one of my first forays into the world of "serious music" and i have, frankly, never listened to anything, anything, quite the same ever again. I had had no idea music could be like this, like what it sounds like inside my mind. If you are even looking at this page, there is some curiousness; become its slave, and buy this here cd. There is no way you could regret it, even if you do.

      5 out of 5 stars A fantastic testament to a great, long-neglected composer........1998-10-02

      To put it bluntly, this is some of the most original and entertaining 20th century music you will ever hear.

      Nancarrow's innovative player piano studies were written from the late 1940s to the early '80s and were intended, among other things, to explore ideas that were beyond the capacity of human performance. As electronic music was in its infancy when he began these studies, the player piano was Nancarrow's only outlet for these experiments. Unfortunately, their rhythmic complexities and furious tempos, as well as the unconventional instrument for which they were created, have limited their exposure. Nancarrow's audience in the US is still woefully small.

      This recording by the Ensemble Modern does Nancarrow a remarkable service. They've taken pieces long believed to be too difficult for live performance, and play them with the exhileration of a great jazz band. The arrangements, prepared mostly for brass, woodwinds, piano, harpsicord, and percussion, are bright and beautifully played. This music is constantly inventive and enormously entertaining (Nancarrow is serious music's greatest humorist since Charles Ives). Personally, the performance of "Study No. 7" on this CD is my all-time favorite piece of music, period. Included with the dozen arrangements of player piano pieces are selections that Nancarrow wrote for convential instruments.

      If you enjoy the more serious side of Frank Zappa, recent works of John Adams, Stravinsky, Bird, Bartok, Raymond Scott, Carl Stalling, or just want to hear a set of jaw-dropping ensemble performances, you've got to hear this recording.
      Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano, Vol. 5
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • totally unique & fascinating - must be heard!
      		 Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano, Vol. 5

      Manufacturer: Wergo
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      All Works by NancarrowAll Works by Nancarrow | Nancarrow, Conlon | ( N ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      CanonsCanons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      EtudesEtudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000005WBH
      Release Date: 1993-12-08

      Tracks:

      1. Study for Player Piano No. 42
      2. Study for Player Piano No. 45a
      3. Study for Player Piano No. 45b
      4. Study for Player Piano No. 45c
      5. Study for Player Piano No. 48a
      6. Study for Player Piano No. 48b
      7. Study for Player Piano No. 48c
      8. Study for Player Piano No. 49a
      9. Study for Player Piano No. 49b
      10. Study for Player Piano No. 49c

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars totally unique & fascinating - must be heard!.......2006-10-18

      I wasn't quite ready to plunk down the money for the full 5 CD set, so I opted for this - just vol. 5. What this is, is music composed for, and performed on player pianos by Conlon Nancarrow while he was living in Mexico from the 40's - 70's. He meticulously punched holes on piano rolls. Read his biography in the Allmusic website - it's a fascinating read. Nescesity made him come up with this ingenious and unique way of creating - He couldn't find musicians who could play his stuff! This is early low-tech programmed music, made without the option of using computers. Technical aspects aside, the music is mind-blowing too. I simply have not heard anything like it. Frank Zappa mentioned him as an influence, which is how I found out about it.
      Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano, Vols. 3 & 4
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • The best of the best
      • Greatest composer of the century?
      		 Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano, Vols. 3 & 4

      Manufacturer: Wergo
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      All Works by NancarrowAll Works by Nancarrow | Nancarrow, Conlon | ( N ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000005WBI
      Release Date: 1993-12-08

      Tracks:

      1. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.1
      2. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.2a
      3. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.2b
      4. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.7
      5. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.8
      6. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.10
      7. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.15
      8. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.21
      9. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.23
      10. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.24
      11. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.25
      12. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.33
      13. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.43
      14. Studies For Player Pno Vol.III: Studies No.50

      Tracks:

      1. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.9
      2. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.11
      3. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.12
      4. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.13
      5. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.16
      6. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.17
      7. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.18
      8. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.19
      9. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.27
      10. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.28
      11. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.29
      12. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.34
      13. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.36
      14. Studies For Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.46
      15. Studies for Player Pno Vol.IV: Studies No.47

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars The best of the best.......1999-06-15

      I've been trying for the last five years to summarize Nancarrow's appeal as a composer -- an especially hard thing to do when he's still so woefully unknown or underappreciated by a wider audience. It has to be listened to to be believed. If you're looking for music that's imaginative and original, if you yearn for something that's ferociously energetic and ingenious, just sample some of the cuts that Amazon has included in the "Listen to Samples" section for this 2-CD set. I recommend the samples for studies 2b, 7, and 11.

      I've listened extensively to all 5 volumes of the player piano studies and as far as I'm concerned, this is the one to get (they're all excellent, though). Also check out the arrangements of these pieces on the Ensemble Modern recording of Nancarrow's work, Kronos Quartet's rendition of his first string quartet, etc.

      Is Nancarrow the greatest North American composer of the century? My opinion is ABSOLUTELY YES.

      5 out of 5 stars Greatest composer of the century?.......1999-06-11

      Well, on a short list, he'd definitely have to go into the top 10, and these two CD's are 2 hours of some of the most complex, jamming, experiemental and beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard in my life. I've been listening to this music for the past 15, and it never ceases to amaze me or allow me to listen to it deeper, or just kick back and enjoy it for fun. But play it loud!

      Go for it. Play it for yourself. And play it to your children before they get 'educated' about what modern composition or 'performance' is supposed to be.
      Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • symphony of a thousand (pianos)
      • piano revelations.
      • Dizzying experiments by a brilliant maverick
      • Intriguing Ideas, Experiment upon Experiment
      • Expand your thinking about music construction
      		 Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano

      Manufacturer: Wergo Germany
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      TangosTangos | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
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      SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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      Similar Items:
      1. Conlon Nancarrow : Lost Works, Last Works
      2. Nancarrow: Pieces Nos. 1 & 2; ¿Tango?; String Quartet No. 1
      3. Ligeti: Mechanical Music
      4. Player Piano 1: Nancarrow Vol. 1
      5. György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet

      ASIN: B000031W5A
      Release Date: 2000-01-11

      Tracks:

      1. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3a
      2. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3b
      3. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3c
      4. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3d
      5. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 3e
      6. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 20
      7. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 44
      8. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 41a
      9. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 41b
      10. Vol. I: Study For Player Piano No. 41c

      Tracks:

      1. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 4
      2. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 5
      3. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 6
      4. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 14
      5. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 22
      6. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 26
      7. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 31
      8. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 35
      9. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 32
      10. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 37
      11. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano Tango?
      12. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 40a
      13. Vol. II: Study For Player Piano No. 40b

      Tracks:

      1. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 1
      2. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 2a
      3. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 2b
      4. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 7
      5. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 8
      6. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 10
      7. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 15
      8. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 21
      9. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 23
      10. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 24
      11. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 25
      12. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 33
      13. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 43
      14. Vol. III: Study For Player Piano No. 50

      Tracks:

      1. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 9
      2. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 11
      3. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 12
      4. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 13
      5. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 16
      6. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 17
      7. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 18
      8. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 19
      9. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 27
      10. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 28
      11. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 29
      12. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 34
      13. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 36
      14. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 46
      15. Vol. IV: Study For Player Piano No. 47

      Tracks:

      1. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 42
      2. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 45a
      3. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 45b
      4. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 45c
      5. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 48a
      6. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 48b
      7. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 48c
      8. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 49a
      9. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 49b
      10. Vol. V: Study For Player Piano No. 49c

      Amazon.com

      To speak of Conlon Nancarrow's music for player piano shouldn't be mistaken to suggest some still broader range of musical output of which the composer's piano rolls are but a subset. Quite the contrary: Nancarrow's meticulous scores--generally unplayable, at least by most primates--are the body of his life's work. This five-CD set contains dozens upon dozens of his studies, each a fairly self-contained exploration of tempo, pitch, rhythm, counterpoint--and the interaction between pairings of those core musical categories. Certainly, this is "difficult" music, hard on the ears, off-kilter in a manner that both demands attention and may repulse listeners unfamiliar with experimental composition. After initial exposure, this collection is the sort of thing that sits on the shelf for some time, before your imagination breaks its internal code. Once that code is broken, though, the vast life inherent in this "mechanical" music becomes almost intoxicating. On some of the quieter pieces, the piano's tone is similar to that of a harpsichord. On others, the palimpsest of ragtime is undeniable. Yes, some pieces seem overly chaotic, but spend some time with them and you'll see, in your mind's eye, dozens of hands working the keys. --Marc Weidenbaum

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars symphony of a thousand (pianos).......2004-11-15

      Imagine for a moment that you have entered a room full of slightly beat-up upright pianos. These pianos begin to come to life by sputtering out unusual, irregular melodies. The melodies don't fit together exactly, but somehow they seem right sounding together. Before you know it, there are so many pianos playing that you can't keep track of them all and they begin to accrue into an impossibly dense spray of sound. Even if you had a roomful of humans playing these pianos they wouldn't get the overwhelming, unswerving independence of each individual line in each piano. The pianos stop playing and you wonder what just happened....

      Hopefully this description will give you some indication of what you're in for with these wonderful studies for player piano. Because Nancarrow was working with these mechanical instruments, he could combine complex ratios of rhythms against each other. Some are so subtle that no human could replicate them exactly. This is not to say that the music is dehumanized. It has a great deal of warmth and humor. What Nancarrow gains from the very mechanical nature of these instruments is part of the appeal.

      These studies are as rugged and individual as the composer and, as mentioned earlier, Ligeti's Etudes would never have been possible without Nancarrow's wonderful music.

      5 out of 5 stars piano revelations........2004-02-22

      This stuff influenced Ligeti's "Etudes" for solo piano. The music is mind-blowing.

      5 out of 5 stars Dizzying experiments by a brilliant maverick.......2004-01-09

      A true compositional original, Conlon Nancarrow is best known for these mind-blowing pieces for player piano. Why this particular instrument? Because most of these short works are utterly unplayable by human beings, unless you are capable of say, depressing all 88 keys at the same time. While later in life Nancarrow also wrote a few small pieces for chamber ensembles, his work here is the core of his output and where his imagination truly took flight.

      You may not be quite lucid after hearing something like Study No. 25, which has 1,028 notes in its final 12 seconds, or one of my favorites, the so-called "Canon X" (No. 21). It begins with two musical lines at opposite ends of the keyboard: the bass starts slowly and gradually accelerates, the treble begins in a super-fast blur of notes at the highest end and gradually descends, becoming ever-slower. In the middle of the piece, these two lines cross each other before they continue on their separate ways.

      In study after study, Nancarrow explores complex relationships between meter and pitch, most of the time with absolutely astounding results. Some of these pieces are a bit more relaxed, with blues and jazz elements giving them an almost homespun quality. But soon the blizzard of notes returns, as the composer makes full use of the player piano's capabilities. You almost can't believe what you are hearing.

      A word of caution: You probably don't want to program all five discs straight through. Well recorded as it is, the timbre of the instrument becomes wearing on the ear after awhile. Give your ears a break and to listen to something completely different, like Debussy, Copland -- or maybe Bob Dylan.

      An essential collection for some -- I'm not sure whom! -- but something every listener should hear at least once.

      4 out of 5 stars Intriguing Ideas, Experiment upon Experiment.......2000-12-30

      Conlon Nancarrow is one of those composers who could exist only in real life, as he would be too implausible for fiction. Nancarrow was a composer for player piano, who spent much of his life an expatriate in Mexico, composing music steeped in both early 20th C. jazz and "modernist" classical traditions, and yet music that is entirely individual.

      For me, Nancarrow's work functions best when he illustrates the sheer possibility of the keyboard freed from the limitations of a human player or players. The player piano in Nancarrow's work is an acrobat, ready to twirl on wires from which human piano players are unable to dangle. I find least satisfying the experimental works which are centered less on the possibility of the player piano, and more on the synthesis of 30s jazz into a unique classical aesthetic. I freely confess to being a listener rather than a musician in my own right, and some of the experiments just don't keep me hooked.

      Still, if you're longing for something quite different and of high quality, Nancarrow may be what you are seeking.

      5 out of 5 stars Expand your thinking about music construction.......2000-07-27

      Re-open any closed ideas you had about musical structure, architecture, harmony, rhythm, melody -- and what brings pleasure to your brain. Listening to these pieces inspires whole new forms of composition.
      Nancarrow: Studies For Player Piano Vols. 1-5
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Nancarrow: Studies For Player Piano Vols. 1-5
        Various
        Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi USA
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD
        ASIN: B000MX8JHQ
        Release Date: 2000-01-01
        Studies for Player Piano 1 & 2
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          		Studies for Player Piano 1 & 2
          Nancarrow , and Conlon
          Manufacturer: Wergo
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music | Baroque | Classical | General | Modern & 20th Century | Romantic | Sinfonia | Sinfonia Concertante
          GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
          ASIN: B000005W9C
          Release Date: 1993-12-08

          Tracks:

          1. Study No.3a
          2. Study No.3b
          3. Study No.3c
          4. Study No.3d
          5. Study No.3e
          6. Study No.20
          7. Study No.44
          8. Study No.41a
          9. Study No.41b
          10. Study No.41c

          Tracks:

          1. Study No.4
          2. Study No.5
          3. Study No.6
          4. Study No.14
          5. Study No.22
          6. Study No.26
          7. Study No.31
          8. Study No.35
          9. Study No.32
          10. Study No.37
          11. Study: Tango?
          12. Study No.40a
          13. Study No.40b

          Amazon.com

          Nobody plays this music. Conlon Nancarrow composed these pieces by punching them directly onto piano rolls. He began using this method when he felt his music was becoming too rhythmically complex for live performers. That may be true, but this still isn't very difficult music to listen to. It always contains familiar elements, many of them coming from the jazz Nancarrow played on the trumpet when he was young. These wildly imaginative pieces have an exhilarating effect, live performers or no, and they are strongly recommended to the adventurous. Not long before he died, Nancarrow won a McArthur Foundation "genius" grant; he deserved it. --Leslie Gerber

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