Performance techniques in modern piano music

Abstract

During the last sixty years an important branch of piano composition has developed that features works of extreme complexity and technical difficulty. My DMA programme has been focused upon the performance of much of this type of repertoire and this exegesis has been written as a parallel study to those DMA piano recitals and focuses mainly upon the development of specific piano skills in order to perform this music. Following an introduction the exegesis is divided into two parts. Part one comprises a chapter which is entitled "Context". This is an account of the context of the piano in the twentieth century. The context chapter describes and discusses the popularity of the piano and the domination of various conservative approaches to the instrument, including a heavy concentration upon the piano repertoire of the past. This chapter - also discusses the conservative world of piano manufacturing in the twentieth century. It also highlights that branch of piano composition and performance which is represented by exceptionally complex and difficult works and discusses how my own recital repertoire was chosen from among a group of potential works. This chapter concludes with some thoughts on the nature of piano technique. The second section consists of three separate chapters, chapters 2, 3 and 4, on works I have chosen to play in my DMA recitals. The composers and works represented are Frederic Rzewski- The People United Will Never be Defeated, Gyorgy Ligeti - Piano Etudes and George Crumb - Makrokosmos Volume II. Each of these composers has made a unique and important contribution to the piano and in each chapter an analysis is given which accounts for both musical and performance technique issues. Each of these chapters concludes with some thoughts on the contribution each composer has made to the repertoire of the piano.