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4 years ago, I started composing original piano music. However, I just know very few contemporary composers. So I would really appreciate it if you could tell me who is favorite composer and what distinguish him/her the most?
Here is one of my original compositions, I would really love to hear your feedback and comments in every aspect of the performance
Last edited by Aly Baracat; 12/25/1607:38 AM.
Piano composer, Graphic Designer and Computer Engineer.
At the moment, I really enjoy Marc-Andre Hamelin's compositions. A wonderful combination of modern harmonies and dissonances, but still with traditional forms and logic.
My parents actually bought a copy of his 12 etudes as a Christmas gift! I would love to play the Tchaikovsky left hand etude and Erlkonig etude...
At the moment, I really enjoy Marc-Andre Hamelin's compositions. A wonderful combination of modern harmonies and dissonances, but still with traditional forms and logic.
While Hamelin's compositions may not be the most inspired from a thematic point of view, the sheer pianistic ingenuity they display is all but unmatched by other contemporary piano repertoire. Hamelin's extreme skill as a pianist has allowed him to introduce some interesting but very difficult technical devices which for all intents and purposes are wholly original, and he has been able to take full advantage of the piano's capacities in his numerous arrangements, transcriptions, and paraphrases.
As far as answering the OP's question is concerned, I might have to cite Nikolai Kapustin as the most ingenious living composer for the piano.
At the moment, I really enjoy Marc-Andre Hamelin's compositions. A wonderful combination of modern harmonies and dissonances, but still with traditional forms and logic.
While Hamelin's compositions may not be the most inspired from a thematic point of view, the sheer pianistic ingenuity they display is all but unmatched by other contemporary piano repertoire. Hamelin's extreme skill as a pianist has allowed him to introduce some interesting but very difficult technical devices which for all intents and purposes are wholly original, and he has been able to take full advantage of the piano's capacities in his numerous arrangements, transcriptions, and paraphrases.
As far as answering the OP's question is concerned, I might have to cite Nikolai Kapustin as the most ingenious living composer for the piano.
I got Hamelin's 12 etudes as a Christmas gift (the score; already had the CD for a while). Sometime down the line I want to try my hand at 7 (Tchaikovsky, left hand), 8 (Erlkonig), and 11 (Minuetto). Many of the others have terrifyingly difficult challenges.
Kapustin is an incredible composer, and he has such a large output!
Other pianist-composers that I like: Stephen Hough and Conrad Tao
I'll limit myself to composers that have written music for piano and that are still alive:
Helmut Lachenmann - for taking instrumental music beyond the usual George Crumb - for doing the same in a very different vein György Kurtág - for saying much with very few notes Harrison Birtwistle - for his rhythmic drive and sense of form
(If we include also the more or less recently deceased, I'd have to add Xenakis, Ligeti, Boulez and Ustvolskaya - all for obvious reasons.)
Last edited by mrenaud; 12/26/1606:26 PM.
I have an ice cream. I cannot mail it, for it will melt.
Here are a few of my favorite contemporary composers:
Lowell Liebermann Michael Torke John Harbison Judith Lang Zaimont Richard Danielpour Kaije Saariaho Stephen Paulus (but recently deceased) Thomas Ades George Crumb
All have written significant works for solo piano, some a substantial body. That should give you a few more names to consider!
