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Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
#2830993
03/24/19 07:36 PM
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 65
justyna_ewa
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I am looking for piano pieces that are relating to the motive of city or place (geographical - country, region etc.), either directly as a programmatic music, or in terms of circumstances sorrounding the creation of the piece. I would be very grateful for recommendations at any level of difficulty, and from any period in the history of music.
The first thing that comes to my mind are Collines d'Anacapri and Danseuses de Delphes by C. Debussy, there might be also a loose connection of Suite Bergamesque to Bergamo through Bergamasca dance. Some other examples are: La Citta Fiorita by D. Alaleona, Fontane di Roma and Pini di Roma in transcription for 4 hands by O. Respighi, Finlandia by Sibelius in his own transcription, but I am sure, there are many other examples.
Kawai DS 65
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831005
03/24/19 08:37 PM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,845
gooddog
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If you take a look at Liszt's Annee's de pelerinage, you'll find quite a few including: Switzerland: Chapelle de Guillaume, Au lac de Wallenstadt, Valee d'Oberman, Les Cloche de Geneve Italy: Gondoliera (Venice), Aux Cypres de la Villa d'Este, Le jeux d'eaux a la Villa Este.
I can't tell you their difficulty, but they are certainly not for beginners.
Best regards,
Deborah
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831009
03/24/19 08:42 PM
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 315
dumka1
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As a native of Kiev/Kyiv, I can't help mentioning Mussorgski "Great Gate of Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition.
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831011
03/24/19 08:51 PM
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 26,166
pianoloverus
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Evening in Grenada(Debussy), Cordoba, Sevilla, Asturias, Grenada(Albeniz)
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831014
03/24/19 08:55 PM
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 12,597
bennevis
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Albéniz used place names in Iberia:
Fête-Dieu à Séville Rondeña (D major), after the Andalusian town of Ronda. AlmerÃa (G major), relating to the Andalusian seaport of AlmerÃa, is loosely based on tarantas, a flamenco form characteristic of the region of AlmerÃa. Triana (F♯ minor), after the Gypsy quarter of Seville. Lavapiés (Dâ™ major), after the district of Madrid.
Debussy:
Danseuses de Delphes La soirée dans Grenade Les collines d'Anacapri Bruyères
Mussorgsky:
The Great Gate of Kiev
Liszt: Venezia e Napoli
Grieg: Wedding Day at Troldhaugen; Dance from Jølster; On the Dovrefjeld in Norway; The Woman from Setesdal; The Raven's Wedding in Kraakeland
"I don't play accurately - anyone can play accurately - but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life."
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831023
03/24/19 09:24 PM
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 26,166
pianoloverus
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Falla: Fantasia Baetica, 4 Spanish Pieces(Aragonesa, Cubana, Montañesa, Andaluza), Night in the Gardens of Spain
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831067
03/25/19 12:21 AM
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Joined: Jun 2003
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BDB
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There are lots of 4-hand dances from various parts of the world: Hungarian (Brahms) Slavonic (Dvorak) Norwegian (Grieg) Spanish (Moszkowski) Swedish (Bruch) Finnish (Busoni) Moravian (Janacek) Polish (X. Scharwenka)
Semipro Tech
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831088
03/25/19 02:24 AM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,952
Ted
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Very many of the compositions of David Thomas Roberts are associated with places, for example "For Kansas City" and "Through the Bottomlands". The best known of such is probably the set called "New Orleans Streets". Franklin Avenue
"We shall always love the music of the masters, but they are all dead and now it's our turn." - Llewelyn Jones, my piano teacher
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831125
03/25/19 06:34 AM
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 65
justyna_ewa
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Thank you for all suggestions, I can't believe I forgot about Mussorgsky and Albeniz...
I would appreciate more reccommendations of pieces by contemporary composers as well.
Kawai DS 65
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831238
03/25/19 12:36 PM
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 1,358
Ralphiano
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Alexandre Tansman's Tour du Monde.
Ralph
Kawai VPC1 Garritan CFX Lite Pianist since April, 2015
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: Ralphiano]
#2831348
03/25/19 05:10 PM
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 65
justyna_ewa
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Alexandre Tansman's Tour du Monde. I will look for the score. Tansman was born in my city.
Kawai DS 65
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831356
03/25/19 05:22 PM
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 12,597
bennevis
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.
I would appreciate more recommendations of pieces by contemporary composers as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpJB-XXE9XgPerformed by the composer, who died a few years ago.
"I don't play accurately - anyone can play accurately - but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life."
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831428
03/25/19 09:52 PM
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 315
dumka1
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Ginastera, "Danzas Argentinas." (Not quite contemporary but 20th century).
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: bennevis]
#2831775
03/26/19 09:18 PM
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 353
Qwerty53
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Thank you, Bennevis, for alerting me to “Farewell to Stromnessâ€; it is beautiful! And timely, as my next lesson features that rare event, “pick out new music to learnâ€! (Rare, because it takes me soooo loooong to learn a new piece!)
Mister Upright, Yamaha YUS5.
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831889
03/27/19 08:36 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,150
Tim Adrianson
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Hi, justyna_ewa! A few others
Deodat de Severac -- the piano suites "En Languedoc" and "Cerdana". Both are located in the border region where France and Spain meet, in the east Pyrenees and on the north end of the Mediterranean sea.
Aaron Copland -- "Our Town" suite -- the fictional Grover's Corners, New Hampshire.
Elie Siegmeister -- "American Sonata" -- not exactly locale specific, but takes you musically to different regions of the USA.
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: Qwerty53]
#2831898
03/27/19 08:56 AM
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 12,597
bennevis
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Thank you, Bennevis, for alerting me to “Farewell to Stromnessâ€; it is beautiful! And timely, as my next lesson features that rare event, “pick out new music to learnâ€! (Rare, because it takes me soooo loooong to learn a new piece!) Yes, Farewell to Stromness has become very popular and performed by concert pianists as well as lots of amateurs - and stolen by guitarists (- like Albéniz's Asturias, it's probably more often performed by them than by pianists.....). Just a couple of things: ignore the composer's metronome marking - he (and almost everyone else) plays it much slower. And there is a companion piece called Yesnaby's Ground, which is faster and more difficult, but again with an appealing folk-like tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBvJK9cjFvAYesnaby is the nearby clifftop beauty spot on the same island as Stromness, which is in the Scottish Orkney Islands (a good place for people who prefer seabirds to humans for company.......  ) https://goo.gl/images/nBaVNf
"I don't play accurately - anyone can play accurately - but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life."
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831977
03/27/19 11:27 AM
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 65
justyna_ewa
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So many new proposals... I knew it was a proper place to ask this questions. Bennevis, I had the same impression on Farewell... as Qwerty53.
Kawai DS 65
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: justyna_ewa]
#2831985
03/27/19 11:42 AM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 164
florhof
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New York Skyline by Heitor Villa LobosPerhaps not exactly what you are looking for, because it does not capture the atmosphere of the location but literally maps the silhouette.
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: florhof]
#2831990
03/27/19 11:50 AM
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 26,166
pianoloverus
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Or did they create the silhouette just to go with the video?
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Re: Topos/motive of the city/place in piano literature
[Re: florhof]
#2832064
03/27/19 03:03 PM
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 65
justyna_ewa
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Thank you for writing about this example. I read about this technique - transposing the sketch of a landscape into a music notation - in a monograph on XXth Century Avantgarde.
Kawai DS 65
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