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I was talking with my organ teacher yesterday and he was telling me about this Ligeti organ improvsation. He showed me the music for it and I though it was actually pretty funny, because it was literally scribbles, black bars, etc. No notes whatsoever. He said at the end, you pull out all the stops on the organ, put your whole arm on the keys, then turn off the organ while your arm is still holding down the keys. It creates this awesome other worldly type sound. I tried it myself. Simply amazing!So my first question is: Is there a name for this type of "playing"?

Now for my second question. My teacher was also telling my about how he saw this recital on TV once many years ago where there was a pianist playing very modern music, and at one point during one of the pieces, the pianist was actually stroking the piano with his whole palm, kind of like he was petting a dog I guess. His teacher told him it was a good piece to play for "Palm" Sunday =) So my second question is: What is the name for this technique?

Now for my third and final question. Is there any other music out there that has interesting techniques like this? I would love to see some of it, or hear it for that matter. I think I remember at one point someone on here said something about a piece saying "Whole arm on black keys" . I was curious as to know what that piece is too.

Thanks!
Jim

i'll try that on an electric and let you know...i'm assuming that sound was produced by a pipe organ. you mean 'off' right? not on?

Oh yes sorry, I meant "off". I fixed it. And yes, it was on a pipe organ. I don't think it will work on an electric though, but it's worth a try.

You're thinking of Ligeti's Volumina. Rather incredible piece upon first hearing, but I cannot say it wears well with repeated encounters. The organist uses quite a bit of the arms on the manuals, not to mention sliding feet on the pedals. Works best in a large acoustic.

Alec Wyton, DoM at NYC's St. John the Divine made a specialty of it... but as probably one of the most progressive musicians ever to grace those hallowed realms, it is hardly surprising that he was in the forefront of modern Episcopal/Anglican music. He also championed Richard Felciano's music.

A brilliant man and a fine composer also. He has my profoundest respect. The likes of Wyton are not seen in any British foundation (possible exception: Philip Moore at York Minster) today.

sounds like a mix between graphic and improvisational notation.

i think the congregation at one of the churches i play the organ at would kill me if i played that, they find watchet auf loud..

edited to add: some of alexina louie's piano music contains some improvisational notation.
obviously george crumb (not keyboard music) used a lot of this technique, being an important person in pioneering it.

Anyone familiar with the Widor Toccata from the Fifth Organ symph will know that when you have those pedal octaves at the end, the neat trick is to keep from falling off the bench...

Watch the swirling back fist technique during the piano solos several minutes into the clips at 5:53 ; don't try this at home because it's a very dangerous technique:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV-eHiTHE4M&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dnTmyNIifM&mode=related&search=