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Has anyone out there heard or played them? I got the score for Etudes 1-18 and they looked interesting. Then I listened to samples of the first 5 etudes played by Aimont(sp?) and was not exactly enthralled(most contemporary music leaves me cold). Are these etudes masterpieces? Are they as hard to play as they look to be (I had trouble just following the score)?

I had never heard of this composer, so I must thank you. Where did you get samples of his etudes?
If you don't appreciate modern piano music, then you MUST, absolutely MUST listen to Debussy's etude in chords (#12) if you haven't already done so. It is absolutely breathtaking. This is the single piece that made me change my opinion about contemporary music. I think it made me understand the concept behind it. What we want to reach is the maximum of expressivity. In order to do that, there's no need to follow the traditional harmonic patterns. Debussy's etude #12 illustrates this very well. The whole etude is played with chords (most of them are 4 finger), but it's amazing what can be done with nothing but a bunch of chords.

Hmmm it sounds very nice,,,,, do you know where I can hear it on the net????????????

You got the score to #15? I've been waiting for that one forever!!! Where'd you get it?!?!?!?!?!

I've never heard of this composer either. When did s/he live? Is there a place where I can hear these peices or get the sheet music? Is Etude #15 like the best one, or something? Sounds interesting. I may just have to go and look up this Ligeti composer at the sheet music store in Downtown Seattle.

I found some samples on
http://www.cduniverse.com
It's a guy. Gyorgy Ligeti (spelling ?) He wrote some of his stuff around 1980
The site is messy though and its hard to tell what sample corresponds to what title.
For some reason you can't listen to many etudes, because there's a bug on that page.
But I was able to hear a couple samples and they are pretty harsh Good luck trying to find the melody in those.
Also in his other works. Try the "Continuum for Harpsichord" I bet you 've never heard something like that!!! chromatic runs played repeatedly at very high speed on a harpsichord! You can almost hear the beats. Gotta love this one!

the 10th Etude is quite nice, but it doesn't sound very easy either.

Stanless wrote:

"If you don't appreciate modern piano music, then you MUST, absolutely MUST listen to Debussy's etude in chords (#12) if you haven't already done so"

For me contemporary(and usually not likable) means anything after about 1950. But I do like the etudes by George Crumb. I like all the Debussey Etudes- a LOT!

[/QB][/QUOTE]
For me contemporary(and usually not likable) means anything after about 1950. But I do like the etudes by George Crumb. I like all the Debussey Etudes- a LOT![/QB][/QUOTE]

pianoloverus I'm glad you like the Debussy etudes. I think they contain hints towards contemporary music (the kind that sounds like a bunch of noise).

Here's some additional info that I found today about Ligeti's etudes
I thought some people might be interested.
Here's what I remember.
His etudes are qualified as "almost impossible to play"
Blocked keys-- in this etude, some keys must be depressed and held without producing a sound with one hand, while the other runs chromatically over depressed and undepressed keys. Needless to say the tempo is way high.
In one etude you have to play ppppp and fffffff !!!! Can you believe that? That's crazy. That much contrast?? The fffffff sounds to me like you'd have to hit the key with a hammer, just like you'd pound a nail.
I am definitely going to purchase those scores.

In one etude you have to play ppppp and fffffff !!!! Can you believe that? That's crazy. That much contrast?? The fffffff sounds to me like you'd have to hit the key with a hammer, just like you'd pound a nail.
I am definitely going to purchase those scores. [/QUOTE]

Actually, I think it was pppppppp and ffffffff if I counted correctly! I just started laughing when I saw those markings. Many of his etudes have extreme dynamic markings.

It's Ligeti's way of trying to get you to think beyond your capabilities. Many won't even attempt to play his Etudes because of the difficulties that they propose. Indeed, there are frequent instances where Ligeti is simply looking for something in the piano that just isn't there. The extreme technical and dynamic demands are his way of showing us that if you only play what is comfortable for you, your technical ability and musical understanding will never improve.

A question some may find trivial I'm sure but is it good music?

They're fantastic music!

Start with Fanfares and Arc en Ciel, they're my favorites.

Ditto here. Add "Autumn in Warsaw" to that list also.

This is very interesting reply, but is this your opinion or did you read or hear it somewhere?

My opinion.

but those dynamic markings i would surmise arnt intended to show some level of super loud volume..i mean yah your gonna play it extreamly loud or soft for the pppppppppp marking, but my guess would be that he present such an enormous range of dynamics because he wishes to pecify very accurately anf finely the different gradations of volume in his piece....the markings are irrelevant, in rachmoninov or chopin if you had a fff marking it would essentially mean as loud as you can play, or extreamly loud, the ever growing scale of dynamic markings dont indicate ever groving levels of volume but rather ever finer indications of what volume to play....i hope that makes sense..this is just my thoughts on the matter though...