Nancarrow, Conlon

Player Piano 1 - Studies 1 - 12 for Player Piano Vol. 1

Label: MDG Scene Country: Germany

Studies 1-12 from Conlon Nancarrow's complete studies for player piano.

"Conlon Nancarrow [1912-1997] is remembered almost exclusively for the pieces he wrote for the player piano. He was one of the first composers to use mechanical instruments as machines, far beyond human performance representations. He lived most of his life in complete introspection, not becoming widely known until the 1980s. Today, he is remembered as one of the most original and unusual composers of the 20th century."-Wikipedia

"In essence, jazz and blues inform Studies 1 through 10, yet roots of the multi-ratio canonic writing and sudden velocity shifts that characterize Nancarrow's later studies already are present, especially in the lively, complex counterpoint of Nos. 7 and 8. Newcomers to Nancarrow's music probably should start with the remarkable five-movement Study No. 3a-5, the Boogie-Woogie Suite. Its outer movements sound like Albert Ammons, Professor Longhair, and Jimmy Yancey trapped in Cecil Taylor's body, with the rhythmic layers sounding as if organized by Milton Babbitt on LSD."--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com