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classical music:

Kronos Quartet: Sculthorpe, Sallinen, Glass, Nuncarrow, Hendrix

1 review
Aulis Sallinen, Philip Glass, ...

Nonesuch, 1990

Absolutely first rate! Performance & recording are excellent
I am far from knowledgable about music. However, this is a marvelous introduction to contemporary music as arranged for a string quartet. The vision and versatility of this group are really laid out here. The only piece that jars is "Purple Haze," which, sorry folks, just doesn't work with strings. While I greatly applaud Kronos' willingness to try on a rock masterpiece, Hendrix said ...

Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for player Piano
Conlon Nancarrow

Other Minds, 2008

The definitive recording of these works, newly remastered with spectacular sound, represents the most faithful reproduction of what Conlon Nancarrow heard, in his own studio. This is the only available recording utilizing Nancarrow's original instruments: two 1927 Ampico player pianos. "After decades of struggle and neglect, Conlon Nancarrow is finally being recognized as one of the major American composers of the 20th century." -- New York ...

Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano

9 reviews
Conlon Nancarrow

Wergo Germany, 2000

Dizzying experiments by a brilliant maverick
A true compositional original, Conlon Nancarrow is best known for these mind-blowing pieces for player piano. Why this particular instrument? Because most of these short works are utterly unplayable by human beings, unless you are capable of say, depressing all 88 keys at the same time. While later in life Nancarrow also wrote a few small pieces for chamber ensembles, his work here is the core ...

American Piano Music Of Our Time Volume II

1 review
Conlon Nancarrow, Frederic Rzewski, ...

Music & Arts, 2005

A highly enjoyable recital of American contemporary piano music and a fine tribute to Ursula Oppens
This is the same entry as American Piano Music for Our Time, Vol.2, but cheaper. See my lengthy review under the other entry, of which the conclusion is: "Except for Picker then, in all these works the composers have not relinquished their compositional exigencies, have not tried to pander to the most undemanding public's tastes, but still have managed to write music that is personal, inventive ...

Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano (arranged for Chamber Orchestra) / Piece No. 2 for Small Orchestra ...

4 reviews
Conlon Nancarrow, Ingo Metzmacher, ...

RCA, 1993

A fantastic testament to a great, long-neglected composer.
To put it bluntly, this is some of the most original and entertaining 20th century music you will ever hear. Nancarrow's innovative player piano studies were written from the late 1940s to the early '80s and were intended, among other things, to explore ideas that were beyond the capacity of human performance. As electronic music was in its infancy when he began these studies, the player ...

Player Piano 1: Nancarrow Vol. 1
Conlon Nancarrow

MD&G Records, 2006

Sonic Rebellion: Alternative Classical

1 review
Nathan Gunn, Nicholas Isherwood, ...

Naxos, 2007

Start the revolution
Even people who like classical music tend to run screaming when they hear names like Penderecki, Ligeti and Cage. But it's hard to blame them. The majority of concert halls and classical music stations play it safe, programming little but such familiar composers as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc. Nothing wrong with those gentlemen, but anyone looking for something a little more experimental is ...

Warp Works & Twentieth Century Masters

2 reviews
John Cage, Richard D. (aka Aphex Twin) James, ...

Warp Records, 2006

Classic Avant-Garde...Electronic artists collide, for this release...!!!
A strange one this....what transpires is a 2-CD disk of re-compostion's and arrangements, which are designed to: "explore the connection between electronic experimenters on the Warp label and their sonic grandfathers". What this amounts to, is a reinterpretation of pieces by: John Cage, Steve Reich, Aphex Twin, and Squarepusher, given to proper musicians (in this case, The London Sinfonietta), ...

Thomas Adès - Piano

3 reviews
Leos Janacek, Igor Stravinsky, ...

EMI Classics Imports, 2000

A composer pianist's insights.
Thomas Adès is certainly among the most original and compelling composers in today's public eye. In this recording, he demonstrates how a composer with the requisite performing skills can illuminate music in ways that might elude the "mere" performing virtuoso. But make no mistake, Adès is no mean pianist: The musical world first noticed him as a pianist when he took Second Prize in the 1989 ...

Player Piano 5: Conlon Nancarrow Vol. 3 - Studies 33-41c
Nancarrow

MD&G Records, 2008

Polytopia
Mari [harp] Kimura, Tania Leon, ...

Bridge Records, Inc., 2007

Fascinatin' Rhythm
Bix Biederbecke, Rube Bloom, ...

Polygram Records, 1995

This seems to be the last survivor of Alan Feinberg's wonderful collections of American piano music. It's a typically fascinating program, mixing music by people thought of as jazz composers (Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, James P. Johnson) with others considered "real" composers (Gershwin, Cowell, Nancarrow, Gottschalk). It's all jazz to Feinberg, who plays everything with gusto and affection, showing that all of this music belongs together in ...

Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano, Vols. 3 & 4

2 reviews
Conlon Nancarrow

Wergo Germany, 1993

The best of the best
I've been trying for the last five years to summarize Nancarrow's appeal as a composer -- an especially hard thing to do when he's still so woefully unknown or underappreciated by a wider audience. It has to be listened to to be believed. If you're looking for music that's imaginative and original, if you yearn for something that's ferociously energetic and ingenious, just sample some of the ...

Player Piano 3: Conlon Nancarrow Vol. 2 - Studies 13-32
Conlon Nancarrow

MD&G Records, 2007

Piano Music by Nancarrow and Antheil

2 reviews
Conlon Nancarrow, George Antheil, ...

Ecm Records, 2001

Some Great Music
I bought this CD just recently. First the violin sonatas, then the ballet mecanique, then the "Lost Sonatas", and now this. Mr. Henck does a wonderful job playing Antheil's pieces, and I think like Antheil wanted them too. For example on the Jazz Sonata it says to play like a player piano, and a rapidly as possible. Antheil, like his contemoraries, also believed in a very rigid, unsentimental ...

Continuum Performs Nancarrow

1 review
Conlon Nancarrow, Continuum, ...

Music Masters Jazz, 1994

Nancarrow without the player piano: an essential addition to our knowledge of the composer
Recorded in 1989, This is the original 1991 release, by Musicmasters, of a CD that was recently reissued by Naxos and is available cheaper in that form (Nancarrow: Pieces Nos. 1 & 2; ¿Tango?; String Quartet No. 1). It is a fascinating addition to our knowledge of Nancarrow, as it gathers most of the (few) pieces he wrote for "normal" instruments, e.g. live performers, as opposed to the mechanical ...

Conlon Nancarrow: Quartets and Studies
Rohan de Saram, Conlon Nancarrow, ...

Wergo, 2007

Conga-Line in Hell: Modern Classics from Latin America
Marilyn Nije, Miguel del Aguila, ...

Dorian Recordings, 2001

Sound Forms For Piano

6 reviews
John Cage, Henry Cowell, ...

New World Records, 1995

Highly recommended
This is, without doubt, one of the finest recordings of American experimental music ever issued, performed with loving care by the late, great Robert Miller except for Nancarrow's studies. The excellent notes by Charles Hamm should prepare listeners unfamiliar with this musical universe for what they are going to hear. Although there is a logical connection between the works that imaginative ...

Absolute Mix

8 reviews
Charles Coleman, Michael Daugherty, ...

Ccn'c, 2000

inspired, maddening, wonderful album
After witnessing the jaw dropping performance of Martin Kuuskmann, clad in a shimmery Elvis outfit, playing his heart out during his solo on "Dead Elvis" at a recent New York city concert, I am thrilled to hear him again on this album. Taken as a whole, Absolute Mix looks to be the band's effort to introduce its fans to an even less traditional side of itself than they displayed with their ...

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