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Scruffy likes to listen to the pianer.
Zombiemambo
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm looking for good solo piano music. It doesn't have to be strictly solo, but more than a string instrument is probably too much. Classic, modern, singing, no singing, I want to listen to it all.
Zombiemambo on
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http://www.lubomyr.com/
It might be a bit much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dPS-EHl-FE&a=GxdCwVVULXepWQsIehq2iSEQ2tlVfARA&playnext=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HcKrd3K8_A
She's coming to do a concert at my college soon. Be jealous.
A lot of the earlier Cat Power stuff is very piano based, often just piano and vocals.
Play with me on Steam
His stuff covers a lot of bases, from contemplative and serene preludes, to pretty badass scherzos. Scherzi?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAI2doCUbNc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmxFAT581T4
I like this, but it feels like someone just took the same 20 seconds and just pasted it together over and over.
Like someone else said, can't go wrong with moonlight sonata. Does have some strings though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQVeaIHWWck
Specifically, minimalistic music deals with slow changes over a repeated structure. It's about getting a different product at the end than the beginning through minute methodical variations. It's really cool intellectually if you understand and track what's going on. However, if you don't, it's also great background-y music because it doesn't really distract you with anything big.
Anyways, basic rules for finding things:
Preludes are typically relatively short pieces revolving around a relatively small number of musical ideas. Especially in the Romantic era(Chopin, Debussy, Scriabin, etc) Preludes can be pretty nice big long involved pieces, but in the Baroque/Classical they tend to be much shorter and more introductory. Big well known preludes are the Chopin Preludes, specifically his Op. 28 No. 4, and The preludes in Bach's "Das Woltempierte Klavier". Rachmanninof preludes and Scriabin preludes are also pretty cool.
Some examples:
You've probably heard that one before
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0egJr6nvCQI&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXU7I_Yyi2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clWY9QmRjBk&feature=fvst
Sonatas, literally are pieces that are played. Since that's not very descriptive, basically though, Classical and post-classical, Sonatas tend to be smaller chamber groups or solo works, traditionally a pretty major work. It's pretty damn hard to really define them. Famous ones include Beethoven's Sonatae Pathetique, Mozart's Sonata 16(Trust me, you've heard this one), and Liszt Sonata in B Minor
Examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCF8C5U7Pco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJNu7k5LBdE
A Scherzo, which is also very common in orchestral music, literally translates to "Little Joke". It is traditionally the third movement of a larger work, replacing the Minuet that would normally be there. Since these tend to be symphonic a lot as well though, I wouldn't pursue them too much, though the Chopin Scherzo's are really not jokeish at all, but are solo piano
Finally(for now at least), an Etude is a "Study" piece, traditionally. Chopin sort of turned them into much more actualized pieces in their own rights, so I would tend towards Etudes that are more modern(Chopin, Scriabin, Liszt, Debussy) These new ones can also be retardedly awesome.
Examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1_dPyBR_eY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPTe1xMB9Uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haRCdflznIw
That's a basic overview of what forms to look for. There are dance forms like the ballade, polonaise, etc. But those can really just be singular to a single composer or rolled into other forms.
Now, on to composers. I won't give too much in the way of bios now, but general names to look out for.
Chopin - Granddaddy of the modern Etude. Dude writes beastly stuff. I've already linked some of his stuff, but here's some more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C-oiN_KDD0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwqYnDxWd_c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwqYnDxWd_c&feature=related
Scriabin - Interesting composer with harmonies built on essentially a color wheel applied to a keyboard. Makes for some really beautiful sounds though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xudZ3J4EeoQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7re6C0oIO0
Debussy - French romanticist. Even if you don't have a degree in Music history or whatever that should tell you a lot about what to expect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWpV7L4YHuU
and finally(for nowish)
Liszt - Writes retardedly difficult shit for piano. Is awesome though.
The Looney Toons Rhapsody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS5LRRsNYZk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlFSzJQBXVM&feature=related
Anyways, that's a basic overview of names and things to youtube depending on what you're looking for.
Cat Power is brilliant and I congratulate your fine taste but I suspect that she's not exactly what he's looking for.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH