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From: carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes)
Newsgroups: net.music.classical
Subject: Re: buying a piano
Message-ID: <214@gargoyle.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 12-Oct-85 20:03:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.214
Posted: Sat Oct 12 20:03:35 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 14-Oct-85 04:29:45 EDT
References: <4400@alice.UUCP> <353@cylixd.UUCP>
Reply-To: carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes)
Organization: U. of Chicago, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 59
Keywords: Music of K. S. Sorabji

>(#2) Yamaha Concert Grand - This nine-footer sounds much better than
>	their cheaper grands. It sounds better than most other
>	concert grands, as well. It is the closest to the Bosendorfer
>	of all the competitors. The middle range is especially rich
>	and melodious, much like that of the Bosendorfer, although not
>	quite as crisp.

I wonder if you are referring to the same Yamaha model a prototype of
which was flown from Tokyo to Chicago in April 1983 for the American
premiere of K. S. Sorabji's *Opus Clavicembalisticum* performed by
Geoffrey Madge, an Australian pianist now residing in The Hague.  I
had a chance to run my fingers over the keys and it is an extremely
responsive instrument.  For reasons explained below there are very
few pianos that could have stood up as well to the demands placed on
the Yamaha by this recital.

Sorabji's *Opus Clavicembalisticum* is the longest and most difficult
piano composition that has ever been published (Sorabji has written
at least one other that is longer).  I was fortunate enough to be the
pageturner for the American premiere, a feat in itself since the
performance time of the work is four hours not counting
intermissions.  Not only is the work long, it is incredibly difficult
and taxing for the pianist.  It is scored on as many as seven staves,
seldom less than four, and the pianist constantly has to be all over
the keyboard at once.  Madge, who specializes in music that hardly
anyone else can play (Xenakis, for example), never faltered; he not
only had complete technical command of the work, he made good music
out of it as well.  It was by a large margin the most astounding
piano performance I have ever seen or heard.  Madge spent 18 months
doing nothing but studying the O.C. and has now performed it (I
think) three times.  The only other complete performance was the
premiere given by Sorabji himself around 1930. 

Sorabji's music is like nothing else you have ever heard.  The O.C.
has been described as sounding like three pianists playing Busoni,
Szymanowski, and Messiaen all at once.  It is very contrapuntal and
intense, highly structured with sets of variations, a passacaglia
with 80-odd variations, fugues, toccatas, etc., and it was quite
exciting in the climactic passages.  It was evidently conceived as
something like a 20th-century answer to the Art of the Fugue (the
title means "Keyboard Work").  I found it very satisfying, although
it was impossible to sustain one's concentration through a piano
composition of such length and intensity.  It may be a work that is
better appreciated in memory than during the performance.  Sorabji,
now in his 90's and living in England, is the composer of the longest
and most complex music in existence, including an orchestral work
lasting eight hours, as well as miniatures that out-Webern Webern.
He is a cult composer at this point, but reportedly he couldn't care
less and writes only for his friends.  

Parts of the O.C. have been recorded by another pianist.  A recording
of Madge's performance in The Hague was issued as a limited edition,
and a tape of his Chicago performance is in the possession of WFMT in
Chicago.  If anyone would like to try to order the limited edition
recording, let me know and I will track down the details.  Also if
anyone would like to learn more about Sorabji I can send you copies
of an article or two that I have.
-- 
Richard Carnes, ihnp4!gargoyle!carnes