Lyrical, brilliant, and highly ordered. I'm really surprised people find it complex, or mistake it as being 'atonal'. or have to parse out a rationalization for what they hear here - tonal music by a master craftsman who has been at it quite a while. A lovely eclat of a piece.
Wow, this is an impressive performance! For me, the music itself is impressive too, I get more out of it each time I hear it. Random??? He did say 'sounding' I guess, doesn't sound random to me, if it was Mr Carter was very lucky indeed, and has been many times! Thanks for putting this up, inspiring on sooooooo many levels.
I want to add also, that Carter doesn't necessarily "put" complexity in his music - that's just what his music is. People tend to think of him as a mathematician of sorts, but in fact if you study him in detail, you'll find that in most cases he'll abandon his systems "if the effect is not musical" - his own words. So, every technique or structural idea he works with has a musical purpose. And he's been working at it since before your parents (and mine!) were born. Give the man some respect ?
Look, I'm not going to waste time trading opinions on what constitutes great art - people have wasted enough time on that for centuries. However, I will say that you cannot make an objective claim that the music says little emotionally. Everyone experiences things in a different way, we all have our own brains, ways of thinking about things. I find Carter playful, emotional, dramatic and exciting, and if you think his music is academic and passé, then I'm sorry but that's just your take on it.
The modernist aesthetic may be outdated /obsolete, but that does not belittle its significance or lessen its quality. Lots of things are outdated (like common sense and high standards) but that doesn't mean we ought to abandon them. Or are you suggesting that art music should pander to the masses and aim to please rather than stand on its own?
Carter's music is indeed complex and very intricate, but he does maintain a healthy balance between emotion and intelligence like all great music does
This only sounds exciting because Aimard is such an amazing performer that he can play anything - including this otherwise random sounding stream of notes - with conviction. It is Aimard's speed, virtuosity and precision that make this performance impressive, not the music itself.
Music ceases to be anything exciting without performers playing it. That's a no-brainer. Have you heard the rite of spring played by school orchestras? It's not so great. This piece was written FOR Aimard, anyway. I don't really understand your complaint, and you make yourself sound incredibly ignorant with comments like "random stream of notes".
furthermore, Carter details his scores in a way that very few others do - and it all has a purpose for being there. Without all the directions, markings, etc. in the music, is it REALLY the performance that's the most impressive element? One of the things that makes him a genius is that he can maintain a balance between writing music so that performers can interpret it in their own way, but it is still *his* music. and I can assure you, this is far from "random".
Yes, I know how detailed and complex Carter's scores are. That's exactly part of the problem. He puts so much complexity in his music, that in the end, his music has very little to say as well, at least emotionally. IMO Carter is not a genius. He is glorified construction worker, an ivory tower mathematician writing music that's intellectually intricate yet emotionally limited, using a modernist aesthetic that by now has become totally passé, obsolete and academic.
What I'm trying to say is that an extraordinary musician like Aimard with his exceptional technique and musicality can make even less-than-great music sound great. In my opinion, this piece is not really that special, the notes themselves aren't very interesting. It's just the fact that it's a continuous stream of notes played with enormous speed that makes it sound sort of exciting. But then, any continuous chain of notes sounds exciting when played with such speed and precision.
That's not a very intelligent argument against the piece, I must say. But hey, I'm fine with you not liking it - there are tons of people in the world, nobody can please *everybody*. I don't feel this piece is "great", but I do think it's good! There is a clear division between writing a random stream of 16th notes and an ordered stream of 16th notes in logical succession, that becomes more coherent on repeated listening's. This is why people don't like Carter - you have to make an effort.
Random? Then how do you explain the fact that while studying the piece I discovered some proofreading errors in the published score, later confirmed by Mr Carter?
Thanks for your comments - I agree completely. This piece is so unusual for Carter because it contains no time signature changes or rhythmic changes (all sixteenth notes and no rests, except for the right hand in one bar). Now what is really remarkable is that he manages to make every second of the piece sound exciting and interesting.
Elliott Carter at 100 years old, still America's most promising young composer.
For so many years, his music became too complex for me to understand, esp. considering how comprehensible his earlier works were (to my small brain). It is nice this piece is again something that might be understood, esp. after repeated listenings.
Just thought I'd say thanks for all the comments- I'm very pleased to see the piece being appreciated. I hope the sound-quality doesn't put off too many people, it was recorded live directly from TV to PC. Ursula Oppens has recorded this piece on a disc of all the Carter piano music, to those interested. Hopefully Aimard's CD will be forthcoming, as I personally much prefer this performance.
The performance is amazing, as usual coming from Aimard. A DVD containing his performance of this work has just been released on MediciArts. By the way, I love the Messenger sound at 0:14. :)
Lyrical, brilliant, and highly ordered. I'm really surprised people find it complex, or mistake it as being 'atonal'. or have to parse out a rationalization for what they hear here - tonal music by a master craftsman who has been at it quite a while. A lovely eclat of a piece.
MuseDuCafe 1 year ago
really well done!
daniel15671 1 year ago
This piece is so amazing! So wonderfully captivating!
Carter's old-age compositional energy levels are so astounding! (He was 99 when he wrote this, now 101.)
PianoplayerPaul 2 years ago
tres rapide, tres vif, comme oiseaux de feux, pyrotechnique
herma57 2 years ago
This is quite exciting, more readily "listenable" than some of his other works.
daniel15671 2 years ago
very nice
sebastian181812 2 years ago
Wow, this is an impressive performance! For me, the music itself is impressive too, I get more out of it each time I hear it. Random??? He did say 'sounding' I guess, doesn't sound random to me, if it was Mr Carter was very lucky indeed, and has been many times! Thanks for putting this up, inspiring on sooooooo many levels.
scotttinkler 2 years ago
I want to add also, that Carter doesn't necessarily "put" complexity in his music - that's just what his music is. People tend to think of him as a mathematician of sorts, but in fact if you study him in detail, you'll find that in most cases he'll abandon his systems "if the effect is not musical" - his own words. So, every technique or structural idea he works with has a musical purpose. And he's been working at it since before your parents (and mine!) were born. Give the man some respect ?
BornAgain2989 2 years ago
Look, I'm not going to waste time trading opinions on what constitutes great art - people have wasted enough time on that for centuries. However, I will say that you cannot make an objective claim that the music says little emotionally. Everyone experiences things in a different way, we all have our own brains, ways of thinking about things. I find Carter playful, emotional, dramatic and exciting, and if you think his music is academic and passé, then I'm sorry but that's just your take on it.
BornAgain2989 2 years ago
The modernist aesthetic may be outdated /obsolete, but that does not belittle its significance or lessen its quality. Lots of things are outdated (like common sense and high standards) but that doesn't mean we ought to abandon them. Or are you suggesting that art music should pander to the masses and aim to please rather than stand on its own?
Carter's music is indeed complex and very intricate, but he does maintain a healthy balance between emotion and intelligence like all great music does
BornAgain2989 2 years ago
This only sounds exciting because Aimard is such an amazing performer that he can play anything - including this otherwise random sounding stream of notes - with conviction. It is Aimard's speed, virtuosity and precision that make this performance impressive, not the music itself.
arvidtom 2 years ago
Music ceases to be anything exciting without performers playing it. That's a no-brainer. Have you heard the rite of spring played by school orchestras? It's not so great. This piece was written FOR Aimard, anyway. I don't really understand your complaint, and you make yourself sound incredibly ignorant with comments like "random stream of notes".
BornAgain2989 2 years ago
furthermore, Carter details his scores in a way that very few others do - and it all has a purpose for being there. Without all the directions, markings, etc. in the music, is it REALLY the performance that's the most impressive element? One of the things that makes him a genius is that he can maintain a balance between writing music so that performers can interpret it in their own way, but it is still *his* music. and I can assure you, this is far from "random".
BornAgain2989 2 years ago
Yes, I know how detailed and complex Carter's scores are. That's exactly part of the problem. He puts so much complexity in his music, that in the end, his music has very little to say as well, at least emotionally. IMO Carter is not a genius. He is glorified construction worker, an ivory tower mathematician writing music that's intellectually intricate yet emotionally limited, using a modernist aesthetic that by now has become totally passé, obsolete and academic.
arvidtom 2 years ago
@arvidtom
Carter is (or was) capable of great lyricism in the Piano Sonata.
TheGloryofMusic 1 year ago
What I'm trying to say is that an extraordinary musician like Aimard with his exceptional technique and musicality can make even less-than-great music sound great. In my opinion, this piece is not really that special, the notes themselves aren't very interesting. It's just the fact that it's a continuous stream of notes played with enormous speed that makes it sound sort of exciting. But then, any continuous chain of notes sounds exciting when played with such speed and precision.
arvidtom 2 years ago
:)
That's not a very intelligent argument against the piece, I must say. But hey, I'm fine with you not liking it - there are tons of people in the world, nobody can please *everybody*. I don't feel this piece is "great", but I do think it's good! There is a clear division between writing a random stream of 16th notes and an ordered stream of 16th notes in logical succession, that becomes more coherent on repeated listening's. This is why people don't like Carter - you have to make an effort.
BornAgain2989 2 years ago
Random? Then how do you explain the fact that while studying the piece I discovered some proofreading errors in the published score, later confirmed by Mr Carter?
chaimgogol 2 years ago
Not one note is out of place. The whole fabric of the piece would be destroyed if even one note was removed. Thanks Elliott!
miker2001 2 years ago 5
Thanks for your comments - I agree completely. This piece is so unusual for Carter because it contains no time signature changes or rhythmic changes (all sixteenth notes and no rests, except for the right hand in one bar). Now what is really remarkable is that he manages to make every second of the piece sound exciting and interesting.
Elliott Carter at 100 years old, still America's most promising young composer.
BornAgain2989 2 years ago
For so many years, his music became too complex for me to understand, esp. considering how comprehensible his earlier works were (to my small brain). It is nice this piece is again something that might be understood, esp. after repeated listenings.
miker2001 2 years ago
Right up there next to last movement of Chopin's 2nd Sonata.
miker2001 2 years ago 3
I love those oddly placed dissonant notes, it creates a maniacal tension.
janken919 2 years ago
Just thought I'd say thanks for all the comments- I'm very pleased to see the piece being appreciated. I hope the sound-quality doesn't put off too many people, it was recorded live directly from TV to PC. Ursula Oppens has recorded this piece on a disc of all the Carter piano music, to those interested. Hopefully Aimard's CD will be forthcoming, as I personally much prefer this performance.
BornAgain2989 3 years ago
The performance is amazing, as usual coming from Aimard. A DVD containing his performance of this work has just been released on MediciArts. By the way, I love the Messenger sound at 0:14. :)
abdominizer 3 years ago
I'm trying to get hold of the score. How did you get it? It's not on sale.
bernardwilliams 3 years ago
Sensational!
drzlecuti 3 years ago
love this piece.
djuxtsmith 3 years ago
Some would like to see the video recording of it.
coldatspot 3 years ago
Oh, I'm sure they would.
BornAgain2989 3 years ago
The foreground of your video too dark in my opinion. And to opaque, I can hardly see that the guitar the guy is playing on!
tiroirdelmare 3 years ago