Conlon Nancarrow - Study for Player Piano no. 7

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• conlon
• nancarrow
• piano
• player
• study

[korjeklokismo]

Is that a picture by Gotfried Helnwein?

[2milan1]

@korjeklokismo

yes

[KawhackitaRag]

Musical geniuses like Conlon Nancarrow, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Rudy Erlebach, and Ray Deyo, all had a certain "sameness" at some level to their work, in that you can tell it comes from the same person. However, their body of work is distinctly different than everyone else's, and you can immediately recognize it's them just based upon the style. They have created their own sound-world with it's characteristic landscape. To me, that is definitely a mark of musical genius.

[KawhackitaRag]

Nancarrow's pieces really explore how music hangs together in time... you occasionally hear familiar-sounding piano chords, melodic figures, and patterns, but immediately, they go somewhere unexpected and give the piece a totally different "flavor".

Another great roll arranger who was a master at this was Rudy Erlebach, who made probably over 1000 rolls for Aeolian and QRS, but most especially for his own company, Paramount, which rose from the ashes of the Connorized company in the 20's.

[knucmo]

Nancarrow is such a rare breed: this is because a 'layperson' can listen to the music and delight in its aural chaos and exuberant fun! This was, as a classical student, how I came to Nancarrow. The other side of Nancarrow is one of exceptional precision with the the structures/tempi and ratios. But still, knowing this only enriches the sheer joyous nature of the music.

[Daghead]

@bersa888 I would listen to this on my way to work :D

[incangold]

@KawhackitaRag

Who is Ray Deyo? I'm having trouble finding information on him.

[lorenzarthur91]

some time ago, i bought a facsimile score of a few studies, including no. 7. reading the score along with listening to the music is marvellous - first, it's no prolem at all, yet very fast, but in the end you have 7,8 staves - the whole score for this study alone is 50 pages. this man was unbelievable.

[mradamcooley]

who made it?  phil niblock?

[bersa888]

...although this is enormously more entertaining and even pleasing (!) than most contemporary music :-)

[bersa888]

Ultimately, there's no limit to what you can do with music. I just heard a 12-minute long composition which consisted exclusively of one looong note, no rhythmic, dynamic, timbre, pitch etc. changes whatsoever... half way through it, you started hearing things... which weren't really there :-)

But I do have some reserves towards music which needs a manual of explanations to "get it"... let's put it this way: I wouldn't listen to this - or Babbit.... - on my way to work....

[poopr1221]

My favorite study by nancarrow other than that one that sounds really flamenco like. This one is actually quite....soothing to me for some reason.