The Western Lands Mixtapes Part III: Klavier!

Next up in the Western Lands mixtape series: piano! Keyboards are perhaps the heart of western music, the site where composition often occurs. Its maestros are at the front of the orchestras, the rock stars of concert hall (Lisztomania!). Piano music is capable of the most delicate intricacies, the most overwhelming fiery explosions, and everything in between.

A side note: there are two African-American jazz composers/pianists included on these mixtapes. Cecil Taylor is up front about looking at the European tradition as much as the history of jazz; Monk, not as much. A purist would argue about their inclusion, but it is well known that 20th century composers by and large were eager to celebrate the contributions of jazz . . . Stravinsky, for instance, wrote pieces for "jazz orchestra" and is said to have championed Duke Ellington as the greatest composer as the 20th century. And though Monk may not display the chops of a Glenn Gould (okay, that's not fair, because who does?), the parallels between his brand of eccentricity and someone like Satie seems fairly clear.

So, enjoy this playlist as some of the all time greats tickle the ivories! As always, Spotify playlist tracks mixtapes as closely as reasonably possible.

Tape 5: Piano

Side 1

Ludwig Van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No.2: II Adagio cantabile (Glenn Gould)

Erik Satie – Trios Nocturnes (Aldo Ciccolini)

John Cage – Music of Changes III (David Tudor)

Cecil Taylor – Erzulie Maketh Scent: Part II (Cecil Taylor)

Side 2

Frédéric Chopin – Waltz Op. 34 No. 3 (Agustín Anievas)

Alexander Scriabin – Quatre Morceaux Op. 56 (Vladimir Ashkenazy)

Charles Ives – Piano Sonata No. 2: II Hawthorne (Gilbert Kalish)

Claude Debussy – Suite bergamasque (Walter Gieseking)

Sergei Prokofiev – Sonata No. 6: I Allegro moderato (Van Cliburn)

György Ligeti – Capriccio No. 1 (Irina Kataeva)

Tape 6: Piano Too

Side 1

Modest Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition (Sviatoslav Richter)

Charles Ives – Three Quarter-tone Pieces for Two Pianos (Herbert Henck, Deborah Richards)

John Cage – Third Interlude (for Prepared Piano) (Maro Ajemian)

Side 2

Conlon Nancarrow – Sonatina (Conlon Nancarrow – piano roll)

Henry Cowell – Dynamic Motion/What’s This?/Amiable Conversation (Henry Cowell)

Morton Feldman – Nature Pieces (Philipp Vandré)

Domenico Scarlatti – In B Minor, L. 33, Andante mosso (Aldo Ciccolini)

Karlheinz Stockhausen – KLAVIERSTÜCKE I (Herbert Henck)

Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914 (Glenn Gould)

Thelonious Monk – Pannonica (Thelonious Monk)