Spencer Myer, the pianist on this album, was named the 2006 Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow of the American Pianists Association, winning a $75,000 fellowship.
Critical Reception
Aaron Copland's "Piano Variations" were so challenging that pianist Walter Gieseking declined to premiere them, stating 'a work of such severity of style is not possible among the normal type of concert-goers'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Aaron Copland, in his book "What to Listen for in Music," categorized composers by how they used the piano: either as a 'vibrating' instrument (like Debussy and Chopin) or a 'non-vibrating' one (like himself).
Historical Context
The French Renaissance song "L'homme armé" (The Armed Man), used by Ellis Kohs, has text declaring 'the armed man should be feared, everywhere it is proclaimed that each man shall arm himself,' which resonated after World War II.
Composition History
Ellis Kohs's "Variations on L'Homme Armé" (1946-47) is a first recording on this album.
Compositional Technique
Aaron Copland's "Piano Variations" incorporate a four-note motive (E, C, D-sharp, C-sharp) on which the entire piece is based, showing the influence of Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone method.
Composer Biography
Ferruccio Busoni, one of the last great Romantic pianists, played for Liszt and Brahms as a child prodigy.
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