Great Piano Pieces

Here's something for you if you're in the mood for some good classical music. I could go on and on about great classical music, but I thought it would be best to limit this list to piano pieces that are short in length (~5 minutes or less), as I figured it would be a bit of a stretch to expect someone to listen to a one hour long symphony that I'd recommend (of which there are many!).

Anyway, I should point out that my classical music tastes, especially when it comes to piano music, lie almost entirely in 19th and 20th century music. Also note that some of the most well-known classical music pieces (e.g. Für Elise, Bach's Minuet in G, etc.) are not included, in favor of pieces that are famous among classical music fans but not necessarily the layman (and this is largely because they are more technically challenging, and so you don't have every piano-playing kid on the block playing these all the time - also because the melodies are a little less singable).

Thus, this list is definitely not representative of the classical music genre as a whole. The following list is in roughly chronological order, is limited to one work per composer, and represents some of my favorite music!

*****

Frédéric Chopin

Étude Op. 10, No. 4 in C# minor

Chopin is arguably the most prolific composer of truly great piano music, and his two sets of études, Opus 10 and 25, are not only 24 great short pieces, but also two "albums" that can each be played from beginning to end as a single unit. While études were traditionally meant to primarily be exercises to work on improving technique, Chopin took them to another level, composing études that not only worked on developing specific technical skills, but also were musically brilliant. These pieces were not all just strings of sixteenth notes played as fast as you can, but ranged anywhere from playing quick melodies using only the last three fingers of your right hand (Op. 10, No. 2) to obtaining perfect phrasing of a slow, sorrowful melody on the left hand (Op. 25, No. 7).

This short piece, from a technical standpoint, helps a pianist develop skills primarily in playing quick notes melodically over broad ranges of dynamics and articulation, and on both hands. But it is also a musical masterpiece, bringing up imagery of rain that picks up into a torrent, building up into a passionate, thunderous climax.

If you liked this, try Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20

*****

Franz Liszt

Rigoletto Paraphrase

Franz Liszt was one of the most virtuosic pianists of his day, and loved to compose pieces for himself, to show off a little bit at his concerts. His technically difficult touches are far from gratuitous, however, and in many cases enhance his composition by adding musical layers to his music. His show pieces, like the famous Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, along with many of his études, are one case - where we can see that perhaps he might just be wanting to show off as much as possible (which is not to say the music is bad!). But many of his other pieces are more subdued, including this gem.

In this piece, Liszt takes some famous melodies from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto and puts them together into a medley that is both virtuosic and emotional. By listening to it, you can almost picture what is going on in the opera. It is in pieces like this where I come to appreciate Liszt's true genius - pieces that are difficult not for difficulty's sake, but for music's.

If you liked this, try Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor

*****

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Prelude Op. 23, No. 5 in G minor

Rachmaninoff was yet another composer who, as a pianist, "specialized' mostly in composing music that involved the piano in some way. His 2nd and 3rd piano concertos ("concerto" meaning a pianist is featured with an orchestra playing in the background) are two of my favorite works of all time, and his shorter piano works are great, too. Rachmaninoff's pieces - most of which are challenging - are almost uniformly filled with passion while having hints of influence from his Russian heritage.

This prelude is probably his second most famous, after his Prelude in C# minor (Op. 3, No. 2), which you have probably heard, even if you don't recognize it by name. The aforementioned prelude is filled with a gloom that builds into rage, and it's easy to see why it's so respected. But I include this prelude in my list instead particularly because of the way Vladimir Horowitz plays it, which I believe is the way it was meant to be played. It starts off like a light march before building up in force. Then after a passionate, melodic interlude, the original tune reappears with a newly-found fire. Nowadays it's almost painful to hear "ordinary people" playing this piece (the only other piece I can think of for which this is the case is the famous first movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata)!

If you liked this, try Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No. 2 in Bb minor, Op. 36

*****

Alexander Scriabin

Étude Op. 42, No. 5 in A minor

Scriabin, who claimed to be able to see sounds (he famously ascribed a color to each note on the chromatic scale - well after all, the word "chromatic" has the root "chrom-" meaning "color"), had the interesting ability to pile a seemingly random jumble of notes together and create beautiful music with it. This piece comes before his later compositional period of complete atonality, but you can still see a transformation in progress between a romantic and atonal style.

This étude is for the most part an emotional melody played over an atmosphere of notes on the left hand (which are very difficult to play). Slow the piece down and it sounds like the composer had no idea what he was doing. But when all the parts are put together, we have a work filled with all kinds of longing (sorrowful longing, passionate longing, etc.). The first segment is more atmospheric than melodic, but the second segment features one of the most beautiful melodies I have ever heard. And then Scriabin builds on these two themes to create a fiery climax - one of angry desperation.

If you liked this, try Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53

*****

Maurice Ravel

Gaspard de la Nuit, 1st mvt. "Ondine"

Ravel, one of the famous French musical impressionists, is most well known for his orchestral piece "Bolero," but his piano music is really where you find him at his best. His work, like Debussy's, is made more to create images rather than to represent emotions (like Beethoven) or tell stories (like Schumann). "Gaspard de la Nuit" - often called the most difficult piece in the standard piano repertoire - is a perfect example of this kind of imagery. I'm not sure how valid it is to call it the single most difficult piece in the standard repertoire, but regardless, it is an excellent piece of music. The piece is divided into three movements, or perhaps we can call them "images:" "Ondine" - a seductive water fairy, "Le Gibet" - the tolling of bells during a lynching, and "Scarbo" - a little goblin up to some antics.

My favorite movement is the first, which is kept driving by a constant string of notes and chords that flow like a river. The river flows high and low on the keyboard, and through it all plays a serene melody that builds up and settles down at the perfect times. About halfway through the piece comes a build up that leads into two of the most awesome measures of music ever written.

If you liked this, try Ravel: "Jeux d'eau"

*****

Vladimir Horowitz

"The Stars and Stripes Forever" Transcription

Vladimir Horowitz is my favorite pianist, period. His playing has an unrivaled romanticism to it, and while it is sometimes criticized as excessive, I have basically loved everything I have heard from him. Horowitz was famous not only for his playing, but also for his writing, which was almost entirely derived from melodies of famous pieces, but were also still original. His transcription of the famous "The Stars and Stripes Forever," an American favorite from John Philip Sousa, was for a long time Horowitz's signature piece. This piece, along with his rewriting of Liszt's famous Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 are incredibly difficult, so if you can play either of them, I have tons of respect for you!

After Horowitz's technical brilliance, the second most impressive thing about this piece is the way in which Horowitz gets a piece that was originally written for a band to sound like it was actually meant to be written for a piano. Some of the playing evokes band instruments - most notably the "piccolo part" - but for the most part, the transcription uses a ton of octaves and large chords using the entire keyboard to turn Sousa's cheerful march (which is in itself a great piece) into something fiery and downright crazy. At several points, it sounds like Horowitz has three hands! At others, he plays chords that are so far apart on the keyboard that we'd need a video of him to fully appreciate how fast and accurate his hands really are. Either way, this piece is brilliant both technically and musically - and it is tons of fun to listen to!

If you liked this, try Horowitz: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Liszt)

*****

This post has run much, much, much longer than I anticipated, but it has been fun. Hopefully you enjoy these short but great pieces!

The Illini Hockey Experience

I had heard some great things about the U of I hockey games, so yesterday I checked one out, and it sure was satisfying. The team was electric in scoring a 7-2 win over Michigan State, and the crowd was awesome. I'll start off this post with a quick recap of the game (feel free to skip this part), and then go into the things the crowd does, which are ridiculous.

Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera, so here's a nice photo from the Illini Hockey website.

Recap

The Illini were running over the Spartans right from the start, scoring a quick goal on a breakaway within the first 30 seconds of the game. From then on, the Illini displayed their talent all across the board, scoring goals off beautiful wristers from the point, using redirects, and on odd man rushes. The Illinois goalie had a particularly strong night, showing off some major flexibility in getting some great saves - though Michigan State overall didn't get too much offense going on.

In the second period, the Illini killed off a 5-on-3 power play in what was probably the tensest moment for us in the midst of a blowout. The defencemen also shined in their backchecking, stifling multiple 2-on-1 rushes by checking the puck away or setting up easy saves for the goalie. And while the game was not overly physical, there was no shortage of powerful body checks, including numerous occasions of players getting totaled on open ice. One other notable in the period was one of Illinois's few missed opportunities, when a player whiffed on a one-timer right outside the crease on a wide open net.

In the third, the Illini scored again upon the expiration of a penalty - a breakaway started right as the power play was killed and the player leaving the penalty box was wide open for a goal. This kind of play is seen way too often. Later on in the period, a strong forecheck while defending the power play resulted in the Spartans coughing up the puck near their own goal, resulting in an exciting shorthanded Illinois goal.

Overall, an exciting game, bolstered by a crowd like none other.

*****

The Crowd and the Harassing Illini

While the crowd doesn't have the same numbers as an Illini football game (there were 750 fans at last night's game), the atmosphere is just as exciting. But the most notable part of the crowd is a block of about 100 people called the "Harassing Illini," who basically yell insults at the other team and get a lot of other people in the crowd to join in on their chants. The air of negativity pervades through the entire arena, resulting in a completely awesome experience.

We entered the arena just in time for the introduction of the Michigan State Spartans players. After the announcement of each player's name, the crowd yelled, "YOU SUCK!" which is one of the most popular Harassing Illini lines. And when the opposing team's coach was announced, the crowd yelled "YOU SUCK TOO!"

Because the Illini scored endless amounts of goals yesterday, we had many opportunities to join in on the Harassing Illini goal "celebration." After the crowd finishes in their wild celebratory screaming, everybody joins in pointing at the opposing goalie and chanting "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" until the famous "Hey Song" (a.k.a. "Rock and Roll, Part II") comes on.

When this song comes on, where people in normal crowds usually shout "HEY!" the Harassing Illini add their own touch by saying "HEY! YOU SUCK!" In fact, the playlist seems to be designed to include several songs that have the word "hey" at opportune times for the crowd to tack on "you suck!"

Of course, there comes a time when a goal is scored against us. In this case, after a brief moment of solemnity, the crowd starts chanting "YOU STILL SUCK! YOU STILL SUCK!" at the other team. A last random little tradition is that when the announcer says "one minute remaining in the period, the crowd yells "THANK YOU!"

A last thing that the Harassing Illini do is have people stalk opponents' members on Facebook and Myspace to find out anything about them that could be helpful in creating more personalized insults. I didn't really catch any of these insults at yesterday's game, but we'll have to see again next time.

*****

The hockey game experience was awesome and I definitely want to go to more games throughout the season. The ticket costs only $6, and yesterday we got free Dippin' Dots there, so it was well worth the money. Right now, I'm planning on going to next Saturday's game, after the football game against Penn State. Speaking of football, I'll make sure to take pictures at next Saturday's football game and write a little something about the football game experience, as well as a brief comparison between UIUC and MIT sports (yes, sports exist at MIT!).

Illini football hasn't been doing too hot, and Penn State is a strong team. Our first home game was against Illinois State, where we blew them out in an unspectacular game (and I also forgot my camera). Next week should have a much better crowd, but I hope we don't get blown out.

100 Worders

Some stories of exactly 100 words in length that I wrote this summer while feeling in a particularly creative mood:

*****

The Icebreaker

So bashful was the young chap that even though he realized that the charming girl at the opposite table was giving him the occasional glance while sipping her coffee, he could not help but keep his concentration on a crossword that was far too difficult for him anyway. It’s about time, he thought, that I gain some courage; but imagine how much easier things would be if there was some way to break the ice! Right then, she let out a sneeze. “Bless you!” He thought for nearly five seconds before finally looking over. “Mind if I sit with you?”

*****

Buck

Big Buckminster Barnes set off with an open bottle of whiskey in one hand and a revolver in the other. Every sane man in town knew better than to question him, because they knew quite well that whatever Buck wants, Buck gets, and tonight Buck wanted to get drunk and shoot something. While passing through the woods, Buck spotted some rabbits – the animals he most despised. Or so the legend goes, because the next morning they found the damned critters feasting on his corpse, after he presumably shot at them with his booze and took a swig of his gun.

*****

The Crowded Elevator

The elevator was stopping at every floor and getting increasingly uncomfortable. Todd, frustrated, decided to get out and take the stairs instead. But as more people squeezed in, pinning him to the back wall, Todd became resigned to the possibility of not being able to exit when he so desired – if at all. When the elevator finally reached the nineteenth floor, Todd began to wrestle through the crowd, only to realize that everyone else was exiting, for today there were donuts at his office! Still, Todd afterwards made sure to always, always stand right in front of the elevator door.

Review: District 9

District 9

Dir. Neill Blomkamp (2009)

*****

It starts off as an engaging mockumentary and ends as a finely choreographed action flick, but regardless of how you look at it, District 9 brings a completely new perspective to science fiction and is a masterfully crafted movie that should be pleasing to anyone who can stomach filth and guts. The movie underwent an extensive viral marketing campaign and certainly lived up to its hype. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa in an alternate version of the present world, the film feels more like science reality than science fiction - well, at least for the first half.

This film isn't split into distinct segments, but I consider it to have three "acts." The first is in the style of a documentary, and explores the process of evicting aliens stranded on Earth from a sequestered slum in the center of Johannesburg to another sequestered slum outside the city after complaints by the city's human inhabitants. This segment is clearly the best, presenting a believable world in which not only do humans and aliens coexist, but also one in which it is the aliens being persecuted by the humans and not the other way around. And while the aliens are physically and intellectually superior to humans (what else would you expect?) it is ultimately because of politics, their lack of numbers, and - perhaps most importantly - economic constraints that force them to live in squalor.

Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is leading an effort to deliver eviction notices to District 9's alien inhabitants. However, this is no simple task considering the large presence of the Nigerian gang in the area, who give the aliens food in exchange for their technologically advanced weaponry, along with the fact that the aliens can rip people apart like dolls. Chaos can break out at any moment, but Wikus is committed to his task of not only displacing the aliens but also showing the camera everything he does, without concern over the danger he might be in. If you think about what you're seeing too much, you'd notice that the concept is pretty outrageous. But this mockumentary-style opening makes District 9 feel more real than many movies without aliens. And even though the second half of the movie is closer to a stereotypical sci-fi action movie, it still has the realistic feel because of the way the first half set things up.

I won't say how or when, but in the process of delivering eviction notices and making a documentary, things go very bad for Wikus (and at first unbeknownst to him, for the aliens too). At this point, the documentary style approach is almost completely abandoned, setting up the second and third "acts" of the film, which can make for a legitimate movie in itself.

While the first act sets up the premise of the movie, the second and third acts form the bulk of the plot; though we should keep in mind that District 9's strength is not primarily in its plot, but rather on its style and novelty. Not too much can be said without revealing plot details, but it is much like one of those fugitive-on-the-run flicks (Act 2) combined with extended battles (Act 3), with a heavy dose of extraterrestrial steroids (star-roids?). Still, this segment is light

years away from your average action movie, and though the developed relationship between Wikus and an alien going by the name of Christopher Johnson - not a typo - is borderline sappy, there is still a lot of substance in the plot and even the action.

Take, for example, the role of the Nigerian gang - who are hungry for money and especially power, and are not friendly with anyone. Like I said, this is not simply the humans versus aliens battle that one might have expected before seeing the film. And though Neil Blomkamp - who was originally booked to make a Halo movie before making District 9 instead - makes sure to showcase a full arsenal of future-tech alien weaponry, he doesn't overdo the gimmicks, instead wisely focusing on keeping the movie rolling and the audience unconfused.

District 9 owes its success mostly to the world of "science reality" it creates. One must now wonder how accurate this vision would be if the hypothetical scenario in the movie were to actually happen - if a ship filled with malnourished aliens did actually get stuck in the air above a city like Johannesburg. Would the aliens be forced to live within the walls of a place like District 9? Would humans have hatred for these creatures, even making derogatory terms to describe them ("prawn")? And though the film does eventually change from a truly unique mockumentary into a little bit more of a generic sci-fi action movie, this feeling of "science reality" still sets District 9 apart from anything I've seen.

And to think that this was all created from a budget of $30 million (G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, which opened the week before, had a $175 million budget), makes it all the more impressive.

*****

My Rating: A

Review: Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds

Dir. Quentin Tarantino, 2009

*****

"Wait for the cream," says Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) to Shoshanna (Mélanie Laurent) as they are about to enjoy a strudel at a restaurant in Nazi-occupied Paris. Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds is a movie in which there is a lot of waiting - but the cream does make this strudel well worth the wait. And there's much more of this cream than the big dollop at the end. You can also find it layered within the movie's Tarantino-flavored dough.

Basterds is composed of five "chapters," each of which has its own plot curve. Scenes where characters engage in seemingly mundane dialogue are time-bombs waiting to explode, and we know it. Though the eventual explosions are satisfying, the real substance of the scenes is in the wait - and like I said, there is a lot of waiting.

The most suspenseful scenes stem from Waltz's brilliant performance in portraying "The Jew Hunter" Colonel Landa. Simple conversations over a glass of milk or a warm strudel are transformed into long moments of unspoken tension. The first chapter of the film, which features Colonel Landa, plays out like a ballet of words. Other scenes are an exposition of Landa's unfortunate combination of evilness and extreme intelligence.

On the other hand is Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his squad of Basterds, who in stark contrast to Landa, give the movie the comedic and grotesque dimension that is basically required in anything with the Quentin Tarantino stamp. These guys may be dumb, but they're a group you certainly do not want to encounter. Unfortunately for the enemy, the Basterds massacre platoon after platoon, setting up some scenes that are funny despite their gruesomeness and excruciating despite their comedy.

Now the Basterds are excellent at killing, but they're not so skilled at much else, and sadly for them, there is much more to trying to assassinate Hitler than just the killing itself. The Basterds find themselves dug into hole after hole, which does not spell well for them when matched up against the smarts of Colonel Landa and many of the Germans. One of the movie's most memorable scenes occurs at a tavern in a basement. "You don't got to be Stonewall Jackson to know you don't want to fight in a basement," says Aldo, clearly indicating to us that a fight will inevitably break loose. But while they drink and play games with some Germans, we're hoping that a fight won't happen, and once again, we find ourselves witnessing the tensest bar game in movie history.

Shoshanna's quest for revenge over the murder of her Jewish family by Landa's men provides the thread that ties together the plot of this epic, multi-layered film. Her story and its development are the best part of the movie in one way and the worst in another. You wait for a long time, but the cream is exquisite. It is in itself a modern-day film noir and is beautiful as a whole, though some parts are definitely lacking in poetry.

One particularly unsatisfying scene involves Nazi war hero Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl) pursuing a disinterested Shoshanna in a café. The exchange doesn't amount to much, and we find ourselves having to actually wait through similar interactions, which start off unremarkable but crescendo throughout the film. Indeed, the relationship between the two characters is essential, despite its lack of complexity.

Without divulging details, I will say that the final chapter of the film is unlike anything I've seen from the past five years, and the movie's last line is perfect. Yet again, the strudel is good, but it's worth it to wait for the cream. As for the strudel, it is somewhat of a departure from Tarantino's other work. Most notably, it lacks much of the catchphrase-filled dialogue that has become a QT trademark - though the quirkiness can still be felt. Whether this marks a lasting change in style on Tarantino's part is yet to be seen. This is not his best work, but in Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino proved that yes, he can add a layer of sophistication in substance over his always present mastery of style.

*****

My Rating: A-

UIUC/MIT Difference #1: Crossing the Street

One of the many differences I noticed between life over here at Champaign-Urbana and life in Cambridge/Boston is the blatant difference in street-crossing culture. Here are some common pedestrian traffic signals and what they mean:

On the UIUC campus:

"Basically, you'd be best off if you stay put, even if there are absolutely no cars around. If I'm blinking and you're in a hurry, you may consider making a run for it. If I'm not blinking, make sure to check the area completely for police cars before even thinking about jaywalking. I should eventually change into 'walk' signal, but if I don't when you expect me to, you probably didn't press the 'cross street' button."

"Walk, and don't worry about any cars making a turn that you may be blocking. They won't honk at you, and they will patiently wait at a distance until you are way clear of their path.

In Boston:

"If you're feeling courageous, first look left. If the nearest car is far enough that it can come to a stop before it hits you, start crossing and be prepared for the impending barrage of honking and obscenities. Remember to not panic, and especially to never look a driver in the eye. Take your time crossing until you reach the center of the street. Then look right and repeat above. "If you want to be a little more careful, look both ways first and be alert. As soon as you find an opening, run across the street and never hesitate. Remember to always assume that the cars are trying to hit you. "Though to tell you the truth, the fact that you're actually crossing at a crosswalk already makes you stand out from the locals."

"See above... and don't neglect the fact that you'll still be very much in danger of injury while crossing. Also there's a very good chance that either I'm broken or haven't actually been synchronized with the traffic lights to begin with."

UIUC Chicagoans will know what I mean...

And, oh yeah, cars over here yield to pedestrians at crosswalks, and sometimes even not at crosswalks. Money!