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Gyorgy Ligeti: The 18 Etudes
Dizzying exploration of modern piano techniques
STEELY DETERMINATION: Danny Driver
[dannydriver.com]
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COMPOSED between 1985 and 2001, the late Hungarian-Transylvanian composer Gyorgy Ligeti’s 18 Etudes for solo piano require fast fingers and formidable brain power. It’s music that tests both player and instrument to the limit.
The work consists of 18 pieces arranged into three books, the last incomplete. Influences range from Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninov and modern jazz to African and Cuban music.
With their exhilarating brilliance and, at times, mesmerising beauty, the etudes capture the imagination intellectually and spiritually and they are well served by Danny Driver, one of this country's leading contemporary pianists, who displays a steely determination throughout.
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