20th Century Piano Works - Erik Wickström

Описание: 0:05 Györgi Ligeti : Etude - Fanfares
3:20 Paul Hindemith : Interlude (from Ludus Tonalis)
6:20 Noël Lee : Distances
13:20 Alban Berg : Sonate op. 1
24:30 Gunnar de Frumerie : Postludium (from Circulus Quintus)

This suite of pieces by 20th century composers is shared with the accent on Noël Lee's music.
Other than our dear late friend Noel Lëe, as a musician I have also collaborated with and played the music, of contemporary composers such as Christian Lauba, Graziane Finzi, Theo Loevendie, Richard Errington, Rolf Martinsson, Jean-Jacques Gireaud and Hans Gurstad Nilsson.

The Danish composer Carl Nielsen writes, very truly, in his book "Levende musik", that "music is an art of listening". Whilst sharing this video, hoping that CN himself would be indulgent with this initiative, I try to combine the pieces I play with some of my photographs (here subtly animated).
Not all of the pieces are atonal, but it seems obvious that historically, there is a interesting and narrow correlation between atonal music and abstract art. In that sense, not going too far into the subject, but my wish is, letting the (formal, not cinematic) combination of the sound and the images, to suggest and relate to the nature of one another.
The symbolic structure and nature of an abstract visual fragment, are somewhat similar to an atonal melodic or harmonic substance.
To expect that any musical content should refer to something familiar (possible to seize), would be be similar to clinging to the idea that any drawn trait or given visual shape, should necessary be figurative. I believe that atonal music as well as abstract art, through the given substances, put emphasis on the subjective, and that the absence of a figurative or could one say identifiable object, thus brings us closer to the depth, a second dimension, that we so often search for within the arts.

To listen and find meaning in these pieces of music, there is nothing particular you need to know, really, just listen freely and if possible, without expectations. If you might be curious, here follows a short pitch on each work.

Fanfares, by György Ligeti (from Etudes, written between 1985 and 2001) is a polyrhythmic study, composed on a bulgarian rhythm (Aksak) in 8 divided by 3+2+3. You can enjoy the ostinato and its swirling effect of a tourbillon.
Interlude, by Paul Hindemith, is an extract from his suite "Ludus Tonalis" (1942), which is his tribute to J.S. Bach's suite Well Tempered Clavier. That is also the similar case of Gunnar de Frumeries suite, "Circulus Quintus".
The selected work by Noël Lee (1996) has an evolving harmonic and rhythmical atmosphere, that pends between expansive expressiveness and more minimalistic and intimate characters, thus bringing a suggested sense to the title "Distances" by the equilibrium that bonds these two dimensions into becoming one. If you listen closely, it's mystical character has much to tell.
At the first time listening, I admit not liking at all the Alban Berg sonata (op. 1 from 1901) but after more listening and progressively changing my mind to the opposite, it became one of the pieces I included very often in my concert programs. It follows the traditional sonata form https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonata_...
the sections being evoked by the images in the video.
The Swedish composer Gunnar de Frumerie's Postludium is one of the pieces from the suite Circulus Quintus (1965) with miniature movements in classical forms such as Siciliano, Tarantella, Nocturne, Pastoral etc., yet written within his own tonal language.

I hope for you to find a quiet space for discovering or rediscovering these pieces, as well as to listen on a pair of quality speakers (or headphones) to actually perceive all of the subtle and colorful nuances in this written music.
(My animated photographs are shot in Italy, France, Sweden, Finland and Denmark).
Kind and musical regards,
EW

Note : I give crédit to Sandrine Lesauveur for the photograph of me, taken at the bridges in Paris.