Brian Ferneyhough - Complete Piano Works - 2 CD set
(Recorded performances released on 2 CD set)
- Submitting institution
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City, University of London
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
- Output identifier
- 1264
- Type
- I - Performance
- Venue(s)
- UK
- Open access status
- -
- Month of first performance
- December
- Year of first performance
- 2020
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
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- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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0
- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This double-CD, the first complete collection of Ferneyhough’s piano music, is the product of a near 30-year engagement with this repertoire. In my 2009 article ‘Notation, Time and the Performer’s Relationship to the Score in Contemporary Music’, I developed a whole theory of notation, especially as it relates to rhythm and time, on the basis of studying Ferneyhough’s music (notably Lemma-Icon-Epigram and Opus Contra Naturam) and writings. In particular, my interpretation of Quirl would have been impossible without this. The specific challenges and approaches are outlined in more detail in the CD booklet (p.9). My particular physical approach to the piano, involving a spectrum of touch from ‘throwing’ motions to almost imperceptible ways of creating ultra-legato through retarding the ends of notes using upward motions of the wrist, is variously applied here, to clarify the stratification of different simultaneous materials in this hyper-dense contrapuntal writing, and also accentuate collage-like forms in Opus Contra Naturam and Quirl in particular. Opus Contra Naturam was written for and premiered by me; the first recording was of the world premiere in 2000. This recording goes further than any other on disc in terms of distinguishing the extremely elaborate multiple layers and contrapuntal writing in the central section, Katabasis. Quirl is indicated to be played ‘as fast as possible’ such as is compatible with the detailed rhythms. Previous performances by others have generally lasted around 15’; in this recording a quicker basic pulse has been taken for a total duration of 11’28”. Note: This output was released as a digital download by Divine Art in December 2020 with the liner notes also freely available as a downloadable pdf. The physical CD version is provided here for ease of assessment.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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