Opus Clavicembalisticum is the best place to start with Sorabjis music. After Oxford University Press sold out of the remaining copies of the first editions of Opus Clavicembalisticum (originally published by Curwen & Sons) the Sorabji Archive took over the publications and manuscript copies. more and more of his music is becoming available. organist Kevin Bowyer performed Sorabji's 8-1/2 hour-long Second Organ Symphony at the University of Iowa not too long ago. Just some thoughts and information I thought I'd share. Fine video, young man .
Unfortunately, many of the interviews were removed from RUclips some time ago; the information contained in them was put in this video entirely from memory.
With all of the lengthier ClassicalNerd videos, this is the one composer video that should *surely* be at least 4 hours long, right? #feelingcompletelyrobbedicembalisticum
When I first started the channel, I planned on making everything as short as possible ... that hasn't really worked out. I am planning on revisiting some of the earlier subjects (Bach, Beethoven, Scriabin, Cage, Sorabji, Ornstein, and Liszt among them), but there's no solid time-frame for doing so on account of my busy grad-school schedule and the slew of requests at lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html
@EdPiano His music is still under copyright. Alistair Hinton is the current owner if his music. It should be noted Hinton is active on youtube and has terminated some accounts for uploading such videos. I have a friend whom lost nearly 1000 subscribers due to Hinton’s strict copyright policies.
Randomly come across this video, love it, subbed. Been looking at Sorabji last week or so, as well as a few more obscure modern pianists. How about videos on guys like Slominsky, who is more know for theoretical experiments and books?
I have to say I don't know much about Slonimsky (save for his _Lexicon of Musical Invective_) but I'll certainly begin researching him more now that a video on him is in the request queue!
No worries man, I have his 'Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns' which is extremely influential to a lot of modern players/composers. Its a hell of a tome haha.
1:48 I've heard that either in his second Piano sonata or his Second Organ symphony (not sure if it was any of those though) he had to expand it up to 11 staves...
Hey there Mr. Little! Just - um, yk - had 2 questions: 1. How do you feel about Sorabji and his pieces? 2. If someone asked you about him - like, what pieces shall he/she listen to get a first impression about him, what would you recommend. P.S. - Yours was the second video where I got to know more about Sorabji...back in 2019...it was helpful for my music library 😊😊
I would like to maybe redo this video some day because there's a lot that's been left on the table by my very very brief summary in this ancient video. Personally, I find his music to be in one of two camps: they're either beautiful tapestries of sound or long-winded note-spinning that I respect but don't personally have a taste for. I think the best way to get into Sorabji is with some of his earlier/less demanding works; few people are going to put up with the Opus Clav. in one sitting and rarer still are those who are going to do so with no other knowledge of Sorabji ... A good introduction to Sorabji would probably be the Three Pastiches, followed by the First Piano Sonata and then Gulistan. They follow much closer to the late Romantic tradition while still being very Sorabji-an, which is a good way into his music.
@@ClassicalNerd I've heard all three. I think because of the fact that his works are stupendously long (from half-an-hour to 9 hours) and ridiculously difficult makes him get stashed into the bottom drawer... The fact that you've at least made one video on this obscure talented personality is more than enough. However, a reboot will be highly appreciated...(take your time tho..) Thank You so much!! 😃😊😊🤗🤗 Hope to see you in mid-2021 after your break...
@@mitodrumisra8972 I like his Fantaisie Espagnole, This recording is pretty good (ruclips.net/video/KPtMrCjFFCs/видео.html) but there may be a better one out there. The part at 2:27 is beautiful imo. The fact that this was written in 1919 is amazing to me.
Sure! I like to make sure my research is thorough-especially for composers whose biographies I do not have physical copies of-and so it may take several weeks to produce, but I'll certainly put it at the top of the to-do list.
The fact that inclusion of his music in programs is "quite lacking" has exactly nothing to do with its difficulty. It is because, based on the small amount I've heard, there isn't a note or phrase he wrote that is not nonsense.
Thanks for this informative video. After hearing a "talk" by a distinguished professor of the University of Capetown dedicated to Sorabji, I became both interested but deeply disappointed. Whether it's due to the composer's own inadequate performances or because the music is really not great, I have concluded that it is meaningless meanderings of a child banging on the keys. Except, one would have to slave for years learning from the score what they can achieve in 5 seconds by randomly banging on the keys. It's purely quantity over quality, visual over aural. Sorabji is not a major composer. Not even a minor. Just a weird and worth investigating only by curiosity. Then one must not waste any more time with his music and move on.
Ok, that’s quite reasonable. But, if you actually take your time to find and listen to his less obscure pieces, you will find that his music is not really “random notes”, or at least not like other even more obscure composers in later periods. I agree that he’s not a major composer since he lived his whole life in secret and just doesn’t want any spotlight on him. Well, but that’s just my opinion
@@DeeCeeHaich It is true that people tend to try to find patterns in randomly generated things. I still don't know why some praise him like a cult leader.
Забавный комментарий , так как структуры у Сорабджи иногда бывают настолько схематичны , и уж точно он не писал случайную музыку. Вам может не нравиться его музыка , но говорить о том что она хаотичная глупо.
Opus Clavicembalisticum is the best place to start with Sorabjis music. After Oxford University Press sold out of the remaining copies of the first editions of Opus Clavicembalisticum (originally published by Curwen & Sons) the Sorabji Archive took over the publications and manuscript copies. more and more of his music is becoming available. organist Kevin Bowyer performed Sorabji's 8-1/2 hour-long Second Organ Symphony at the University of Iowa not too long ago. Just some thoughts and information I thought I'd share. Fine video, young man .
Honestly, I think his early piano sonatas are a great place to start.
I think his best is fantasie espagnole
Best one to start with for me is the Fantaisie Espagnole. Enough lush moments to satisfy most people, and introduces to Sorabji’s style.
@@visveee6678 Maybe Le Jardin Parfume/Two Pieces for Piano (In the Hothouse and Toccata)
If any video should be re-done, it’s this
Exactly the type of channel I've been looking for, awesome!!
Quite interesting. I would like to see those interview(s) with Sotabji that you mention. I cant find any myself...
Unfortunately, many of the interviews were removed from RUclips some time ago; the information contained in them was put in this video entirely from memory.
With all of the lengthier ClassicalNerd videos, this is the one composer video that should *surely* be at least 4 hours long, right? #feelingcompletelyrobbedicembalisticum
When I first started the channel, I planned on making everything as short as possible ... that hasn't really worked out. I am planning on revisiting some of the earlier subjects (Bach, Beethoven, Scriabin, Cage, Sorabji, Ornstein, and Liszt among them), but there's no solid time-frame for doing so on account of my busy grad-school schedule and the slew of requests at lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html
Sequentia cyclica is now the best place to start, probably. Or maybe the etudes, now I think about it
They need to make a movie about this guy.
@EdPiano His music is still under copyright. Alistair Hinton is the current owner if his music. It should be noted Hinton is active on youtube and has terminated some accounts for uploading such videos. I have a friend whom lost nearly 1000 subscribers due to Hinton’s strict copyright policies.
@@samuelmincarelli5051 he is a criminal, worse than the censors of the Inquisition
Randomly come across this video, love it, subbed. Been looking at Sorabji last week or so, as well as a few more obscure modern pianists. How about videos on guys like Slominsky, who is more know for theoretical experiments and books?
I have to say I don't know much about Slonimsky (save for his _Lexicon of Musical Invective_) but I'll certainly begin researching him more now that a video on him is in the request queue!
No worries man, I have his 'Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns' which is extremely influential to a lot of modern players/composers. Its a hell of a tome haha.
1:48 I've heard that either in his second Piano sonata or his Second Organ symphony (not sure if it was any of those though) he had to expand it up to 11 staves...
The Piano Sonata 2 is writtten entirely on 3 staves.
@@pianobanana3863 then it was the Organ sonata
I just looked it up and it is page 124 of the manuscript of the third organ symphony. Two staves for each of the 5 manuals and one for pedal
Well, as i said, i didn't know what piece it was... but thanks for the answer 😄😄😄
Somehow every aspect of this video is anxiety inducing
Hey there Mr. Little!
Just - um, yk - had 2 questions:
1. How do you feel about Sorabji and his pieces?
2. If someone asked you about him - like, what pieces shall he/she listen to get a first impression about him, what would you recommend.
P.S. - Yours was the second video where I got to know more about Sorabji...back in 2019...it was helpful for my music library 😊😊
I would like to maybe redo this video some day because there's a lot that's been left on the table by my very very brief summary in this ancient video. Personally, I find his music to be in one of two camps: they're either beautiful tapestries of sound or long-winded note-spinning that I respect but don't personally have a taste for. I think the best way to get into Sorabji is with some of his earlier/less demanding works; few people are going to put up with the Opus Clav. in one sitting and rarer still are those who are going to do so with no other knowledge of Sorabji ...
A good introduction to Sorabji would probably be the Three Pastiches, followed by the First Piano Sonata and then Gulistan. They follow much closer to the late Romantic tradition while still being very Sorabji-an, which is a good way into his music.
@@ClassicalNerd I've heard all three. I think because of the fact that his works are stupendously long (from half-an-hour to 9 hours) and ridiculously difficult makes him get stashed into the bottom drawer...
The fact that you've at least made one video on this obscure talented personality is more than enough. However, a reboot will be highly appreciated...(take your time tho..)
Thank You so much!! 😃😊😊🤗🤗
Hope to see you in mid-2021 after your break...
To me, Sorabji's music is like running through a tunnel or down a tower....just running...never to stop...
@@mitodrumisra8972 I like his Fantaisie Espagnole, This recording is pretty good (ruclips.net/video/KPtMrCjFFCs/видео.html) but there may be a better one out there. The part at 2:27 is beautiful imo. The fact that this was written in 1919 is amazing to me.
A redo would be awesome I love the works of Sorabji
Great video!
What is the difference between Sorabji's music and New Complexity music?
About half a century. Sorabji is actually more tonal; the NC are a post Darmstadt phenomenon.
Do you take requests? If so, could you make a video about Dmitri Shostakovich, my no. 1 favorite composer?
Sure! I like to make sure my research is thorough-especially for composers whose biographies I do not have physical copies of-and so it may take several weeks to produce, but I'll certainly put it at the top of the to-do list.
sor
He never played his pieces right? How is it possible to compose something you can't play in that day and age
Wrong. You can find recordings of him playing his own stuff on RUclips, although the sound quality isn’t too great.
Sorabji did in fact perform his music in public until 1930s & made informal recordings in 1960s.
The fact that inclusion of his music in programs is "quite lacking" has exactly nothing to do with its difficulty. It is because, based on the small amount I've heard, there isn't a note or phrase he wrote that is not nonsense.
How is his music nonsense? Perhaps you could elaborate on that.
What a weirdo
U
@Schuyler Bacn hi 🤗
That's what makes him so based
@@romanmakarevych4483 Fr
Thanks for this informative video. After hearing a "talk" by a distinguished professor of the University of Capetown dedicated to Sorabji, I became both interested but deeply disappointed. Whether it's due to the composer's own inadequate performances or because the music is really not great, I have concluded that it is meaningless meanderings of a child banging on the keys. Except, one would have to slave for years learning from the score what they can achieve in 5 seconds by randomly banging on the keys. It's purely quantity over quality, visual over aural. Sorabji is not a major composer. Not even a minor. Just a weird and worth investigating only by curiosity. Then one must not waste any more time with his music and move on.
Ok, that’s quite reasonable. But, if you actually take your time to find and listen to his less obscure pieces, you will find that his music is not really “random notes”, or at least not like other even more obscure composers in later periods. I agree that he’s not a major composer since he lived his whole life in secret and just doesn’t want any spotlight on him. Well, but that’s just my opinion
@@DeeCeeHaich hi
@@DeeCeeHaich It is true that people tend to try to find patterns in randomly generated things. I still don't know why some praise him like a cult leader.
@@DeeCeeHaichЖдём от вас такого же качества и интенсивности
Забавный комментарий , так как структуры у Сорабджи иногда бывают настолько схематичны , и уж точно он не писал случайную музыку. Вам может не нравиться его музыка , но говорить о том что она хаотичная глупо.