Today, I'd like to share a piece by a living composer, William Bolcom! Bolcom is an American pianist and composer, and one of my favorite cycles of piano pieces is his The Garden of Eden, a set of four piano rags (ragtime style).
By far the most entertaining of the four pieces is III. The Serpent's Kiss, a rag fantasy with huge contrasts in mood and style from start to finish. Bolcom's surprising use of hand percussion (knocking or tapping the key fall or piano frame), heel stomping, and other surprises livens up the piece. Bolcom includes the following performance notes before the score, which are very insightful:
I really love this spectacular live performance by South Korean classical pianist Yeol-Eum Son (손열음). Even though she is classically trained, her rendition "crackles" with excitement and the secco (It. 'dry') articulations are right on. I don't want to spoil it; just go watch it! Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this piece, share this post and leave your comments below!
By far the most entertaining of the four pieces is III. The Serpent's Kiss, a rag fantasy with huge contrasts in mood and style from start to finish. Bolcom's surprising use of hand percussion (knocking or tapping the key fall or piano frame), heel stomping, and other surprises livens up the piece. Bolcom includes the following performance notes before the score, which are very insightful:
If you enjoyed this piece, share this post and leave your comments below!
