Contemporary Sheet Music

As a listener, if I had to choose between contemporary classical music and light modern music as for example pop or r&b songs, I would prefer light music. And this is a musician’s opinion too! Strange, isn’t it? Well, of course I should admit, it is my personal point of view, but I am very curious how many modern musicians are listening to contemporary classical music at home, so to say, just for fun… Do I play contemporary music myself? Yes, sometimes. But I should say that my students are not very happy having contemporary music in their repertoires. I think the contemporary piece in repertoire of pianists is the Must, not the Wish, sometimes. No competitions or serious recitals can avoid some kind of contemporary composition. And it’d better be interesting and valuable. And I am continuously looking for some new worthwhile compositions of contemporary composers. I would recommend one of the biggest and rapidly rising collections of contemporary sheet music both free and paid.

Cello and Violin Duo Sheet Music

Metz Ekghern. In the Memory of the Genocide by Hrach'ya Yessayan.

Filled with infinite sorrow this piece shocked me with its acute sharpness and strong emotionality. It involves me into the cruel world, where hate and fear reign, where is no place for love and compassion. While its listening awful images of the ruthless war are raising in my eyes. The anxious strings create a very strained atmosphere that electrifies the listener during the whole piece. Melody interrupted from time to time with knocks gives additionally the feeling of utter despair. It seems to me, that this music is an exact reflection of the inner state of mind of the people from the “lost generation”, these, who lived and grew up just before and right after the World War II: nervous, broken and very sorrowful.

You can listen to the sound sample, download the sheet music for free, and even buy a license to perform or record this striking piece.

And I’m very grateful to the author for this remarkable work, because I think that it’s a very necessary thing – not to go ahead such a terrible fact like genocide – especially nowadays, when people became blind to cruelty and violence happening in the world.

Contemporary Music from Russia

The new music I've recently discovered comes from Russia. Contemporary composer Dmitri Capyrin creates a highly refined and mental music for different instruments.Here I'd like to say a few words about his compositions.

And a Light through Foliage
for Trio (Piano, Flute, Cello)

When I’ve heard this piece for the very first time I was deeply impressed by the excellent mastery of its composer to transmit to the listener such a realistic image of his own impressions. Listening to this music I have dual feelings: on the one hand it is a light inexplicable anxiety, on the other hand it’s a little bit morbid joy that hides in blind corners of the heart, ready to break out at any moment.


House of Cards
for Quartet (Piano, Clarinet, Violin, Cello)

I like this piece very much because of its exceptional fragility and charming lightness. It touches gently the secret chords of my soul, makes me think about how delicate our life is, threatened on every corner of the fatal blow of fate, which invisible hand can destroy it like we destroy the house of cards. With one push. With no regret.

You'd better listen these compositions yourself and download scores of Russian contemporary music, in case you like it.

Album for the young (Children's Album)

I want return to the question about a repertoire for beginners again. There is a famous cycle of pieces op.39 of Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky named "Album for the young". All pieces in this album are very short and were defined by Tchaikovsyi to be played by children themselves. The character of pieces varies from very sad as "Dolly's Funeral" to joyful "The little horseman". All pieces of "Album for the young" have program names. This is good for young pianists, because helps them to imagine stories what are this pieces about. Clear and beautiful melody and harmony structure make these pieces simple to interpret. The techniques used by Tchaikovsky in the "Album for the young" are also very various: double-notes, chords, singing legato, its combination with staccato, or total legato in both arms, and opposite – staccato in all voices. The most famous pieces as "French song" or "Neapolitan song" are well known to children and usually they enjoy playing these pieces.

Other cycle with a similar name "Children's Album" was written by other Russian composer Dmitri Capyrin in these latter days. The composition style of Dmitry Capyrin characterize by atonality and quite complicated contemporary musical language. But the structure of pieces and fraises is quite easy to understand. Dmitri Capyrin followed the tradition and gave the program names for all pieces. The subjects and characters of "Children’s Album" are vivid and clear: Sad Waltz, On Tiptoe, Breeze, Clouds, Attractions, on the Wings and so on. There are altogether 12 pieces. All pieces are quite short and occupy one or two pages.
All this make this cycle worth to your attention, the more so because we have so little contemporary piano music for beginners.

Dmitri Capyrin’s Children’s Album free sheet music

S. Wagner piano (organ) sheet music

I have found several pieces which can be performed either by organ and piano players. And this is specified by author – composer Serge Wagner. All this pieces are quite short – one – two pages. And all of them are appropriate for exercise. Difficulty level varies from easy to middle.
The discussion about is it normally or not that we play compositions of J.S. Bach and other Baroque composers by the piano although they were written for the organ or the harpsichord lasts for long time. I think - from the time of the creation of a piano. Yes, the nature of these instruments is quite remote. And as result an interpretation and a sound of the same composition played by organ or by piano players will be always various. I have heard the audio recording of one Bach’s piece performed by Glenn Gould in one case on the piano and in other case – on the organ. The tempo and the interpretation in the organ variant were absolutely different from the piano performance. Of course the time period between these recordings can be the reason of this, but I think that facilities of these instruments – piano and organ - have played theirs part.
This is why it seems to me very interesting to take a look at Serge Wagner’s pieces. In some of them he has specified that it is possible to play them by Harpsichord, Keyboard, Organ, Piano, Reed organ, Synthesizer. If you play any of these instruments you can visit the page of Serge Wagner and download his sheet music for free.

Amor Dei for piano & strings by Boaz Avni

Contemporary music is very different. Many various composition styles compile a multifaceted many-colored mosaic of contemporary music. It seems to me that contemporary classical music moves generally to the side of a complication, of a merging of many styles. This is understandable. Composers are searching new ways for self-expression. A modern reality is maybe too complicated and too multilayer to fit in the classical expressiveness means. Globalization have made possible for everyone to be in the movement of global situation. A huge information flow attacks our minds every day and it is very difficult to concentrate on the main point. This is why sometimes it is necessary to find a place for relaxation and thoughts about what to do the next and were actually are we going.
This big intro was made to tell to you about one of the new for me works written by contemporary composer Boaz Avni. This work names Amor Dei. The name goes perhaps from the one of ideas of Spinoza’s philosophy – Amor dei intellectualis. There are three pieces in this cycle written in minimalistic manner. All pieces are based on a leitmotivs, themes, which repeat and migrate between piano and strings. The tempo of the first two pieces is quite slow – adagio and adagio quasy rubato. The third piece is in the tempo allegro non troppo. The music of the cycle Amor dei leaves the feeling of the time disappearing and the eternity.
You can download Sheet music of Amor Dei for piano and strings and see more sheet music of Boaz Avni.

Beautiful Romantic Piece

"Winter story" of Grigor Iliev is a very charming piece written for piano. The musical language resembles that of film music. The minor, quiet and smooth movement calls to mind a romantic evening tinged with melancholy.
The piece starts with a theme full of triplets that imitate the sound of waves breaking on the shore. This theme returns during the piece and forms the coda.
The main continuation is based on a simple but very beautiful, melancholic theme, which alternates with the introductory theme, and reminds me of some of Chopin's Nocturnes not so much in melody, but in the overall character and in mood.
It is a very sad, lonely melody supported by accompaniment, based on harmonious figuration.
There are underlying difficult constructions, additions of unexpected harmonies and various triplets, which all give the impression of tempo rubato.
Gradually, the character of theme becomes more and more excited and culminates in a cadenza based on the main theme colored by supporting voices.
This composition is ideal for playing at home, sitting at the piano in a room lit by burning candles, when you're in need of solitude to think and reflect, or for a romantic evening for two, with a storm raging outside, but inside it is warm and cozy with a burning fireplace.
You can find this beautiful romantic piece here: Winter Story