Desert Island Piano

[Arjuna]

I'm not sure if this fits here but I didn't think it warranted a new thread.

You're stuck on a desert island with no hope of return. You have a good shelter, enough food and water to last a lifetime, a piano, and a single musical work (or collection of works i.e. "Well Tempered Clavier" or Debussy's "Preludes" but not Beethoven or Mozart "Sonatas" - but you may choose an individual sonata) What do you choose?


mod note:
decided a new thread with this subject would be rather fun

[rob]

I'm not sure if this fits here but I didn't think it warranted a new thread.

You're stuck on a desert island with no hope of return. You have a good shelter, enough food and water to last a lifetime, a piano, and a single musical work (or collection of works i.e. "Well Tempered Clavier" or Debussy's "Preludes" but not Beethoven or Mozart "Sonatas" - but you may choose an individual sonata) What do you choose?

Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit, would be my choice, not because I could ever play it, but because I love it.

[fredbucket]

I'm not sure if this fits here but I didn't think it warranted a new thread.

You're stuck on a desert island with no hope of return. You have a good shelter, enough food and water to last a lifetime, a piano, and a single musical work (or collection of works i.e. "Well Tempered Clavier" or Debussy's "Preludes" but not Beethoven or Mozart "Sonatas" - but you may choose an individual sonata) What do you choose?

The studies in all minor keys, op. 39 by Alkan - for the simple reason that it would take me a lifetime to learn them.

Regards
Fred

[WCosand]

Is it cheating to say Bach Klavierübung?

[Arjuna]

Is it cheating to say Bach Klavierübung?

Yes, I would say so. But you could choose one of the books.

For myself - at this particular point in time - I would have to choose Shostakovich's 24 Preludes ans Fugues Op. 87 but there are a good half dozen or so other works that come in a close second.

[HullandHellandHalifax]

Thank goodness on Desert Island Discs you can take 10 records, in fairness we should be allowed to take 10 piano works because trying to choose one would be like allowing a friend of mine to choose one dress from the Dior collection...absolutely impossible!!
Do I take Messiaen Vingt Regards or Ronald Stevensons Passagalia on DSCH or that Symphony with the impossible name by Sorabji which takes 9 hours to perform so I wouldn't have time to get bored?
I could also take the Ives Sonata No.1, Scriabin No.3, Godowsky's 53 Etudes on Chopins etudes, four more to go so that must include the Liszt Transcendentals in the 1838 version, Francois Glorieux Sonata No.1, Gershwin song transcriptions and finally the Alkan Op.27 Marche Funebre et Triomphale.
If I had to choose just one it would have to be the Messiaen Vingt Regards, something for every possible mood on a desert island, it might even frighten the cannibalistic natives if any turn up into becoming vegetarian.
regards
Brian

[Arjuna]

Thank goodness on Desert Island Discs you can take 10 records, in fairness we should be allowed to take 10 piano works because trying to choose one would be like allowing a friend of mine to choose one dress from the Dior collection...absolutely impossible!!
Do I take Messiaen Vingt Regards or Ronald Stevensons Passagalia on DSCH or that Symphony with the impossible name by Sorabji which takes 9 hours to perform so I wouldn't have time to get bored?
I could also take the Ives Sonata No.1, Scriabin No.3, Godowsky's 53 Etudes on Chopins etudes, four more to go so that must include the Liszt Transcendentals in the 1838 version, Francois Glorieux Sonata No.1, Gershwin song transcriptions and finally the Alkan Op.27 Marche Funebre et Triomphale.
If I had to choose just one it would have to be the Messiaen Vingt Regards, something for every possible mood on a desert island, it might even frighten the cannibalistic natives if any turn up into becoming vegetarian.
regards
Brian

Now that's going too far, but... I suppose if you can find 9 other people who don't want any music on their island you could get away with it.

[HullandHellandHalifax]

Thank goodness on Desert Island Discs you can take 10 records, in fairness we should be allowed to take 10 piano works because trying to choose one would be like allowing a friend of mine to choose one dress from the Dior collection...absolutely impossible!!
Do I take Messiaen Vingt Regards or Ronald Stevensons Passagalia on DSCH or that Symphony with the impossible name by Sorabji which takes 9 hours to perform so I wouldn't have time to get bored?
I could also take the Ives Sonata No.1, Scriabin No.3, Godowsky's 53 Etudes on Chopins etudes, four more to go so that must include the Liszt Transcendentals in the 1838 version, Francois Glorieux Sonata No.1, Gershwin song transcriptions and finally the Alkan Op.27 Marche Funebre et Triomphale.
If I had to choose just one it would have to be the Messiaen Vingt Regards, something for every possible mood on a desert island, it might even frighten the cannibalistic natives if any turn up into becoming vegetarian.
regards
Brian

Now that's going too far, but... I suppose if you can find 9 other people who don't want any music on their island you could get away with it.

Hi arjuna, on the original Desert Island Discs radio programme which ran for something like an eternity, each guest was allowed the following, 10 records of their choice, one book except the Bible and Shakespeare which are supplied with your survival kit, and one luxury item. That is why I chose 10 works to play on the already arrived piano, so to complete the list I would take one recording, my luxury item, which would have to be Tallis Spem in Alium and for my book I would take (apart from the already suppled bible and Shakespeare) Frutti del mondo by Filippo Balatri and make an English translation of it.
regards
Brian

[Arjuna]

Thank goodness on Desert Island Discs you can take 10 records, in fairness we should be allowed to take 10 piano works because trying to choose one would be like allowing a friend of mine to choose one dress from the Dior collection...absolutely impossible!!
Do I take Messiaen Vingt Regards or Ronald Stevensons Passagalia on DSCH or that Symphony with the impossible name by Sorabji which takes 9 hours to perform so I wouldn't have time to get bored?
I could also take the Ives Sonata No.1, Scriabin No.3, Godowsky's 53 Etudes on Chopins etudes, four more to go so that must include the Liszt Transcendentals in the 1838 version, Francois Glorieux Sonata No.1, Gershwin song transcriptions and finally the Alkan Op.27 Marche Funebre et Triomphale.
If I had to choose just one it would have to be the Messiaen Vingt Regards, something for every possible mood on a desert island, it might even frighten the cannibalistic natives if any turn up into becoming vegetarian.
regards
Brian

Now that's going too far, but... I suppose if you can find 9 other people who don't want any music on their island you could get away with it.

Hi arjuna, on the original Desert Island Discs radio programme which ran for something like an eternity, each guest was allowed the following, 10 records of their choice, one book except the Bible and Shakespeare which are supplied with your survival kit, and one luxury item. That is why I chose 10 works to play on the already arrived piano, so to complete the list I would take one recording, my luxury item, which would have to be Tallis Spem in Alium and for my book I would take (apart from the already suppled bible and Shakespeare) Frutti del mondo by Filippo Balatri and make an English translation of it.
regards
Brian

Your no fun! It's too easy when you can choose that much. Besides I had a special reason for only allowing one work - which I might reveal when (or if) we get more replies.

[timgill]

Definitely the Vingt Regards which, according to Foyles music dept, are now "a fiver a look"