Description
Book SynopsisConlon Nancarrow has written the most rhythmically complex music the world has ever known, so complex that it can only be realized on a mechanical player piano. His music has achieved international fame only recently, and this book details his life and compositional achievements.
Trade Review'… excellent new title by Village Voice critic Kyle Gann, the first book on the composer and a compendious survey of his work.' Wire
Table of ContentsPreface; 1. The music: general considerations; 2. A biographical sketch; 3. Foreshadowings: the early works; 4. Blues years: the ostinato studies; 5. Isorhythm: the numbers game; 6. Canon: phase 1; 7. Stretching time: the acceleration studies; 8. Beyond counterpoint: the sound-mass canons; 9. Synthesizing a language; 10. After the player piano; Notes; Discography; Select bibliography; Scores; Index.
