These days, TV music channels can spew out enough junk in one minute to ruin your whole day, and stock market jitters and viruses flit across the world in seconds. Lots can happen in a minute.
But what if 60 composers from 18 countries wrote 60 pieces for solo piano, each 60 seconds in length? This is exactly what Guy Livingston has put together to show the endless possibilities of late-20th century music.
Livingston, an American pianist who lives in Paris, has assembled a program of recent works that may be quirky enough to appeal to listeners who have doubts about modern musical language. Many of the pieces use new techniques and range from modern-classical works through virtuosic-serialism to unsettling performance art.
“The framework is quite fascinating,” says Livingston. “Although one minute seems like an unbelievably short time, it actually offers the composers a good deal of scope. An entire atmosphere can be established (or destroyed) in 60 seconds. The program offers a wide-ranging sampler of new music styles from the most traditional classical up to cutting-edge avant-gardism.”
These 60 works constitute a fascinating “aerial photo” of the world of new piano music at the dawn of the Third Millennium, and the overriding impression is one of exhausted jubilation.
"don't panic: 60 seconds for piano" – 60 One-Minute tracks – 60 Composers. Available at the fnac, Virgin, and on the web. Release party, May 15, 8pm, The Abbey Bookshop, 29 rue de la Parcheminerie, 5e, M° St-Michel, tel: 01 46 33 16 24, free
