With the blessings of Dr. del Rio, I found a suitable question to continue this series.


Several 20th century composers such as Xenakis and Nancarrow wrote pieces for solo/player piano that contain measures with 4-8 staves but are impossible to play as written. However, one early 20th century solo piano piece has measures containing 2, 3, 4, and 6 staves, and has been recorded. Which piece is this?

I don't know, but I'll guess that Marc Andre Hamelin is the one who recorded it....

And you would be absolutely right!

Yay! Let it be known that I get partial credit on this one....

And just off the top of my head, would the piece in question be something by Strauss, or Godowsky?

Could be Villa-Lobos' Rudepoema - though I'm not sure it has 6 staves.

I have no idea and look forward to learning another factoid in the Universe of Pianism.

It is not Villa-Lobos or Strauss. This is embarassing, but I don't have a definite answer on whether or not Godowsky wrote music for more than 3 staves I would say no, though, as from what I've seen of his music it doesn't appear to be his style.

Godowsky wrote 4 staves at the start of the last Triakontameron piece (Requiem 1914-1918) and also, I think, in parts of his Passacaglia.

Thanks for sharing I get to learn some too!

Let's not forget good-old Rachmaninoff for his 4-staff usage in the Prelude.

Ok, I don't think anyone else will guess. The piece is...

Leo Ornstein's Poems of 1917, no. 4.

http://leoornstein.net/Scores/S061a%20- ... 201917.pdf

This series was written during 1917, as the name suggests. The entire set is a good example of Ornstein's earlier experimental style and is a small taste of how music would begin to break away from the conventions of tonality.

Ah interesting ! I don't think I've seen 6-stave piano writing before. Despite the 6 staves this does not look especially difficult to handle though.