7/20/2006

You may have noticed the unmarked bin (which Eric affectionately calls the "Brennan Bin") in the piano room containing modern/contemporary performance level piano music. We created this section to promote awareness and interest in our new music inventory. As of yet, we have only officially sectioned off a keyboard section (piano, harpsichord, prepared piano, etc.), because much of our clientele are pianists, and because piano music is relatively homogeneous. We have included many great works from all over the store that haven't sold well for a variety of reasons -- e.g. our stock represented a great composer like Pascal Dusapin with only one volume of piano music, which then was lost at the end of Debussy, just before Dvorak. Also, a player looking for modernist masterworks from composers like Messiaen, Cage or Schoenberg might also be interested in playing works by Torke, Higdon and Rzewski, who are still living (and writing). We feel that their music benefits from this distillation, more visibility, and the ability to browse through it.

We are also very interested in hearing what you have to say about what should be included. Eventually, we plan to have a small space for chamber music as well, but as you may already know - space in the store is very limited. Please write us a line or two about what you think ought to be included, and, if you've seen the section, what you think ought to be removed.

Also, we think it might be neat if customers write in to make comments or sort of review these pieces, based on their experience with them, or just to make interesting comments that promote the interest and understanding of this contemporary music, whose vitality, I think, will be greatly unhanced by a good dialogue, which expresses both positive and negative reactions toward it.

Thanks. Hope to hear from you.