Channel Title: Frederick Viner Channel Description: Welcome to the Youtube Channel of Frederick Viner, award-winning composer/pianist based in the UK. Viner's music has received many accolades. In 2015, he won the Ebor Organ Prize and in 2016 he took 1st prize in the RNS 'Mozarts of Tomorrow' competition. In 2017 Viner won three more awards: 1st prize in William Howard’s Love Song Competition; the Henfrey Composition Prize; and the prestigious NCEM Young Composers Award. Between 2017-19 Viner was composer in residence at Eton College, during which time he worked on several commissions, including by Choir & Organ Magazine and Orchestra for the Earth; he also had performances by the RTWSO and the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College. In 2020 he was awarded a further two prizes: the STR Music Composition Prize and the Lefanu Prize. Recently, his piano music has been performed worldwide by distinguished pianists such as Paul Barton and Vadim Chaimovich. Frederick is open to collaboration and commission - please contact below! 👇 <video> How I Wrote My Most Complex Piece Description: Four years ago, before youtube became an outlet for my nerdy ramblings and anti-‘Fur Elise’ propaganda, I embarked on the most ambitious creative project of my life: to compose a set of four piano etudes. Rather than focusing on specific areas of pianistic technique, such as scales, arpeggios, parallel thirds etc., each work would focus on a different compositional technique, as well as a range of extra-musical imagery and metaphor, like astronomy and meditation. The first of the set, subtitled ‘Mirie it is’, is based on Ligeti’s concept of tempo fugue - a style of counterpoint in which voices sound at different speeds to create the effect of simultaneous different tempi. Getting to grips with this technique was an absolute nightmare and ‘Mirie it is’ ended up being the most time-consuming and complicated piece I’ve ever attempted. In today’s video I’m going to tell you how I wrote it; in the process, we’ll explore tempo fugue and maybe even equip you with the tools to compose your own… 1) Intro - 0:00 2) A New Approach - 1:04 3) Automne à Varsovie - 3:45 4) So you want to write a tempo fugue? - 5:28 5) Adapting Tempo Fugue - 8:36 6) How did it turn out? - 10:39 7) Conclusions - 14:53 Many thanks to the following musicians who kindly gave permission for their recordings to be featured: 1. Daniel Kuehler - Messiaen Prelude no. 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65dONiidXv0 2. Martin Ivanov - Liszt Transcendental Etude no. 4, 'Mazeppa': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbObRrHieUo 3. Paul Barton - Chopin Op. 10 no. 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7PaDwFwTSU 4. Simon Karakulidi - Ligeti Etude no. 1, 'Desordre': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMeFCsMDy8M 5. Denis Zhdanov - Ligeti Etude no. 16, 'Pour Irina': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM7eJrO_0yE 6. Dmytro Choni - Ligeti Etude no. 5, 'Arc-en-ciel': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKMryWewNC4 7. Imri Talgam - Ligeti Etude no. 6, 'Automne à Varsovie': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tjhPYof76E 8. TENET Vocal Artists - 'Mirie it is': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gda_cbbheQk 9. Vadim Chaimovich - Viner 'Something She'd Like' :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXxcTRRo0 Listen to the four etudes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dxe7NAOqHc https://frederickviner.com/ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FredViner </video> <video> FOUR ETUDES for piano (2020-22) | Frederick Viner Description: In late 2019 I set out to compose four piano Etudes as part of my doctoral research. Rather than focusing on specific pianistic patterns (scales, arpeggios, thirds etc.), I instead explored a variety of different compositional techniques and imagery, ranging from Ligeti's 'Tempo Fugue' concept in the 1st to astronomical and meditative metaphors in the 2nd and 3rd. The 4th, ‘Toccata’, serves as a bombastic finale to the set and a virtuosic showpiece in its own right. 1) Mirie it is - 00:00 My attempt at a Ligetian ‘Tempo Fugue’, with the titular English folk song as fugal subject. Initially presented alone - in 3 and in F-minor - the tune is soon joined by other versions of itself in different tempi and in different keys: the top stave contains the melody in 2 and in B-minor, whereas the bottom stave that enters in b. 13 sees it in 4 and in G-sharp minor (note the intervals separating these keys…). The piece carries on in this way throughout, the music growing ever more agitated as various conflicting voices tussle for tonal and metric supremacy, culminating in an enormous climax in which pretty much everything is obliterated (02:46). Wherever you look (or listen), you’ll be able to detect the tune. And depending on which strand you follow, the music will sound either faster or slower, or some heady combination of the two. Personally, I think this is pretty cool, even if it was a total nightmare to write… 2) Flyby - 03:46 A 'flyby' describes when a spacecraft passes in close proximity to a celestial body. Sometimes, this body (a planet, moon or asteroid) will be the sole focus of the mission. Frequently however, these curious, alien worlds will provide a gravity assist, which is used to slingshot the spacecraft on to some other, more distant destination. Mind-boggling feats such as these have long provided a source of inspiration for me. In this 2nd Etude, I attempted to channel this other-worldy inspiration to conjure up scenes of objects hurtling round space, accelerating and decelerating as they narrowly wizz past each other. Brian May quipped that “astronomy's much more fun when you're not an astronomer”. Well - I can confirm it's pretty fun when you are a composer. 3) Meditation - 08:08 I’m no expert at mindfulness meditation, and this is precisely what this piece is about. Everything starts off calm - arpeggiated flourishes ritualistically rise and fall like deep inhales and exhales. But other voices lurk in the texture, and as their chatter intensifies, the ‘breathing’ gradually becomes quicker and shallower. This builds and builds, eventually leading to the musical equivalent of a panic attack (10:16). Following this however, the ‘meditator’ seems to achieve the long-sought goal of a quiet mind: the breathing is now steady, and remains unperturbed by the presence of those pesky voices, which eventually, blissfully, fade away. 4) Toccata - 12:15 This 4th and final Etude, 'Toccata', stands apart from the previous three: there's no one technical idea tying it all together, nor is there any extramusical inspiration behind its conception. Simply put, I wanted to write something in the tradition of the great early-20th-century Toccatas - something virtuosic, tightly structured and (most importantly) fun. Whether I was successful in these aims is not for me to judge. Nonetheless, I think it may just be the best thing I've written. I hope you enjoy my performance recorded from July-August 2022, for which I used the Garritan Abbey Road CFX Concert Grand Piano Plug-In. Purchase the scores individually or as a set: https://frederickviner.com/list-of-works/ </video> <video> Alkan Is AWESOME (ft. Mark Viner) Description: Alkan is awesome. A contemporary of Chopin and Liszt, this french composer-pianist penned some of the most daring, difficult, sublime and strange music in history. The problem is that, aside from a few pieces, his music isn’t that well known. But there are musicians out there who’re working tirelessly to rectify this, and recently I had the pleasure of interviewing one of them: internationally renowned pianist and chairman of the Alkan Society, Mark Viner (no relation). Through Mark’s scholarly insights and performances, we’ll explore what makes Alkan’s music so extraordinary. Intro - 0:00 How did you first encounter Alkan? - 1:26 Recording the entire piano works - 4:01 Why is Alkan not better known? - 8:30 Alkan the Poet - 12:11 Performance - 15:19 Alkan the Magician - 20:32 Performance - 23:11 Alkan the Romantic - 29:20 Performance: - 32:47 Alkan the Prophet - 43:21 Performance - 46:29 Alkan the Observant - 50:36 Performance - 52:26 Outro - 56:46 Find out more about Mark, including his project to record the complete piano works of Alkan: https://www.markviner.com/ http://www.alkansociety.org/ https://frederickviner.com/ https://buymeacoffee.com/fredviner </video> <video> The Greatest Climax in Piano Music? 🤯 Description: Ravelicious...watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmrwXmRISEI </video> <video> 'Tis the Season for Awesome Arrangements Description: Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBPqgSokboc Sheet music: https://www.fatfreecartpro.com/i/1145v?card Jill's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWyfOLpBtvVTaGwe_x4-U7w </video> <video> FOUR PIECES for One Hand (ABRSM), performed by Charles Szczepanek Description: I hope you enjoy @CharlesSzczepanek's gorgeous rendition of my four recent pieces for one hand, which will be included in ABRSM's 2024 Performance Grade Syllabus. 0:00 - 'Sandcastles' for left or right hand 0:43 - 'Night Wishes' for left or right hand 1:30 - 'Mirror Dance' for left or right hand 2:07 - 'Sea Tales' for left hand 3:13 - Thoughts on the music Over at @PianistAcademy1, Charles just released a deep-dive into these pieces, and the importance of one-handed repertoire as a whole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1wDXcOF53U He has also uploaded recordings of all the works, both left- and right-hand versions, and with and without pedal: 'Sandcastles' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzwraC5dFbA&t=0s 'Night Wishes' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sRhDNAfHr8 'Mirror Dance' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G9tDlqMivM 'Sea Tales' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXhHAO_bMCA PURCHASE LINKS: Sandcastles: https://www.musicroom.com/frederick-viner-sandcastles-for-left-or-right-hand-dam1456043?returnurl=%2fsearch%3fq%3dfrederick%2bviner Night Wishes: https://www.musicroom.com/frederick-viner-night-wishes-for-left-or-right-dam1456044?returnurl=%2fsearch%3fq%3dfrederick%2bviner Mirror Dance: https://www.musicroom.com/frederick-viner-mirror-dance-for-left-or-right-dam1456042?returnurl=%2fsearch%3fq%3dfrederick%2bviner Sea Tales: https://www.musicroom.com/frederick-viner-sea-tales-for-left-hand-only-grade-dam1456045?returnurl=%2fsearch%3fq%3dfrederick%2bviner Thanks to ABRSM, the copyright owner of 'Sandcastles', Night Wishes', 'Mirror Dance', and 'Sea Tales', for granting permission to record these compositions and show musical excerpts on screen. ABRSM: https://www.abrsm.org/en-gb/instruments/piano https://frederickviner.com https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FredViner </video> <video> 3-against-3-against-5-against-7 Description: Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22N7ykqgceQ </video> <video> This Chopin Sonata Is Cleverer Than You Think... Description: Join composer Frederick Viner as he delves into Chopin's 3rd sonata and a particularly clever (and possibly accidental) characteristic of its themes. 1) Intro (Chopin 3) - 0:00 2) Educational Abominations - 1:14 Beethoven 'Waldstein' - 1:20 Mozart 16 - 1:36 Beethoven 1 - 1:47 3) Two Sides of the Same Coin - 2:10 Haydn 53 - 2:16 Beethoven 'Appassionata' - 2:36 4) Dodgy yet Catchy- 3:06 Chopin 2 - 3:06 Mozart 8 - 3:18 5) - The Most Successful Example (Scriabin 3) - 3:32 6) Coincidence? - 4:58 7) Outro - 5:43 Many thanks to @charlottehupianist (www.chingyunhu.com) who kindly gave permission for her recording to be featured in this video. Check out her sensational performance of Chopin's Sonata No. 3 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMPCarLejhU All other extracts and abominations were performed by Frederick Viner. The discovery regarding Chopin's Sonata No. 3 was made by musicologist Hugo Leichtentritt, and documented in the following: Leichtentritt, Hugo - Analyse von Chopin’schen Klavierwerke (Berlin, 1921-22): Volume 2, 249. I was made aware of this via Alan Walker's incredible biography: Walker, Alan - Fryderyk Chopin: A Life and Times (London: Faber and Faber, 2018): 480. If you would like to support this channel then please consider making a donation: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FredViner https://frederickviner.com/ </video> <video> I Can't Believe This Actually Works #chopin Description: Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEIdods4kqU </video> <video> The Catchiest Piece You've NEVER Heard Of Description: Great music stands the test of time...sometimes. Join composer Frederick Viner as he investigates and performs the brilliant third movement of John Ireland's neglected 'Sonatina'. 1) Intro: 0:00 2) Performance: 2:00 Discover the piece for yourself here (including the equally astonishing 1st and 2nd movements) at IMSLP: https://petruccimusiclibrary.ca/files/imglnks/caimg/e/e5/IMSLP267738-PMLP433707-Ireland_Sonatina.pdf If you would like to support this channel then please consider making a donation: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FredViner https://frederickviner.com/ </video> <video> 2 Pieces for One Hand (2021), performed by Vestard Shimkus | Frederick Viner Description: 1) 'Right Away' for piano right hand: 0:00 2) 'One-Liner' for piano left hand: 1:40 Performed by 'the' Vestard Shimkus (@meervieniiba) Shimkus 22 Dec, 2022, Latvia. Watch Vestard's incredible live performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=875PRZlcuTI Buy the sheet music (sold together and separately): https://385056.e-junkie.com https://frederickviner.com https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FredViner </video> <video> This Is Why I Love Early-20th-Century Music... Description: Join composer Frederick Viner and pianist Denis Zhdanov@DenZhdanovPianist as they offer their perspectives on four different early-20th-century works. Intro - 0:00 1) Scriabin: 'Desir', Op. 57 no. 1 - 0:49 Denis - 1:20 Fred - 3:50 2) Villa-Lobos: 'O Polichinelo' - 5:18 Fred - 5:31 Denis - 6:47 3) Gershwin: Prelude no. 1 - 8:59 Fred - 9:20 Denis - 10:45 4) Ravel: 'Ondine' - 11:54 Fred - 12:39 Denis - 13:46 Outro - 16:25 https://frederickviner.com/ https://www.deniszhdanov.com/ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FredViner </video> <video> Alkan's Most Terrifying Tune Description: Watch the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLjseDoYW6w </video> <video> Chopin's Most Complex Rhythm (and How to Play It) Description: Join composer Frederick Viner and pianist Cordelia Williams as they explore Chopin's most complex rhythm from both analytic and performative perspectives. Subscribe to Cordelia's Channel: @CordeliaWilliams Intro - 0:00 Analysis - 0:43 How to play it - 2:10 Step 1 - 2:38 Step 2 - 3:40 Step 3 - 4:51 So, how useful is the analysis? - 5:42 Outro - 7:05 https://frederickviner.com/ https://www.cordeliawilliams.net/ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FredViner </video> <video> When Scriabin Broke Tonality Description: Donic? Tominant? Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmrwXmRISEI Scriabin's Op. 57 no. 1, 'Desir', performed by @DenZhdanovPianist https://frederickviner.com/ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/FredViner </video>

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Description

Welcome to the Youtube Channel of Frederick Viner, award-winning composer/pianist based in the UK.

Viner's music has received many accolades. In 2015, he won the Ebor Organ Prize and in 2016 he took 1st prize in the RNS 'Mozarts of Tomorrow' competition. In 2017 Viner won three more awards: 1st prize in William Howard’s Love Song Competition; the Henfrey Composition Prize; and the prestigious NCEM Young Composers Award.

Between 2017-19 Viner was composer in residence at Eton College, during which time he worked on several commissions, including by Choir & Organ Magazine and Orchestra for the Earth; he also had performances by the RTWSO and the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College.

In 2020 he was awarded a further two prizes: the STR Music Composition Prize and the Lefanu Prize. Recently, his piano music has been performed worldwide by distinguished pianists such as Paul Barton and Vadim Chaimovich.

Frederick is open to collaboration and commission - please contact below! 👇

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