Performance Practices in Late 20th Century Piano Music: Piano DVD

Gordon dismantles the resistance many pianists feel toward late 20th century music by demonstrating that contemporary repertoire demands and rewards the same interpretive sophistication as canonical works. By analyzing and performing intermediate to advanced pieces himself, he shows rather than tells how musicality emerges in non-tonal and jazz-inflected contexts, giving teachers concrete language and models for their own practice rooms.

This DVD feels like a master class with a pianist who refuses to let notation or historical distance stand between you and the music. Gordon's tone is scholarly yet conversational, analytical yet always connected to the sound you're actually hearing and the choices a performer makes in the moment.

Piano teachers working with intermediate and advanced students who are ready to engage with 20th century repertoire but unsure how to approach it; performers preparing contemporary works for recital or competition; and instructors seeking authoritative guidance on teaching musicality and interpretation in non-tonal and jazz-influenced contexts.

• Examine Gordon's own interpretations as a starting point for your own choices rather than a template to copy; contemporary music demands personal ownership of phrasing and color in ways that later Romantic repertoire sometimes permits you to avoid.
• Listen through the entire section on non-tonal music before attempting to perform similar pieces yourself; familiarity with how pitch organization works without functional harmony will reshape your ear and your hands.
• Watch the jazz section with a score in hand if possible; Gordon's explanations of rhythmic freedom and harmonic reharmonization become far clearer when you can see the notation while hearing his performance.

Use this as a resource for studio teachers preparing advanced students for contemporary music festivals or competitions where late 20th century repertoire appears regularly. It also serves as enrichment material for a music theory or history class focusing on 20th century composition, offering students direct connection between compositional technique and performance practice.

• Interpreting non-tonal and atonal music without functional harmonic landmarks
• Understanding rhythmic and harmonic freedom in jazz-influenced repertoire
• Analyzing contemporary piano works for structural and textural clarity
• Building confidence as a performer when traditional interpretive conventions no longer apply