Sound/World, Volume 2: Intermediate/Early Advanced Piano Book

Applebaum refuses to shield intermediate pianists from the sounds that make modern music distinctive. Rather than presenting dissonance as an abstract concept, he embeds it in short, playable studies that demand real listening and real problem-solving. The invitation to compose your own dissonant study transforms passive learning into active discovery.

Stepping into unfamiliar harmonic territory. The studies introduce clusters, quartal harmonies, and unusual interval combinations that initially feel foreign under the fingers, but gradually reveal internal logic and expressiveness. There's discovery in every page: the satisfaction of mastering a technically demanding passage made harder not by virtuosity but by the strangeness of the sound itself.

Intermediate to early advanced pianists ready to expand their sonic vocabulary and challenge their assumptions about what sounds "correct." Students preparing for contemporary music competitions, university auditions, or simply curious about 20th and 21st century piano repertoire will find these studies essential. This book also serves teachers who want their students to engage critically with dissonance rather than avoid it.

• Listen first before diving into the notation. Applebaum's dissonances often reward an ear that anticipates rather than merely reacts. Playing a study through once without judgment helps you identify which tensions feel intentional and which might be fingering errors.
• Sustain the dissonant sonorities long enough to hear them fully. Many students rush through unfamiliar intervals out of discomfort. Let the clusters and clashes breathe so you can develop tolerance for the sound and confidence in the writing.
• Map the architecture of each study before technical work. Where does the dissonance arrive? Does it resolve, persist, or intensify? Understanding the shape prevents the piece from feeling like random note collections and anchors your interpretation.

Use Volume 2 as a bridge in student recitals between classical repertoire and fully contemporary works, signaling the evolution of the instrument's language. In group lessons or studio classes, assign one study per student and have them present their original dissonant composition to peers, creating a mini-recital of student invention. This book naturally pairs with Standard contemporary collections when building a mixed-era program.

• Recognizing and performing dissonant intervals (tritones, major sevenths, minor seconds, clusters)
• Interpreting accidentals and chromatic voice-leading in contemporary notation
• Developing tolerance for unfamiliar sonorities and trusting the composer's intention
• Composing original short etudes with intentional dissonance and structural logic
• Listening critically to pitch relationships beyond tertian harmony