Re: official biography of Barraque imminent

Nicolas Hodges <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> http://www.urpress.com/497.HTM

 The publication of this book will be very welcome. 
 May I ask your opinion or advice on the difficulties of playing
Barraqué's piano Sonate? This should really be asked in a piano group
but music of this kind never seems to be discussed. I am not a
professional pianist and my technique is nowhere nearly good enough
for a work like this so I should really leave well alone. I know that
is the obvious answer. But, nevertheless, I am very interested.
Notwithstanding its sheer length and general level of difficulty, the
main problem for me is rhythmic complexity. As I look through its 44
pages I simply know I never could play it accurately in time and never
cease to find it amazing that anyone could. Is there any way of
solving or even just partially solving this problem?
 Bill Hopkins' "Etudes en Série" of which I have cahier 1, the others
being unavailable, is much worse. It has terrifying rhythmic
difficulties. How can they be mastered? Is there a secret to it? How
does a professional deal with this problem?
  BTW, I have enjoyed very much listening to your cd of the complete
piano music of Bill Hopkins.
  My questions about problems of rhythm apply also to many other
avant-garde pieces. What is your opinion of playing, in private, an
approximation of what was written, maybe only a rough approximation?
Is there any value or point in this? Or will I just have to resign
myself to the thought that these pieces are permanently out of my
reach and can only be played by brilliant virtuosi?