The real threat is that musical literature not regularly performed will fade from view and ultimately be lost. Keyboard literature, in particular, has a long history and provides a record of musical evolution throughout Western culture from 1360. With such a long history, the volume of classical keyboard music is vast. Private collections of some of this literature and the occurrence of multiple European and World wars resulted in the fragmentation of several music collections. Occasionally lost compositions surface as ongoing research uncovers old collections or individual works.
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Many of these compositions have never been heard by anyone living today. In addition, the volume of literature is so large that many works in the known literature have never been recorded and are rarely performed. Many will simply be lost without an active effort to preserve and perform these compositions. The preservation of fine literature in such danger is a driving force behind the Grand Piano Series.
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In addition to presenting familiar works for audience enjoyment, we include outstanding compositions that are rarely (if ever) performed to broaden our audience’s appreciation and bring life to dormant compositions. To enhance audience appreciation and understanding, informative introductions addressing these pieces are typically incorporated into our performances.
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We have developed a classification system for music literature patterned after the International System for the Conservation Status of Plant and Animal Species. This classification helps us communicate the status of each piece performed in our concerts regarding the rarity of performance and the potential threat to extinction from the music repertoire. The risk of a musical composition fading from the repertoire through lack of performance is a threat we are determined to address!