An annotated bibliography of modernist non-tonal piano music for the late-beginner to late-intermediate levels

The musical style often referred to as atonality, but more properly known as modernist non-tonality, represents a unique development in the history of music. Non-tonality, which began to emerge at the beginning of the twentieth century, is a method of musical composition that avoids being in any key. Non-tonality and another closely-related technique, twelve-tone serialism, have a distinctive voice among contemporary musical expressions. Despite the importance of non-tonal and twelve-tone music, these are often neglected by piano teachers in their selection of musical material for their students. One of many reasons for this is a lack of non-tonal pieces, relative to other historical periods, that are written at a level that younger, less-advanced students can play. This is further complicated by the lack of resources to help teachers know what music is available from this repertoire.

The goal of this project is to provide an up-to-date and in-depth guide to the published piano music currently in existence that is non-tonal, twelve-tone, and at a level fit for students. Currently, no such list exists, and thus it is hoped that this work will shed light on the world of non-tonal piano music so that piano teachers will be more informed, and have a resource to consult in building this repertoire. If teachers have a guide for non-tonal pieces to study, they will be more aware of the available music, and, most importantly, they may be more likely to teach this music to their students.