The emphasis in this class is on the historical and aesthetic analysis of the development of piano literature in the Contemporary period. Compositions for piano that represent atonality, serialism, extended techniques, multimedia and interactive electronic techniques, the influence of jazz and popular music, Darmstadt and the New York School, and Spanish and Latin American music are performed and analyzed in class. Scholarship that examines 'the new complexity', minimalism, and postmodernism is reviewed. Students demonstrate their knowledge of the repertoire in research papers, related written assignments, and listening exams. Student performance in class is required.