midiviz

One-Minute Piano Discoveries

A working list for YouTube Shorts made with 032_pianist.html: complete piano miniatures around one minute, biased toward music pianists may recognize but general audiences do not hear constantly.

This is a living production document. Durations are those of the current MIDI when one exists, otherwise a normal-performance estimate. A public-domain composition does not make somebody else’s MIDI performance public domain; every imported or generated file needs its own source and licence.

Selection rules

Prefer pieces that:

• last about 45–90 seconds as a complete musical thought;
• have a clear idea in the first three seconds;
• create legible hand motion and at least one visual change for the portrait director;
• are not the composer’s standard general-audience hit;
• have a public-domain score and a MIDI we can legally synchronize with video;
• end on a real cadence rather than an arbitrary 60-second cut.

Avoid making every title a claim that a work is “unknown” or a “hidden masterpiece.” The discovery should be concrete: an unusual meter, a one-page manuscript, a dialogue between the hands, or a miniature form.

Alternate season: Quiet discoveries

This is the preferred alternative if Season 1 feels too technical, fast or concept-driven. It is a coherent set of lyrical miniatures: eight composers, mostly 55–95 seconds, with beauty and atmosphere ahead of virtuoso display. Durations are normal-performance estimates until a licensed MIDI is selected.

#	Piece	Approx. duration	Why it belongs	Pianist treatment
1	Grieg — Arietta, Op. 12 No. 1	1:05	A plain, tender melody with a gently moving inner texture; intimate without being sentimental	Blush shift-long, warm light, stacked 60/40, long face and hand takes
2	Amy Beach — Secrets, Op. 25 No. 5	1:33	The melody is tucked inside the accompaniment, giving listeners something beautiful to discover rather than merely identify	Navy or black satin, close hands, one intertitle: “Can you find the hidden melody?”
3	Ravel — Prelude in A minor, M. 65	1:26	Restrained, harmonically refined and much less familiar than Ravel’s famous showpieces	Ivory/navy, realistic look, shallow depth of field, slow player-view movement
4	Scriabin — Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 11 No. 15	1:27	Warm, suspended Romantic harmony—the lyrical counterpart to the stormy No. 14	Wine velvet, soft bloom, pianist favored over lesson graphics
5	Chaminade — Idylle, Op. 126 No. 1	1:34	Graceful French salon writing that is melodic but rarely programmed now	Champagne satin, pale daylight, clean side and keyboard-up views
6	Lyadov — Prelude in B minor, Op. 11 No. 1	2:18	Dark, concentrated lyricism with a complete emotional arc; longer than the one-minute brief	Black cocktail dress, cool blue light, subtle grain and vignette
7	Tchaikovsky — Old French Song, Op. 39 No. 16	0:57	A direct, haunting melody; recognizable mainly to pianists and students rather than the broad public	Ivory qipao, almost still camera, dry intimate hall sound
8	Schumann — Child Falling Asleep, Op. 15 No. 12	1:23	Harmonies blur the boundary between waking and sleep, and the ending avoids a fully settled close	Red velvet in very low warm light; favor face, hands and pedals; no lesson view

Acquisition status

Piece	Status	Safe source
Grieg — Arietta	MIDI and liner notes ready — 1:05	Public-domain Peters/Ruthardt edition; Horneman first-edition incipit cross-check
Amy Beach — Secrets	MIDI and liner notes ready — 1:33	1894 Arthur P. Schmidt first edition and Beach manuscript, public domain; repeat omitted, second ending used
Ravel — Prelude M. 65	MIDI and liner notes ready — 1:26	Ray Alston edition, CC0, cross-checked with Durand 1913 public-domain first edition
Scriabin — Prelude Op. 11 No. 15	MIDI and liner notes ready — 1:27	Knute Snortum LilyPond, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chaminade — Idylle	MIDI and liner notes ready — 1:34	Michael Rivers edition, CC BY 4.0, cross-checked with Enoch 1907 public-domain first edition
Lyadov — Prelude Op. 11 No. 1	MIDI and liner notes ready — 2:18	Public-domain 1947 Muzgiz score; exact score independently audited
Tchaikovsky — Old French Song	MIDI and liner notes ready — 0:57	David McNamara/Mutopia LilyPond and MIDI, public domain
Schumann — Child Falling Asleep	Existing MIDI and liner notes ready — 1:23	Bernd Krüger/piano-midi.de, CC BY-SA 3.0

Rejected sources include NC/ND MIDIs, Kunst der Fuge’s no-redistribution files, ambiguous-license archives and MuseScore user uploads.

Why this slate may fit better

• It sounds like one curated recital rather than eight demonstrations of speed or technique.
• Every piece can support a complete Short with room to breathe.
• The visual variety comes from light, posture, touch and harmony—not increasingly elaborate costumes or effects.
• Grieg, Ravel, Scriabin and Schumann provide searchable composer names; Beach, Chaminade and Lyadov give the channel a genuine discovery identity.
• The tradeoff is less instant spectacle. Open each Short on a beautiful hand or face composition and let one precise listening cue provide the hook.

Reserve lyrical candidates

• Sibelius — The Harp Player, Op. 34 No. 8
• Debussy — The Little Shepherd, from Children’s Corner (longer, already in the MIDI library)
• Fauré — Improvisation, Op. 84 No. 5
• Granados — Dedicatoria, from Cuentos de la juventud
• Schumann — First Loss, Op. 68 No. 16
• Chopin — Preludes Op. 28 Nos. 11 and 23 as a paired miniature
• Tchaikovsky — Mama, Op. 39 No. 4
• Grieg — Melody, Op. 12 No. 3

Proposed collection 3: Melody and harmony

Programme order and notes in brief: repertoire-draft.md.

Brief: 1–2 minutes, 3 at most; a memorable melody over harmony that does something unexpected. Same rule as before: nothing a non-pianist would recognise. Durations are typical performances, not measured MIDI. Every composition is public domain; a reusable MIDI or score source still has to be found for each (state: proposed).

#	Piece	Typical duration	Why it fits
1	Liszt — Nuages gris, S. 199 (1881)	2:45–3:00	A bare melody over augmented chords; ends without resolving. Late Liszt pointing at Debussy
2	Lili Boulanger — D’un jardin clair (1914)	≈2:00	Luminous, gently modal harmony; a composer few listeners know
3	Janáček — A Blown-Away Leaf, On an Overgrown Path I/2	≈2:30	A folk-like tune pulled by sudden, Moravian harmonic turns
4	Ravel — Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn (1909)	≈2:00	The melody spells HAYDN as notes, then appears backwards and upside down under shifting chords
5	Grieg — Remembrances, Op. 71 No. 7 (1901)	≈2:00	Grieg’s last Lyric Piece turns the Arietta tune into a fading waltz: a direct link to Quiet Discoveries
6	Fauré — Romance sans paroles, Op. 17 No. 3	≈2:30	A long-breathed melody with Fauré’s sliding inner harmonies
7	Rachmaninoff — Prelude in G major, Op. 32 No. 5	≈3:00	A still, high melody over rippling accompaniment; a pianist’s favourite, little known outside
8	Schumann — Bird as Prophet, Op. 82 No. 7	≈3:00	Strange, hovering harmonies around a chorale-like middle

Reserves: Debussy Canope; Liszt En rêve, S. 207; Brahms Intermezzo Op. 76 No. 3; Chopin Prelude Op. 28 No. 13; Scriabin Prelude Op. 11 No. 13; Rachmaninoff Étude-tableau Op. 33 No. 8 (already in the library, Krüger CC BY-SA).

Proposed collection 4: Bravura

Brief: same length; exciting, medium to advanced, still off the beaten track. State: proposed.

#	Piece	Typical duration	Level	Why it fits
1	Prokofiev — Suggestion diabolique, Op. 4 No. 4 (1908)	≈2:30	Advanced	Hammered dissonance and leaps across the keyboard
2	Bartók — Allegro barbaro (1911)	≈2:30	Medium–advanced	The piano as a percussion instrument; driving ostinato
3	Schumann — Traumes Wirren, Op. 12 No. 7	≈2:30	Advanced	Feathery, restless figuration with a chorale-like middle
4	Liszt — Gnomenreigen, S. 145 No. 2	≈3:00	Advanced	Flickering staccato against a fierce, harmonically wild middle
5	Moszkowski — Étincelles, Op. 36 No. 6	≈2:30	Advanced	Sparkling repeated notes; a recitalist’s encore
6	Rachmaninoff — Étude-tableau in E-flat minor, Op. 33 No. 6	≈1:45	Advanced	A storm in under two minutes. MIDI already in the library (Krüger, CC BY-SA 3.0)
7	Mendelssohn — Scherzo in E minor, Op. 16 No. 2	≈2:00	Medium	Light, quick fingerwork; the most approachable of the set
8	Chopin — Prelude in B-flat minor, Op. 28 No. 16	≈1:00	Advanced	The hardest of the Preludes: one breathless minute

Reserves: Alkan Toccatina (already built, 1:29, CC BY-SA 4.0); Grieg Butterfly, Op. 43 No. 1; Scriabin Étude Op. 42 No. 5; Debussy Les collines d’Anacapri; Mendelssohn Spinning Song, Op. 67 No. 4; Moszkowski Étude Op. 72 No. 6.

Rights notes: Prokofiev (d. 1953) and Bartók (d. 1945) are now public domain in life-plus-70 countries, and these two works were published before 1929, so they are also public domain in the US. The MIDI source must still be separately licensed, as before.

Season 1: working slate

#	Piece	Current file	Duration	Source/licence	Production state
1	Grieg — Elves’ Dance, Op. 12 No. 4	midis/grieg_elves_dance.mid	0:54	Bernd Krüger, piano-midi.de, CC BY-SA 3.0	MIDI ready; liner draft
2	Schumann — An Important Event, Op. 15 No. 6	midis/scn15_6.mid	0:47	Bernd Krüger, piano-midi.de, CC BY-SA 3.0	Existing MIDI; liner draft
3	Scriabin — Prelude in E-flat minor, Op. 11 No. 14	midis/scriabin_op11_14.mid	1:04	Knute Snortum’s LilyPond edition, IMSLP #887473, CC BY-SA 4.0; performance generated by midis/tools/build_shorts.mjs	MIDI ready; liner draft
4	Tchaikovsky — The New Doll, Op. 39 No. 9	midis/tchai_op39_9_new_doll.mid	0:59	New CC0 transcription from the public-domain Schirmer/Ruthardt score (1904)	MIDI ready; pitches checked against the score and reference MIDI; liner draft
5	Alkan — Le Staccatissimo, Op. 63 No. 2	—	≈1:03	Public-domain Richault score; no reusable digital source found	Blocked: needs a careful manual transcription
6	Bach — Prelude in F major, BWV 856	midis/bach_wtc1_11p.mid	1:02	Prelude-only derivative of the repository’s ornamented Mutopia/public-domain WTC file	MIDI ready; liner draft
7	Liszt — Berlin Preludio, S. 164g	midis/liszt_s164g_berlin_preludio.mid	0:08	New CC0 transcription from Aidan Modica’s CC0 edition, IMSLP #710207	Accurate two-bar miniature, but too short alone
8	Tchaikovsky — Baba Yaga, Op. 39 No. 20	midis/tchai_op39_20_baba_yaga.mid	0:48	New CC0 transcription from the public-domain Schirmer/Ruthardt score (1904)	MIDI ready; pitches checked against the score and reference MIDI; liner draft

Provisional substitutions

Do not silently replace the slate; choose before final rendering.

• Alkan — Toccatina, Op. 75 (midis/alkan_op75_toccatina.mid, 1:29). Mutopia edition by tanukiyarou, CC BY-SA 4.0. Ready and spectacular, but longer and harder than the original brief.
• Liszt — Consolation No. 1, S. 172 (midis/liszt_s172_1_consolation.mid, 1:34). Mutopia edition by Ryan Prince, CC BY 3.0. Ready, restrained and uncommon, but just over the preferred range.
• Berlin pair: put Berlin Preludio beside Paris Preludio, S. 164j, as “Two tiny Liszt preludes.” This is the best way to preserve the original Liszt idea, but the Paris MIDI has not been made yet.

Season visual and copy board

All final exports: YouTube Short 9:16, 1080×1920, 60 fps. Preview first at 540×960. Use a complete piece unless the table explicitly says otherwise.

1. Grieg — Elves’ Dance

• Visual: braid-halter, champagne satin, cel look, pale-gold light, spotlight dust, no depth of field. Single frame; favor hands, keyboard-up, player view and low right.
• Listening cue: “Clipped chords answer scurrying staccato.”

• Title: **Grieg’s Elves’ Dance in One Minute

  Op. 12 No. 4**

• Description: Edvard Grieg’s Elves’ Dance, Op. 12 No. 4, answers clipped chords with quick staccato figures. Champagne satin, cel outlines and dust in the spotlight give the performance a pale-gold nocturnal setting. #Shorts #piano

2. Schumann — An Important Event

• Visual: ponytail-qipao, red and gold, stylized look, ceremonial light and moderate vignette. Stacked 60/40: frontal pianist above, hands and hammers below.
• Listening cue: “A grand dotted march, compressed into a miniature.”

• Title: **A Tiny March with Very Big News

  Schumann**

• Description: Robert Schumann’s An Important Event, Op. 15 No. 6, compresses a ceremonial dotted march into less than a minute. Red-and-gold staging places the pianist above the hands and hammers below. #Shorts #piano

3. Scriabin — Prelude Op. 11 No. 14

• Visual: long-gown, red velvet, realistic look, dark crimson light, grain and strong vignette. Fast single-frame director; hands, pedals, low right and one face shot.
• Listening cue: “Fifteen eighth notes drive every restless bar.”

• Title: **What Does 15/8 Feel Like?

  Scriabin Prelude**

• Description: Alexander Scriabin’s Prelude in E-flat minor, Op. 11 No. 14, surges through a Presto 15/8 meter. Red velvet, low angles and restrained film grain turn its irregular pulse into a compact stage storm. #Shorts #piano

4. Tchaikovsky — The New Doll

• Visual: shift-long, blush pink, stylized look, warm ivory light and soft bloom. Stacked 60/40: pianist above and first-person lesson view below.
• Listening cue: “Each phrase climbs, then starts higher.”

• Title: **The New Doll Comes to Life

  Tchaikovsky Op. 39 No. 9**

• Description: Tchaikovsky’s The New Doll, Op. 39 No. 9, unfolds through bright, buoyant B-flat-major phrases. Blush fabric and a first-person lesson view present the keyboard as a softly lit toy theatre. #Shorts #piano

5. Alkan — Le Staccatissimo

• Visual: bob-bodycon, gold sequins, sharp cel look, cool white and brass light. Stacked 40/60 with a top-down lesson view; keep the keyboard sharp.
• Listening cue: “Repeated notes above, racing scales below.”

• Title: **One Minute of Alkan

  Le Staccatissimo**

• Description: Alkan’s Le Staccatissimo, Op. 63 No. 2, places repeated right-hand notes above rapid left-hand scales. Gold sequins and a top-down lesson view expose the two contrasting kinds of motion. #Shorts #piano

6. Bach — Prelude in F major

• Visual: braid-qipao, ivory and navy, realistic look and clean neutral light. Stacked 50/50 with hands below; include hammers and keyboard-up.
• Listening cue: “Arpeggios and trills pass between the hands.”

• Title: **Bach’s Other F-Major Prelude

  BWV 856**

• Description: Bach’s Prelude in F major, BWV 856, passes flowing arpeggios and long trills between the hands. Clean ivory-and-navy staging keeps the keyboard and its interlocking movement at the center. #Shorts #piano

7. Liszt — Berlin Preludio

• Visual: bob-cocktail, black satin, warm sepia, subtle grain. One fixed manuscript-like composition rather than a normal director sequence.
• Listening cue: “Seven rolled chords rush into a C-major cadence.”

• Title: **Liszt Fit This Prelude into Two Bars

  S. 164g**

• Description: Liszt’s Berlin Preludio, S. 164g, is a two-bar album leaf signed in Berlin in 1842. Seven rolled chords rush into a compact C-major cadence, framed here like a page from a private album. #Shorts #piano
• Format note: pair it with another album leaf; eight seconds is not a viable standalone Short.

8. Tchaikovsky — Baba Yaga

• Visual: sequin-gown, midnight blue, silver glints, cel look, stronger vignette and dust. Fast single-frame director; hands, keyboard-up, low right, hammers and pedals.
• Listening cue: “Staccato footsteps keep the chase moving.”

• Title: **Baba Yaga Runs on Staccato

  Tchaikovsky**

• Description: Tchaikovsky’s Baba Yaga, Op. 39 No. 20, races through E minor at a Presto tempo. Midnight-blue sequins, sharp cel outlines and close views of the keys and hammers create a compact folktale chase. #Shorts #piano

Candidate pool

Best next candidates

Piece	Typical duration	Character / renderer value	State
Bach — Invention No. 1 in C, BWV 772	1:15–1:35	Two clear contrapuntal hands; lesson view	Candidate
C. P. E. Bach — Solfeggietto, H. 220	0:55–1:10	Immediate single-line speed passed between hands	Candidate; check finger animation
Schumann — The Wild Rider, Op. 68 No. 8	0:40–0:55	Compact gallop and strong accents	Candidate
Schumann — The Reaper’s Song, Op. 68 No. 18	≈1:00	Direct rhythm, less familiar than Wild Rider	Candidate
Tchaikovsky — March of the Wooden Soldiers, Op. 39 No. 5	0:50–1:00	Crisp march and toy-theatre visuals	Candidate
Tchaikovsky — The Organ-Grinder Sings, Op. 39 No. 23	≈0:50	Repeating accompaniment and character	Candidate
Grieg — Arietta, Op. 12 No. 1	1:10–1:30	Quiet character study; face-forward camera	Candidate
Burgmüller — Arabesque, Op. 100 No. 2	≈1:00	Bright articulation; familiar mainly to students	Candidate
Burgmüller — Ballade, Op. 100 No. 15	1:10–1:30	Darker contrasts and clear miniature form	Candidate
Bach — Little Prelude in C, BWV 939	0:45–1:00	Clean counterpoint; pairable	Candidate
Bach — Little Prelude in A minor, BWV 942	0:40–1:00	Compact minor-key contrast	Candidate
Beethoven — Bagatelles Op. 119 Nos. 10–11	≈1:00 together	Two late Beethoven miniatures as a pair	Candidate

Slightly longer, still suitable

Piece	Typical duration	Character / renderer value
Debussy — The Girl with the Flaxen Hair	2:15–2:45	Complete lyrical Short; face and hands split
Mendelssohn — Venetian Boat Song, Op. 30 No. 6	≈3:00	Flowing accompaniment and long camera arcs
Couperin — Les Barricades mystérieuses	2:30–3:00	Interlocking pattern and top-down keyboard view
Scarlatti — Sonata in D minor, K. 141	3:00–4:00	Repeated-note spectacle; animation stress test
Rameau — Tambourin	1:15–1:45	Rhythmic Baroque contrast
Debussy — The Snow Is Dancing	2:30–3:00	Excellent hand activity and stacked lesson view

Existing-library fallbacks

These already exist but are less central to the “new discoveries” identity: Chopin Prelude in A major Op. 28 No. 7, Schumann The Happy Farmer, Schubert Moment Musical No. 3, Debussy The Little Shepherd, Schumann Of Foreign Lands and Peoples, and Grieg Halling.

Production checklist

• Choose whether to transcribe Le Staccatissimo or substitute Toccatina.
• Pair Berlin Preludio with a second album leaf, or substitute the Liszt Consolation.
• Check every rapid piece in hands-close and lesson views before rendering.
• Record source, editor/sequencer, licence and attribution in midis/README.md.
• Add the approved MIDI to playback_controls.js.
• Complete and source-check its liner notes in liner/pieces/.
• Render a 540×960 preview and check safe-area text, first/last frame and loop.
• Render 1080×1920 at 60 fps; retain the .vtt and -short.txt export.
• Put required attribution in the YouTube description.