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21st Century Classical

39K views 237 replies 60 participants last post by  christo131 
#1 ·
Hi Everyone,

This is a thread for the discussion of 21st century music. It's just a place to mention all sorts of news, including recent compositions, composers and works you've discovered, intriguing genres, new instruments, award announcements, album releases, premieres, favorite new music blogs, etc. Youtube clips and article links are great if you've got them.

There are similar threads on the board: some focus on particular genres, and most of them ask for favorites. Feel free to link to interesting posts on other threads. I hope this one will be a casual and easy-going thread that can gather information and ideas that don't fit very well elsewhere.

A word about etiquette: this is emphatically not a debate thread. If anyone posts music you dislike or inflammatory polemics, please do not engage with them (if something is way over the line, report it). It would be nice if there were no negativity at all. I'd like it if people felt comfortable mentioning 21st-century music of any style.

...

A few introductory links for newcomers to contemporary music:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st-century_classical_music

Alex Ross: http://www.therestisnoise.com/2006/05/new_music_links.html

Ross has fairly comprehensive lists of esteemed contemporary composers and ensembles.

Tom Service: https://www.theguardian.com/music/series/a-guide-to-contemporary-classical-music

In a popular series, Service chose 50 composers to try to "tell the story of the contemporary music scene." It does not have many active composers, though it could serve as useful background.

schigolch: http://www.talkclassical.com/16411-contemporary-opera.html

Finally, I thought I'd mention a great, long-running thread managed by our own schigolch, which provides information about contemporary operas.

...

I hope that some people will enjoy the thread--thanks for participating!
 
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#122 · (Edited)
I am curious if there would be any interest from all of you for a 21st century listening chain. Here is a quick intro into the concept. Please let me know what you think:

One person adds a youtube link (or other link) to a short piece of music, or movement of a longer work,
The next person must listen to that piece of music before adding their own link to a different piece of music.
The next person must listen to both works prior to adding their new entry, etc, etc....

With each person the chain of links grows. The wonderful thing about it though, is that all participants share the common experience of having listened to EVERY work on the thread. The idea is that this would lead to some more interesting discussion, as well as expanding each person's listening repertoire.

We could make a cap on the length of any entry at 20-30 minutes so as not to overwhelm any participant. We could also say that as the list grows really long, each person only needs to know the 5 pieces of music prior to their new entry.

I'd love to have this get going with new music, but it would require some other people being interested besides me. Any interest from any of you?
 
#123 ·
I am curious if there would be any interest from all of you for a 21st century listening chain. Here is a quick intro into the concept. Please let me know what you think:

One person adds a youtube link (or other link) to a short piece of music, or movement of a longer work,
The next person must listen to that piece of music before adding their own link to a different piece of music.
The next person must listen to both works prior to adding their new entry, etc, etc....

With each person the chain of links grows. The wonderful thing about it though, is that all participants share the common experience of having listened to EVERY work on the thread. The idea is that this would lead to some more interesting discussion, as well as expanding each person's listening repertoire.

We could make a cap on the length of any entry at 20-30 minutes so as not to overwhelm any participant. We could also say that as the list grows really long, each person only needs to know the 5-10 pieces of music prior to their new entry.

I'd love to have this get going with new music, but it would require some other people being interested besides me. Any interest from any of you?
I'm in. Absolutely.
 
#128 ·
Yes, it's a good idea to open a thread devoted to 21st century music, without the perennial debates on "atonality," "meaning of art," "4:33," "greatness of the past/Wagner vs. modernism," "Music I hate," "nobody better tell me how to listen," etc.
 
#135 ·
I've been listening to Dusapin's 2012 Violin Concerto, "Aufgang," a three movement work that is enthralling: it soars and floats, rumbles and groans, sings and wails... it's really quite wonderful. It's included on an Erato CD along with recent violin concerti by Rihm and Mantovani. The entire program is fascinating, and the Rihm is required listening as well.

Musical instrument Sleeve Music Font Musician
 
#136 ·
Hi Everyone,

Here's a quick digest of all the websites/links that appear throughout the thread, excluding mentions of individual artists and albums, in case anyone wants to update their bookmarks. Thanks for all the great participation in this thread so far.

Blogs, websites, etc.:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st-c...lassical_music
Alex Ross: http://www.therestisnoise.com/2006/0...sic_links.html
Tom Service: https://www.theguardian.com/music/se...lassical-music
Sikorski: http://www.sikorski.de/2/en/news.html
Bachtrack: https://bachtrack.com/article-bacht...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Living Composers Project: http://www.composers21.com/
Sequenza 21: http://www.sequenza21.com/
5:4: http://5against4.com/
Donaueschingen Music Festival: https://www.swr.de/swr2/donaueschingen
Just Outside: http://olewnick.blogspot.com/
I CARE IF YOU LISTEN: https://www.icareifyoulisten.com/
Second Inversion: http://secondinversion.org/
Gramophone's "Discover the Music of Today": https://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/21st-century-classical-discover-the-music-of-today

Online Radio:

WQXR Q2: http://www.wqxr.org/articles/q2-music/
Counterstream Radio: https://www.newmusicusa.org/counterstream-radio/

Youtube:

5against4 playlists: https://www.youtube.com/user/fiveagainstfour/playlists
Wellesz Theatre: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDQ3HbQlR768JjHJ8CIhtRw

Music Labels (currently just NEOS):

NEOS: https://neos-music.com/
List of albums: http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/s/Donaueschinger+Musiktage
Qobuz (for albums in lossless format): http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/search?s=rdc&q=Donaueschinger+Musiktage&i=boutique

TC threads:

schigolch's contemporary opera thread: http://www.talkclassical.com/16411-c...ary-opera.html
21st century listening chain: http://www.talkclassical.com/49825-21st-century-listening-chain.html#post1259570
"New Generations": http://www.talkclassical.com/31712-new-generations.html
 
#138 · (Edited)
Music labels that you will find C21 recordings:

NEOS
Germany: https://neos-music.com/
(Aho, Kurtág, GF Haas, Donaueschingen Music Festival recordings, more)

AEON
(an imprint of Outhere Music - Alpha is also a part of this family)
Belgium: https://www.outhere-music.com/en/about/us
(Arditti Quartet, Rihm, Pauset, Murail, more)

KAIROS
Austria: https://www.kairos-music.com/
(Furrer, Neuwirth, Sciarrino, Chin, Manoury, more)

Cantaloupe Music
USA: http://cantaloupemusic.com/
(Bang on a Can All-Stars, David Lang, John Luther Adams, Julia Wolfe, more)

col legno
Australia: https://www.col-legno.com/en/distribution
(Pärt, Globokar, and a lot of great C20 music)

20/21
'Music of Our Time'
(a series from Deutsche Grammophon)
Germany: http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/series/prod_series
(Eötvös, Boulez, Chin, Harbison, Birtwistle, Knussen, more)

ECM New Series
'Edition of Contemporary Music'
Germany: https://www.ecmrecords.com/catalogue
(Tabakova, Kurtág, Pärt, Monk, Auerbach, Nørgård, more)

NMC Recordings
'The home of new music from the British Isles'
England: https://www.nmcrec.co.uk/
(Crash Ensemble, Dennehy, Muhy, more)

Edition Wandelweiser Records
Germany: http://www.wandelweiser.de/
(Frey, Houben, more)

OgreOgress
'Important Music. Finally Available'
USA: http://ogreogress.com/
(Glass, Cage, Monk, Hovhaness)

Ondine
Finland: https://www.ondine.net/
(Saariaho, Aho, Rautavaara, more)

Decapo Records
Denmark: http://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/
(Nørgård, Hind, more)

Odradek Records
USA: http://www.odradek-records.com/
(Unsuk Chin, more)

ATMA Classique
Canada: https://www.atmaclassique.com/fr/default.aspx
(Schafer, Kurtág, Guaidulina, Quatuor Molinari, more)

Naxos
'21st Century Classics'
Hong Kong: https://www.naxos.com/feature/21st_Century_Classics.asp
(Tavener, Mounry, Maxwell Davies, more)

Sargasso
'20 years of sound and silence'
UK: https://www.sargasso.com/
(Harvey, Pampin, more)
 
#141 ·
I've been thinking about how music reflects the time in which it is written. How does 21st century music reflect our time? What is different about this century than last century?

1. Major technological advances
2. Communication - the internet and satellite communication make the world far more integrated, and connected. There is an immediacy to communication that we have not experienced in previous centuries. Emails are instantaneous. No more waiting for letters. Everyone has a cell phone in their pocket and often communicates with short blurbs of texts. Sound bites and news being reduced to sensationalist nuggets runs rampant. In addition, it is a world where everyone has the potential to cause waves. Overnight internet sensations on youtube. Reality TV. Mass emails and spam.
3. Increasing globalization of brands - McDonalds in even more places. Online shopping.

How can music respond to OR reflect these changes?
How is music responding to OR reflecting these changes?
 
#151 ·
New Amsterdam Records has been releasing recordings of interesting, unique new compositions. I liked the albums by violist Nadia Sirota a lot (Muhly etc.) I also enjoyed Jasper String Quartet (Gosfield, David Lang, & others), Perich by Chow, itsnotyouitsme (sweet ambient by McMurray/Burhans duo), Dan Trueman's etudes for prepared digital piano. The interesting releases which I want to hear are Roomfull of Teeth, NOW Ensemble, A O R T A (Chow), and more.

These are some of my favorite contemporary music labels not mentioned yet.

Irritable Hedgehog (Missouri)
http://recordings.irritablehedgehog.com/
Every recording by R. Andrew Lee is worth checking out. EIO, McIntire(reed)/Oldham(trumpet)/Padavic(bass) trio, is a superb improvisation group.
Randy Gibson


Another Timbre (UK)
http://www.anothertimbre.com/index.html
Quiet music by Wandelweiser composers, Skogen, Sabat, Bryn Harrison, etc.
Wandelweiser und so weiter


Populist Records (California)
http://www.populistrecords.com/
Experimental yet attractive new music
Daniel Corral: Refractions


Cold Blue (California)
http://www.coldbluemusic.com/
Fascinating and sensuous music by exceptional American composers.
Lentz: In the Sea of Ionia


Unexplained Sounds Group (Italy)
https://unexplainedsoundsgroup.bandcamp.com/
Experimental underground music from composers/musicians worldwide.
New frontiers of electronic music
 
#146 · (Edited)
I'm listening to the Double Violin concerto by Lisa Bielawa mentioned in the article above. It's a very nice piece, but I'm a bit surprised that she represents 21st century music any more than another composer would. I wonder who else has written a similar piece who is born around 1970. Hey, that's my generation!
...Also listened to the string quartet by Gabriela Lena Frank and sort of remembered my composer-friend Aleksandra Vrebalov. She could have been represented with this piece...but it's from 1998...
 
#150 · (Edited)
Missy Mazzoli wrote a very engaging opera called Song from the Uproar: Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt. In my opinion it is good, I would even recommend it to individuals that do not generally like opera; it is guitar heavy, almost a little punk rock, the closest comparison I would make would be the music of David Lang.






I adore the music of Dobrinka Tabakova. I have recommended her album String Paths (ECM New Series) many times. Her concerto for cello and strings will break your heart. The string septet is gorgeous.





EDIT: After talking about the Tabakova album I decided to play it. Such different paths (2008) for string septet. Just gorgeous. It is tonal, it is this wonderful mix of folksy and romantic without coming off as conservative or cliché. I could not recommend it highly enough.
 
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