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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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#159 · (Edited)
I'd like to invite any stragglers to join the 21C listening chain thread. You could listen to the last five submitted works, and then submit your own. After that, just keep following and listening and submitting along with the rest of us.

It is really enjoyable listening to what everyone submits. I know I am biased, but I think it is the most exciting thread on TC right now.
 
#160 · (Edited)
Have any of you seen this analysis by the Baltimore Symphony about performance statistics of symphony orchestras and how often they perform music by living composers? It is quite interesting

https://www.bsomusic.org/stories/by-the-numbers-living-composers.aspx

This image was noteworthy to me, as well:
Azure Font Aqua Water Parallel


I'd never heard of Mason Bates. I listened to some of his stuff on Youtube and it seemed like music that was trying way too hard to appeal to the young crowd. Anyway, I thought I'd see what your thoughts are on him.

I admit I haven't heard most of his stuff, so I will listen to more.
 
#161 ·
I would not have guessed that over 25% of all concerts would include work from a living composer. Bates suggests that if lessor ensembles were included that number could be even higher. Two such ensembles that I have often attended may bear that out. The New Century Chamber Orchestra (in San Francisco) will perform contemporary works in 3 out of 4 concerts this year. My wife's community orchestra commissioned a premiere in every concert two years ago.

Mason Bates is often played on the Q2 music radio station out of New York. I'll admit that I have not found much of his that really resonates with me.
 
#163 ·
The concert band world has always been good with new music. I have been a member of a concert band (trumpet) for much of my adult life. It is interesting, though, that contemporary concert band music is generally much less concerned with being avant-garde (for example, how many spectral, or twelve tone concert band works are there?)
 
#164 · (Edited)
^^^^

There is the music a Karol Husa.

Gunther Schuller composed several works for band.

George Rochberg composed a major work for band during his 12-tone period: Apocalyptica. Unfortunately I have only heard an old recording with the MIT band that I no longer have. I have never found a performance on YouTube.

H. Owen Reed composed a work that employed aleatoric methods: For the Unfortunate. I am listening to it now.

Ross Lee Finney and Leslie Bassett composed 12-tone works for band.

Among the living composers John Corigliano Symphony No. 3 for Band "Circus Maximus employs many aleatoric and antiphonal sections. There are several great performances on You Tube for example:

Some other living composers who have composed adventurous music for band:
Jeffrey Hass. His Concerto for Amplified Piano and Wind Ensemble was composed in 2001: http://www.music.indiana.edu/departments/academic/composition/recordings/hass/concerto.shtml

The following recording contains several adventurous works by contemporary composers: https://www.amazon.com/Augenblick-Johnston-Catherine-University-Ensemble/dp/B007X128AY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500862416&sr=8-1&keywords=christopher+stark+augenblick

Link to a performance of Christopher Stark's Augenblick from the recording:

The above are examples that I can think of off the top of my head.

Just thought of another. David Rakowski's Ten of a Kind: Concerto for Ten Clarinets and Wind Ensemble. He composed the work for the United States Marine Band. I was at the premier.
 
#167 · (Edited)
I joined the group. Great idea!!! And I like the current listening idea. I wonder if a CONTEMPORARY MUSIC - CURRENT LISTENING thread should be started on the main board. It has certain advantages and disadvantages to the listening chain. Anyone can post as often as they want with no expectation to have to listen to what everyone else posts.

On the flip side, I do like that the listening chain has that expectation. I was hoping for more discussion and participation there. Maybe the enthusiasm for it is dwindling. I don't know. I am open to anyone's thoughts or ideas.

The bottom line for me is to hear what music is out there that is being created NOW, especially music that other people are passionate about.
 
#169 ·
I joined the group. Great idea!!! And I like the current listening idea. I wonder if a CONTEMPORARY MUSIC - CURRENT LISTENING thread should be started on the main board. It has certain advantages and disadvantages to the listening chain. Anyone can post as often as they want with no expectation to have to listen to what everyone else posts.
The Listening Chain is great because we really focus on hearing all the works and people's thoughts on those works. The Current Listening will compliment the Listening Chain because people can post whatever they wish there.

Obviously everyone is welcome to post on the main forum or the groups, but I think there tends to be much less activity in the groups so I think it's a great idea to start the Current Listening thread in the main forum.
 
#172 · (Edited)
#171 · (Edited)
Recent cd picks from Alex Ross:

Tyshawn Sorey, Verisimilitude; Sorey, Cory Smythe, Chris Tordini (Pi Recordings)

[I wrote a brief comment for the New Yorker website]

Daniel Lentz, River of 1000 Streams; Vicki Ray (Cold Blue)

Poulenc, Choral Works; The Sixteen (Coro)

Czernowin, Wintersongs; International Contemporary Ensemble, Steven Schick, Jeffrey Gavett, Kai Wessel (Kairos)

Randy Gibson, The Four Pillars Appearing from The Equal D under Resonating Apparitions of The Eternal Process in The Midwinter Starfield 16 VIII 10 (Kansas City); R. Andrew Lee (Irritable Hedgehog)

Pfitzner, Die Rose vom Liebesgarten; Erin Caves, Kouta Rasanen, Andreas Kindschuh, Astrid Weber, Jana Buchner, Tiina Penttinen, Andre Riemer, Chorus of Oper Chemnitz, Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie, Frank Beermann conducting (cpo)

Scott Wollschleger, Soft Aberration (various works); Longleash, Anne Lanzilotti, Karl Larson, Andy Kozar, Corrine Byrne, John Popham, Mivos Quartet (New Focus; out Oct. 17)

http://www.therestisnoise.com/
 
#174 ·
Recent cd picks from Alex Ross:

Tyshawn Sorey, Verisimilitude; Sorey, Cory Smythe, Chris Tordini (Pi Recordings)
What they are doing is interesting, which sounds like integrating jazz and contemporary classical. I liked the trio's first album Alloy a lot.

The album by Smythe, the pianist of the group, A U T O TROPHS is also impressive. It began "with an imaginary premise: Fats Waller working at IRCAM in the early 80s" and the other works are homage to Lucier, influenced by Harvey, inspired by Laurie Anderson. He is the pianist of Hilary Hahn's In 27 Pieces, very enjoyable collection of contemporary encore pieces.


https://corysmythe.bandcamp.com/

Daniel Lentz, River of 1000 Streams; Vicki Ray (Cold Blue)
Cold Blue released three excellent, long-awaited albums last month.
http://coldbluemusic.com/new-releases/

Lentz's River of 1,000 Streams (2016) starts with strumming low notes, but gradually his characteristic sensual sounds emerge.
Larry Polansky's freehorn and other 2 works are beautiful microtonal pieces.
Stephen Whittington's Windmill and …from a thatched hut evoke splendid and lyrical soundscapes.



Scott Wollschleger, Soft Aberration (various works); Longleash, Anne Lanzilotti, Karl Larson, Andy Kozar, Corrine Byrne, John Popham, Mivos Quartet (New Focus; out Oct. 17)
Youtube clips I heard are very good and I am looking forward to the release.
 
#175 ·
Best of Bandcamp Contemporary Classical: September 2017

Daniel Corral, Refractions
Anne La Berge, Raw
David Kirkland Garner, Dark Holler
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh / Garth Knox, All Soundings Are True
John Luther Adams, Canticles of the Holy Wind
Dalia Raudonikyte With, Solitarius
Gelsey Bell & John King, Ciphony
Andrew Lee, Randy Gibson: The Four Pillars Appearing from The Equal D under Resonating Apparitions of The Eternal Process in The Midwinter Starfield 16 VIII 10 (Kansas City)
Quiver, Small Worlds
Fonema Consort, Fifth Tableau

Melodic post-minimal to interactive / improvisational to experimental, the list captures wide varieties of contemporary classical music. I have listened to only half of them (Corral, Raghallaigh / Knox, J. L. Adams, With, Gibson), which are highly recommended.
 
#179 · (Edited)
A new contemporary group giving music - old and new - a fresh new take. I'm quite a fan, but they don't have much of a following yet so I'm spreading the word. All of the pieces performed so far are compositions of the 21st century, and a "Libertango" arrangement recently done by one of the violinists themselves. They call themselves Project MainStream.





 
#185 · (Edited)
I have to admit that on a first listen it really doesn't do much for me. From the preliminary discussion we discover it is predicated upon tuning and harmonics from sustained notes and chords. I doubt most (if not all) listeners would be able to differentate between when they were actually tuning up and when they are playing.

Between 21:00 and 38:00 there is a compelling soundscape, but after the pizzicato section it isn't quite so good.
 
#187 ·
A new composer for me - Amos Elkana. I listened to several works (below). Reflections is a work for violin with a computer recording the music and playing it back delayed through 4 speakers. Casino Umbro uses both Baroque and modern instruments in a work that has a Baroque sounding beginning and ending with a modern development in between. The Second String Quartet apparently is based on music that resembles a fractal structure. I enjoyed Reflections and the sextet more than the quartet although I think the quartet probably would require a bit more listening.

Reflections (2014, violin and electronics)
Casino Umbro (2010, sextet)
String Quartet no. 2 (2004)
 
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