Here's another guy in the Nils Frahm wave - very state of trance-like piano. new agish I guess could be another descriptor
Otto Totland
Otto Totland
Good, fresh, modern classical?
- Thread starter KeithR
- Start date
Has anyone mentioned Thomas Ades yet?
I am new to his music, but so far I've been quite impressed.
Another new discovery for me is Augusta Reed Thomas. Almost everything I've heard so far is very good. The recording of EOS: Goddess of Dawn, is on Reference Recordings, so the quality is excellent.
I am new to his music, but so far I've been quite impressed.
Another new discovery for me is Augusta Reed Thomas. Almost everything I've heard so far is very good. The recording of EOS: Goddess of Dawn, is on Reference Recordings, so the quality is excellent.
I was hoping to see a bit more action on this thread.
Seems to me, that classical music is thought by too many people to be a 'museum piece', instead of the progressing art form that it actually is.
One of the problems, as I see it from my experience posting on the Talkclassical.com forums, is that the majority of classical listeners seem to have been so turned off by serialism and 12 tone, that they have painted all late 20th century and contemporary classical music thereafter with the same broad brush.
It is really too bad, because there are some truly talented modern composers, while their music may still not be as easy to listen to as the classical warehorse (Beethoven Mozart, Bach, Mahler, et al), they are still not as 'thorny' as Berg, Schoenberg, Webern.
Oh well, I'll still post here from time to time...
Recently I discovered the contemporary ensemble, Eighth Blackbird. Really talented group of musicians, playing members' and other contemporary composers pieces.
Let me also add, that the recording is audiophile quality. It is on the Cedille Records label, who I haven''t previously heard of. The soundstage and imaging are really impressive.
Seems to me, that classical music is thought by too many people to be a 'museum piece', instead of the progressing art form that it actually is.
One of the problems, as I see it from my experience posting on the Talkclassical.com forums, is that the majority of classical listeners seem to have been so turned off by serialism and 12 tone, that they have painted all late 20th century and contemporary classical music thereafter with the same broad brush.
It is really too bad, because there are some truly talented modern composers, while their music may still not be as easy to listen to as the classical warehorse (Beethoven Mozart, Bach, Mahler, et al), they are still not as 'thorny' as Berg, Schoenberg, Webern.
Oh well, I'll still post here from time to time...
Recently I discovered the contemporary ensemble, Eighth Blackbird. Really talented group of musicians, playing members' and other contemporary composers pieces.
Let me also add, that the recording is audiophile quality. It is on the Cedille Records label, who I haven''t previously heard of. The soundstage and imaging are really impressive.
Another recent discovery, is Estonian composer, Erkki-Sven Tüür.
I purchased a CD on the ECM label with 3 pieces: concerto for violin and orchestra, Exodus, and Aditus for orchestra.
I haven't completely warmed to the violin concerto, but the other 2 pieces are excellent.
I purchased a CD on the ECM label with 3 pieces: concerto for violin and orchestra, Exodus, and Aditus for orchestra.
I haven't completely warmed to the violin concerto, but the other 2 pieces are excellent.
Simon,
I've seen some of your posts, and you seem to like prog rock, so it's interesting you've found Tüür. Do you know he was in In Spe, one of the old USSR's best prog rock bands? Their two albums are some of the most gorgeous symphonic progressive rock. The first (self-titled) is more traditionally "rock", while the second is a bit more "avant", and more classically inclined.
Both are on CD, and the original LPs are not that hard to locate or expensive. Good stuff!
cheers,
alex
I've seen some of your posts, and you seem to like prog rock, so it's interesting you've found Tüür. Do you know he was in In Spe, one of the old USSR's best prog rock bands? Their two albums are some of the most gorgeous symphonic progressive rock. The first (self-titled) is more traditionally "rock", while the second is a bit more "avant", and more classically inclined.
Both are on CD, and the original LPs are not that hard to locate or expensive. Good stuff!
cheers,
alex
That's cool!
I am familiar with Spe (their CDs are on my list of future purchases), but I did not put it together that Tuur was a member.
I will have to move their CDs up on my purchase list.
How about modern classical or avantgarde composers like Morton Feldman?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZZ0DYIkaP8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZZ0DYIkaP8
+1
51 years ago I took the Beethoven Chamber Music course (for non-music majors) my senior year in college. When we came to the late quartets, it was a revelation, particularly Op133 Grosse Fuge. Philip Glass was about 30 and John Adams was two years behind me in college and conducting one of the student orchestras, so minimalism and serial music was not yet in sight. The late quartets tick all the boxes - good, fresh, modern.
Larry
I am a fan of the Beethoven string quartets too (all periods), and the Grosse Fuge still sounds radically modern indeed.
But let's face it: Beethoven lived 200 years ago. There is actually really modern, good, fresh classical out there, tons of it. One mention on this thread has particularly caught my ear, and I'll report later on it. It surprises me since it's pretty tonal, and I really like it. I actually think it might be a masterpiece but I'm not yet fully convinced of that, still evaluating. Normally I go for the hardcore avant-garde stuff. Just this evening I listened to Liza Lim and James Dillon, both fantastic.
I am very interested in hearing the piece you are referring to?
Any updates on whether you consider it a masterpiece?
Check out the Bis collection of Tuur symphonies. Nearly every piece has at least one "wow, that was cool" moment, and all are as listenable as anything in the standard classical repertoire.
Atterberg is another composer in a similar vein. Chandos has published some Jarvi-conducted SACDs, and CPO has put out a full redbook box set. Some nice string quartets also.
Parker
Gaaah ... my mistake. I was thinking of Tubin, not Tuur. Tubin (and Atterberg) more in the Sibelius vein. Different animals than Tuur. That's what I get for posting before coffee.
It's the Volcano Symphony by Ernst Rijsegger, mentioned in the beginning of the thread (Thanks, KeithR). I'm usually not into the tonal or tonal leaning stuff when it comes to contemporary classical, but I have come to love this impressive music. At first it seems pretty conventional, but I have found that the textures feature combinations of timbre and harmony that are quite unique and rich sounding. It's with a baroque orchestra, and some of the polyphony has leanings towards that style, but mostly it is rather original and competently composed. The composer is an accomplished jazz cellist as well, and his captivating improvisations also enliven the polyphony. In Part 2 there is an arresting play between descending and ascending lines of remarkable tension. The wordless vocal lines by the soprano lean towards world music and are beautiful.
It may a masterpiece, or at least close to one.
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