# Greatest Works from the Last 50 Years?



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

What are the greatest works of the last 50 years?

This can be subjective, based on critical acclaim, or based on some other criteria.

(I ask that this not be the place for people to vent their distaste of new music. It’s okay to not participate.)


----------



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

For me, these come to mind:

Abrahamsen: Let me Tell You
Adams: Harmonielehre, Nixon in China
Andriessen: De Staat
Chin: Cello Concerto
Dhomont: Foret Profonde
Harvey: Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco
Messaien: Éclairs sur l'au-delà...
Part: Fratres


----------



## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Shostakovich: String Quartets 14 and 15, Viola Sonata, Michelangelo Songs.


----------



## Philidor (11 mo ago)

Music since 1972 ...

Norgard: Symphony No. 3 (1972-75)
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 15 E-flat minor (1974)
Schnittke: Requiem (1974/75)
Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (1974-76)
Rzewski: The People United will never be Defeated! (1975)
Holliger: Scardanelli Cycle (1975-91)
Rihm: String Quartet No. 3 ("Im Innersten", 1976)
Nono: Fragmente - Stille. An Diotima (1979)
Messiaen: Livre du Saint Sacrement (1984)
Schnittke: Concerto for Choir (1984/85)
Reich: Different Trains (1988)
Sandström: Motorbike Concerto (1988/89)
Kancheli: Mourned by the Wind (1989)
Dusapin: Quatuor II ("Time zones", 1989)
Tüür: Symphony No. 4 ("Magma", 2002)
Furrer: String Quartet No. 3 (2004)
Rihm: Et lux (2009)


----------



## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

It is too early to have enough data to reliably understand which works from the 20th century will enjoy a consensus judgment of greatness.


----------



## Philidor (11 mo ago)

SanAntone said:


> It is too early to have enough data to reliably understand which works from the 20th century will enjoy a consensus judgment of greatness.


Basically, I agree.

While I am trying to push the pride to "judge" a composition away from me, the OP explicitely allowed to be subjective ...

... and all "consensus judgements" are subject to changes, e. g. Meyerbeer, Beethoven's late quartets, Bach, ...

... and I do not know whether historical distance will result in "better" judgements ...


----------



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

SanAntone said:


> It is too early to have enough data to reliably understand which works from the 20th century will enjoy a consensus judgment of greatness.


I'm looking for ideas of things to listen to


----------



## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Bryars: The Sinking of the Titanic
Silvestrov: Symphony no. 5


----------



## dko22 (Jun 22, 2021)

if we were restricted to just the past 30 years then I'd be struggling to find much at all I know of that could be defined as great.
On the other hand, the previous two decades from 1972 present a far wider selection.

Top go the Weinberg War symphonies 17 and 19
Although no Shosty symphony makes it, the last two quartets (and the depressing viola sonata) do as has already been pointed out. 
Schnittke's late works perhaps above all the _Piano Quintet_
Arnold's 7th
Silvestrov 5th (at least)
Brincken's 1st. Probably the greatest Bruckner 5 since Bruckner 5, although plenty Rachmaninov and Franz Schmidt influence as well. 
One or two Robert Simpson string quartets and the _quintet for clarinet, bass clarinet and string trio_

After 1992, not so many are still left. One has to mention Ligeti, perhaps especially the extraordinary _Hamburg concerto_, Kancheli --something like _Omao Om_i or perhaps the _Lament_. And then there's Brincken's joyously lyrical 4 from a mere 6-7 years ago which, almost uniquely, could have easily been written at least 100 years earlier.

It's not hard to see an overwhelming dominance of (ex) Soviet Union composers in this brief list. Few in the west seem to have much to say musically these days even if some might be very good at saying nothing. As with modern art, the concept is far too often more important that the actual product. The UK still has the odd person trying to keep up and refresh the old traditions but the situation in Germanic lands (where I currently live) or France seems pretty dire.


----------



## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Philidor said:


> Music since 1972 ...
> 
> Sandström: Motorbike Concerto (1988/89)


This was the only work I didn't know from your list. I just finished listening to it, amazing work. Thank you for introducing me to it


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Górecki - Symphony No. 3 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" (1976)
Pärt - Spiegel im Spiegel (1978)
Arnold - Symphony No. 9 (1986)
Reich - Different Trains (1988)
Vasks - Cor Anglais Concerto (1989)
Takemitsu - From Me Flows What You Call Time (1990)
Penderecki - Symphony No. 6 "Chinese Poems" (2017)

These are the seven compositions in that time frame that score the maximum 6/6 on the Artrockometer (currently 104 compositions in total).


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

20centrfuge said:


> I'm looking for ideas of things to listen to


I have no idea what the greatest works are the past half century (I'm not sure I really care either), so I'll tell you what I've been listening to the last few days:

Pierre Boulez: Messagesquisse, for solo cello and six other cellos (1976)

Listened to this yesterday for the first time in maybe a year or so. Last time I thought having the same timbre across seven cellos weighed the piece down a bit, made it a bit sluggish. Completely different experience last night. It felt light, agile, relentless, and rhythmically alive.






Pierre Boulez: Dérive 2, for chamber ensemble (1988-2010, many revisions along the way)

Listened to this 4 times in the last 3 days. The slow section in the middle is maybe 2-3 minutes too long. But other than that, gorgeous piece. Also very rhythmic in certain places, for example the final 4-5 minutes.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

dko22 said:


> Brincken's 1st. Probably the greatest Bruckner 5 since Bruckner 5, although plenty Rachmaninov and Franz Schmidt influence as well.


I really like Brincken's 4th so where do I find his 1st (and 2nd and 3rd)?


----------



## Philidor (11 mo ago)

allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> This was the only work I didn't know from your list. I just finished listening to it, amazing work. Thank you for introducing me to it


You are welcome! :tiphat: Looking forward to getting acquainted with your favourites ... I guess your preferences from your avatar, but there is certainly much more ...


----------



## StDior (May 28, 2015)

Greatest works of the last 50 years from my 10 most favourite composers of the period: 

Ligeti: Double Concerto (1972), Clocks and Clouds (1973), Piano Concerto (1985-88), Violin Concerto (1992)
Boulez: Répons (1984), Anthèmes II (1997)
Radulescu: Intimate Rituals XI (1985-87), String Quartet No. 4 (1976–87), String Quartet No. 5 (1990/95), Piano Concerto "The Quest" (1996)
Gubaidulina: Quasi hoquetus (1984), String Quartet No. 2 (1987)
Lutoslawski: Symphony No. 3 (1983)
Stockhausen: Dienstag aus Licht (1977–1991)
Schnittke: Piano Quintet (1972-76), Concerto Grosso No. 1 (1977), Concerto for Piano and Strings (1979), Symphony No. 2 "St. Florian" (1979), Concerto Grosso No. 2 (1981-1982)
Rihm: Jagden und Formen (1995/2001), String Quartet No. 13 (2011)
Xenakis: Tetras (1983)
Lachenmann: Allegro Sostenuto (1986–88), Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (1996)

Honorable mention works:

Chin: Violin Concerto (2001)
Fujikura: Prism spectra (2009), Ice (2010), Sparking Orbit (2013)
Furrer: Piano Concerto (2007)
Grisey: Les Espaces Acoustiques (1974-85)
Haas: String Quartet 3 "In iij. Noct" (2003)
Harvey: Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco (1980)
Kagel: Piano Trio No. 1 (1985)
Manoury: Tensio (2010)
Mitterer: Inwendig losgelöst (2006)
Nørgård: String Quartet No.10 "Hosttidlos" (2006)
Pärt: Te Deum (1985), Tabula Rasa (1977)
Romitelli: Professor Bad Trip (1998-2000)
Silvestrov: String Quartet No.2 (1988)
Sørensen: Phantasmagoria (2007), L'isola della Città (2016)


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I'll nominate Benjamin Britten's final opera _Death in Venice_. How posterity will judge it isn't my concern - I think it's a wonderful work on various levels, not least of which was the composer's own circumstances at the time of writing it.


----------



## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

The last 50 years is in my wheelhouse!

The vast majority of classical music I listen to is from that period (actually, back to the mid 50's).

Not sure I'd consider them all the "greatest works" of the last 50 years, but I certainly rate them all very highly.

I'll post more in the near future.

Elliott Carter - Three Occasions for Orchestra (1986-1989), Violin Concerto (1990), Three Illusions for Orchestra (2002-2004), 
Penderecki - Violin Concerto No. 2: Metamorphosen (1992–95), Sextet for clarinet, horn, violin, viola, cello and piano (2000), 
Joan Tower - Concerto for Orchestra (1991), Silver Ladders (1986)
Charles Wuorinen - Fourth Piano Concerto (2003), Third Piano Concerto
Harrison Birtwistle - Earth Dances (1985), 
Magnus Lindberg - Sculpture (2005), Concerto for Orchestra (2003), Piano Concerto (1991)
Gyorgi Ligeti - Piano Concerto (1985-1988), Violin Concerto (1989-1993), 
Geroge Perle - Serenade No. 3 for piano and Chamber Orchestra
Ernst Krenek - Static and Ecstatic (1972)
Peter Maxwell Davies - Symphony 10


----------



## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Here's a few more:

Bruno Maderna - Oboe Concerto No. 3 (1973)
Elliott Carter - A Symphony of Three Orchestras (1976)
Teru Takemitsu - From Me Flows What You Call Time (1990)
Joan Tower – Piano Concerto (1985)


----------



## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Philidor said:


> You are welcome! :tiphat: Looking forward to getting acquainted with your favourites ... I guess your preferences from your avatar, but there is certainly much more ...


Here they go, in no particular order:

Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre (1977); Horn Trio (1983); 1st and 2nd Books of Études (1985/1993); Piano Concerto (1988); Violin Concerto (1993); Sonata for Solo Viola (1993); Nonsense Madrigals (1993); Hamburg Concerto (1999); With Pipes, Drums and Fiddles (2000) 
Kurtág: Messages of the Late R.V. Troussova (1980); Scenes from a Novel (1982); Kafka Fragmente (1986); Hölderlin-Gesänge (1997)
Rihm: Chiffre Zyklus (1988); Die Eroberung von Mexiko (1991); Gesungene Zeit (1992); Jagden und Formen (2001); Vigilia (2001); Requiem Strophen (2018)
Boulez: Répons (1984); Dérive 1/2 (1984/2006); Sur incises (1998)
Dutilleux: Ainsi la nuit (1976); Les citations (1985); L'arbre des songes (1985)
Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz (1972); Das atmende Klarsein (1981)
Rautavaara: Vigilia (1972); Violin Concerto (1977); Thomas (1985); Song of our Time (1993)
Sciarrino: Lohengrin (1981); Luci mie traditrici (1998)
Ginastera: Piano Concerto 2 (1972); Guitar Sonata (1976); Cello Concerto 2 (1981) 
Murail: Territoires de l'oubli (1977); Désintégrations (1982); Les travaux et les jours (2002); Portulan (1998-2011)
Grisey: Les espaces acoustiques (1976-1985); Vortex temporum (1996); Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil (1998)
Dusapin: String Quartet 3 (1993); Medeamaterial (1991)
Gubaidúlina: Jetzt immer Schnee (1993); Johannes Passio (2000)
Berio: Coro (1976); Sequenza XI (1988); Un Re in ascolto (1984); Cronaca del luogo (1999) 
Kagel: Sant Bach Passion (1985); Piano Trio 1 (1985); String Quartet 3 (1987); Piano Trio 3 (2002)
Birtwistle: Secret Theatre (1984); The Mask of Orpheus (1984); Antiphonies (1992)
Ferneyhough: La terre est un homme (1979); Études transcendentales (1985); La chute d'Icare (1988); Bone Alphabet (1991); Terrain (1992); Shadowtime (2004); String Quartet 6 (2010). And I'd also add the three Time and Motion Studies from the early 70's.
Nørgård: Symphony no. 3 (1972); Nuit des hommes (1996); Animals in Concert (1984); String Quartet 8 (1995)
Chin: Piano Concerto (1996); Cantatrix sopranica (2005); Violin Concerto 1 (2001); Cello Concerto (2008)
Xenakis: Evryali (1973); Psappha (1975); N'shima (1975); Akanthos (1977); Pleïades (1978); Aïs (1980); Serment orkos (1981); Oresteïa (1992)
Schnittke: Symphony no. 2 (1979); Choir Concerto (1985); Life with an Idiot (1992); Gesualdo (1993)
PM Davies: Taverner (1972); Miss Donithorne's Maggot (1974); Black Pentecost (1979); Symphony no. 10 (2013)
HW Henze: Voices (1973); Das verratene Meer (1989); Requiem (1993); Symphony 9 (1997)
GF Haas: Limited Approximations (2010); In Vain (2000); Piano Concerto (2007); Cello Concerto (2004)
Messiaen: Des canyons aux étoiles (1974); Saint François d'Assise (1983); Le livre du Saint-Saicrement (1984)
Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (1976)
Feldman: Neither (1977); String Quartet 2 (1983); for Philip Guston (1984); For Bunita Marcus (1985); Violin & String Quartet (1985)
Golijov: La pasión según San Marcos (2000); Ainadamar (2004)
Stockhausen: all 7 LICHT operas, but if I had to choose one it'd be Donnerstag (1980); Klang (2005-2008)


----------



## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> Here they go, in no particular order:
> 
> Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre (1977); Horn Trio (1983); 1st and 2nd Books of Études (1985/1993); Piano Concerto (1988); Violin Concerto (1993); Sonata for Solo Viola (1993); Nonsense Madrigals (1993); Hamburg Concerto (1999); With Pipes, Drums and Fiddles (2000)
> Kurtág: Messages of the Late R.V. Troussova (1980); Scenes from a Novel (1982); Kafka Fragmente (1986); Hölderlin-Gesänge (1997)
> ...


Outstanding list with a fantastic selection of composers and some of their best pieces. I would add some electro-acoustic music (Dhomont, Bayle, Parmegiani) for example and a few younger composers, but fully understand they might not appeal to you. Congrats any way.


----------



## Philidor (11 mo ago)

justekaia said:


> Outstanding list with a fantastic selection of composers and some of their best pieces. I would add some electro-acoustic music (Dhomont, Bayle, Parmegiani) for example and a few younger composers, but fully understand they might not appeal to you. Congrats any way.


Fully agreed. Thank you very much, allaroundmusicenthusiast!


----------



## dko22 (Jun 22, 2021)

Actually in my earlier post, I should have found some space for Ustvolskaya, esp. as she doesn't seem to get that many mentions. Hugely admired by Shostakovich as was one of my favourites, Weinberg, Ustvolskaya's music is completely unlike anything else -- at the same time deeply disturbing and human. The symphonies are a good starting point or follow the recommendations in this article https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/apr/08/contemporary-music-guide-galina-ustvolskaya The key works were generally written later than 1972.


----------



## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

justekaia said:


> Outstanding list with a fantastic selection of composers and some of their best pieces. I would add some electro-acoustic music (Dhomont, Bayle, Parmegiani) for example and a few younger composers, but fully understand they might not appeal to you. Congrats any way.


Thank you very much, justekaia and Philidor! You've been wonderful additions to this forum. Looking forward to seeing your list, justekaia


----------



## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

You mean someone wrote good classical music in the last 50 years? Just kidding .... but sadly only partly. I do enjoy a lot of music from the last 50 years, but mostly Jazz and some pop (late 70s and the 80s as far as I am concerned for the pop music). I don't understand most classical music from the last 50 years.


Some classical music works from the last 50 years that I do in fact enjoy:

Higdon - Blue Cathedral
Adams - On the Transmigration of Souls
Anna Clyne - DANCE (my favorite work from the last 50 years)
Lowell Liebermann - Cello Concerto
John Williams - most of his film music. I don't want to debate whether this is classical music, or great classical music.


----------



## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

Lutoslawski - Symphony #3

I think Shostakovich's 15th just misses the cut (51 years old?)


----------



## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

A significant portion of my faves hover about the late 1970s.
Below are just 11 works per year for illustration:

1977
Trilogy by Don Banks
Erik Bergman's Dreams
Morton Feldman's Neither
Paavo Heininen's Symphony No.3
Maurice Ohana's Messe
Le livre des Katuns by Jean Prodromidès
Einojuhani Rautavaara's _Annunciations_ + _Violin Concerto_
A Flock Decends into the Pentagonal Garden by Toru Takemitsu
Jonchaies by Iannis Xenakis
Isang Yun's Concerto pour flute et petit orchestre

1978
Malcolm Arnold's Symphony No.8
Marius Constant's Concertante for Saxophone and Orchestra
Timbres, Espace, Mouvement by Henri Dutilleux
Morton Feldman's _Flute and Orchestra_ + _Why Patterns?_
Treize couleurs du soleil couchant by Tristan Murail
Goffredo Petrassi's Grand Septuor
Angels and Visitations by Rautavaara
Symphony No.9 by Roger Sessions
Josef Tal's Symphony No.3
Isang Yun's Octuor

1979
_Birds in the Morning_ + _Silence and Eruptions_ by Erik Bergman
Henry Brant's Orbits
Hugues Dufourt's Saturne
Einar Englund's Sonata for Violin and Piano
Cristóbal Halffter's Concerto No.1 for Violin and Orchestra
Meyer Kupferman's Sonata Occulta
The Tempest ballet by Arne Nordheim
Maurice Ohana's Livre des Prodiges
The Ten Commandments by Alexandre Tansman
Movements by Klaas de Vries


----------



## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

haziz said:


> John Williams - most of his film music. I don't want to debate whether this is classical music, or great classical music.


He has also written a lot of concert music, btw.


----------



## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I'll try my hand at this, but I'm going to limit my choices to 20 and with one work per composer in mind...

In no particular order:

Ligeti: _Violin Concerto_
Penderecki: _St. Luke Passion_
Schnittke: _Concerto Grosso No. 1_
Gubaidulina: _Offertorium_
Boulez: _Le Marteau sans maître_
Scelsi: _Uaxuctum_
Xenakis: _Jonchaies_
Pärt: _Tabula Rasa_
Vasks: _Violin Concerto, "Distant Light"_
Silvestrov: _Symphony No. 5_
Rouse: _Flute Concerto_
Grisey: _Les espaces acoustiques_
Murail: _Gondwana_
Adams: _Harmonielehre_
Reich: _Music for 18 Musicians_
Dutilleux: _Ainsi la nuit_
Górecki: _Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"_
Nono: _Como una ola de fuerza y luz_
Kurtág: _Officium Breve in Memoriam Andreae Szervánszky_
Takemitsu: _A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden_


----------



## Philidor (11 mo ago)

Boulez' "Marteau" does not exactly meet the requirements ... it was on my list, too ... sorry. - Besides: Fine list!


----------



## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Wikipedia has Classical Music works listed for every year. Very cool resource.


----------



## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Philidor said:


> Boulez' "Marteau" does not exactly meet the requirements ... it was on my list, too ... sorry. - Besides: Fine list!


Uaxuctum doesn't either! Amazing work, tho


----------



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

I know I haven't heard everything everyone is mentioning, but I agree wholeheartedly with 

Rzewski: El Pueblo
Xenakis: Jonchiaes
Rihm: Jagden und Formen

I also feel like Kurtag is a great composer, though I don't know his oevre well enough to say what his most important works are. 

I appreciate the input and recommendations from everyone. Lots of listening to do!

Oh, and I also really like Maxwell Davies a lot. Symphony 5 and his Trumpet Concerto are fine works though there are many of his that I don't know.


----------



## Dirge (Apr 10, 2012)

Peter Maxwell DAVIES: _*Ave Maris Stella*_ (1975)
:: The Fires of London [Unicorn-Kanchana]

Elliott CARTER: _*A Symphony of Three Orchestras*_ (1976)
:: Boulez/NYPO [CBS/Sony]

Benjamin BRITTEN: _*Lachrymae "Reflections on a song of Dowland" Op. 48a*_ (1976)
:: Power, Volkov/BBC Scottish SO [Hyperion]

Charles WUORINEN: *Horn Trio* (1981)
:: Purvis, Hudson & Feinberg [Koch/Naxos]

György KURTÁG: _*Scenes from a Novel*_ (1982)
:: Csengery, Keller, Csontos & Fábián [Hungaroton]

Harrison BIRTWISTLE: _*Secret Theatre*_ (1984)
:: Howarth/London Sinfonietta [Collins/NMC]

György KURTÁG: _*Kafka Fragments*_ (1985-86)
:: Csengery & Keller [Hungaroton]

Conlon NANCARROW: *String Quartet No. 3* (1987)
:: Arditti Quartet [Wergo]

Michael FINNISSY: _*Red Earth*_ (1987-88)
:: Brabbins/BBC SO [NMC]

Brian FERNEYHOUGH: _*La Chûte d'Icare*_ (1988)
:: Rosman, Elision Ensemble [Kairos]

John ADAMS: *Chamber Symphony* (1992)
:: Ensemble Modern [RCA]

Brian FERNEYHOUGH: _*In nomine a 3*_ (2000)
:: Ensemble Recherche [Kairos]

György KURTÁG: _*Moments musicaux*_ (2005)
:: Arditti Quartet [Radio France]


----------



## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Philidor said:


> Boulez' "Marteau" does not exactly meet the requirements ... it was on my list, too ... sorry. - Besides: Fine list!


You're absolutely correct as was MusicEnthusiast about Scelsi's _Uaxuctum_. I don't know why I thought they were mid-70s works. I'll have to think of some substitutions.


----------



## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

hammeredklavier said:


> He has also written a lot of concert music, btw.


I have listened to a good deal of his concert music. While I do love most of his film music, most of his "concert" music has been a bit disappointing. I re-listened to his horn concerto about a couple of weeks ago while trying to decide which concertante work to vote for in the ongoing contemporary concertante works game thread. Will give the tuba concerto a listen at some point.


----------



## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

20centrfuge said:


> Oh, and I also really like Maxwell Davies a lot. Symphony 5 and his Trumpet Concerto are fine works though there are many of his that I don't know.


I didn't include them in my list, but some of the Naxos Quartets absolutely deserve to be among the finest works of the past, if not 50, at least 20 years


----------



## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Here are some 20-year-old works:
*from 2002*
Jean-Louis Agobet's Génération
"IMA" by Péter Eötvös
Christopher Gunning's Symphony No.1
Magnus Linberg's Clarinet Concerto 
+
Concerto Nicolò by Stanisław Skrowaczewski

30-year-old refugees from Logan's Run flameouts:
*1992*
Irwin Bazelon's Symphony No.9
James Dillon's Ignis Noster
Anders Eliasson's Horn Concerto
Arne Nordheim's Magic Island
"Le Marathon" by Laurent Petitgirard
Canti dell'eclisse by Bernard Rands 
"Gong" by Poul Ruders
Leif Segerstam's Nocturnal Thoughts
"The Echoing Garden" by Bent Sørensen
Concerto pour flute et 16 instruments by Eric Tanguy
Ashot Zograbian's Parable

Mid-life crisis for these over-the-hill 40-year-olds:
*1982*
Pulitzer Prize-winning Symphony No.1 by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
Charles Wuorinen's Mass for the Restoration St. Luke in the Fields
Tōru Takemitsu's Rain Coming
Aulis Sallinen's Shadows
Arne Nordheim's Tenebrae
Meyer Kupferman's Tuba Concerto
Ernst Krenek's Organ Concerto
Renaud Gagneux's Requiem
Sonata for violin and piano by Georges Delerue

... plus there are Golden oldies from 1972 for which I had created this thread Works which will be 50 years old during 2022 in early January.


----------



## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

Greatest Contemporary Classical Works (1972-2022)

I have selected 100 composers out of my archives of 400 composers and have listed at least four works per composer that I really like with the intention of representing different musical categories.
Regarding the dates I use the completion date of the original work. Revisions are not considered.
1 Hans Abrahamsen: Piano Cto (1999); Schnee (2008); Let me tell you (2013); The Snow Queen (2019)
2 Ondrej Adamek: Rapid Eye Movements (2005); Endless Steps (2008); ça tourne, ça bloque (2008); Violin Cto (2017)
3 J.C.Adams : Shaker Loops (1983); Harmonielehre (1985); Nixon in China (1987); The Dharma at Big Sur (2003)
4 J.L.Adams: In the white Silence (1998); The Wind in high Places (2011); Become Ocean (2013); Everything that rises (2017)
5 Thomas Ades: Arcadiana (1994); Asyla (1997); The Tempest (2003); Piano Cto (2018)
6 Peter Adriaansz: Three Quartets (2009); Three vertical Swells (2010); Attachments (2013); Environments (2019)
7 Kalevi Aho: Dances (2001); Lamento (2001); Symphony 15 (2010); Solo XI for guitar (2013)
8 Louis Andriessen: De Staat (1976); Symphonie voor losse Snaren (1978); De Materie (1988); Writing to Vermeer (1999)
9 Richard Barrett: I open and close (1988); Dark matter (2002); No (2004); Construction (2011)
10 François Bayle: L’Expérience acoustique (1972); Erosphère (1980); Les Couleurs de la Nuit (1982) ; Le Projet ouir (2019)
11 Luciano Berio: Coro (1976); Sequenza X (1984); Un Re in Ascolto (1984); Notturno (1993)
12 Christophe Bertrand: Haos (2003); Mana (2005); Sanh (2006); Satka (2008)
13 Harrison Birtwistle: The Triumph of Time (1972); Antiphonies (1992); Harrison’s Clocks (1998); The Minotaur (2008)
14 Pierre Boulez: Répons (1980); …explosante-fixe…(1993); Anthèmes (1997); sur Incises (1998)
15 Gavin Bryars: Farewell to Philosphy (1995); Farewell to St Petersburg (2002); The Porazzi Fragment (2007); The Solway Canal (2010)
16 Elliott Carter: Night Fantasies (1980); SQ 4 (1986); Scrivo in Vento for flute (1991); Symphonia (1996); Cello Concerto (2000)
17 Friedrich Cerha: Spiegel I-VII (1972); SQ 3 (1991); Violin Cto (2004); Bruchstück (2009)
18 Christopher Cerrone: The Pieces that fall to Earth (2015); The arching Path (2016); Can’t and won’t (2017); The Air suspended (2019)
19 Unsuk Chin: Akrostichon-Wortspiel (1993); Alice in Wonderland (2007); Rocana (2008); Cello Concerto (2013)
20 Francisco Coll: Tapias (2012); Cantos for SQ (2017); Violin Cto (2019); 3 Pieces after Turia (2021)
21 Chaya Czernowin: Maim (2002); Anea Crystal (2008); Hidden (2014); Heart Chamber (2019)
22 Peter Maxwell Davies: Strathclyde Cto no 15 (1991); Piano Cto (1997); SQ 9 (2008); Symphony 10 (2013)
23 Brett Dean: Viola Cto (2007); The lost Art of Letter Writing (2008); Hamlet (2016); Cello Cto (2018)
24 Francis Dhomont: Chroniques de la Lumière (1989); Forêt profonde (1996); Les Moirures du Temps (2000); Le Cri du Choucas (2015)
25 James Dillon: 9 Rivers (2000); The Book of Elements (2002); SQ 6 (2010); The Gates (2016) 
26 Iancu Dumitrescu: Apogeum (1973); Holzwege (1987); Pierres sacrées (1991); Oiseaux Célestes (2000)
27 Pascal Dusapin: SQ 2 (1989); Faustus, the last Night (2004); Seven Solos for Orchestra (2009); Aufgang (2012)
28 Henri Dutilleux: Ainsi la Nuit (1977); La Nuit étoilée (1978); L’Arbre des Songes (1985); Sur le même Accord (2002)
29 Ivan Fedele: SQ 3 (2000); 2 Moons for 2 pianos (2000); Ali di Cantor (2003); Air on Air (2018)
30 Morton Feldman: Five Pianos (1972); SQ II (1983); Piano & SQ (1985); Palais de Mari (1986)
31 Brian Ferneyhough: Funérailles I-II (1980); Lemma-Icon-Epigram (1982); SQ 5 (2006); Plötzlichkeit (2006)
32 Michael Finnissy: English Country-Tunes (1985); Red Earth (1988); The History of Photography (2001); SQ 2 (2007)
33 Luca Francesconi: Wanderer (1999); Quartett (2011); Duende,The dark Notes (2013); Das Ding singt (2018)
34 Dai Fujikura: Abandoned Time (2008); Phantom Splinter (2009); Flare (2010); Rare Gravity (2013)
35 Alberto Ginastera: Piano Cto 2 (1972); SQ 3 (1973); Cello Cto 2 (1981); Piano Sonata 3 (1982)
36 Osvaldo Golijov: Yiddishbuk (1992); The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the blind (1994); Ainadamar (2003); Azul (2006)
37 Gérard Grisey: Les Espaces acoustiques (1985); Anubis et Nout (1990); Vortex Temporum (1996); 4 Chants pour franchir le Seuil (1998)
38 Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium (1980); Stimmen…Verstummen (1986); Jetzt immer Schnee (1993); Der Zorn Gottes (2020)
39 GF Haas: In Vain (2002); Limited Approximations (2010); SQ 6 (2010); Ich suchte aber fand ihn nicht (2011); Bluthaus (2014)
40 Jonathan Harvey: Mortuos plango, Vivos voco (1980); Imaginings (1998); SQ 4 (2003); Speakings (2008)
41 HW Henze: Barcarola (1979); Symphony 7 (1984); Requiem (1993); Phaedra (2007)
42 Toshio Hosokawa: Landscape V (1993); Voyage X (2009); Blossoming II (2011); Matsukaze (2011)
43 Huang Ruo: Violin Cto 1-Omnipresence (2003); Tree without Wind (2004); Four Fragments for cello (2006); Dust in Time-Passacaglia (2020)
44 Juste Janulyte: Aria (2008); Plonge (2015); Unanime for 8 trumpets (2020); Apnea (2021)
45 Mauricio Kagel: SQ 4 (1993); Die Stücke der Windrose (1994); Piano Trio 2 (2001); Piano Trio 3 (2002)
46 Marina Khorkova: Silentium (2005); Protonwerk (2017); SQ 2 (2017); 4 Miniatures for multiphonic Keyboard (2018)
47 Nikolai Korndorf: Yarilo (1981); String Trio IH of Schnittke (1986); Hymn II (1987); Symphony 4 (1996)
48 Gyorgy Kurtag: Officium breve IM Szervanszky (1989); Stele (1994); Jatekok (1973-2021); Fin de Partie (2018)
49 Catherine Lamb: Tampura/Contour for viola (2011); Curvo Totalitas (2017); Prisma Interius VIII (2018); Divisio Spiralis (2019)
50 Thomas Larcher: Böse Zellen (2006); Madhares (2007); Ouroboros (2015); Symphony 2 (2016)
51 Lei Liang: Garden eight (1996); Gobi Gloria (2006); Bamboo Lights (2013); A Thousand Mountains, a Million Streams (2017)
52 Gyorgy Ligeti: San Francisco Polyphony (1974); Piano Cto (1988); Violin Cto (1993); Piano Etudes (1985-2001)
53 Magnus Lindberg: Kraft (1985), Aura (1994); Mano a Mano (2004); Cello Cto 2 (2013)
54 Alvin Lucier: Music on a long thin Wire (1977) ; Navigations (1991); Disappearances (1994); Diamonds (1999); Slices (2007); Ricochet Lady (2016)
55 Witold Lutoslawski: Les Espaces du sommeil (1975); Double Cto (1980); Chain 3 (1985); Piano Cto (1988)
56 Philippe Manoury: Le Livre des Claviers (1987); Sound and Fury (1999); Synapse (2010); Tensio (2010)
57 Bruno Mantovani: Turbulences (1998); Le sette Chiese (2002); Violin Cto-Jeux d’Eau (2012); SQ 3 (2015)
58 Zibuokle Martinaityte: In Search of lost Beauty (2016); Sielunmaisema (2019); Saudade (2019); Catharsis (2021)
59 Egidija Medeksaite: Panchami (2006); Scintilla (2008); Megh Malar (2015); Sattva (2018)
60 Meredith Monk: Book of Days (1985); Atlas (1991); Stringsongs (2004); Songs of Ascension (2006)
61 Tristan Murail: Gondwana (1980); Serendib (1992); Winter Fragments (2000); Le Désenchantement du Monde (2012)
62 Olga Neuwirth: Akroate Hadal (1995); Lost Highway (2003); … Miramondo multiplo (2006); Le Encantadas (2015)
63 Luigi Nono: Como una Ola de Fuerza y Luz (1972); …sofferte Onde serene… (1976); Fragmente-Stille, an Diotima (1980); Prometeo (1984)
64 Per Norgärd: Turn (1973); Symphony 3 (1975); I Ching (1982); SQ 10 (2005)
65 Joao Pedro Oliveira: Piramides de Cristal (1993); Le Chant de l’Oiseau-Lyre (2002); Spiral of Light (2005); Cassiopeia (2008)
66 Hector Parra: Un Souffle en Suspens (2016); Limite les Rêves au-delà (2017); Inscape (2018); SQ 4 (2020)
67 Bernard Parmegiani: De Natura Sonorum (1975); Chants magnétiques (1979); Stries (1980); La Création du Monde (1984)
68 Krzysztof Penderecki: Polish Requiem (1984); Clarinet Quartet (1993); Violin Cto 2 (1995); Symphony 7 (1996)
69 Allan Pettersson: Symphony 14 (1976); Symphony 15 (1978); Violin Cto 2 (1978); Viola Cto (1980)
70 Enno Poppe: Tier (2002); Wald (2010); Speicher (2013); Fett (2019)
71 Alberto Posadas: Versa est in Luctum (2002); Liturgia fractal (2007); Kerguelen (2013); Erinnerungsspuren (2018)
72 Eliane Radigue: Adnos (1974); Jetsun Mila (1986); Trilogie de la Mort-Kyema, Kailasha, Kourné (1993); Occam Ocean I (2015)
73 Horatiu Radulescu: Mirabilia Mundi (1986), SQ 6 (1993); The Quest (1996); Piano Sonata 6 (2007)
74 Einojuhani Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus (1972); Symphony 7 (1994); Aleksis Kivi (1996); Cello Cto 2 (2009)
75 Steve Reich: Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ (1973); Music for 18 Musicians (1976); Different Trains (1988); WTC 9/11 (2010)
76 Wolfgang Rihm: SQ 5 (1981); Die Eroberung von Mexico (1992); Jagden und Formen (2001); Et Lux (2014)
77 Terry Riley: Persian Surgery Dervishes (1972); Cadenza on the Night Plain (1983); The Harp of New Albion (1985); Salome Dances for Peace (1986)
78 Jean-Claude Risset: 3 Mouvements Newtoniens (1978); Songes (1979); Sud (1985); Escalas (2001)
79 Fausto Romitelli: Domeniche alla Periferia dell’Imperio (1996); Professor Bad Trip I-III (2000); An Index of Metals (2003); Dead City Radio Audiodrome (2003)
80 Kaija Saariaho: Du Cristal (1989); à la Fumée (1990); L’Amour de loin (2000); Notes on Light (2006) 
81 Marc Sabat: Les Duresses (2004); Euler Lattice Spirals Scenery (2011); Asking Ocean (2016); The luminiferous Aether (2018)
82 Aulis Sallinen: Cello Cto (1977); SQ 5 (1983); Symphony 5 (1985); Kullervo (1988)
83 Rebecca Saunders: Choler (2004); Traces (2009); Fletch (2012); Piano Cto-To an Utterance (2020)
84 Alfred Schnittke: Symphony 1 (1972); Violin Cto 4 (1984); Choir Cto (1984); Psalms of Repentance (1988)
85 Salvatore Sciarrino: Un’Immagine d’Arpocrate (1979); Perduto in una Citta d’Aque (1992); Luci mie Traditrici (1999); Giorni velati presso il lago nero (2013)
86 Peter Sculthorpe: SQ 9 (1975); Mangrove (1979); Earth Cry (1986); Djilile (1989)
87 Gabriella Smith: Brandenburg Interstices (2012); Inyo (2013); Carrot Revolution (2015); Hexacorallia (2018)
88 Linda Catlin Smith: Memory Forms (1995); Morning Glory (1998); The Underfolding (2001); Dirt Road (2006); SQ 4-Gondola (2006)
89 Bent Sorensen: SQ 3-Angels’Music (1988); The Lady of Shalott (1993); Rosenblad-Papillions (2013); L’Isola della Citta (2016)
90 Karlheinz Stockhausen: Sirius (1977); Licht (2003); Klavierstück XVIII (2004); Klang (2007)
91 Toru Takemitsu: For Away (1973); A Flock descends into the Pentagonal Garden (1977); A Way a Lone (1980); From me flows what you call Time (1990)
92 Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Aeriality (2011); In the Light of Air (2014); Ad Genua (2016); Enigma (2019)
93 Mark-Anthony Turnage: Your Rockaby (1993); Blood on the Floor (1996); 3 Screaming Popes (2011); Speranza (2012)
94 Erkki-Sven Tuur: Insula deserta (1989); Crystallisatio (1995); Peregrinus ecstaticus (2013); Symphony 9 (2017)
95 Galina Ustvolskaya : Symphony 3 (1983); Symphony 4 (1987); Piano Sonata 5 (1986); Piano Sonata 6 (1988)
96 Michel Van der Aa: Here to be found (2002); Up-close (2010); Hysteresis (2013); Violin Cto (2014)
97 Claude Vivier: Paramirabo (1978); Lonely Child (1980); Zipangu (1980); Prologue pour un Marco Polo (1981)
98 Kevin Volans: SQ 2 (1991); Piano Cto 2-Atlantic Crossing (2006); Symphony-Daar kom die Alabama (2010); SQ 11 (2013)
99 Iannis Xenakis: Evryali (1973); Gmeeoorh (1974); Jonchaies (1977); Pleiades (1978); Tetras (1983); Echange (1989)
100 Isang Yun: Cello Cto (1976); Königliches Thema for violin (1976); Violin Cto 1 (1981); SQ 6 (1992)


----------



## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

justekaia said:


> Greatest Contemporary Classical Works (1972-2022)
> 
> I have selected 100 composers out of my archives of 400 composers and have listed at least four works per composer that I really like with the intention of representing different musical categories.
> ...


Amazing, you've given me much to explore. Thank you very much! I'm still waiting for a recording of The Minotaur to show up on streaming services tho...


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

allaroundmusicenthusiast and justekaia's lists are great starting points for contemporary music. I should probably look at them myself, since, while I recognize every composer name, I certainly am not familiar with a lot of the pieces mentioned (I've heard most of them but can't recall what they sound like).

Here's a supplementary list to the above that includes some new composers plus some additional works by already mentioned composers:

*Peter Ablinger:* Voices and Piano (199, points and views (2014)
*Ondřej Adámek:* Körper und Seele (2014)
*John Luther Adams:* Become Desert (2017)
*Mark Andre:* ... auf ... 1-3 (2007), ... hij ... 1-2 (2012)
*Natasha Barrett:* Trade Winds (2006)
*Franck Bedrossian:* Itself (2015)
*Pierluigi Billone:* ITI KE MI (1995), Mani.De Leonardis (2004), 1+1=1 (2006), Sgorgo Y.N.oO. (2013), Equilibrio Cerchio (2014)
*Johannes Boris Borowski:* Sérac (2015)
*Raphaël Cendo:* Berlin Toccata
*Chaya Czernowin:* String Quartet (1995), Adiantum Capillus-Veneris I-III (2016)
*Donnacha Dennehy:* Bulb (2006), Stainless Staining (2007), That the Night Come (2010)
*Hugues Dufourt:* Saturne (1979), Le Déluge d'après Poussin (2001), Tiepolo works (2006; only two have been recorded)
*Henri Dutilleux:* The Shadows of Time (1997), Correspondances (2003)
*Peter Garland:* String Quartets 1-2 (1986, 1994)
*Osvaldo Golijov:* Ayre (2004)
*Gérard Grisey:* Tempus ex machina (1979), Les Chants de l'amour (1984), Le Temps et l'écume (1989), L'Icône paradoxale (1994)
*Henryk Górecki:* String Quartets
*Pell Gudmundsen-Holmgreen:* Plateaux (2005)
*Georg Friedrich Haas:* ... und ... (2009), String Quartets
*Jonathan Harvey:* Nachtlied (1984), String Quartets
*Hanspeter Kyburz:* Cells
*Helmut Lachenmann:* String Quartets, Kontrakadenz (1971), Fassade (1973), Ein Kinderspiel (1980), Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (1996), Schreiben (2003), Got Lost (2008)
*Bernard Lang:* Monadologie series (only heard a few in the series, so couldn't tell you which are best)
*Klaus Lang:* The Ocean of Yes and No (2008)
*James MacMillan:* Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (1992), Symphony No. 3 (2003)
*Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf:* Hommage à Thomas Pynchon (2005)
*Philippe Manoury:* Jupiter (1987), Pluton (1989), Fragments pour un portrait (1998), Partita I (2006), Le Temps, mode d'emploi (2014), B-Partita (2016)
*Wolfgang Mitterer:* coloured noise (2005), Inwendig losgelöst (2006), Im Sturm (2007)
*Luigi Nono:* "Hay que caminar" trilogy (1989), Quando stanno morendo (1982)
*Per Nørgård:* Symphony No. 8 (2011)
*Michael Nyman:* Musique à Grande Vitesse (1993)
*Hèctor Parra:* Hypermusic Prologue (2009)
*Krzysztof Penderecki:* Symphonies, Sextet (2000), A sea of dreams did breathe on me ... (2010)
*Enno Poppe:* Rad (2003), Trauben (2005), Rundfunk (2018), Schnur (2019)
*Alberto Posadas:* Glossopoeia (2009)
*Stefan Prins:* Generation Kill (2012)
*Wenchen Qin:* Across the Skies (2012)
*Horațiu Rădulescu:* Clepsydra (1984), Intimate Rituals (1985), String Quartets 4-5
*Wolfgang Rihm:* String Quartets, Musik für drei Streicher, Vers une symphonie fleuve III, Styx und Lethe, Verwandlung 1-6, Pol-Kolchis-Nucleus, Gejagte Form, Verborgene Formen, Gedrängte Form, Nachstudie, Sphäre um Sphäre, Jakob Lenz, Séraphin-Symphonie 
*Kaija Saariaho:* Laconisme de l'aile (1982), Lictbogen (1986), Jardin secret III (1987), Graal théâtre (1994), Six Japanese Gardens (1995), Lonh (1996), D'Om le vrai sens (2010), Only the Sound Remains (2015), Innocence (2018)
*Rebecca Saunders:* Still (2011), Skin (2016)
*Kate Soper:* Voices from the Killing Jar (2012), IPSA DIXIT (2016)
*Simon Steen-Andersen:* Run Time Error (2009-), Double Up (2010), Black Box Music (2012), TRIO (2019), The Loop of the Nibelung (2020), String Quartets (1999, 2012), Studies for String Instrument (2011)
*Chinary Ung:* Aura
*Michel van der Aa:* Here Trilogy (2000-2002), Spaces of Blank (2007), The Book of Sand (2015)
*Pēteris Vasks:* String Quartets
*Claude Vivier:* Bouchara
*Hildegard Westerkamp:* Kits Beach Soundwalk
*Takashi Yoshimatsu:* Memo Flora (1997)
*Hans Zender:* Schubert Winterreise arrangement


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

Other composers I've read good things about but haven't heard anything by them other than a stray piece or two:

Georges Aperghis, Vyacheslav Artyomov, Lera Auerbach, Malin Bång, Carola Bauckholt, Antoine Beuger, Aaron Cassidy, John Corigliano, Marc-André Dalbavie, Richard Danielpour, Luc Ferrari, Francesco Filidei, Christopher Fox, Jürg Frey, Ashley Fure, Kyle Gann, Stefano Gervasoni, Vinko Globokar, Heiner Goebbels, Michael Gordon, Cristóbal Halffter, Lou Harrison, Jennifer Higdon, Anders Hillborg, York Höller, Heinz Holliger, Adriana Hölszky, Klaus Huber, Nicolaus Huber, Klaus Hubler, Philippe Hurel, Kamran İnce, Ben Johnston, Wilhelm Killmayer, Dmitri Kourliandski, Johannes Kreidler, Philippe Leroux, Liza Lim, Francisco López, Mesias Maiguashca, José Manuel López López, Ingram Marshall, Benedict Mason, Isabel Mundry, Thea Musgrave, Andrew Norman, Younghi Pagh-Paan, Brice Pauset, Tristan Perich, Gérard Pesson, Mathias Pintscher, Rolf Riehm, Ned Rorem, Esa-Pekka Salonen, José María Sánchez-Verdú, Fazıl Say, Dieter Schnebel, Caroline Shaw, Bright Sheng, Valentin Silvestrov, Howard Skempton, Denis Smalley, Mathias Spahlinger, Steven Stucky, Lepo Sumera, Marco Stroppa, Paweł Szymański, Tan Dun, Michael Torke, Jennifer Walshe, Jörg Widmann, Walter Zimmermann, John Zorn, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich


I'd be interested if someone could provide recommendations for some or all of the above composers.


----------



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I can second a number that have been recommended by others, especially:

Adams: Harmonielehre, 
Adams: Nixon in China
Birtwistle: The Mask of Orpheus
Birtwistle: The Triumph of Time
Carter - Three Occasions for Orchestra
Dutilleux: Ainsi la nuit 
Dutilleux: Correspondances
Ferneyhough: La chute d'Icare 
Grisey: Les Espaces Acoustiques (1974-85)
Haas: In Vain (2000)
Haas: Limited Approximations (2010); 
Henze: Requiem 
Henze: Symphony #7
Henze: Symphony #9
Lachenmann: Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern 
Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre (1977); 
Ligeti: Horn Trio (1983); 
Ligeti: 1st and 2nd Books of Études 
Lutoslawski: Chain 3 
Lutoslawski: Les Espaces du sommeil
Mantovani: Le sette Chiese
Murail: Gondwana
Nono: Con Luigi Dallapiccola [1979]
Nono: La lontananza nostalgica utopica futura
Nono: Fragmente - Stille. An Diotima (1979)
Pärt: Tabula Rasa [1977]
Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (1974-76)
Reich: WTC 9/11 
Rihm: Jagden und Formen (1995/2001)
Romitelli: An Index of Metals 
Saariaho: D'Om le vrai sens 
Saariaho: Graal théâtre (1994), 
Saariaho: Six Japanese Gardens
Xenakis: Oresteïa (1992)
Xenakis: Pleïades (1978); 
Xenakis: Psappha 
Xenakis: Tetras (1983)

But _especially_ especially: 
Górecki: Symphony #3 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs," op. 36 [1976] 
Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz
Nono: No hay caminos, hay que caminar... Andrej Tarkowskij [1987]
Nono: .....sofferte onde serene… 
Takemitsu - From Me Flows What You Call Time (1990)


----------



## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

calvinpv said:


> Vyacheslav Artyomov,
> Thea Musgrave,
> Tan Dun,
> Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
> ...


"some"

_Way to Olympus_ by Artyomov










Thea Musgrave's _Autumn Sonata_: http://www.musicweb-international.com/musgrave.htm

_Death and Fire - Dialogue with Paul Klee_ by Tan Dun










E.T. Zwilich's Symphony No.1 (Pulitzer thought this one's not too bad, either)


----------



## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

*Reply to Calvin*



calvinpv said:


> Other composers I've read good things about but haven't heard anything by them other than a stray piece or two:
> 
> Georges Aperghis, Vyacheslav Artyomov, Lera Auerbach, Malin Bång, Carola Bauckholt, Antoine Beuger, Aaron Cassidy, John Corigliano, Marc-André Dalbavie, Richard Danielpour, Luc Ferrari, Francesco Filidei, Christopher Fox, Jürg Frey, Ashley Fure, Kyle Gann, Stefano Gervasoni, Vinko Globokar, Heiner Goebbels, Michael Gordon, Cristóbal Halffter, Lou Harrison, Jennifer Higdon, Anders Hillborg, York Höller, Heinz Holliger, Adriana Hölszky, Klaus Huber, Nicolaus Huber, Klaus Hubler, Philippe Hurel, Kamran İnce, Ben Johnston, Wilhelm Killmayer, Dmitri Kourliandski, Johannes Kreidler, Philippe Leroux, Liza Lim, Francisco López, Mesias Maiguashca, José Manuel López López, Ingram Marshall, Benedict Mason, Isabel Mundry, Thea Musgrave, Andrew Norman, Younghi Pagh-Paan, Brice Pauset, Tristan Perich, Gérard Pesson, Mathias Pintscher, Rolf Riehm, Ned Rorem, Esa-Pekka Salonen, José María Sánchez-Verdú, Fazıl Say, Dieter Schnebel, Caroline Shaw, Bright Sheng, Valentin Silvestrov, Howard Skempton, Denis Smalley, Mathias Spahlinger, Steven Stucky, Lepo Sumera, Marco Stroppa, Paweł Szymański, Tan Dun, Michael Torke, Jennifer Walshe, Jörg Widmann, Walter Zimmermann, John Zorn, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
> 
> I'd be interested if someone could provide recommendations for some or all of the above composers.


 Hello Calvin, Nearly all the composers you mention are excellent and are in my archives of 400 contemporary composers. One i do not know is Mesias Maiguasha. I will explore. Some others i have listened to but not liked enough to include: Killmayer, Kourliandski, Rolf Riehm, Richard Danielpour. The one si prefer in your list are: Artyomov, Bauckholt, Dalbavie, Hillborg, Johnston, Marshall, Norman, Smalley, Sumera, Widmannn. They were strong candidates for my list of 100. I admire your efforts and your interest for Contemporary classical. You can choose 3 composers you want to know more about and I will post the full list of available works with my favourites of each. Take care Justekaia


----------



## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

science said:


> I can second a number that have been recommended by others, especially:
> 
> Adams: Harmonielehre,
> Adams: Nixon in China
> ...


Great list. Looks like you have picked the best work of each composer. I wonder where you got the date for Oresteia. It is a work from 1966. There have been revisions, but not in 1992 to my knowledge.Best


----------



## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

You can buy a second hand copy of the Minotaur from Amazon Germany. The price is reasonable, but i don't know about import duties in Argentina. I doubt there will ever be a recording on streaming services. It is a masterpiece indeed.


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

justekaia said:


> Hello Calvin, Nearly all the composers you mention are excellent and are in my archives of 400 contemporary composers. One i do not know is Mesias Maiguasha. I will explore.


There's a CD put out by Wergo on Mesias Maiguashca. I actually own it myself but never got around to listening to it. Details of the CD can be found here. I believe the music on the CD could be classified as "spectral", so think Dumitrescu, Murail, early Saariaho. It's music from the late 80s, early 90s.



> Some others i have listened to but not liked enough to include: Killmayer, Kourliandski, Rolf Riehm, Richard Danielpour. The one si prefer in your list are: Artyomov, Bauckholt, Dalbavie, Hillborg, Johnston, Marshall, Norman, Smalley, Sumera, Widmannn. They were strong candidates for my list of 100. I admire your efforts and your interest for Contemporary classical. You can choose 3 composers you want to know more about and I will post the full list of available works with my favourites of each. Take care Justekaia


I'm not too interested in a full list of works by these composers because I can find that pretty easily on the internet. I'm just interested in people's favorites. I'd like to know your top 4-5 works for Artyomov, Bauckholt, Dalbavie, Hillborg, Johnston, Marshall, Norman, Smalley, Sumera, Widmannn. I've heard one of Sumera's symphonies (the 6th?), Marshall's September Canons, Andrew Norman's Play, and Dalbavie's Flute Concerto, but that's all I know.


----------



## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

calvinpv said:


> There's a CD put out by Wergo on Mesias Maiguashca. I actually own it myself but never got around to listening to it. Details of the CD can be found here. I believe the music on the CD could be classified as "spectral", so think Dumitrescu, Murail, early Saariaho. It's music from the late 80s, early 90s.
> -Artyomov: Most famous for his symphonic works. -The Way to Olympus; Gentle Emanation; On the Treshold of a Bright World; A Symphony of Elegies World
> -Bauckholt: Im Auge des Klangs; Atempause; Laufwerk; Sog
> -Dalbavie: Piano Cto; Violin Cto; Cello Cto; La Source d'un regard
> ...


Artyomov: The Way to Olympus; Gentle Emanation; On the Threshold of a bright World; A Symphony of Elegies
Bauckholt: Im Auge des Klangs; Atempause; Laufwerk; Sog
Dalbavie: Piano Cto; Violin Cto; Cello Cto; La Source d'un Regard
Hillborg: Clarinet Cto; Liquid Marble; Peacock Tales; Kongsgaard Variations
Johnston: SQ 6, 7, 9, 10
Marshall: Fogtropes; Entrada; Evensongs; Fragility Cycles
Norman: Play; Sustain; The Companion Guide to Rome; For Ashley
Smalley: Pentes; Tides; Pool Currents; Empty vessels
Sumera: Symphonies 4, 5, 6, Pardon Fryderyck
Widmann: Violin Cto 2; Armonica; SQ 5; Les Fleurs du Mal for piano
Hope this will satisfy your query. best


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

justekaia said:


> Hope this will satisfy your query. best


It is very satisfactory. Thank you. Especially the Widmann recommendations. I'm a big fan of Wolfgang Rihm's music, and I know Widmann studied under him, so I'm curious if they possess stylistic similarities. I guess I'll find out.


----------



## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

I feel obliged to come out of lurking to acknowledge all those who have contributed so enthusiastically to this discussion. Thanks! :tiphat:

Here is a CD that I enjoy:


----------



## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

justekaia said:


> The price is reasonable, but i don't know about import duties in Argentina.


They just about prevent you from trying to buy anything from abroad (except books that are not taxed, but music is, an absolute disgrace). Also what you buy might just not make it to your home (customs issues), so yeah... Minotaur isn't happening any time soon for me


----------



## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

what if i send you as a gift?


----------



## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Oh, no, that'd be far too generous, I could never accept it. Thank you very much anyways!


----------



## EmperorOfIceCream (Jan 3, 2020)

Thank you for the lists! I will look through these. Coincidentally, I have been compiling a list of my favorite orchestral works 1970-2020 (excluding concertante). These are also supposed to be for large-ish orchestra in a more or less advanced, intricate style:
• Fujikura: Glorious Clouds
• Boulez: Notations, Rituel
• Ferneyhough: La terre est un homme
• Xenakis: Jonchaies, Empreintes, Tracées
• Dutilleux: Timbres, espace, mouvement
• Bedrossian: Twist, Itself
• Saariaho: Traverée from L'amour de loin
• Abrahamsen: 4 Pieces for Orchestra
• Ligeti: Melodien, San Francisco Polyphony
• Carter: Symphonia, Three Occasions for Orchestra, A Symphony of Three Orchestras
• Murail: Le partage des eaux
• Chin: Chorós Chordón


----------



## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

These are composers/works already mentioned and I also like very much.

Éliane Radigue: Geelriandre (1972)
Per Nørgård: Symphony No. 3 (1972–75)
Frederic Rzewski: 36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!' (1975)
Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (1974–76)
Terry Riley: The Harp of New Albion (1983/85)
Peter Garland: String Quartets No. 1 (1986) & No. 2 (1994)
Michael Nyman: MGV (Musique à Grande Vitesse) (1993)
Egidija Medekšaitė: Scintilla (2008)
John Luther Adams: Inuksuit (2009), Become Ocean (2013)

Below are some of my favorite works from the last 50 years which have not been mentioned.

Simeon ten Holt: Canto Ostinato (1976-1979), Palimpsest (1990-1993)
John Cage: Freeman Etudes (1977–90)
Kyle Gann: Long Night (1980-81), Hyperchromatica (2012-21)
Daniel Lentz: Los Tigres de Marte (2003), In the Sea of Ionia (2007–08)
Wolfgang von Schweinitz: Plainsound Glissando Modulation (2006-2007)
Scott Worthington: Even the Light Itself Falls (2011-12)
Sergey Akhunov: The Seasons (2009-16), Sotto voce (2014)
Kory Reeder: Flute Concerto (2019)


----------

