# Good tunes from the last 60 years



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

This is a follow-on from the thread _"Classical music" came to an end 60 years ago_, in which I suggested that the general public's perception of what classical music is has shifted in the last 6 decades. Unlike the serious classical listener, the general public - as typified by listeners to Classic FM and people who buy classical compilation albums - seems to prefer above all else a "good tune". As I remarked in the thread, they're interested in, for example, Beethoven's _Moonlight_ sonata rather than the _Hammerklavier._

When one looks at the sort of "classical music" that the general public seems to most like from the past 60 years, though, it tends to be more of the crossover variety (Einaudi and Jenkins) or film music - in other words, not necessarily what the serious classical listener might even call classical music. There are some exceptions (Glass, Górecki and Pärt, for example), but by and large when the public want "good tunes" - the modern-day equivalent of, say, the _Hallelujah_ chorus or _Für Elise_ or _Finlandia_ - they turn away from the "proper" classical composers altogether.

Is this fair? It seems to me that those sort of "good tunes" have been rather thin on the ground since _Spartacus_ and _The Gadfly_ in the 1950s. But they can't have died out completely, surely?

So this is a thread to suggest modern "popular classics" that would sit comfortably among _O Fortuna_, _Ombra mai fu_, Mozart's _Turkish Rondo_, et al, without relying on film music and the like. If you want to simple moan about the quality of modern music, though, then I heartily recommend that you jog on to some other thread.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

As examples to kick us off I'd suggest:

Poulenc: _Gloria _- especially the "Laudamus te"
Arnold: Clarinet Concerto No. 2 - final movement, "Pre-Goodman Rag"
Adams: _Short Ride in a Fast Machine_

Maybe something like the Moderato pastorale from Schnittke's Piano quintet, but would the casual listener find this too dark?


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

I don't know what you mean by good tunes, but I have been listening to film music for 20 years (among other things such as rock) and discovered classical not long ago and my initial impression, when I was making the switch, was the perceived lack of nice melodies compared to the film music. It took me a while to start liking Beethoven symphonies, because they lacked a clear melody. A good tune might be for example this




Now, after having listened to a lot of classical and after my brain got used to the different style, I understand that the film scores are often thin (a lot of repetition, one simple melody and not several melodic threads etc). The movie scores are more immediately appealing. Classical is not immediately accessible, you have to actively work to be able to appreciate it.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

From my favorite modern composer, Einojuhanni Rautavaara:

Double Bass Concerto: Angel of Dusk (1980)
Cantus Arcticus (1972) better known as his Concerto for Birds
Symphony No. 3 (1961) very Brucknerian
Symphony No. 7: Angel of Light (1994) I'm less enthusiastic about it but it won awards and represents the period very well

From Miloslov Kabelac:

Symphony No. 3 in F for organ, brass and timpani, Op. 33 (1948–57)
Symphony No. 4 in A, "Chamber Symphony", Op. 36 (1954–58)
Symphony No. 6 "Concertante", for clarinet and orchestra, Op. 44 (1961–62)
Hamlet Improvisation for large orchestra, Op. 46 (1962–63)

From Gyorgy Ligeti:

Atmosphères (1961)
Lux Aeterna (1966)
Lontano (1967)
Chamber Concerto, for 13 instrumentalists (1969–70)
Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet (1968)
Etudes for Piano (1985-2001)

From Michael Daugherty:

Route 66 (1998)
Metropolis Symphony (1988–93)
Trail of Tears for flute and orchestra (2010)
Reflections on the Mississippi for tuba and orchestra (2013)


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

I get it, you want modern classical composers with good tunes (melodies)
*Mark Adamo - Little Women (1998)
Thomas Oboe Lee - Violin Concerto (2009)*


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Jacck said:


> I don't know what you mean by good tunes, but I have been listening to film music for 20 years (among other things such as rock) and discovered classical not long ago and my initial impression, when I was making the switch, was the perceived lack of nice melodies compared to the film music. It took me a while to start liking Beethoven symphonies, because they lacked a clear melody. A good tune might be for example this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Another chance to unashamedly resurrect this thread - lots of good tunes:

https://www.talkclassical.com/42112-movie-themes-soundtracks-category.html?highlight=


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

DaveM said:


> Another chance to unashamedly resurrect this thread - lots of good tunes:
> https://www.talkclassical.com/42112-movie-themes-soundtracks-category.html?highlight=


there is a similar thread in the movies subsection of the forum
Really good movie scores


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Jacck said:


> there is a similar thread in the movies subsection of the forum
> Really good movie scores


It missed a number of works and provided few direct YouTube examples.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

^^ Guys, I think I'm going to have to be even clearer as to what I'm looking for:

1. No film music. That film music provides "good tunes" is a given.

2. Also, this thread isn't just "name some good music that is melodic". Think more along the lines of pieces of music around 3-8 minutes long that have distinctively memorable melodies. The sort of pieces (including individual movements of larger works) that wouldn't seem out of place on compilations such as:
https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Classic-Experience/release/3501916
https://www.discogs.com/Various-You...ons-Favourite-Classical-Music/release/2509655
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hall-Of-Fame-Gold/release/7414439
https://www.discogs.com/The-London-...est-Pieces-Of-Classical-Music/release/9466359


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

A work that instantly comes to my mind is the Penderecki's Symphony No. 2 (1979-80). There is a sort of transcendental tune that gives an impression of a doomsday. Curiously, the symphony is related to Christmas, but I don't find any link between it and the work (musically).


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Well, this is 69 years ago and is 14 minutes long (your requirements are a little strict ). The good tune starts at 2:13.


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## Madiel (Apr 25, 2018)

when it comes to so-called "classical music" there is a fundamental misunderstanding to deal with, so let me reverse the issue: how come that proven authors of "good tunes" (Paul McCartney? Elvis Costello? who else?) have proven themselves unsuccessful and inadequate when they have tried their hand with "classical music"?
The fact is "classical music" is full of "good tunes" but cultivated music requires much more than that, in the hands of a capable composer even a poor tune can become the stuff of a masterpiece (take Diabelli's theme and Beethoven's variations) - just like a poor composer (the popular Tchaikovsky maybe?) can be an amazing author of marvelous tunes remaining a poor composer; contemporary music is full of marvelous melodies, the works of my favorite living composer - Matthias Pintscher - are full of them, but to be able to detect them it requires to be familiar with the idiom he uses, since it is an idiom whose scope does not include an easy exploitation of melodies. "Classical music" has centuries of history behind it, what would be the meaning of all this history and evolution if its scope (not to mention the 15-20 years a composer spend studying nowadays) was to produce tunes? 
The OP rightly says that the general public prefers the moonlight to the hammerklavier, no doubt about it, alas it is just like when an Italian goes to Spain on vacation and he has the sensation to be able to understand and be understood in Spanish, that sensation will never occur to him when he goes to Russia and tries to understand and be understood in Russian, the truth is that superficiality is fooling him: he knows no Spanish just like he knows no Russian, he doesn't get the moonlight sonata just like he doesn't get the hammerklavier. The way I see it the "disappearance" of the "good tunes" goes back way more than 60 years.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

DaveM said:


> Well, this is 69 years ago and is 14 minutes long (your requirements are a little strict ). The good tune starts at 2:13.


The music before 2:13 is even better (less syrupy).


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Bulldog said:


> The music before 2:13 is even better (less syrupy).


Okay, two good tunes. I like syrupy... and sweet (per Jacck).


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

Let me first say that the idea of a 'good tune' has probably altered a little, or at least broadened, even for the general listening public.

Mieczyslaw Weinberg's _Concertino for violin and string orchestra_, (Op.42 1948, okay 70 years...) First movement.

The melody of the first movement. It's easily comparable to the 'great tunes'.

Not brilliant sound, but there's nothing else at short notice:






Also the same composer Cello Concerto. Great melody in the opening adagio:


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## LezLee (Feb 21, 2014)

Peter Maxwell Davies - Farewell To Stromness


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Arnold's Peterloo overture (1968) starts off with a beautiful melody.


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## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

The Danish composer *Thomas Koppel (1944-2006)* wrote a *concerto for recorder* - *"Moonchild's Dream" *dedicated to Michala Petri who recorded it twice - first for RCA and later for Dacapo - I have the Dacapo recording. 
The concerto is late-romantic or neo-romantic or whatever you want to call it - It has a very catchy tune that keeps re-appearing the 19 minutes the work lasts. 
*-*'Ear worm alert warning folks!!'**


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Eugene, thanks for the two Weinberg pieces! I perceive him working in a Hovhaness/Bloch groove that I find most rewarding .


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Strange Magic said:


> Eugene, thanks for the two Weinberg pieces! I perceive him working in a Hovhaness/Bloch groove that I find most rewarding .


More like Miaskovsky/Shostakovich. Speaking of which, there are some good tunes in Shostakovich's 14th quartet and in the Nocturne of the 15th, woks that are well within the time frame. Also the Violin Sonata, starting with the opening theme.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

MusicSybarite said:


> A work that instantly comes to my mind is the Penderecki's Symphony No. 2 (1979-80). There is a sort of transcendental tune that gives an impression of a doomsday. Curiously, the symphony is related to Christmas, but I don't find any link between it and the work (musically).


It have quotations from "Silent Night".
All of Penderecki´s music from maybe 1975 is to recommend for tuneful. Credo, his 8th symphony and his Concerto Grosso can also be recommended.


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## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

I like the tune from 7:08:






This one is also nice:






Neither of the melodies are original Sculthorpe melodies, and this appropriation (generally of indigenous Australian melodies) is, if I remember (haven't listened to his music in awhile) common in his music.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Other piece by Malcolm Arnold with a very good melody: Water Music, op. 82b (1964) (II. Andantino). This is the orchestral version. The original one is for winds and percussion.

This movement is so quiet, bucolic, it really makes me feel nostalgic.

In fact, Malcolm Arnold has many others awesome tunes. It's just at this moment I don't remember anymore.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

60 years gives us Shostakovich's Tenth Quartet, which is full of great melodies, notably the whole first movement and, especially, the passacaglia, that is, the third movement, _Adagio_.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

EdwardBast said:


> 60 years gives us Shostakovich's Tenth Quartet, which is full of great melodies, notably the whole first movement and, especially, the passacaglia, that is, the third movement, _Adagio_.


Couldn't agree more! I don't know why the 10th Quartet doesn't get more eartime. Barshai made a chamber symphony out of it.






Added: I forgot, he snuck some 1st Cello Concerto in there!

Added: Oops -- that's the arrangement of the 8th quartet, not the 10th. Hey, it's still a great work.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

KenOC said:


> Couldn't agree more! I don't know why the 10th Quartet doesn't get more eartime. Barshai made a chamber symphony out of it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wasn't familiar with this arrangement. I prefer it to the quartet format.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

DaveM said:


> Wasn't familiar with this arrangement. I prefer it to the quartet format.


Here's a recording well worth having.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Muhly: Étude 3 for viola (2008-2013)





Lansky: Pavane Noire (2004)





Bryars: I have heard it said that a spirit enters (2002)




The madrigals are also very good.

Garland: String Quartet No. 2 (1994)





Nyman: String Quartet No. 2 (1988)




and many good melodies for films

Ten Holt: Canto Ostinato (1976-1979)





Budd: Children on the Hill (1976)




This reminds me of Cage's beautiful piece Dream (1948).

Riley: G Song (1973)




Originally composed for saxophone and keyboard.

Post-minial, west coast school, and many contemporary composers have been writing a lot of nice, accessible, catchy, memorable tunes.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Marjan Mozetich


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## fliege (Nov 7, 2017)

Tabakova concerto for cello and strings mvt. 2 (2008)


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## David Phillips (Jun 26, 2017)

Malcolm Arnold has been mentioned here, and I have to say I'm not a great fan of his music, but the second subject in the first movement of his Guitar Concerto is exquisite.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Michael Tippett's operaa "The Midsummer Marriage" contains some of the most beautifuol music written in the mid-Twentieth Century.


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