# A selection of classical music 1918-2017



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Last year I prepared a series of posts on my blog selecting one composition per year from 1918 until 2017, with every selected composer featuring only once (and not necessarily with their imo best work). I was aiming for composers who represent the more modern age, skipping many famous names from before 1918 who also composed in this time slot (such as Sibelius and Richard Strauss). Overall I wanted to get a reasonable mix of symphonies, concertos, other orchestral works, chamber music, solo instrumental compositions, and vocal creations, but excluding opera altogether. Maybe you can find something here to explore.

1918 Langgaard - Music of the Spheres
1919 Milhaud - Le boeuf sur le toit
1920 Hába - String quartet 2
1921 Varese - Americas
1922 Warlock - The curlew
1923 Honegger - Pacific 231
1924 Respighi - Pines of Rome
1925 Roussel - Serenade for flute, string trio, and harp
1926 Jongen - Symphonie concertante
1927 Mosolov - Iron foundry
1928 Nielsen - Clarinet concerto
1929 Bax - Symphony 3
1930 Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major
1931 Avshalomov - Hutongs of Peking
1932 Bliss - Clarinet quintet
1933 Schmidt - Symphony 4 in C major
1934 Hindemith - Mathis der Maler Symphony
1935 Berg - Violin concerto
1936 Ireland - London overture
1937 Bartok - Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion
1938 Webern - String quartet
1939 Prokofiev - Alexander Nevsky cantata
1940 Lilburn - Aotearoa overture
1941 Messiaen - Quatuor pour la fin du temps
1942 Schoenberg - Piano concerto
1943 Martin - Der Cornet
1944 Moroi - Symphony 3
1945 Moeran - Cello concerto
1946 Villa-Lobos – String Quartet No. 10
1947 Barber - Knoxville: Summer of 1915
1948 Cage - Sonatas and interludes for prepared piano
1949 Finzi - Clarinet concerto
1950 Arnold - English dances
1951 Carter - String quartet 1
1952 Vaughan Williams - Symphony 7 'Antartica'
1953 Stravinsky - Septet
1954 Alwyn - Harp concerto 'Lyra angelica'
1955 Martinu - The Epic of Gilgamesh
1956 Piston - Serenata for Orchestra
1957 Tchaikovsky, B - Clarinet concerto
1958 Britten - Nocturne
1959 Poulenc - Gloria
1960 Penderecki - Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
1961 Leifs - Hekla
1962 Cowell - Symphony 16 'Icelandic' 
1963 Bernstein - Symphony 3 'Kaddish'
1964 Shostakovich - String quartet 9
1965 Tveitt - Hardanger fiddle concerto 2
1966 Ligeti - Lux aeterna
1967 Lutoslawski - Symphony 2
1968 Stockhausen - Stimmung
1969 Berio - Sinfonia
1970 Kabeláč - Symphony 8 'Antiphonies'
1971 Crumb - Black angels 
1972 Tippett - Symphony 3
1973 Maderna - Oboe concerto 3
1974 Englund - Piano concerto 2
1975 Silvestrov - Silent songs
1976 Dutilleux - String quartet 'Ainsi la nuit' 
1977 Berkeley (M) - Oboe concerto
1978 Pärt - Spiegel im Spiegel 
1979 Piazzolla - Bandoneon concerto
1980 Holmboe - Symphony 11
1981 Takemitsu - Toward the sea 
1982 Hovhaness - Symphony 50 'Mount St. Helens' 
1983 Feldman - Clarinet and string quartet
1984 Abe - Wind in the bamboo grove
1985 Boulez - Répons
1986 Harvey - Madonna of Winter and Spring
1987 Gorecki - Totus tuus 
1988 Sculthorpe - Kakadu 
1989 Vasks - Cor anglais concerto 
1990 Brouwer - Sonata for solo guitar
1991 Rihm - Violin concerto 'Gesungene Zeit'
1992 MacMillan - Percussion concerto 'Veni, Veni, Emmanuel'
1993 Daugherty - Metropolis symphony 
1994 Rautavaara - Symphony 7 'Angel of light' 
1995 Kancheli - Nightprayers
1996 Sallinen - Symphony 7 'The Dreams of Gandalf'
1997 Schnittke - Viola concerto
1998 Bryars - String quartet 3
1999 Auerbach - Preludes for violin and piano
2000 Sheng - Nanjing! Nanjing!
2001 Magle - The hope
2002 Saariaho - Orion
2003 Adams - Electric violin concerto 'Dharma at Big Sur' 
2004 Golijov - Ayre
2005 Nørgård - String quartet 10 
2006 Pavlova - Symphony No. 5
2007 Corigliano - Percussion concerto 'Conjurer'
2008 Higdon - Violin concerto
2009 Rouse - Odna Zhizn
2010 Reich - WTC 9/11
2011 Aho - Theremin concerto 'Eight seasons'
2012 Glass - Symphony 10
2013 Davies- Symphony 10 'Alla ricerca di Borromini' 
2014 Chin - Clarinet concerto
2015 Abrahamsen - Left, alone
2016 de Raaff - Atlantis
2017 Gubaidulina - Triple concerto for Violin, Cello, and Bayan


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Thanks for this nice list. It's an interesting idea as a way to suggest both composers and works. There are some works I definitely would like to explore here. 

Who's this odd fellow in 2001?


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

That's great! Such a list is very interesting to me, as I barely explored 20th and 21st classical until now. Thanks for posting!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

...and even then there are notable omissions. Incidentally, re 1972, I was at that premiere ... Colin Davis/LSO


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Becca said:


> ...and even then there are notable omissions.


Of course. Within the parameters that I set for myself, I could not fit in some composers that I wanted. And undoubtedly, I left out many that others would include. I think it is one of the beauties of the past 100 years that there are so many different composers (and different styles) to explore.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Nice list. (Schnittke's Viola Concerto was composed in 1985, not 1997.)


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

I disagree with the OP title
Use of the term *classical*. 
There are late mod classical composers,, and there are late 20TH C artists. 
I distinguish the 2 categories.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

paulbest said:


> I disagree with the OP title
> Use of the term *classical*.
> There are late mod classical composers,, and there are late 20TH C artists.
> I distinguish the 2 categories.


We at TC along with everyone in the classical music industry do not distinguish between the two. The thread title is perfectly fine and useful as well. If you disagree, you can choose to ignore the thread.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

mmsbls said:


> We at TC along with everyone in the classical music industry do not distinguish between the two. The thread title is perfectly fine and useful as well. If you disagree, you can choose to ignore the thread.


Yes I understand,,i recall in days gone by, when I was a newbie and requested some recommends on new modern composers,,You should have seen the list back on *another forum*,,,So i'd trust the *experts* and go order a cd or 2,,and ,,,my reaction was,, *I thought I made it clear, 1st tier , true and established classical composers who have eraned the rights to be included in the great art*,,,
I refrain from mentioning such suggestions offered.

I;ve seen others here who have the samem,,,well lets say,,similar ideas as I hold,
that there is a such thing as 1st tier, second tier,,We all appreciate suggestions, how else can we find new composers.

But we should also add to the suggestion more details,. Such as 
'*Hey here is a composer, 2nd tier that has some good late works*. 
Now it is true rating does depend on opinion. Yet some objective research will allow some kind of rating sytem to be employed. 
A top tier late 20Th C composer, has to have to his credit
some significant orchestral,
some significant chamber
some significant concertos.

Take Ligeti? Qualifies? 
Or falls below such categorization?
You tell me, 1st or 2nd tier?


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

Brahms established the standard for the violin concerto,,,then along comes Rihm and calls his work 
a classical concerto.

If someone from another planet was coming to me to know more about the violin concerto and we listened to the Brahms 1st,,,then the Rihm,,his question to me would be, 
*Why is the Brahms so beautiful and perfect,,and this Rihn , is , so, so,,loss of words , different?*

He wants answer and all I could tell him was that, ,well you see, I don;'t have a answer, 
Which is why we should keep the 2 distinct and separate, 
Rihm , a great 20th C artist wrote music for the violin and small chamber group.

This way our guest alien has no such confusion.

late 20th C avantgarde, for violin and small chamber






or if you like
2nd tier minor composer


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Thanks for the list, Art Rock. I'd guess I've heard about 40% so I'll hunt down some of the unfamiliar pieces. I was happy to see you include Christopher Rouse.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

It must have taken Art Rock quite a bit of time to develop his list. I appreciate the effort and also agree that every work on the list is a classical composition. 

I'm familiar with most of the works, and participation on TC has much to do with that.


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

Portamento said:


> Nice list. (Schnittke's Viola Concerto was composed in 1985, not 1997.)


Schnittke also wrote a Concerto for Viola and Small Orchestra, dated 1997

https://www.schnittke.org/en/music.html


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

PeterFromLA said:


> Schnittke also wrote a Concerto for Viola and Small Orchestra, dated 1997
> 
> https://www.schnittke.org/en/music.html


Interesting. Are there any recordings of it?


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

I haven't come across any. It was one of two works that were discovered after his death. The other is the Variations for String Quartet.


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## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

Quite an impressive list. It gives you an idea of the richness of the tradition, even in the twentieth century.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Becca said:


> ...and even then there are notable omissions. Incidentally, re 1972, I was at that premiere ... Colin Davis/LSO


And I was at the U.S premiere -- Davis and the BSO.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I read this list while listening to Janacek's string quartets. I know we can all complain about omissions, but I was surprised not to see his name.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I agree. When I made the list, Janacek was mainly on my radar screen for operas (a genre that I excluded), the sinfonietta and Taras bulba. Thanks to one of Bulldog's games, I came to appreciate the string quartets. If I were to make the list again (lots of work indeed to stay within the self-selected parameters), one of these would probably be in - depending on which composer I would have to leave out.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Portamento said:


> Nice list. (Schnittke's Viola Concerto was composed in 1985, not 1997.)


Error on my part. I meant to select the famous one, but apparently I saw the other year for the concerto that peterfromLA refers to. Maybe I'll do a revised list one day anyway.


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2019)

Art Rock has done a good job, given the self-imposed constraints under which he produced the list. There are some very good suggestions here.

On a quick count, I have 43 of the 100 works listed. In terms of style they're a very mixed bunch, which of course is to be expected. For all but 12 of the remaining 57 composers I have alternative works by those composers. 

About 2-3 years ago I spotted the "modern works" section of the "T-C Recommended Works" Lists. I used that list to supplement my existing 20th C collection, which was mainly a collection of works by the most well-known composers. I recall spending quite a lot of time doing so. 

I was quite enthusiastic about this venture at the time but in truth I reckon I played most of the new material once or twice only, because I thought ... well meh, maybe, maybe not ...and haven't bothered to go back to listen again.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I worked my way through seeing how many pieces I knew or had heard a few times.

Got as far as 1926. Highly unimpressive.

The range of composers you've included is pretty decent, including a healthy selection of Scandinavians, seems a bit short on Yanks, or am I just being picky? An impressive list, made a great read.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

CnC Bartok said:


> The range of composers you've included is pretty decent, including a healthy selection of Scandinavians, seems a bit short on Yanks, or am I just being picky? An impressive list, made a great read.


I did not do a breakdown per country, but a quick glance suggests 18 US composers, so that is hardly 'short'. 

Of course, there's some personal taste bias in my selections, which may lead to more Scandinavian and British composers.

By the way, I think I will try to make an amended list for my blog later this year. You can help by stating which composers are really missing right now. Please only one composer per TC member to keep things manageable.


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

At least one major contemporary figure is missing: Gyorgy Kurtag. I suggest his Kafka Fragments (1987), but if that is not a viable year for replacement, try his Messages of the Late R. V. Troussova (1980) or his opera, Fin de partie (2018).


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Art Rock said:


> I did not do a breakdown per country, but a quick glance suggests 18 US composers, so that is hardly 'short'.
> 
> Of course, there's some personal taste bias in my selections, which may lead to more Scandinavian and British composers.
> 
> By the way, I think I will try to make an amended list for my blog later this year. You can help by stating which composers are really missing right now. Please only one composer per TC member to keep things manageable.


In which case I meant "far too many Yanks" on the list! :devil:

It's those "second rate" symphonists, the Diamonds, Crestons, Harrises, Rorems I was missing......being serious, it's your list, so no need to change a thing. I've already made amends for my ignorance of 1926, and downloaded an old recording under Georges Pretre, so you're having a positive effect already! Next stop 1931!


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Well since you asked for suggestions, Mieczysław Weinberg is one I would include. I love some of his string quartets and a new recording of 2 symphonies just came out. I know you only asked for one so I'll simply hum some of George Antheil's America symphony to myself...


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

After a quick rescan of the list I come up with 3 who I think should be represented but as you only want one per poster, then might I suggest 
Tubrubbtock


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Tubin is a clear candidate, Bantock too. Rubbra somehow never connected with me, and not for want of trying.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Georg Friedrich Haas is an important contemporary composer that is missing from your list. I would suggest _in vain_ for 2000 or _limited approximations_ for 2010. Of course, it's impossible to include every noteworthy work within your constraints and there's no need to try.


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## Littlephrase (Nov 28, 2018)

This is a great and useful list. I’ll definitely have to hunt for some (most) of these works.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Given the number of people chiming in about other composers and works, it might be fun to construct a parallel list - one with a single composer each year and with every selected composer featured only once. If people want to try, maybe the parallel list should not have any of Art Rock's works.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

^ it's a great idea, but I'm not sure it would work to do this with a group of people. I found out it involves a lot of corrections along the way to get all composers in that you want with works that are at least a good introduction if not their best. Anyway, if people would be willing to try, I'd love to see the result.


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