# works composed from 1983 to now



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I'm just interested in getting a better sense of what i'm missing, and what I'm missing most urgently. 

So, what are your favorite works from this period? 

Also, what do you think of as the most "important," or most "influential," or most "groundbreaking," or whatever? 

If someone posts something that you agree with, mention that! It can help me and others.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

For starters:

*Rautavaara*
Symphony No. 6: Vincentiana (1992)
Symphony No. 7: Angel of Light (1994)

*Gorecki*
Lerchenmusik, Opus 53, clarinet, cello and piano (1986)
Already it is Dusk, Opus 62, string quartet (1988)

*Gubaidulina*
Under the Sign of Scorpio variants on six hexachords for bayan and large orchestra (2003)
Jetzt immer Schnee for chamber ensemble and chamber choir (1993)
Sieben Worte for cello, bayan, and strings (1982)
String Quartet No. 2 (1987)
String Quartet No. 3 (1987)


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I'll go ahead and start, though, just to get us going. My favorites must be: 


- Vasks: Violin Concerto "Distant Light" 
- Vasks: Balsis 
- Vasks: String Quartet #4
- Reich: WTC 9/11 
- Reich: Different Trains 
- Adams: Harmonielehre 
- Feldman: Piano and String Quartet 
- Silvestrov: Requiem for Larissa 
- Glass: Aguas da Amazonia 
- Salonen: Violin Concerto
- Salonen: Nyx 
- Carter: String Quartets 4, 5
- Ge Gan-Ru: Fall of Baghdad
- Stockhausen: Helicopter Quartet 
- Lutoslawski: Symphony #4 
- Cage: ASLSP
- Dutilleux: Sur le même accord 
- Ligeti: Piano Concerto
- Ligeti: Violin Concerto 

That has to be enough because I'm tired now, but in general, I also want to get to know Pärt and Kurtág better.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

*Per Nørgård (1932- ):*

He is among the most broadly influenced composers of today and as such he also reflects a mixture of Nordic, Western as well as global trends, popular and very sophisticated music traditions, themes from the past and contemporary ones. Stylistically, he actually began with Neo-Romanticism a la for instance late Sibelius and some Holmboe (1st Symphony), and the oeuvre has overall become even more varied than Stravinsky´s and Schnittke´s. It´s always unpredictable what comes next, and not two works are alike, yet they are usually accompanied with a lot of background thinking and interesting ideas ...

The symphonies represent very varied worlds & it will be too much to describe them here. Compared to the 4th, difficult to comprehend IMO, his later ones are more approachable. One can choose to simply let them be nature-evoking and cinematic images, or modern, amorphous sculptures in sound:

_"Symphony no.5_" (1990) 



"_Symphony no.6, At The End of the Day_" (1999) 



"_Symphony no.7_" (2006) 



"_Symphony no.8_" (2012) 




Several concertos, including two I´m particularly fond of due to their jazzy or folklore-like, lively and complicated rhythms
_Percussion Concerto, "For a Change_" (1983). The best recording is the Mortensen one, coupled with an opera by Nørgård. There´s also a Swedish recording coupled with Sallinen etc. Not on you-tube. It´s partly inspired by Balinese music and the I Ching philosophy. The orchestral score could perhaps be more interesting.

_Piano Concerto, "Concerto in Due Tempi"_ (1996) 




"_La Nuit des Homnes_", Chamber Oratorio based on WW I poems by Guillaume Apollinnaire (1996). A very dark work.


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## mensch (Mar 5, 2012)

A rather influential name in American music at the moment is David Lang, who in turn owes much to Steve Reich. Lang won the Pulitzer Prize for his Little Match Girl Passion a year before Reich won it for writing Double Sextet.






Both Adams and Reich have proven very influential. Nearly all of Adams' important music, with the exception of "Shaker Loops", was written from the 1980s and onwards.

Steve Reich - "Different Trains" (already mentioned)
Steve Reich - "Three Tales" (a personal favourite)
John Adams - "Harmonielehre" (also mentioned)
John Adams - "Nixon in China"

Finally, Ligeti has produced some major works after 1980, including his Études for piano and the Violin Concerto from 1993.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I second:
Reich - Different trains
Silvestrov - Requiem for Larissa

For *Vasks *I would add the beautiful
Cor anglais concerto (1989)

For *Adams*:
The Dharma at Big Sur (electric violin concerto) (2003)


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I think Arvo Part's Litany is well-done. It isn't static; it has a sense of flow and inevitably. If you start it at the break of dawn, it matches the sunrise. (I'm not an early riser; I only did this once.)


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## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

Adams:
- Harmonielehre (thirded)
- Violin Concerto
- Dharma at Big Sur (seconded)

Lauridsen:
- O Magnum Mysterium

Penderecki:
- Symphony No. 3
- Symphony No. 7 "Seven Gates of Jerusalem"
- Sextet

Schnittke:
- Symphony No. 5 "Concerto Grosso No. 4"

Silvestrov:
- Bagatellen

Vasks:
- Violin Concerto "Distant Light" (seconded)

I may add more later.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Here are a few I dig! A rather conservative and Eurocentric list... 

*Helmut Lachenmann:*
- Auslang für Piano und Orchester (1984-85
- Schreiben (2002-03)
- Concertini (2004-05)
- Streichquartett No 2, 'Reigen seliger Geister' (1989)
- Streichquartett No 3, 'Grido' (2000-01)

*Mauricio Kagel*
- Études for orchestra (I 1992, II 1995/96, III 1996)
- Les idées fixes, rondo for orchestra (1988/89)
- String quartet No. 3 (1986)
- String quartet No. 4 (1993)
- Schattenklänge, three pieces for bass clarinet (1995)
- Art bruit for a percussionist and an assistant (1994/95)
- Piano trio No. 2, completed 11 September 2001
- Les Inventions d'Adolphe Sax; Cantate pour chœur et quatuor de saxophones (2004/2005)

*Heinz Karl 'HK' Gruber *
- Zeitstimmung for chansonnier and orchestra (1996)
- Violin Concerto No.2 Nebelsteinmusik for violin and strings (1988)
- Aerial, concerto for trumpet and orchestra (1998-9)
- Zeitfluren, Concerto for Chamber Orchestra (2001)
- Dancing in the Dark, orchestra (2002)
- Hidden Agenda for orchestra (2006)
- Busking for trumpet solo, string orchestra and accordion & banjo duo (2007)
- Northwind Pictures (2003-2005/2010-11)

*Péter Eötvös*
- Psychokosmos, zymbalon concerto (1993)
- CAP-KO, concerto for piano, keyboard and orchestra (2005)
- Chinese Opera, for orchestra (1986)
- Atlantis, for Orchestra (1995)
- Korrespondenz, for string quartet (1992)
- Replica, viola concerto (1998)
- zeroPoints, for orchestra (1999)

*Brian Ferneyhough*
- Etudes Transcendantales (1985)
- Third String Quartet (1987)
- Fourth String Quartet (1989-90)
- String Quartet No.5 (2006)
- Plötzlichkeit for large orchestra (2006)
- Chronos-Aion for large ensemble (2007-8)
- String Quartet No.6 (2010)

*James Dillon*
- ignis noster (1992)
- The Book of Elements for piano (1997-2002) 
- String Quartet No 2 (1991)
- Via Sacra, large orchestra, (2000)
- Concerto, violin, large orchestra, 2000
- Traumwerk, Book 1, 2 violins, 1995-96
- String Quartet No. 3, 1998
- Traumwerk, Book 2, violin, harpsichord, 2001
- Traumwerk, Book 3, violin, piano, 2001-02
- String Quartet No. 4, 2003-04

*Sofia Gubaidulina*
- Stimmen... Verstummen... symphony in twelve movements (1986)
- The Unasked Answer (Antwort ohne Frage) collage for three orchestras (1989)
- Stufen for orchestra (1992)
- And: The Feast is in Full Procession (И: Празднество в разгаре) for violoncello and orchestra (1993)
- The Canticle of the Sun of St Francis of Assisi for cello, chamber choir and percussion (1997)
- In Tempus Praesens concerto for violin and orchestra (2007)
- Glorious Percussion concerto for percussion and orchestra (2008)
- Fachwerk, concerto for bayan, percussion and strings (2009)
- Jetzt immer Schnee (Теперь всегда снега) on verses of Gennadi Aigi for chamber ensemble and chamber choir (1993)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1987)
- String Quartet No. 3 (1987)
- String Trio (1988)
- String Quartet No. 4 with tape (1993)

*Klas Torstensson*
- The Expedition (1999)
- Järn (1982) 
- In grosser Sehnsucht (2004)
- Triptych Licks & Brains (1987-1988)
- The Last Diary (1994)

*Galina Ustvolskaya*
- Symphony No. 3 - Jesus Messiah, Save Us, for voice and small orchestra (1983)
- Symphony No. 4 - Prayer, for voice, piano, trumpet and tam-tam (1985/7) (6 minutes long)
- Piano Sonata No. 5 (1986)
- Piano Sonata No. 6 (1988)
- Symphony No. 5 - Amen, for voice, oboe, trumpet, tuba, violin and percussion (1989/90)

*Louis Andriessen*
- De Materie (1984-88)
- Writing to Vermeer (1997-99)

*Gavin Bryars*
- String Quartet No 1 Between the National and the Bristol, 1985.
- Cadman Requiem (Dedicated to Bill Cadman, his sound recordist, who perished in Pan Am 103), 1989.
- String Quartet No 2, 1990.
- Cello Concerto Farewell to Philosophy, 1995.
- String Quartet no.3, 1998.
- Biped - music for the dance by Merce Cunningham, 1999.

*Anders Eliasson*
- Ostacoli for String Orchestra(1987)
- Sinfonia per archi (2001)
- Concerto for Soprano Saxophone (2002)
- Ein schneller Blick … ein kurzes Aufscheinen (2003)
- Symphony No. 3 for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (1989)

*Naji Hakim* (Organ)
- Hommage à Igor Stravinsky. Triptyque (1986)
- Rubaiyat (1990)
- The Embrace of Fire: Triptyque (1986)
- Gershwinesca (2000)
- Sakskøbing præludier (2005)
- Glenalmond Suite (2007) 
- Concerto No. 3 for organ and string orchestra (2003)
- Concerto No. 4 for organ and chamber ensemble "Det strømmende og uudslukkelige..." (2007)

*György Kurtág*
- Officium breve in memoriam Andreæ Szervánszky for string quartet (1988-1989)
- Jelek, játékok és üzenetek (Signs, Games and Messages) for string trio (1989-2005)
- Kafka-Fragmente, op. 24 (1985-1987)

*Wolfgang Rihm*
- Symphonie "Nähe fern" (2011-12)
- Gejagte Form für Orchester (1995-96 & 1995-2002)
- Die Hamletmaschine (1983-86)
- Séraphin-Sphäre (1993-2006)
- Vigilia - for six voices and ensemble (2006)

And as a last entry, the 2013 Joint Polar Price winner: *Kaija Saariaho*
- Lichtbogen (1986; flute, percussion, piano, harp, strings, live electronics)
- Nymphéa (1987; string quartet, electronics)
- Du cristal... (1989; orchestra, live electronics)
- Graal théâtre (1994; violin, orchestra)
- Notes on Light (2007; cello concerto)
- Terra Memoria (2007; string quartet)
- Laterna Magica, 2008

To many? This is just scratching the surface!

/ptr


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Some I can think of right away:

James MacMillan:
The Confession of Isobel Gowdie (1990)
Seven Last Words from the Cross (1993)

Jonathan Dove:
Tobias and the Angel (1999)

Derek Bermel:
Voices (clarinet concerto) (1997)

Peteris Vasks:
String quartet no.4 (2000)

Lepo Sumera:
Concerto per voci e strumenti (1997)

Steve Reich:
Proverb (1995)

Ugins Praulins:
The Nightingale (2010)

Alec Roth:
Songs in Time of War (2006)


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Great thread! I have been trying to explore contemporary music and have essentially been randomly poking around (not such a bad thing), but I'd love to have a better sense of what others find of value since that has proved quite valuable to me in the past.

I would strongly second:
Rautavaara: Symphony No. 7: Angel of Light 
Adams: Harmonielehre 
Glass: Aguas da Amazonia 
Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium

And add:

Peteris Vasks: Viatore for String Orchestra (2001)
Sylvie Bodorova: Concerto for Violin and Viola (2005)
Lou Harrison: Piano COncerto (1985)
Aaron Kernis: Musica Celestis for cello and orchestra (1990)

Lowell Liebermann:
Nocturnes (1986-2010)
Concerto for Violin and Piano and String Quartet (1989)
Symphony No. 2 (1999)
Piano Quintet (1990)

Peter Sculthorpe: Piano Concerto (1983)
Carl Vine: Smith’s Academy (2001)
Eric Ewazen: Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra (1997)


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

mmsbls said:


> Peter Sculthorpe: Piano Concerto (1983)


Such an underrated work! Sculthorpe is such a neglected composer.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

For *Sculthorpe* I would also recommend:

Earth Cry, for didgeridoo and orchestra (1986)
Kakadu (1988)
Nourlangie, for solo guitar, strings and percussion (1989)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Nereffid said:


> James MacMillan:
> The Confession of Isobel Gowdie (1990)
> Seven Last Words from the Cross (1993)


Seconded.

I would also recommend the first work that I heard of this rewarding composer:

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (percussion concerto - 1992)


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

i think the post-modernist period is about 87 to now. No doubt some good things mentioned here already. What is most 'important' isn't so relevant I think as just what does someone enjoy. The only way to find if you like a composer is to listen to them though rather than to find how many say they like somebody, there's many hundreds to hear for sure.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

science said:


> I'll go ahead and start, though, just to get us going. My favorites must be:
> 
> - Vasks: Violin Concerto "Distant Light"
> - Vasks: Balsis
> ...


Kurtag, 'the miniaturist' --the songs, with instruments, both his pre and post serial works, are gems of really 'solid' and quite moving music.

He's also composed several books of music for beginning piano and other instruments (the piano books often being four-hands, one role for the teacher) which allow for a 'sophisticated' but quite open and immediate 'in' to music, and improvisation, brilliantly musical and alluring 'invitations in' to music, _both the playing and making of it._

Highly recommend.

Seconding Reich's "Separate Trains" -- sounding terrific and thinking it a 'great' work. 
ditto, Morton Feldman's Piano & String Quartet.

Bernd Alois Zimmermann -- died in 1970 -- but I'd add him in here: a number of the composers listed here are 'just writing very good music, not necessarily the newest of what is new, so the few pre 198_ I've included will not 'jar' 
Un Petit Rien





Friedrich Cerha ~ Spiegel I - __, (a series of rather epic orchestral pieces) composed in the 70's and have just been performed and recorded, they are also in the more forward au courant vocabularies of music, despite their date of composition. Pretty terrific.

Georg Friedrich Haas ~In Vain (2000) "a monumental work for large chamber ensemble of 24 players" I find this one completely 'sensate gorgeous' -- players are to memorize the work, perform in the dark 





Lucia Dlugoszewski ~ Fire Fragile Flight (1973) 
this composer now deceased, outside your date criterion... musically, I think very much in the area you are seeking. Another very outside the box, musically and as per 'the establishment' in a way. Another beautiful piece I plug whenever their is an opportunity.





Beat Furrer ~ Piano Concerto (2007)





Terry Riley ~ Requiem for Adam, for string quartet and sound collage (1999)





Gavin Bryars ~ hits and misses for me, but what 'I like, I like...' as it should be for anyone, I hope.
The South Downs for Piano and Cello (1995)




One Last Bar, then Joe can Sing

John Adams ~ Dharma at Big Sur, for six-stringed electric violin and orchestra, is a lovely piece (2003)









Nico Muhly:
Motion





Gait





David Lang ~ Deceptively simple sounding, tonal and imo severely 'intelligent' music.
Child





















On a 'lighter' note
Guillaume Connesson ~ Techno Parade








add... Connesson has a new violin concerto making the circuit in the 2013 /14 season,


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

science said:


> I'm just interested in getting a better sense of what i'm missing, and what I'm missing most urgently.
> 
> So, what are your favorite works from this period?


Hi, science.

I started a thread recently on Skrowaczewski, which you might have missed:

http://www.talkclassical.com/25291-skrowaczewski-stanislaw.html

I also recommend these 2 CD albums which have works written during the past dozen years:

Luis De Pablo's 2007 _Dancas Secretas_, a 4-movement symphony that is also a concerto for harp & orchestra!










NMC's latest offerings of Birtwistle:


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Suggestions and Guides:

Arnold - Symphony 9, Four Irish Dances, Four Welsh Dances, Cello Concerto, Trumpet Concerto
Berio - Sequenzas X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, Continuo, Piano Sonata
Boulez - Repons, Derive 1, Derive 2, Anthemes, Anthemes 2, Incises, Sur incises

Carter - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Carter#Partial_list_of_works

Dusapin - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal_Dusapin#Works

Dutilleux - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Dutilleux#Works

Gubaidulina - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Gubaidulina#Works

Hovhaness - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Alan_Hovhaness

Ligeti - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Gy%C3%B6rgy_Ligeti

Lutoslawski - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Witold_Lutosławski

Messiaen - Eclairs sur l'au-dela

Norgard - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_N%C3%B8rg%C3%A5rd#Selected_list_of_works

Penderecki - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Krzysztof_Penderecki

Schnittke - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Schnittke#Selected_works

Takemitsu - Numerous works, see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Tōru_Takemitsu


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## hello (Apr 5, 2013)

One of my favorite pieces from the 80's:






Scott Johnson is a great composer. He deftly fuses avant-garde classical and tape music with rock.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Lutoslawski's _Chantefleurs et Chantefables_ a set of songs for soprano and orchestra with texts of Robert Desnos (1990) are remarkable in that they are 'youthful' fresh, and from a veteran composer near the end of a long life.









Tristan Murail ("Spectralism)

Olga Neuwirth, The Long Rain (2000) 




As usual, some Youtube channels are superbly replete and specialized. The channel for the Neuwirth link is chock-a-block with newer / newest contemporary classical, as is that of 'Stanchinsky' and others. It might rub against the sensibility of one with a penchant for orderly or systematic research, but click on just about anything to the right of those channels for more in a similar vein, or go directly to that channel. Bless these people, whatever their 'specialty' Mini but extensive specialized audio libraries, often with brief and informative bits of info in their comments.


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## Jimm (Jun 29, 2012)

Explore Stockhausen's LICHTWERKE, & KLANG CYCLE.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Jimm said:


> Explore Stockhausen's LICHTWERKE, & KLANG CYCLE.


Wow, how silly of me; how could I forget about Stockhausen as a post '80s composer? Thanks for the reminder. He sure lived a long life.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

*Concert Band?*

Even though I am interested in contemporary music, there is nothing I could add the above recommendations. I am familiar with many of the composers and works that have been recommended.

As a band junkie, if one is interested, there are concert band works I could recommend. I personally do not have a problem with the current band literature. The big drawback is that most of the music is composed by Americans in a post modern romantic style. Most of the classical community does not seem to be impressed by this group. There are some modernistic works like late Persichetti or Karol Husa. There are some Europeans and Japanese composers who have composed some interesting band music. Again most of their works are post modern romantic.

I hesitate to make any recommendations because it appears that no one would be interested.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

How about Paul Moravec?


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I like Moravec's Chamber Symphony


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

science said:


> How about Paul Moravec?


Don't think I've heard any, is he related to the Czech pianist Ivan Moravec?

/ptr


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

I posted this somewhere else. Doesn't matter where. It's a really good example of Roxanna Panufnik's work.

Also

John Pickard - Flight of Icarus
Spindle of Necessity


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

http://www.talkclassical.com/22245-contemporary-classical-hopefully-doesnt-4.html

Previously, I had deposited some post-1982 works in the above thread (with focus on the composer's age being under 65).


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

A few more:


Friedrich Cerha's _Instants_ (2007)
Charles Chaynes' 1993 opera _Jocaste_
Morton Feldman's Coptic Light ('85) & For Samuel Beckett ('87)
Lou Harrison's 1997 Concerto for Pipa & String Orchestra
Meyer Kupferman's 1988 Jazz Symphony
Arne Nordheim's 1996 Concerto for Violin & Orchestra
Horatiu Radulescu's 1988 Byzantine Prayer
Gunther Schuler's 1993 Of Reminiscences and Reflections
Charles Wuorinen's 1987 "Five"
Iannis Xenakis' 1989 Echange


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

In addition to some of the above I would pick four British works all written between 1991 and 1995 which seemed to represent a segue between one era and another: two from an octogenarian whose creative powers and a reluctance to rest on his laurels were largely undiminished and two from a ludicrously gifted bloke still only in his early 20s whose CV was getting more impressive by the month:

Tippett - The Rose Lake (for orchestra) and String Quartet no. 5

Ades - Living Toys op. 9 (for 14 players) and Powder Her Face op. 14 (opera)


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Because I stumbled upon it, am listening to it, and the fact this Youtube channel is another great resource exclusively dedicated to very recent new music.
*Lucas Fagin ~ Arquetipo (2007)*


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)




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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Takashi Yoshimatsu ~ While an Angel Falls Into a Doze (1998)





John Cage ~ Thirteen Harmonies (1985)


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## namesunimportant (May 14, 2013)

Just a few small additions: 

Peter Lieberson's "King Gesar"

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's first symphony

Pascal Dusapin's quartets


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

Stephen Hough - The Lost Wilderness : Elegy for Cello and Orchestra c.2007


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

If I had to recommend one electronic piece from this period, just one, it would be..

*Steve Roach - Altus (1996)*


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