# Your Year in Music - 2011 (Belated edition)



## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

I dont know why I didnt think of this sooner as were almost past the 3rd month of the year, but I dont think its too late yet. 2011 is still fresh in my mind at least.

Anyway, to reprise a popular thread from last year: http://www.talkclassical.com/11666-your-year-classical-music.html

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Each year brings many insights into the works of certain composers - I thought it would be fun if we all answered a bunch of generic questions about our year:

Music

Which composers have you been obsessed with this year? 
None really, My love for Dvorak continue sporadically. Ive come to love Wagner, but I wouldnt say I became obsessed until beginning of 2012.
I had periods where I listened only to Debussy, Prokofiev and Mozart

How have your tastes changed throughout the year?
I discovered a great love for opera, particularly Wagner. I delved further into modern music, stuff like Stockhausen and Boulez. A new appreciation for french composers like Debussy and Ravel. Finally a surprising appreciation for renaissance music. The year before I was definitely a bit of a late 19th century russophile, but not anymore.

Have you gone off any composers?
Still hardly listened to Beethoven. And like I said above, dont listen to much russian music anymore, whereas 2010 I considered myself a Russian music freak.

What were you concert/opera highlights this year?
Saw some great operas including Der Rosenkavalier, Turandot and Eugene Onegin. The latter was a highlight due to its innovative staging.
In the concert hall, the Concertgebouw orchestra continue to deliver great evenings. Highlights also include Gergiev with the Mariinsky, performing Shostakovich's 14th symphony, and Rattle/BPO playing Mahler's 3rd.

Any dissapointments?
Only that I missed a lot of great stuff when I was away.

Have you witnessed any premieres?
Im having some difficulty recalling, but I think I saw the dutch premiere of a work by Murail, as well as some orchestral works by dutch composers.

The Forum

The best thread of the year?
I dont know, but Ive enjoyed reading the now massive ' Whats the point of Atonal music?' thread.

Worst Thread
-
Best Newcomer
Theres been loads! Im not sure who though, as they were suddenly here when I got back.

Anything else you can think of?

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This year we have seen changes in the music world also:

*Composers who died this year
*Malcolm Forsyth

*Composers Born this year*
TBC

Please mention anything else you can think of, so that this thread acts as a summary of the year.

PS. Sorry that I havent completed anything myself, but my absence from the forum prevents me.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

An involved by interesting thread you've created, I will try my best to answer!

1. When I first joined the forum, I was obsessed with the Bach sons, particularly CPE and WF Bach. I grew to be really obsessed with Nikolai Medtner later. These were my individual composer obsessions. In terms of categories, I was obsessed with many mid 20th century symphonies and concerti, as well as many obscure classical era symphonies. I've decided for the time being that I'd rather not obsess on any one composer, since there is so much music out there that I want to know.

2. I initially made efforts to broaden my scope, like I talked about above. There is even a thread I made that is evidence that I was successful, which is amazing, since I usually think of my goals as not being things I achieve in so straightforward a manner. All the composers and categories mentioned above were new to me this year and became at the forefront of my tastes. I am just starting to become more interested in opera, particularly of the 20th century. 20th century music in general, even the most strictly atonal, is doable for me now(I can enjoy a little Webern). Some 20th century music is my favorite, and Bartok might become a very revered composer, contrary to my avowed avoidance of obsessions for the time being. Its been a hugely productive year for me in my listening all over the repertoire. And I firmly established my listening media and devices, so I have all my music organized the way I like.

3. I don't think I've gone off any composers actually.

4. The Dutilleux Violin Concerto, Varese's Ameriques, Sibelius's 2nd symphony, Janacek's Taras Bulba, and Schubert/Berio "Rendering", Mahler's Kindertoten Lieder, all performed at the Seattle symphony, were all featured in concerts that I can really remember really enjoying myself right off the top of my head. Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra was late last season and that was life changing as well, as was hearing CPE Bach's best two symphonies and Telemann's Tafflemusik Overture Suite in concert around a similar time late last Spring.

5. I'm sure there were, but I don't remember any off hand. If you are talking concerts that is. I was pretty disappointed in myself at concerts at times, because I feel like enjoying more conventional romantic warhorse repertoire doesn't come as easily as it used to with live hearings. That stuff should be easy! I'll keep training my ears and expectation management skills by going to 5 consecutive live concerts for the next 5 weeks!

6. I heard the Premiere of Nico Muhly's "So Far so Good." It was alright to me when I heard it, not my favorite thing, but not bad. I still have problems with minimalism, although I'm starting to understand when its use can be effective. Still, I'm going to avoid its influence in my own composition, I think. It was last season when Gerard Schwartz was being celebrated, that I heard so many premieres. I used to think they were ******, but maybe I'd feel differently since modern music isn't like that for me anymore.

Forum

1. Hard to say, a lot of fun ones in the community forum, and some good ones in the main forum too. In the community forum, I think violadude's "post a picture of yourself" thread was instrumental in me getting more comfortable here. Seeing who I'm talking to helps a lot, and it gave me a point of reference for meeting two people in real life from this forum. I also really got into "the vs. game" when it was active for, quite a long time, and the "Composer Acronym Game". In the classical music forum, I really enjoyed HerlockSholmes's "recommend me some good romantic music" thread at the time, and I was really fascinated by CPSeattle's thread about hearing Dutilleux's cello concerto live the same concert night as myself and having a very negative reaction, unsettling in a way, but interesting, and the other aspect of recommending tonal post WWII music was interesting. And, of course, I can recall most of my own created threads, and might not be humble enough to say some of them weren't so bad!

2. Don't know if I want to offend anyone by going there.

3. I've particularly enjoyed the coming of Dodecaplex(HerlockSholmes) and Starthrower. violadude and Klavierspieler arrived at about the same time I started really posting. Probably some other users I know and like here came from that time as well.

4. Don't think so.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

*Which composers have you been obsessed with this year?*
Elgar

*How have your tastes changed throughout the year?*
More early music (Monteverdi, Gabrielli, Gesualdo) in my playlist

*Have you gone off any composers?*
No

*What were your concert/opera highlights this year?*
Helene Grimaud - Mozart Piano Concerto

*Have you witnessed any premieres?*
Joan Tower's "Stroke"

*The best thread of the year?*
It's all a blur.

*Best Newcomer*
I shouldn't say, because most of these people predated me, but 2011 joiners that immediately come to mind are: *samurai, itywltmt, lenfer, clavichorder, mmsbls, Klavierspieler, schigolch, tdc, violadude*

*Anything else you can think of?*
Posting can get too emotional for me. I've been in and out on this forum several times. I need a new philosophy. Maybe I can adapt Stravinsky's 'music is only notes on a page' into 'posts are only words on a screen'.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

@Clavichorder, that sounds great that you managed to meet people from the forum IRL, I hope you had fun.

For the 2010 thread we had a fairly extensive list of composers who dies, including some big names like Gorecki - which was sad. Does anyone wish to add any to the list for 2011?

Also please come back in 80 years and let us know which composers were born in 2011.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

*Which composers have you been obsessed with this year?* 
None. Perhaps Bach is the composer I listened to the most - the Gardiner box, the Richter box, the Preston box; I went through a phase with the concerto BWV 1060, and also 1043. Also listened to more Mahler than I had in the past.

*How have your tastes changed throughout the year?*
I got a little more insight into Bruckner, Mahler, R. Strauss. A lot more into late Renaissance and Baroque music, not so much Bach or Handel but folks like Locatelli, Tartini, Vivaldi (much underrated), Zelenka, Pergolesi, and so on. Most of all, Biber. I liked him before, I love him now.

*Have you gone off any composers?*
Listened to Brahms a little less than I used to. I don't think it's because I love Brahms less, but because I have so much more music.

*What were you concert/opera highlights this year?*
Bad year for classical, but I saw Herbie Hancock and he changed my life.

*Any dissapointments?*
The Harmonia Mundi "Early Music" box set. Waste of money. Also, Glass' _Dracula_. Well, I only listened once. But I expected to like it much more.

*Have you witnessed any premieres?*
Some avant-garde South Korean stuff by people we'll never hear of. Lots of fun. Heard something by... Boulez perhaps... don't remember... arranged for an ensemble of 8 French horns.

My own questions:

*Most surprising musical discovery?*
Rebel's _Les Elemens_. If you've been here, you've seen me mention it before. Runner-up: Noise music. There's really something there, guys.


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## NightHawk (Nov 3, 2011)

I'm a newbie since Nov 2011, but would like to post to this forum, anyway.

*Which NEW composers have you been obsessed with this year?* Alfred Schnittke, Karl-Heinz Henze, and among the old composers, always *Beethoven* - I bought two more complete quartet cycles.

*How have your tastes changed throughout the year?*
I have rediscovered my taste for avant grade, which has been dormant for a couple of years.

*Have you gone off any composers?*
I've not listened to Mozart much this winter, but he is still a constant in my personal pantheon.

*What were your concert/opera highlights this year?*
None of these were live, but Schnittke's 'Concerto Grosso No. 1' knocked me out and led me to acquire numerous of his symphonies, concertos, quartets etc., as did Gluck's operas 'Iphigenie in Aulis', 'Iphigenie in Tauride', and 'Paride et Hellene'. I have also become quite interested in Baroque Opera, Rameau's 'Castor and Pollux', Lully's 'Armide', Handel's 'Julius Caesar' and Vivaldi's 'Ercole Sul Tremondante'

*Have you witnessed any premieres?*
No, unfortunately.

*The best thread of the year?*
I agree with whoever mentioned the 'What is the point of atonal music?' Also the thread 'The Classical Music Project Pt. III' designed by Science.

*Best Newcomer*
Well, since I have been a member it would have to be w/o doubt ComposerofAvantGardeMusic and Starthrower.

*Anything else you can think of?*
The TC experience has been just great - it is addicting in the extreme, and I have learned about a lot of music.


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Which composers have you been obsessed with this year? 

I have immersed myself in the Beethoven piano sonatas. It would be fair to say they have taken over my soul. The Op. 81a in particular, as I did an independent study on it last fall and am writing my senior thesis on it and have resolved to perform it before I graduate (which will mean devoting a pretty good portion of my practice time to it for the next year, as it is at the edge of my technical abilities). I also got really into Ethel Smyth, biographically as well as musically.

How have your tastes changed throughout the year?

My tastes have continued their trend that began when I took 20th century music history of becoming increasingly inclusive. I like more composers now who used to intimidate me. I've also discovered more non-classical music that I like.


Have you gone off any composers?

I used to listen to Mahler all the time (some may recall that he used to be my avatar) and now I listen to him very little. It's not that I don't love him anymore, I've just... found other loves.


What were you concert/opera highlights this year?

The concerts that made the biggest impacts on me in 2011 were (as usual) ones in which I played. I was in the chamber orchestra at my school, which was conducted by a student. (The chamber orchestra no longer exists because the student graduated and no other students were quite qualified to replace him - it's a small school.) We gave the Western hemisphere premiere (and first performance in I think 125 years) of a work by Elfrida Andree, which our conductor reconstructed from old manuscripts and edited as his senior project. His devotion to bringing out her work was touching and his enthusiasm contagious. He cried at the concert and so did several members of the orchestra. I was among them, partly because it was my last concert with several people who were dear to me who were about to graduate.

The other was the group recital in which I played in December. It was my first piano performance in five years. I hardly get nervous at all when I'm playing in a big ensemble, but being a soloist terrifies me out of my wits and I almost cannot do it. So I was proud of myself for doing it anyway. As it drew near, I was practicing four hours a day (which is a lot for me, though my friends who go to conservatories would scoff) and pulled a couple five hour practice days. It was fun, and intense.


Any disappointments?

That I missed so many terrific Oregon Symphony concerts by being away at school! They do have really good programming sometimes. I was excited to come to Philly and be near a good orchestra again, but their programming can be, frankly, boring. But I digress; that's 2012.


Have you witnessed any premieres?
Well, I played in one! My college has biannual "composers' concerts" featuring works by our composition students. I played clarinet in a trio with piano and cello. It was a piece inspired by Plato's _Symposium._ Working with the composer in rehearsals was a very interesting and new experience, since most of the music I play is by people who are dead, or at least famous.


Best Newcomer
They are not newcomers, but if we can count anybody who showed up in the past year, the May 2011 crowd! I don't know what it was about that month, but we got some great people. Including, but (I think) not limited to: clavichorder, violadude, kopachris, and kv466.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

I'll be succinct:

2011 saw me go from listening to mainly old music (pre-80's) interspersed with new releases to listening to lots of brand new music combined with newer old music (late 70's on). I (re-) immersed myself in the world of dance and pop music, especially of the electronic variety, and went deeper into the minimalist/ambient/drone vein. I haven't gone off anything pre se but I find less time for pre-1900 classical, pre-1950 jazz, classic rock, electric blues and prog. I also tried to appreciate the much-maligned genres like New Age, smooth jazz, lo-fi pop and even some country, with some nice surprises.


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