# Modern 20th century symphonies/concertos you like and would recommend



## clavichorder

This is a thread for modern symphonies and concertos(or other multiple movement pieces) that you'd recommend. That covers a broad range of styles, varying harmonic languages/atonality and varying complexity. I'm interested in learning about 20th century music finally, even if I don't ever warm up to certain genres of it(minimalism or complete atonality I'm still skeptical about).

I had previously avoided modern, in part due to unpleasant experiences with my local symphony orchestra, hearing a new commissioned piece or a 20th century piece where the audience's reception(or lack thereof) made me uncomfortable, and in part because many pieces were unpleasant on the first listen. But a few concerts ago was the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, which I got into in bits and pieces, I could definitely see that there was something there. So I listened to it again on a recording and I'm just about infatuated with the piece now. This inspired me to go to the library and check out some CDs, and now I'm listening to Walton symphonies 1&2 which I'd heard of previously but never fully listened to, William Schuman Symphony for Strings and #3, and Roy Harris symphony number 3(which I've enjoyed pretty well). That's just my tip of the iceberg experience. You may recommend works to me if you'd like, and tell me about them, or you can talk about your own experience with modern music.


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## Art Rock

A few 20th century symphonies I like.

1911 GLIERE - Symphony 3 in B minor "Ilya Muromets"
1913 BANTOCK - Hebridean symphony
1915 SIBELIUS - Symphony 5 in E flat major
1922 NIELSEN - Symphony 5
1922 BLISS - A colour symphony
1930 HANSON - Symphony 2 "Romantic"
1933 SCHMIDT - Symphony 4 in C major
1934 HINDEMITH - Mathis der Maler
1935 BAX - Symphony 6
1937 MOERAN - Symphony in G Minor
1941 SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphony 7 in C major "Leningrad"
1941 LEIFS - Saga symphony
1943 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - Symphony No. 5 in D
1944 PROKOFIEV - Symphony 5 in B Flat major
1948 MESSIAEN - Turangalila symphony
1951 LILBURN - Symphony 2
1976 GORECKI - Symphony 3 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"
1980 SILVESTROV - Symphony 5
1982 HOVHANESS - Symphony 50 "Mount St. Helens"
1990 SALLINEN - Symphony 6 "From a New Zealand Diary"
1994 RAUTAVAARA - Symphony 7 "Angel of Light"


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## Delicious Manager

Art Rock said:


> A few 20th century symphonies I like.
> 
> 1941 LEIFS - Saga symphony
> QUOTE]
> 
> I'm going to be SO annoying here. One can only list this composer as Jón Leifs. In the Icelandic telephone telephone directory (and in any other alphabetical list in Iceland) he is listed under 'J'. There are no inherited surnames in Iceland - one is given a first name which is followed by the name of your father. Jón Leifs' father would have been called Leif ('Leifs' is a shortened form of 'Leifsson' - Leif's son) with a surname derived from HIS father. Therefore, every generation, the 'surname' changes. Women take the name of their fathers too, but, instead of 'son' at the end, you will find 'dóttir'. If Jón Leifs had a sister, her name would have been [first name] Leifsdóttir. Jón Leifs would never be referred to as 'Leifs' in Iceland - he would only be called 'Jón' or 'Jón Leifs'.


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## Aramis

Karol Szymanowski is essential composer for first half of XXth century. Try symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 (first of these is vocal symphony, the latter is with piano).

And don't forget very beautiful, poetic Violin Concerto No. 1, sometimes reffered to as "May Night". We have may actually so get it, wait until night, open your window to feel fresh, spring air and dig this sensual music describing great wonder.


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## Argus

In order of preference:

Glass - VC No 1
Harrison - PC 
Branca - Symphony No1 & No 5
Cage - C for PP
Penderecki - Symphony No 3 & VC No 1


Then there are pieces with concerto or symphony in the title that aren't strictly them.

Strauss - An Alpine Symphony
Stravinsky - Ebony Concerto & Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Harrison - Concerto in Slendro

Really though, most 20th C music I listen to (even orchestral) doesn't use these forms.


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## SuperTonic

I've really fallen in love with the symphonies of Egon Wellesz. His first and second symphonies would be a great introduction as they are tonal and very approachable. And if you are intersted in exploring atonal music, his symphonic output became progressively more atonal as you get into his later works, so that may be a good way to work your way into it.
Here is the last movement of the first symphony.


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## LordBlackudder

try this


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## Vaneyes

Though it's 21st century, I keep coming back to Gubaidulina's In Tempus Praesens.


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## notesetter

The Danish composer Vagn Holmboe wrote a dozen or so very attractive symphonies. I can vouch for #3 (Sinfonia Rustica) and #6. His music is very accessible and shows he was a worthy successor to his countryman, Carl Nielsen.

There is information on the web about his compositional style, which to me shows he was pretty much his own man when it came to his art.


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## haydnfan

Shostakovich's symphony cycle is amazing. If you were to go with just one thing, pick up a box set of his symphonies and soak it up.


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## superhorn

One possible reason for your negatove reaction to some live performances of contemporqary works is simply the "shock of the new". When you're at a concert, you don't have the luxury of giving a work repeated hearings,which you do when you listen to recordings.Or possibly the performance wasn't very fgood and didn't do justice to the music. This happens.
There have been so many times I didn't "get" works the first time I heard them on recordings. But with repeated hearings, the music started to make more sense and I could grasp what the composers were trying to say. So I always try to keep an open mind and not jump to conclusions about it.
Thisis not to say that you should like every work you hear for the first time,or that you automatically will if you listen to it more than once,. 
One time in my performing days, I was in an orchestra playing the thorny "Sic Pieces For Orchestra" by Anton Webern. This is very esoteric and complex 12 tone stuff. But as the rehearsals progressed and by the timeof the performance, it began to seem as tuneful as Beethoven,Brahms and Tchaikovsky to me,a nd I now have no difficulty listening to it.


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## superhorn

Oops ! That should be "Six Pieces For orchestra" ! They're not sic at all !


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## tdc

superhorn said:


> Oops ! That should be "Six Pieces For orchestra" ! They're not sic at all !


Oh, but Webern's Six Pieces for orchestra _are_ sick! (In a good way that is). 

I've been listening to a lot of Webern of late, very intense, intriguing, mysterious and evocative stuff.


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## Delicious Manager

notesetter said:


> The Danish composer Vagn Holmboe wrote a dozen or so very attractive symphonies. I can vouch for #3 (Sinfonia Rustica) and #6. His music is very accessible and shows he was a worthy successor to his countryman, Carl Nielsen.
> 
> There is information on the web about his compositional style, which to me shows he was pretty much his own man when it came to his art.


I too admire Holmboe's canon of 13 symphonies and they would have been included in my list had note setter not beaten me to it. :tiphat:

Two other Danes need mentioning: firstly the odd character Rued Langgaard. Langgaard was a generation younger than Nielsen and never managed to break-through the shadow that the great older composer (inadvertently) cast over him with the public and performing bodies in Denmark - something that caused a great deal of resentment in Langgaard. His style was predominantly in the late-Straussian mould, but he occasionally showed flashes of intense originality and daring in music that seemed decades ahead of its time. One example is his _Music of the Spheres_. This video tells one of the stories about this piece far better than I could: 



. Langgaard wrote 16 symphonies, the earliest when he was still a teenager. They vary in length from 6 minutes to an hour and are variable in quality, but never less than fascinating.

The man in the video is Per Nørgård, the other symphonic composer I wanted to urge people to listen to. Nørgård's music is far less easily accessible than Langgaard's or Holmboe's, but is superby conceived and written, rewarding repeated listening.

Some other great 20th-century symphonists:

Kalevi Aho (b 1949)(Finnish)
Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006)(UK)
StanleY Bate (1911-1959)(UK)
Niels Viggo Bentzon (1919-2000)(another Dane)
Havergal Brian (1876-1971)(UK)
David Diamond (1915-2005)(American)
George Enescu (1881-1950)(Romanian)
Einar Englund (1916-1999)(Finnish)
Howard Hanson (1896-1981)(American)
Arthur Honegger (1892-1955)(Swiss)
Herman Koppel (1908-1998)(Danish)
Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973)(Italian)
Allan Pettersson (1911-1980)(Swedish)
George Rochberg (1918-2005)(American)
William Schuman (1910-1992)(American)
Robert Simpson (1921-1997)(UK)
Lepo Sumera (1950-2000)(Estonian)
Eduard Tubin (1905-1982)(Estonian)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)(UK)
Mieczysław Weinberg (Moisei Vainberg)(1919-1996)(Polish)


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## Meaghan

superhorn said:


> There have been so many times I didn't "get" works the first time I heard them on recordings. But with repeated hearings, the music started to make more sense and I could grasp what the composers were trying to say. So I always try to keep an open mind and not jump to conclusions about it.


Indeed, much of the music I have come to love best is music I didn't particularly like (or understand) the first time I heard it. Music that doesn't reveal all its secrets on the first listen often bears up much better under repeated listening than does more straightforward stuff.


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## afterpostjack

The symphonies of Martinu (all of them) had immediate appeal to me. Then we have Shostakovich and Sibelius, two titanic composers of the 20th century who contributed greatly to the symphonic repertoire. Carl Nielsen should also not be left out of that company. Alan Hovhannes is a little more obscure, but he has some great pieces already mentioned here.


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## mmsbls

Several Concertos I like - 

Bowen: Viola Concerto (early 1900s)
Ewazen: Violin Concerto (1997)
Gliere: Harp Concerto (heard this for the first time a couple of weeks ago because of a recommendation from TC)
Rota: Piano Concerto in E minor (1978)
Vine: Piano Concerto (1997)

These are all tonal and what many here call "very accessible".


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## Huilunsoittaja

The Prokofiev symphonic cycle. Some of them (ex. the 2nd and 3rd) are a bit of a teeth-gritting experience, but good nonetheless in a different way. His other symphonies are more pleasantish.


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## Tapkaara

The firts post in this thread reminds me of a world premiere performance I saw of a new composition at the Walt Disney Hall a few years back. It was a sort of concertante work for two pianos and a small orchestra by a Dutch composer whose name escapes me right now.

The piece was highly unoriginal modernist claptrap. It was encouraging to see even the ever-astute LA audience give a lukewarm reception, with a little less then half the capacity crowd applauding. Audiences know they don't have to prentend to approve of such dismal sounds anymore, lest they be seen as some sort of backwards philistine. Pieces such as these sure do sound dated now, and audiences have moved on (or returned) to a purety of expression that makes up the best music in the world.

The early 20th century procuded some of the best music I know. I can only repeat suggestions already given here for good 20th century symphonies: Prokofiev, Sibelius, Shostakovich (though some of his symphonies are terribly overlong) and I was pleased to see the name Jón Leifs brought up! I'd also like to include Bax, though some of his symphonies tend to meander and it becomes a little bit frustrating. His 1st is a great place to start.

I personally would like to get to know the symphonies of Enescu, who himself composed his works in the 20th century.


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## Jeremy Marchant

The ten symphonies of HANS WERNER HENZE should be on any one's listening list. 
The early ones are balletic, the later ones more serious.

And the four symphonies of ROBERTO GERHARD likewise. The last one, subtitled _New York_, is a brilliant exercise in sonorities and timbres.


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## Vazgen

I want to mention US symphonist Roger Sessions (1896-1985), whose nine cinematic symphonies were densely layered and crazily inventive. Here's his epic Third, from 1957:

[video=youtube;A_du5dQN9oQ&feature=related"]Roger Sessions: Symphony #3[/video]

-Vaz


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## clavichorder

Tapkaara said:


> The firts post in this thread reminds me of a world premiere performance I saw of a new composition at the Walt Disney Hall a few years back. It was a sort of concertante work for two pianos and a small orchestra by a Dutch composer whose name escapes me right now.
> 
> The piece was highly unoriginal modernist claptrap. It was encouraging to see even the ever-astute LA audience give a lukewarm reception, with a little less then half the capacity crowd applauding. Audiences know they don't have to prentend to approve of such dismal sounds anymore, lest they be seen as some sort of backwards philistine. Pieces such as these sure do sound dated now, and audiences have moved on (or returned) to a purety of expression that makes up the best music in the world.
> 
> The early 20th century procuded some of the best music I know. I can only repeat suggestions already given here for good 20th century symphonies: Prokofiev, Sibelius, Shostakovich (though some of his symphonies are terribly overlong) and I was pleased to see the name Jón Leifs brought up! I'd also like to include Bax, though some of his symphonies tend to meander and it becomes a little bit frustrating. His 1st is a great place to start.
> 
> I personally would like to get to know the symphonies of Enescu, who himself composed his works in the 20th century.


I know what you mean. I often can't stand the commissioned pieces, but in Seattle we are pretty polite nonetheless, for better or worse. They are often short though. I often think of "The Emperor's New Clothes" with a lot of modern music. I've heard some Bax and it often sounds like wandering boiling chromaticism but he has some good shorter tone poems if I recall correctly.


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## clavichorder

I have a new question to ask now. How does everyone feel about Stravinsky's symphony in 3 movements? Sometimes that piece just goes off the map for me, but other times I find it intense and interesting, I'm wondering if its logic and order makes as much sense as the Rite of Spring, at this point I can't tell. I'm inclined to hope that Stravinsky really knew what he was doing, I suppose I'll keep listening to it, but sometimes I frustrate myself when I blank out on it. I'm just getting into the Gliere Symphony, it is quite a masterpiece, that's some seriously good music. 

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I'm taking it one work at a time. I'm overwhelmed by the sheer number of works I am exploring in the different periods at this time, as before my listening style was such that I liked to attach and obsess over one work in all its detail, but now I am expanding so to speak.
.


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## Xaltotun

Nielsen has been deservedly mentioned a couple of times in this thread, but I don't think his symphony #4 has been explicitly mentioned yet. Right now, it's one of my favourite symphonies. It blends "old" and "new" classical music together seamlessly, tying them together with laughter, rage and passion. It's like an epic punch-fest between Apollo and Dionysos over the dominion of the Earth, but in the end, they alchemically meld together into a new hybrid deity. Yes, it's the same old Romantic conflict that Beethoven started and many composers tried to solve, but Nielsen dares to face that dilemma, and his solution is extremely daring and original.


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## Vaneyes

One of the best issues of 2011, and an important addition to Ginastera discography.


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## Tapkaara

clavichorder said:


> I know what you mean. I often can't stand the commissioned pieces, but in Seattle we are pretty polite nonetheless, for better or worse. They are often short though. I often think of "The Emperor's New Clothes" with a lot of modern music. I've heard some Bax and it often sounds like wandering boiling chromaticism but he has some good shorter tone poems if I recall correctly.


Bax does indeed wander. If you're patient enough with him, there's good stuff to be found. His 1st Symphony and Tintagel are, to me, his best works and good for beginners.


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## Vaneyes

Tapkaara said:


> Bax does indeed wander. If you're patient enough with him, there's good stuff to be found. His 1st Symphony and Tintagel are, to me, his best works and good for beginners.


I was *patient* with Bax for several years, before culling him.


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## Sid James

some great recommendations here, i'd like to add lutoslawski, tippett, sculthorpe, ives, dutilleux, carter, ades, but there are countless others. you just have to kind of "shop around" and listen widely to get an idea what has been going on in music of the past 100 years (& before, of course, if you're that way inclined - all these things are connected).

@ meaghan - i agree repeated listening is a good thing to do, but one doesn't have to always do it to be able to appreciate classical music. like in the last few weeks i went to some contemporary music concerts, a xenakis percussion one and also a spectral electro-acoustic one (incl. composers like saariaho). i sometimes come across new music live that is a "one off" - i won't hear it ever again. that's fine, i kind of like that experience, i've had enough of cluttering my memory with all this stuff. i've already got enough on my plate. if one can do things like this, it's pretty good. i disagree with people who describe modern/contemporary music as "difficult" or whatever. "difficult" compared to what? are they comparing saariaho to beethoven? how utterly absurd. it's far better to be flexible & just take all of these guys on their own terms, enjoyed them each to the max, without any garbage hang-ups. that's how we learn as humans. if you are resistant to learning, whether you're listening to music from the 1st century AD to something composed last week, you're going to shut out many good, interesting and exciting things...


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## World Violist

Try the symphonies and concerti (particularly the viola concerto) of Edmund Rubbra. If you like them, also look for the Dante Quartet's recordings of his chamber music. He's a great composer, and these are the highlights of his output.

As for some more recent stuff, maybe try Kalevi Aho, who's still alive and in his 60s. He's a marvelous composer who has written several symphonies and concerti, most of them recorded by BIS Records.


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## Meaghan

@Sid James - Those sound like interesting concerts! I haven't gotten too many opportunities to hear contemporary music live, and I would like to. When I listen to new music, I'm more inclined to do repeated listening right off the bat, rather than just hearing something and letting it be for a while, and it might be nice to do more of the latter. Interestingly enough, most of the (admittedly little) Saariaho I've heard hasn't taken me repeated listening to enjoy. Except Nymphea, which I still don't like. You're certainly right that if one listens to her expecting Beethoven (or vice versa) one will be disappointed! I'm glad I don't do that.


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## Sid James

@ meaghan - yes, repeated listening is great as well, but i suppose i have developed a like for a "mix" of repeated and "one-off" listenings. i am lucky to have a lot of live things on in my area, but i have also heard some interesting broadcasts of concerts from here & around the world, on radio. so even if you can't get to these things physically, it's worth tuning in to classical radio stations in your area/country or even listening online (& some are even doing podcasts, which is great but i don't get into these often, i just listen the "old" way on radio)...

BTW - i will be reviewing those concerts i was talking about soon on the "latest concerts" thread, so look out for those if you want to know the specifics. sounds like you're more aware of saariaho than i, i don't own any of her stuff on disc, but this concert last weekend was the second time i've come across her music in the live format. she's pretty amazing, imo...


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## Vazgen

> The firts post in this thread reminds me of a world premiere performance I saw of a new composition at the Walt Disney Hall a few years back. It was a sort of concertante work for two pianos and a small orchestra by a Dutch composer whose name escapes me right now.
> 
> The piece was highly unoriginal modernist claptrap. It was encouraging to see even the ever-astute LA audience give a lukewarm reception, with a little less then half the capacity crowd applauding. Audiences know they don't have to prentend to approve of such dismal sounds anymore, lest they be seen as some sort of backwards philistine. Pieces such as these sure do sound dated now, and audiences have moved on (or returned) to a purety of expression that makes up the best music in the world.


The mention of "The Emperor's New Clothes," as always, is the codger's self-serving way of making it sound as if he's actually the discerning one in the matter of modern music.

But I think Chicken Little is a much more relevant reference. Anyone who heaps scorn on "dismal Modernist claptrap" might as well be screaming _The sky is falling! Contemporary music is impure and terrible! The sky is falling!_

-Vaz


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## Bobotox

Without a doubt the second symphony of Richard Wetz. Instant masterpiece upon listening to the opening notes.


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## Laudemont

As a newcomer to this forum I found this discussion most interesting. I scanned all the posts but didn't notice the names of Walter Piston (American) or Eduard Tubin (Estonian). Regarding the former, I prefer the 3rd Symphony over his more "popular" 2nd. As to Tubin, I prefer his earlier works over his later ones. I was glad to see the name of Havergal Brian mentioned, another favorite of mine -- I especially like the 3rd Symphony but enjoy the quirky abruptness of some of his later ones. There is a wonderful symphony by Arnold Cooke (his 3rd) on the same CD with Brian's 6th and 16th. Edmund Rubbra is another British symphonist who is overshadowed by VW, as is George Lloyd. As to Nielsen, my favorite is his 1st. I return again and again to Sir Arnold Bax, though his 4th and 7th are not so interesting to me. Howard Hanson is another composer in my hit parade, especially his first four symphonies. Roy Harris, his contemporary, is good to listen to once in a while (I actually met him when I was in college) but I am afraid his symphonies tend to sound like the same one played over and over. Sorry for rambling, I could go on and on . . .


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## presto

The Symphonies of Malcolm Arnold have been quite a revelation to me.
I don't know how well known they are outside of the UK but they are very powerful works with remarkable mood swings.


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## Art Rock

I have them all, but must say I prefer his many concertos.


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## Laudemont

I guess Arnold's best-known concerto is the Concerto for Hosepipe and Orchestra on the old Hoffnung Symphony LP. The soloist was Dennis Brain.


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## haydnfan

I like all of Arnold's Symphonies, and my favorites are #7-9.


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## Aksel

Laudemont said:


> I guess Arnold's best-known concerto is the Concerto for Hosepipe and Orchestra on the old Hoffnung Symphony LP. The soloist was Dennis Brain.


The hosepipe concerto is rather hilarious.
Also, don't forget the Grand, Grand Overture for three vacuum cleaners, a floor polisher and four rifles.


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## Vaneyes

I like Hickox's treatment of Arnold Syms. 3 & 4 and some other orchestral works (incl. 'A Manx Suite'), but my preference is the chamber music with McCapra Quartet and Nash Ensemble.


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## Laudemont

Thanks, Aksel, for posting the video of Arnold's "Grand, Grand Overture." Apparently the BBC Orchestra's audience found it hilarious, as I did.

Regarding twentieth-century concerti, I would call attention the Havergal Brian's Violin Concerto. It has an interesting history -- the original manuscript was lost when Brian's brief case was stolen on a London commuter train, and he had to completely re-write it. I don't play the violin, but it seems difficult to me and a real showpiece for the soloist.


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## Nix

I'm not well versed in the last century, but some of my favorites: 

Shostakovich: Violin Concerto #1
Bartok: Violin Concerto #2, Piano Concerti
Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto #1
Adams: Violin Concerto
Vaughan Williams: Oboe Concerto
Barber: Concerti

Shostakovich: Symphonies 10, 15
Britten: Cello Symphony


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## elgar's ghost

Robert Simpson's symphonic cycle is probably my favourite from the last 100 years along with that of Shostakovich. I've also been very impressed with the Penderecki symphonies that I've heard (1 thru 5).

Concertos - Schnittke's combination of the miserable and the unhinged scores highly with me.


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## haydnfan

Simpson and Penderecki I love. There is also Sallinen and since you mentioned Schnittke, I like his 7th and 8th symphonies but don't admire all of his symphonies equally (I prefer his chamber works and his concertos as I guess you do too elgars ghost).


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## elgar's ghost

Hi, H. I can't comment on Schnittke's symphonies as I've never heard them. The only chamber work I've heard is the piano quintet which is as dark a piece as one can expect bearing in mind it was written not long after the death of his mother. The symphonies and string quartets have been mouldering away on a virtual wishlist for some time now - high time I did something about it!


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## chalkpie

word.........


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## clavichorder

chalkpie said:


> word.........


Good bump, this thread is more pertinent to me than ever as a resource now.


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## clavichorder

I feel like I should update you all on my progress. Little did I know that this genre would be my primary focus for the next several months when I first made this thread. I haven't listened to a ridiculous amount, but the depth at which I've enjoyed certain pieces has really served to change my attitude towards listening to new music of all kinds. I feel liberated from my previous biases, and I have had the experience of getting to know the following works quite well, though some I've not attended to all the movements honestly:

The first pieces are those that I've really spent a lot of time with and have a solid feel most if not all of each symphony

William Schuman's 5th Symphony(for strings)
William Schuman's 3rd Symphony
Shostakovich's 6th Symphony
Britten's Violin Concerto
Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem
Alexander Tcherepnin's 3rd Symphony
Walter Piston's 2nd Symphony
Arnold Bax's 6th Symphony
Prokofiev's 5th Symphony
Roy Harris's 3rd Symphony
Copland's 1st symphony
Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances
Medtner's 1st Piano Concerto
Gliere Symphony 3
Stravinsky Symphony in 3 movements
William Walton's 1st Symphony
Honegger's 3rd Symphony
Prokofiev's 3rd Symphony
William Schuman's 6th symphony
William Schuman's 7th symphony
Hindemith's Symphony in E flat
Hindemith's Symphony for winds in B flat
Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra
Medtner's 2nd piano concerto
Ernst Toch's 1st symphony

I will add to the above list if there are pieces I'm forgetting, and now I'll list the pieces I'm just getting to know and haven't really digested any large portion of, but have a basic sampling of and find agreeable and wish to know better

Tcherepnin's 4th symphony
Shostakovich's 5th symphony
Prokofiev's 2nd symphony
Copland's Clarinet Concerto
Walter Piston's 4th symphony
Dutilleux Violin Concerto
Walton's 2nd Symphony
Walton's Viola Concerto
Walton's Violin Concerto
Barber Violin Concerto
Stravinsky Symphony in C
Medtner's 3rd Piano concerto
Britten's Cello Symphony
Vaughan Williams, A Sea Symphony
Milleaux Harp Concerto
Ravel Concerto for the Left Hand
Ravel Concerto in G
Gershwin Piano Concerto
Shostakovich's 11th symphony
Shostakovich's Violin Concerto
Bartok's 3rd piano concerto
Hindemith Mathis de Mahler
Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis on a theme by Weber
Hindemith Violin Concerto
Tcherepin's 6th piano concerto
William Schuman's 10th symphony
Martinu Symphony 1
Tubin's 9th symphony
Khachaturian's 2nd symphony
Hovhaness Mysterious Mountain
Sessions Violin Concerto


the list probably goes on a little more

Any further suggestions? How am I doing?


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## Lukecash12

Viktor Ullmann happens to be my favorite student of Schoenberg, and I obsess over his Atlantis opera from time to time. He was a victim of Nazism, and was sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp. A few weeks later he was gassed in Auschwitz, in 1944; We lost a brilliant Czech artist.


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## starthrower

William Schuman-Symphony No. 4 & 9 Seattle Symphony on Naxos
Charles Ives-Symphony Nos. 1 & 4 CSO/Tilson Thomas
Lutoslawski-Cello Concerto; Concerto For Oboe & Harp, Symphonies Nos. 2-4
Poulenc- Keyboard Concertos on London 2-CD set
Ligeti-Violin Concerto
Shostakovich-Symphony No. 8 London Symphony/Previn on EMI
Dutilleux- Symphonies 1-2 on Chandos
Bartok-Piano Concertos 1-3, I recommend the Gyorgy Sandor CD on Sony 
Barber-Piano Concerto/Violin Concerto, RCA CD w/ Slatkin
Schoenberg/Sibelius Violin Concertos, Hilary Hahn on DG

If you like Martinu, Brilliant Classics has a cheap 3 disc set of all six symphonies


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## Meaghan

clavichorder said:


> I haven't listened to a ridiculous amount...


You've listened to a lot. At least, so it seems to me. I'm not nearly so prolific a listener.


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## Lukecash12

Meaghan said:


> You've listened to a lot. At least, so it seems to me. I'm not nearly so prolific a listener.


Yes, I'd agree that Clavichorder has listened to plenty of twentieth century symphonies and concertos.

@Clavichorder: I'd also recommend Korngold's violin concerto, a very popular piece of 20th century music that people have considered necessary listening when it comes to 20th century concertos.

Other 20th century composers whose works I'd recommend:

Samuil Feinberg's Piano Concerto.
Nikolay Roslavet's Chamber Symphony.
Alexander Scriabin's 5 symphonies.
Alfredo Casella's numerous concertos.
Aram Kachaturian's Violin Concerto.
Ginastera's Harp Concerto. (



)
Henriëtte Renié's Pièce Symphonique.


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