# Contemporary composers/works worth listening



## RussianIvan (Jun 30, 2013)

Hi! 

I guess it would interesting to name contemporary composers\works worth listening to.

By contemporary I mean works written within 10-20 years.

I would suggest music by Wofgang Rihm. I'm not a huge fan of it, but some of it sounded interesting (e.g. quartet No. 13, Vier Studien zu einem Klarinettenquintett, Lichtes Spiel). 

By the way, I'm not a native English speaker, so sorry for my grammar.

Thanks for your suggestions/comments in advance!


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Takemitsu's last orchestral piece:





Korean-born German-trained composer Unsuk Chin, Ligeti's student, and her violin concerto:





Ligeti's own third book of Etudes for piano:


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## RussianIvan (Jun 30, 2013)

Thank you, Mr. Mahlerian! At a first glance Mrs. Chin's concerto is quite close to Ligety's own violin conerto! But I like Ligety, therefore, also like this piece!


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

Adding to Mahlerian's post:
Ligeti - Hamburg Concerto (1998-2003); Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (2000); Violin Concerto (1993)
Unsuk Chin - Cello Concerto (2009, I think)
Boulez - Sur Incises (1996-1998)
Elliott Carter - Flute Concerto (2008); Two Thoughts about the Piano (2005–2006)


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Gerard Pesson:"Aggravations et Final", pour orchestre (2002).

Weird stuff I discovered recently; still trying to absorb it, but somehow fascinating in its virtuosity and microscopic worlds:






http://www.henry-lemoine.com/en/compositeurs/pesson.html

Documentary about the piece


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## RussianIvan (Jun 30, 2013)

joen_cph said:


> Gerard Pesson:"Aggravations et Final", pour orchestre (2002)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


there is also a video of this piece with an explanatory comments: 




There is a group of composers from my native Russia working in a close "Lachenmannian" style (http://www.stres.iscmrussia.ru/), though there are less delicate.

I personally find this style (and for me most of the instrumental concrete music sounds almost the same - hence style) interesting but monotonous. Listening to Lachenmann and this Mr. Pesson is for me like visiting an average contemporary art gallery: relaxing, but somewhat meaninglless.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I understand your point about the apparent lack of a narrative "line" in the music. Perhaps further listening will change this impression. As it is said in the documentary, there are fragments of Mahlers Adagietto, for instance.

Do you know Georgy Dorokhov too, originally from the Moscow Conservatory?

*EDIT*: I found the link, it seems to be http://www.stres.iscmrussia.ru/ Thank you - interesting!


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Lera Auerbach is an interesting composer. Her music is more conventional than other contemporaries, but she has a unique voice in her works






Two other composers that come to mind are Wojiech Kilar and Krzysztof Penderecki


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## RussianIvan (Jun 30, 2013)

joen_cph said:


> I understand your point about the apparent lack of a narrative "line" in the music. Perhaps further listening will change this impression. As it is said in the documentary, there are fragments of Mahlers Adagietto, for instance.


Perhaps! "Lack of narrative line" - that is a trait wich is to be appreciated - as my beloved french philosophers tought!

No, I do not know this Georgy Dorokhov. You find his music interesting?


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

You might also enjoy some of John Adams' compositions. Most of his works are not older than 30 years, actually.

Best regards, Dr


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

You did just fine and welcome. Can't get into Rihm but see your point. A contemporary composer(although he does go back a little further than 20 yrs but is still composing)I enjoy a great deal is Leonardo Balada. Born in Spain but lives and writes in the USA. Has about 5 symphonies and several concertos for a lot of instruments. My favorites are Sym. #4 "Lausanne", Cello concerto, Guernica(inspired by Picasso), Zapata; Images for Orchestra, Quasi un Pasodoble and Violin Concerto #1. His Steel Symphony is interesting. Kalevi Aho(Findland) and his many Symphonies and the American composer Michael Torke-'An American Abroad','Rapture, Concerto for Percussion & Orch.,Javelin(a work for the Olympics) and his Symphonic 'Color music'(impressions of GREEN, PURPLE, ECSTATIC ORANGE, ASH AND BRIGHT BLUE. Just some you might want to give a listen(I have feeling you already know Aho), if you haven't already.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

RussianIvan said:


> Perhaps! "Lack of narrative line" - that is a trait wich is to be appreciated - as my beloved french philosophers tought!
> 
> No, I do not know this Georgy Dorokhov. You find his music interesting?


Yes, quite fascinating. I look forward to checking the site, currently reading about the first one there .


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## RussianIvan (Jun 30, 2013)

joen_cph said:


> Yes, quite fascinating. I look forward to checking the site, currently reading about the first one there .


So I'm acting a little bit as a traitor) One of my close friends is always critical of this movement. He (my friend) is very fond of his teacher, Boris Ioffe, who, I believe, in his turn, studied with the above-mentioned Wolfgang Rihm.

Nevertheless, it is great, that I was able to draw your attention to something interesting to you! 
Among this group I like Boris Filanovskiy the most - he is, perhaps, a little bit more conservative, then the rest.

By the way - I do not totally understand this Boris Ioffe's music, but someone here might find it interesting:

several of his short quartets:




a piano piece:





Nothing else is availible on youtube, unfortunately.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

You might want to check out David Lang's The Little Match Girl Passion.

He won a Pulitzer Prize for it - I believe this was in 2008.

It is very moving, eerie and original.


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2013)

Wow, another one of those thread questions to which the best answer is "all."

So popular those questions.

Anyway, there's a bunch of people who are at the Moscow Conservatory right now (or perhaps they just graduated) who are very interesting. But that's only a very small sub-category of "all."

My advice would be to go for the all. And to worry less about your getting things or not getting them. Listen!


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## RussianIvan (Jun 30, 2013)

some guy said:


> Wow, another one of those thread questions to which the best answer is "all."
> 
> So popular those questions.
> 
> ...


Thanks! Your own favorites, perhaps? Or something you've listened recently? 
I just do not know these "all" (as well, as, I believe, some other people on this forum) That is exactly why I've started this thread


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

^^Knowing some guy, I think he was responding to your use of the words "worth listening" in the OP.


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## RussianIvan (Jun 30, 2013)

aleazk said:


> ^^Knowing some guy, I think he was responding to your use of the words "worth listening" in the OP.


Thank you! I see now, there is some subtle ethical problem with the title of the thread... But I don't know how to change it. 
It should rather go like "contemporary composers\music you like".


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

aleazk said:


> Adding to Mahlerian's post:
> Ligeti - Hamburg Concerto (1998-2003); Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (2000); Violin Concerto (1993)
> Unsuk Chin - Cello Concerto (2009, I think)
> Boulez - Sur Incises (1996-1998)
> Elliott Carter - Flute Concerto (2008); Two Thoughts about the Piano (2005-2006)


I emphatically second each and every one of these picks. Carter's Cello Concerto is also worth a listen (or many).


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

RussianIvan said:


> Thank you! I see now, there is some subtle ethical problem with the title of the thread... But I don't know how to change it.
> It should rather go like "contemporary composers\music you like".


Indeed, that would have been a more suitable title.
...but, knowing some guy, I think he also will find an objection to that one.


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## korenbloem (Nov 5, 2012)

DrKilroy said:


> You might also enjoy some of John Adams' compositions. Most of his works are not older than 30 years, actually.
> 
> Best regards, Dr


I really loved this cd:









Other great cd's from different composers:
































(Feldman - Crippled Symmetry: At June in Buffalo)


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Already said: crazy tall order -- here are but four... each of which I think "gorgeous."

John Adams ~ Dharma at Big Sur, for six-string electric violin and orchestra









Robert Moran ~ Requiem: Chant du Cygne





Georg Friedrich Haas ~ In Vain





Beat Furrer ~ Piano Concerto


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## Guest (Jul 1, 2013)

Wow. aleazk has really got my number. Whew.

But yeah. Everything is worth listening to. That's how you find out what you like and what you don't like.

But even more importantly, listening can also be about finding out that it's not so much about what you like and dislike so much as it is or could be about stretching your powers. Becoming a better and better listener. Not having to have everything be about you. Exploring the world in all its variety and coming to terms with that. Getting beyond what your likes and dislikes are. 

There are two ways to listen to music. Well, at least two. You can listen to music in order to hear what you like, or you can listen to music in order to like what you hear. The first is where many of the people who post to internet forums (and who buy CDs in the lobby of the Arlene Schnitzer Hall in Portland) are. The first spawns countless threads that cover the same ground. The first is the search for more of what you already like. The threads always fail you in that search, because the people responding are not you. Oh, there will be a few local successes, but by and large, they will fail. I suppose that's why there are so many of them. People hope against hope that this tactic will work and keep trying it, even after it's failed.

The second puts the burden on you to deal with what's out there. No longer is it a matter of "the music must please me" but is now a matter of "what do I need to do in order to receive this music." Sounds almost religious, don't it? (It's certainly more spiritual. Less egocentric. More humble. And more likely to succeed.)

Then is when I would like to have a conversation. Not before the exploration, fun though that is, but after. Or perhaps even during. Everything always seems to be directed towards gaining experience, towards learning who the composers are. I'd like to see some colloquy between experts, between experienced listeners, too. Of course, the possibility of having any sort of conversation at all, of any kind, online, is less than nil. Squabbling, sure thing. Quarrels, oh yeah. But conversation?

So I'm not just dreaming, I'm hallucinating.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Surprised no mention of Schnittke. Well he is my favorite Contemporary Composer.


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

Nobuo Uematsu is good.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

PetrB said:


> Georg Friedrich Haas ~ In Vain


I listened to the first seconds and I thought "György?... is that you?".


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

Is there no end to the Final Fantasy posts?


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

Mitchell said:


> Is there no end to the Final Fantasy posts?


Doesn't look like it. But I sure hope so.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Personally, I think Gloria Coates has done some interesting things with the pitch continuum, though I admit that she's not to everyone's taste.

At 8:02 she takes Mozart's Ave Verum and plays it backwards.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Thank God for those who are qualified to tell us just how we ought to listen to music. If not for them I'd be wholly lost and just continue on my wayward egocentric journey of listening to music for pleasure and listening to what I enjoy. 

Oh well... I never got that Zen denial of the self. It was too much of a 60s thing involving pharmaceuticals and hallucinations.


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2013)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> ...just continue on my wayward egocentric journey of listening to music for pleasure and listening to what I enjoy.


Ah, if only.

If only this were simply what you did and nothing else.

That would indeed be truly delightful. Yes.


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## isridgewell (Jul 2, 2013)

I am a huge fan of *Birtwistle*. Any of his large orchestral pieces such as Earth Dances, The Triumph of time. The operas Minotaur and Gawain are spectacular (Gawains Journey taken from this opera is also worth listening to). On a smaller scale he has written some wonderful and very intelligent piano music and, what I would consider his best work; Nenia the Death of Orpheus.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

some guy said:


> But even more importantly, listening can also be about finding out that it's not so much about what you like and dislike so much as it is or could be about stretching your powers. Becoming a better and better listener. Not having to have everything be about you. Exploring the world in all its variety and coming to terms with that. Getting beyond what your likes and dislikes are.
> 
> There are two ways to listen to music. Well, at least two. You can listen to music in order to hear what you like, or you can listen to music in order to like what you hear. The first is the search for more of what you already like.
> 
> ...


Yeh I've mentioned the ego involved on forums myself. Of course everyone has an ego, a self. Though it's a matter of how you relate it to music, or art in general. Is it "I've suddenly got composer x, isn't this composer lucky, I have bequeathed upon them my blessing, they are now a greater composer". Or "this is my favourite piece by composer x, nobody else probably cares, but as it's my favourite piece it's particularly important".

I'm not sure you can say everything is equally good though, while accepting all styles as being valid. To compare things is useful, to listen to all styles and music is essential, but in defining something as worthwhile you will contrast it against something you don't think is as good, it's inevitable. The main thing is not having preconceived limited judgements and discussing music rather than just saying this or that is great or worthless, which means nothing without further elaboration.

And nobody is saying people have to follow any strict guideline, but forums are about debate so some like that. And there is so much available out there on the net that it can be great just to go out there and listen. And then once you have listened come back and give an opinion. Giving an opinion can be more interesting and more contributing than asking for one. Maybe it's a better use of an ego.


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## bagpipers (Jun 29, 2013)

Walter Chestnut J.r,he is about 48 or 49.

violin sonata
song cycle on anne sextons 18 days without you
he is working on a string quartet that the boston chamber players will perform


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2013)

starry said:


> I'm not sure you can say everything is equally good though, while accepting all styles as being valid.


I agree, and that is why I never ever say that.

I did say that everything was worth listening to, though, and what I meant by that was that it is in the listening that one establishes the worth.

And the worth is neither of the piece nor of the listener but of the listening.


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

bagpipers said:


> Walter Chestnut J.r,he is about 48 or 49.
> 
> violin sonata
> song cycle on anne sextons 18 days without you
> he is working on a string quartet that the boston chamber players will perform


This looks interesting, Sexton is a poet full of pain and passion, she would make a good base for a song cycle, i'd assume it would be neo-romantic but maybe not.

Been listening to Michael Finnissy recently. He he has some beautiful, if aggressive, often expressive piano works as well as some very tender choral works.


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## reizen (Jul 3, 2013)

I like Arvo Part - although this song is from 1978





For contemporary I also like
Michael Nyman




Philip Glass
Grahame Koehne


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

aleazk said:


> Adding to Mahlerian's post:
> Ligeti - Hamburg Concerto (1998-2003); Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (2000); Violin Concerto (1993)
> Unsuk Chin - Cello Concerto (2009, I think)
> Boulez - Sur Incises (1996-1998)
> Elliott Carter - Flute Concerto (2008); Two Thoughts about the Piano (2005-2006)


Thanks for suggesting the Boulez. I've had some trouble with listening to him in the past, but I found a great video where he talks the audience through parts of the work. It's a great video and a fascinating work.


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