Living Composers

[sul G]

Indeed - and wait until you've heard his earlier stuff, too. It'll knock your socks off!

[Dr. Dread]

Indeed - and wait until you've heard his earlier stuff, too. It'll knock your socks off!

How does it compare to the recording above? Thanks.

[sul G]

Earlier Kancheli tends to have more fire in the belly, to put it briefly. The later stuff often repeats the successful formula, but with less urgency. Edward and I have had this discussion here before - we're in agreement about this, and in fact it's a view I've often seen rehearsed. (It's a similar argument to that often had about Arvo Part post, say, 1985.)

Where I differ slightly from Edward, I think, is that I put the date at which Kancheli 'lost his fire' a little later, and that I find some of the more recent pieces extremely compelling. We'd both agree in urging you towards the symphonies; but I'd also put his concertante viola piece Vom Winde beweint very high up my list whereas Edward, IIRC, likes it but not so much. I think it's a stunner, though, and I'd recommend it to anyone - there are a few recordings, but Bashmet's is the one to have IMO. His more recent concertante viola piece, Styx, is to my ears a shocking piece; I can't stand it, and the contrast between the two is a constant reminder of Kancheli's progress. But then his even more recent piece for Rostrovopich (Simi), his Lament for Nono, and his ...a la duduki - all these available on ECM - I think these are very good pieces too, which proves that one shouldn't generalise. The other stuff on ECM, though - and that's most of his more recent output - I can happily do without.

[karlhenning]

Some living composers whose music I like:

Vasks
Sculthorpe
Bedford
McCabe (some, like The Chagall Windows, Notturni ed alba)
Arnell
Yoshimatsu
G. Butterworth
Henning 

Grazie!

And it is high time we mentioned Ottevanger in this thread.  We need to get more of his work recorded.

[Lethevich]

Try number two Vasks' concerto for violin and string orchestra in one movement

This is nothing if not accessable, almost too much so

[sul G]

And it is high time we mentioned Ottevanger in this thread.  We need to get more of his work recorded.

He needs to get more stuff worthy of being recorded written. Then we'll see...

[Guido]

Earlier Kancheli tends to have more fire in the belly, to put it briefly. The later stuff often repeats the successful formula, but with less urgency. Edward and I have had this discussion here before - we're in agreement about this, and in fact it's a view I've often seen rehearsed. (It's a similar argument to that often had about Arvo Part post, say, 1985.)

Where I differ slightly from Edward, I think, is that I put the date at which Kancheli 'lost his fire' a little later, and that I find some of the more recent pieces extremely compelling. We'd both agree in urging you towards the symphonies; but I'd also put his concertante viola piece Vom Winde beweint very high up my list whereas Edward, IIRC, likes it but not so much. I think it's a stunner, though, and I'd recommend it to anyone - there are a few recordings, but Bashmet's is the one to have IMO. His more recent concertante viola piece, Styx, is to my ears a shocking piece; I can't stand it, and the contrast between the two is a constant reminder of Kancheli's progress. But then his even more recent piece for Rostrovopich (Simi), his Lament for Nono, and his ...a la duduki - all these available on ECM - I think these are very good pieces too, which proves that one shouldn't generalise. The other stuff on ECM, though - and that's most of his more recent output - I can happily do without.

Styx is shocking how - as in suprising, or shockingly bad?

The subtitle of Simi is "joyless thoughts for cello and orchestra"! it is very beautiful but also very desolate as the name suggests.

[sul G]

Styx is shocking how - as in suprising, or shockingly bad?

Both. It was one of the few pieces which has made me feel ill.  <-------lips sealed in an attempt to hold in vomit...

It's use of 'pop' elements reminded me of some of his film scores. But there he makes it work. Here it simply doesn't, to my ears.

[vandermolen]

I forgot Arnold Rosner - I really like his Symphony No 5 on Naxos and John Kinsella; for his great Symphony No 3 and 4 (Marco Polo).

[Dr. Dread]

Earlier Kancheli tends to have more fire in the belly, to put it briefly.

Well, when you are younger, you have more fire in your belly, so I guess that makes sense. Thanks for the rundown. I am curious what my reaction will be to some of this stuff.

[sul G]

Those that hear it tend to like it, so I'm hopeful!

[not edward]

Earlier Kancheli tends to have more fire in the belly, to put it briefly. The later stuff often repeats the successful formula, but with less urgency. Edward and I have had this discussion here before - we're in agreement about this, and in fact it's a view I've often seen rehearsed. (It's a similar argument to that often had about Arvo Part post, say, 1985.)

Where I differ slightly from Edward, I think, is that I put the date at which Kancheli 'lost his fire' a little later, and that I find some of the more recent pieces extremely compelling. We'd both agree in urging you towards the symphonies; but I'd also put his concertante viola piece Vom Winde beweint very high up my list whereas Edward, IIRC, likes it but not so much. I think it's a stunner, though, and I'd recommend it to anyone - there are a few recordings, but Bashmet's is the one to have IMO. His more recent concertante viola piece, Styx, is to my ears a shocking piece; I can't stand it, and the contrast between the two is a constant reminder of Kancheli's progress. But then his even more recent piece for Rostrovopich (Simi), his Lament for Nono, and his ...a la duduki - all these available on ECM - I think these are very good pieces too, which proves that one shouldn't generalise. The other stuff on ECM, though - and that's most of his more recent output - I can happily do without.

Luke pretty much has my opinion on Kancheli down here: the symphonies (particularly 3 through 6) I think are outstanding, and Lament is another work I would recommend unhesitatingly. Vom Winde beweint is a work I have somewhat mixed feelings about--for me the first movement is as good as anything Kancheli's done, but the rest of the piece doesn't quite live up to it.

I need to give ...a la duduki another listen and explore Simi, I think. The former I recall liking, though not as much as the works I mentioned above. Styx, on the other hand--eww... I found most of it a rather feeble retread of earlier music, and the faux-gospel section struck me as about the crassest thing I've heard from a composer I respected.

[karlhenning]

He needs to get more stuff worthy of being recorded written.

Don't we all, don't we all!

[Dr. Dread]

I'll watch this thread as it grows, if indeed it does. For now, I think I have enough to work worth and I thank everyone once again for their valuable input.

[ChamberNut]

I also will be looking at this thread closely.  There are so many to explore!  I'm hoping some of these composers' works will make their way here in Winnipeg. 

[karlhenning]

I also will be looking at this thread closely.  There are so many to explore!  I'm hoping some of these composers' works will make their way here in Winnipeg. 

Any harpists and bass flutists out your way, Ray? 

[Dr. Dread]

One more thing.

How about listing labels on which new works appear? Like ECM and New World.

[sul G]

NMC is a great one for a wide variety of contemporary British music. Often available at very reasonable prices too, in my experience.

[ChamberNut]

Any harpists and bass flutists out your way, Ray? 

Harpist, yes.  Bass flute, perhaps?   

[Kullervo]

DaCapo (Danish label) is great about releasing new music (as well as unknown gems from the past). Has any one label done as much to promote their nation's music as they have?