Best Compositions In the Past 20 years? (previously limited to 21st century)

[monafam]

This is really more of a request.  I saw another "greatest" or "best of..." for another era and thought it might be interesting to see what are your favorite compositions early into the 21st century.

[bhodges]

Here are a few that I think are worthy candidates.  Although the caveat is: it's so early in the century that it will take some time to hear all of these, ponder them, and hear them again.

Certainly something by Elliott Carter should be on the list.  Perhaps from the following:

Carter: In the Distances of Sleep (2006) (for soprano and ensemble, with moving texts by Wallace Stevens)
Carter: Boston Concerto (2002)
Carter: Three Illusions for Orchestra (2002-2004)

And others, in no particular order:

Rihm: Jagden und Formen (barely squeaks by, since he presented the final revision in 2001)
Lachenmann: String Quartet No. 3 "Grido" (2001)
Gubaidulina: Feast During a Plague (2006, for orchestra)
MacMillan: A Scotch Bestiary (2004, for organ and orchestra)

The good part is: there are far too many to name!

--Bruce

[not edward]

I am sure I am missing some, but Carter's Boston Concerto and Sallinen's 8th symphony are both superlative works to my mind.

[snyprrr]

Still, all these pieces seem to reflect the death of the 20th century, rather than something new?

I nominate Feldman's For Samuel Beckett. Have we really gotten passed "the ultimate chamber composition"? I still can sense the ennui 20 years later.

Certainly, no "Rites of Spring" has reared it's head. And it's a shame that Carter... well, what am I expecting? Philip Glass is probably still the most recognized composer out there.

"oh, you like classical music? Yea, I really dig Philip Glass."

Get used to it. It's not going to get any better from here on out. Minimalism is... nevermind... ...oy!

[karlhenning]

The Passion According to St John, Opus 92

[Henk]

Julian Anderson is the only contemporary composer I can really recommend.

[karlhenning]

You're making me cry, Henk.

[Henk]

At this moment he's the only I can recommend. Have to investigate your music (!) more as well as other composers. But there are many who I don't like (as a consequence of new insights, see the "what are you reading" thread).

[Brian]

The Passion According to St John, Opus 92

Ever so modest 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I am sure I am missing some, but Carter's Boston Concerto and Sallinen's 8th symphony are both superlative works to my mind.

Both of these strongly seconded by me. Also Penderecki's Sextet, Lindberg's Clarinet Concerto, and Ligeti's Hamburg Concerto (for horn).

[karlhenning]

Ever so modest 

Well, the century's young . . . I may do better yet 

[Sid]

I agree that Carter & Gubaidulina are very fine composers. I'd like to add Arvo Part, Penderecki & Henze to composers also doing interesting things today...

[some guy]

Still, all these pieces seem to reflect the death of the 20th century, rather than something new?

Yes, but why death? I'd say that the seeds planted in, oh, 1950 or so have not yet fully flowered. We're still in the 20th century, the post-WWII world, I'd say. A strong, young, sturdy plant. The pieces mentioned so far are mostly root pieces, not trunk or branch or leaf pieces. But that's OK. There're plenty of those too, I think, though I'd say that perhaps "composition" is not quite as much a given for the world of the past sixty years. Add to that "event," "installation," "improvisation," "happening," and the like.

I haven't contributed to this thread yet because I'm so busy going to all the events, installations, improvisations, and happenings going on--all I can possibly get to--plus all the concerts with "compositions," too, that I can't say which is best. A lot of Czernowin's music that I've heard is from after 2000. Same with Oehring and ter Schiphorst and Karkowski and Lopez and Groult and Kubisch and the like. (Kairos just came out with a budget-priced five CD set of Francisco Lopez' music. Five discs for less than thirty dollars. Wow!!) I think Francis Dhomont may be close to finished with the Kafka section of his Cycle des Profondeurs. (The other two sections are from the 1900s, so shhhhh.)

Maybe wait until 2015, at which point we may be able to say something intelligent about the first decade of this century!!

[Sean]

Just see bhodges's post: it's all rubbish, or at best of low artistic value. The world has completely lost sight of what art is- in literature, visual art and film just as much as music.

[Henk]

Just see bhodges's post: it's all rubbish, or at best of low artistic value. The world has completely lost sight of what art is- in literature, visual art and film just as much as music.

The crisis in music is longest, it already began around 1840 and, with the welcome expection of Rossini, Bizet, Janacek, Messiaen, Stravinsky and today Andriessen and Anderson (and maybe some others), all (other) music is rubbish, music that tries to seduce, music of low values wanting to be experienced and acknowledged as music of the highest values. So many composers can be accused of this! I want all GMG-members to hear this (in this music) and realize this, to realize and accept that 80% of their music collection is actually of low value.

[karlhenning]

it's all rubbish, or at best of low artistic value.

Actually, strike the adjective artistic, and that statement summarizes how most of us gauge your posts here.

[DavidW]

Just see bhodges's post: it's all rubbish, or at best of low artistic value. The world has completely lost sight of what art is- in literature, visual art and film just as much as music.

I doubt that Bruce would appreciate such a gross mis-reading of his post!   Because I'm pretty sure that he did not take the position that the music that he intentionally attends in concert so frequently is rubbish.

[monafam]

Thanks for all of the replies up to this point!  I'm looking forward to any additional suggestions/opinions on the matter. 

[karlhenning]

I doubt that Bruce would appreciate such a gross mis-reading of his post!   Because I'm pretty sure that he did not take the position that the music that he intentionally attends in concert so frequently is rubbish.

Hmm . . . Sean having trouble reading?

That's unusual! 

[Sean]

Henk, interesting distinction you suggest about music that seduces, but I'd argue once the sensuous, melodic side is at the service of some kind of form, this is the greatest music. Music prioritizing form and construction is diminished and only half alive.

All music leads up to and away from Wagner, and the greastest living composer is Philip Glass (and he's not the same).