21st century classical music

[7/4]

Glad to hear ADNOS is being reissued, so more people can hear it. I really love Radigue's electronic music, not too sure about her more recent chamber music.

[Karl Henning]

Inspired by the 20th century violin concerto thread [....]

Then it has served at least one good purpose, and I am content.

[Cato]

Here is a quote from James Conlon, which I read today, in an article about the operas of Benjamin Britten:

The centenary has given Mr. Conlon an opportunity to advance the case for Britten more intensely than usual. "I'm taking advantage of it to put him more in the forefront than might be possible at another time," he said. "Americans don't need somebody to play more Brahms or Beethoven. They need to know that there is very important music out there that they're not listening to—because our ears and spirits need constant renewal."

(My emphasis above)

See:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520704579125240632913728.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_6

[Karl Henning]

Nice!

[North Star]

Here is a quote from James Conlon, which I read today, in an article about the operas of Benjamin Britten:
(My emphasis above)

See:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520704579125240632913728.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_6

Great quote!

[San Antone]

Another 21st C. violin concerto, this one by Huw Watkins, a non-threatening British composer.   

https://www.youtube.com/v/CnpdjRp5OT4

These Proms clips always begin with some talking, but the music starts after around four minutes in.

A very nice work.

[Rinaldo]

https://www.youtube.com/v/CnpdjRp5OT4

A very nice work.

Whoa, very nice indeed!

[San Antone]

Franck C. Yeznikian
(b. 1969) France

https://www.youtube.com/v/OvXHINAXWP0

... blessed with a tuneful voice (2010)

Inspired by the triptych of Cy Twombly "I am Thyrsis of Etna, blessed with a tuneful voice" (1977) this is a piece Free trio for clarinet (in A), piano, and electronic Vibraphon commissioned by the EDU (Dijon) / GRAME ( Lyon).

Agnes Ino (clarinet),
Erika Dyckmans (piano)
Guillaume Gibert (percussion)
Vincent R. Carinola and Franck C. Yeznikian: electronic and diffusion

[San Antone]

Per Nørgård - 2nd Violin Concerto "Borderlines" (in 3 parts) (2002)

https://www.youtube.com/v/dNlkElCd2dc

https://www.youtube.com/v/j68xl9jR1AA

https://www.youtube.com/v/IbHEDOnSreo

[San Antone]

Stefano Gervasoni

https://www.youtube.com/v/W0pmFe_fCd0

"Antiterra" for large chamber ensemble.

[bhodges]

A couple of guys I know have started a casual message board, primarily intended for composers and serious listeners, where every Friday they post a new piece of music and discuss it. Like a book club, but a listening club. The first one's a vocal piece from 2006. Try it out. 

Yes, thanks from me as well, Brian - will see if I can squeeze in time to investigate. (And that Beat Furrer piece is fascinating.)

And thanks to Cato for unearthing that great Conlon quote: "Americans don't need somebody to play more Brahms or Beethoven. They need to know that there is very important music out there that they're not listening to—because our ears and spirits need constant renewal."

And continuing thanks to sanantonio for the huge array of things to listen to.

--Bruce

[San Antone]

Gérard Pesson

https://www.youtube.com/v/c3yf8fbYYmI

[Parsifal]

I heard some 21st century classical music this evening, in live performance.

Foreign Bodies, by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Interesting, and noisy.

[some guy]

I've heard that piece, too.

There are a few very brief bits that an extremely sensitive person might, at a stretch, refer to as noisy.

There are many very long bits that are either extremely delicate or extremely soft and placid.

As for interesting, well that's such a loaded term. Loaded with what? My mother, for instance, used it exclusively to refer to things she didn't like but didn't want to just say she didn't like them.

Coupled with "noisy," I suspect that "interesting" here also means "didn't like it."

Hard to say, though.

[petrarch]

I wonder what all the non-Klang non-Sonntag aus Licht Stockhausen is doing in a 21st C music thread...

[some guy]

By this logic, a just recently published on youtube piece from 1920 or 1840 or 1460 belongs on a 21st century thread.

(Nope.)

[Parsifal]

I've heard that piece, too.

There are a few very brief bits that an extremely sensitive person might, at a stretch, refer to as noisy.

There are many very long bits that are either extremely delicate or extremely soft and placid.

As for interesting, well that's such a loaded term. Loaded with what? My mother, for instance, used it exclusively to refer to things she didn't like but didn't want to just say she didn't like them.

Coupled with "noisy," I suspect that "interesting" here also means "didn't like it."

Hard to say, though.

Fascinating that you were able to determine that I didn't like the piece.  I was under the impression that I did.  As far as the piece having 'very many long bits  that are either extremely delicate or extremely soft and placid' and 'a few very brief bits that an extremely sensitive person might, at a stretch, refer to as noisy,' I can't imagine it was the same piece.  Most of it was quite vigorous, and made dramatic use of a large percussion section, including timpani, bass drum, tuned and untuned gongs, side drum, xylophone, cymbals, etc.  My wife, who does not have a particular interest in modern classical music, was very impressed with the orchestra.  She commented "it was so messy, I was amazed the musicians could tell when it was their time to play."  Her favorite part of the program was the piece that immediately preceded the Salonen, Wagner's Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan.

[Parsifal]

His Vln Cto is supposed to be really good, I haven't dug in yet. It won the heralded Grawemeyer award for outstanding musical achievment last year.

A recording of that piece lurks in my amazon shopping cart.

[San Antone]

Murail: Symphonic Concerto for Piano and Orchestra "Le Désenchantement du monde" (2012)

I can't find a YT clip or even a commercially released recording but you can listen to this work through the Instant Encore site ~ HERE.

Ensemble: New York Philharmonic
Conductor: David Robertson
Artist: Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Piano)

[amw]

Murail: Symphonic Concerto for Piano and Orchestra "Le Désenchantement du monde" (2012)

I can't find a YT clip or even a commercially released recording but you can listen to this work through the Instant Encore site ~ HERE.

Ensemble: New York Philharmonic
Conductor: David Robertson
Artist: Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Piano)

I was listening to that the other day. I found it here.

Murail's recent music has not been easy to find for whatever reason. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places.