21st century classical music

[torut]

Or you could be like Stockhausen and take a sledgehammer to a door...

Heaven's door? It rather sounds ordinary percussion work, and the door is too clean. I sometimes feel Stockhausen's music tends to be too refined and too sophisticated, even when unusual materials are used.

[torut]

Listening to Daniel Lentz's In The Sea of Ionia, played by Aron Kallay, for the second time. It's full of his distinctive sounds, but there is also new beautiful sonority. An excellent album. I think this notes on the label's site is a very good description.

http://www.coldbluemusic.com/pages/CB0042.html
"As with much of Lentz's music, most of these pieces are kaleidoscopic, restless, and given to changing directions and tempos without warning [...]"

[asin]B00PAU1PRM[/asin]
51 Nocturnes (2011)
Pacific Coast Highway (2014)
Dorchester Tropes (2008–09)
In the Sea of Ionia (2007–08)

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Anyone interested in this thread should prob. read Alex Ross's article in the New Yorker, Jan. 5, 2015 (74-75) on the rise of the singer-composer. Meredith Monk and Gabriel Kahane are highlighted therein. For its historical context, depth of insight, and (delicious) optimism, well worth seeking out.

[torut]

Anyone interested in this thread should prob. read Alex Ross's article in the New Yorker, Jan. 5, 2015 (74-75) on the rise of the singer-composer. Meredith Monk and Gabriel Kahane are highlighted therein. For its historical context, depth of insight, and (delicious) optimism, well worth seeking out.

I read it on The New Yorker online. I listened to some samples of The Ambassador of Gabriel Kahane, but I felt they are rather ordinary pop/rock/jazz songs. Nice, but I am not sure if it is representing any trend, movement, or "the heyday of the singer-composer". How do you think of his music?

I think Joan La Barbara's compositions are as remarkable as her singing, although not so many are available. I don't know most of the younger composer-vocalists mentioned: Lisa Bielawa, Kate Soper, Corey Dargel, Maja S. K. Ratkje, Erin Gee, Jennifer Walshe, and Agata Zubel. I heard only a short sample of Caroline Shaw, which has been in my wishlist. I'd like to check out these composers. Thank you for posting an interesting article.

[some guy]

I know Maja and Agata. Both really cool people and wildly talented.

Good times.

[Cato]

Olga Neuwirth

Lost Highway (2002/2003)

[asin]B000N2H8IW[/asin]

There seems to be an entire performance (maybe from this CD?) on YouTube:

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

[Peter Power Pop]

Olga Neuwirth
Construction in Space for 4 soloists, 4 ensemble groups, live electronics (2000)
Lost Highway (2002/2003)
No more secrets, no more lies for voice and ensemble (2004)
Zefiro aleggia... nell'infinito for solo bassoon & orchestra (2004)
torsion for solo bassoon & tape (2003/2005)
Miramondo multiplo ... ... for trumpet & orchestra (2006)
In Nacht und Eis for bassoon and cello with ring modulator (2006)
only and end for orchestra (2009)

[asin]B000N2H8IW[/asin]

There seems to be an entire performance (maybe from this CD?) on YouTube:

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

Looks like it. The YouTube posting has this in its description:

Olga Neuwirth | Lost Highway | Libretto by Elfriede Jelinek & Olga Neuwirth | Based on the film by David Lynch & Barry Gifford | Klangforum Wien & Live Electronics | Kairos | 2006

I'd say it's the same recording.

[torut]

I know Maja and Agata. Both really cool people and wildly talented.

Good times.

Fantastic.

Maja S. K. Ratkje live at the Punkt festival 2013
https://www.youtube.com/v/1VDc0ac6PLg

[San Antone]

I don't know if anyone has linked to any music by Boris Yoffe, but here's a clip of some of his music for quartets.

https://www.youtube.com/v/6xwkdJI0CBE

From his Wiki article:

Boris Yoffe initially studied violin but turned to composing early, premiering his first works in the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in 1983.

He emigrated to Israel before the break-up of Soviet Union, and completed his composition studies at the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. Later he moved to Karlsruhe, Germany to study with Wolfgang Rihm in 1997. Around that time, the composer began composing a series of short one-page pieces for string quartet. These were given a performance at ZKM in Karlsruhe in May 2003 and recorded on the ECM label by the Rosamunde Quartett with the Hilliard Ensemble.

His wife is the pianist Angela Yoffe.

[San Antone]

Andrea Di Paolo: "In Quiete for Morton F." (2014)

https://www.youtube.com/v/IYeiss7YuJ8

[San Antone]

Pretty awesome ~ Pierluigi Billone: 1 + 1 = 1 for two bass clarinets

https://www.youtube.com/v/TtruYROTXY4

[San Antone]

Ge Gan-Ru

His music can be very violent and dissonant, or almost romantic.  He has written string quartets, I am not how many but at least 5:



Ge Gan-ru, described in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians as 'China's first avant-garde composer', is regarded as one of the most original composers of his generation. His music is known for its immediately identifiable individualism and unique sound.

Ge's life is the product of momentous circumstances. Born in Shanghai in 1954, he studied violin when he was young but never intended to become a musician. In 1966, when he was 11 years old, the Cultural Revolution broke out. As all schools were closed, he spent most of his time practicing violin at home. Western music was strictly forbidden, so he had to practice on a muted violin with windows closed and sealed. At 17, he was sent to a labor camp to receive "re-education" where unexpectedly he met and became a pupil of one of the best violin teachers in China who was also forced into hard labor at the camp. After a year of planting rice in the fields, Ge was summoned to play violin in an ensemble, entertaining fellow workers with revolutionary songs every night. However, Ge showed a great interest in arranging music for the ensemble in spite of a lack of training in music theory.

When Ge was 20, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music reopened and he was admitted as a violin student. But in the next three years while he was studying violin, he had an increasing urge to be a composer. He eventually transferred to the Composition Department where he studied for another four years. After graduation in 1981, Ge was appointed assistant professor of composition at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ge was already known in China as the first composer to employ contemporary and avant-garde techniques, which were prohibited at the time. He was criticized for his individualism which was directly at odds with the prevailing ideology. His cello piece "Yi Feng", written in 1982, marked the first avant-garde composition in China's music history.

One of the movements from Fall of Bahgdad:

https://www.youtube.com/v/HcBRBYd7d-Q

[San Antone]

Dalbavie: Melodia

https://www.youtube.com/v/KWZKLQfL9EI

Magnus Lindberg
New York Philharmonic

[San Antone]

https://www.youtube.com/v/FAO-0TerLxQ&list=PLKH_iFUKzqwxNGa7EfhpEzwSKVf43J-9c

[Corey]

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

[San Antone]

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

Thanks for posting this clip.  I enjoyed listening to it, although I usually prefer music a bit less exuberant.

[Corey]

He is a bit toothy isn't he? I heard a piece of his a couple years back (called Affront I think) and was struck by the sheer violence of it. It's remarkable that even after Lachennmann (who I'm pretty sure Cendo's studied with) music can still be shocking.

[San Antone]

Pascal Dusapin - Aufgang (2013)

https://www.youtube.com/v/uU6F0rSbbsg

Renaud Capuçon, violin
l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Osmo Vänskä (Jan. 2014).

Almost exactly one year ago I was also listening to this work by Pascal Dusapin.

[Sean]

Hi, I posted something like this a couple of weeks back elsewhere- if you experts can recommend two or three works by a highly significant 21st century composer, whose work I don't know, then I'll give it my serious attention. Best, Sean

I'm a bit sceptical about most music from the last few decades but if someone who knows the thread can point me in your best direction, ideally something artistic as well as innovative where I can see the late 20th century dreamscape mush or fake serial styles being taken forward a bit, then I'll give my usual five or more listens, and promise I won't be too disparaging. Thanks if you can...

[Corey]

Gerard Pesson - Nebenstuck

https://www.youtube.com/v/OOCBm2pWoX4