21st century classical music

[Sean]

Can I ask if there may be said to be a small group of names, comparing with the major composers of the 16th year of any previous century in the last millennium, who are writing really significant music?

Or do they all hide behind vague cover stories like 'music is going in lots of different directions' or 'there's no clear set of styles'.

Regardless of far-fetched harmonic schemes from the ivory tower academia that push the present post-everything mush style, it all sounds the same of course because the human ear and cognitive process only recognize tonality as music.

If you don't agree with that it doesn't matter, but see if you can give me not more than four or five outstanding names who are actually being recognized as per the big names of 1915 for instance. Or do we indeed have only an endless series of superficial fluff? Cheers.

[Artem]

How about the New York School (Feldman, Cage, Wolff, Brown)?

[Sean]

Wrong century, needless to say.

[Rinaldo]

see if you can give me not more than four or five outstanding names who are actually being recognized as per the big names of 1915 for instance.

I wonder what the answer would be back in 1915. Let time do the sorting - and don't waste it with loaded questions.

[Karl Henning]

Gee, I am not generally recognized as a composer:  there is your proof that there is no important music being written in the 21^st century! 

[Sean]

I know I'm repeating myself, I've asked similar questions before. There's list of 21st century composers on Wikipedia but again it's really too long to make much sense of.

Frankly I have very little doubt that Henning is the greatest living composer.

He might not, or might, be a Stravinsky or Ravel or Bax but he's as good as it gets.

[San Antone]

Very good music.

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

Carlos D. Perales: "Retorique" for Saxophone, Violin and electronics. Premiered at Forum Wallis (Switzerland), May 24th, 2015, by Xelo Giner (saxophone), Jenny Guerra (Violin), Carlos Perales (electronics).

[SimonNZ]

I know I'm repeating myself, I've asked similar questions before. There's list of 21st century composers on Wikipedia but again it's really too long to make much sense of.

Perhaps start with the Grawemeyer winners?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grawemeyer_Award_(Music_Composition)

[Sean]

[North Star]

The wig suits you well.

[Karl Henning]

Frankly I have very little doubt that Henning is the greatest living composer.

He might not, or might, be a Stravinsky or Ravel or Bax but he's as good as it gets.

I hear very fine music by living composers not named Henning, so I do not maintain any quixotic need to feel that I am the greatest.  (And — as ever — there is the dubious nature of setting piece x. and piece y. against one another, with the odd question, which is "greater"?)

I do, however, continue to write the best music I can.  Of that quest, I do not tire.

[Wieland]

Can I ask if there may be said to be a small group of names, comparing with the major composers of the 16th year of any previous century in the last millennium, who are writing really significant music?

Well, some big names under the living are

Magnus Lindberg
Kaija Saariaho
Sofia Gubaidulina
Wolfgang Rihm
Brian Ferneyhough

We don't know if in hundred years they are still considered to be great but that was difficult to assess at all times.

[Karl Henning]

Well, some big names under the living are

Magnus Lindberg
Kaija Saariaho
Sofia Gubaidulina
Wolfgang Rihm
Brian Ferneyhough

Let us add Charles Wuorinen.  (Disclosure:  The author studied with Wuorinen.)

[San Antone]

Alican Çamcı : new music from Turkey



Alican Çamcı's (b. 1989) output includes works for small and large ensembles, solo instrumental music and electro-acoustic compositions.

[ritter]

...and let's please not forget Peter Eötvös, Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Tristan Murail, Michaël Levinas, Cristóbal Halffter, to name the first who come to mind...

[SimonNZ]

What was the point of this as a reply to my suggestion of checking out the Grawemeyer winners?

[San Antone]

Mark Andre : French composer living in Germany



Mark Andre was born in Paris in 1964, where he studied at the École Normale Supérieure (writing a thesis on "Le compossible musical de l'Ars subtilior") and with Claude Ballif and Gérard Grisey at the Paris Conservatoire (First Prize in Composition). Later he studied with Helmut Lachenmann at the Stuttgart University of Music, where he took an advanced degree in Composition.

[bhodges]

What was the point of this as a reply to my suggestion of checking out the Grawemeyer winners?

I suspect it is a comment on 21st-century music in general. As you may have gathered, the person posing the question is pretty much burnt out on the entire topic. I didn't bother replying, since I am pretty sure he doesn't care much for whatever answers appear, no matter how well-considered they may be.

Personally, I think your suggestion is an excellent starting point.

--Bruce

[SimonNZ]

Thanks for that.

Gotta say its nice to see a moderator taking a "call it as I see it" approach to silly posting, after experienceing the moderators on another forum taking the policy of treating the most obvious trolls exactly the same as the most valued members to Kafkaesque levels. So thanks again.

[bhodges]

You're welcome. The quintet of moderators here is a pretty level-headed bunch - as are most of the contributors, I should add. 

PS, speaking of the Grawemeyer awards, I thought of Salonen (still being rumored as next director of the NY Phil) and his superb Violin Concerto. And after hearing his LA Variations last week, I suspect many of his works will have a long life.

--Bruce