Contemporary composers who've made an impression on you

[dyn]

As long as we're dealing with older composers, i listened to Josef Anton Riedl's album vielleicht (NEOS) the other day which was immediately & thoroughly absorbing. i did not know this composer before, so i guess that's "new" enough >.> i was especially partial to bschat, terschied and the two versions of Glas-Spiele

while looking for more of his works i came across this CD, of which all the names except Beat Furrer were unfamiliar to me. on preliminary listens via naxos online it seemed extremely likeable. i don't know if anyone here has heard of any of the composers listed & can say anything about them

[dyn]

This boast of "breaking new ground" I think of as a red herring.  It is important for a composer to have a voice, an individuality that separates his work from others and offers something personal - but this can happen from within a common style and need not appear as a obvious departure from what has been done before.

i think people often say "doesn't break new ground" ("unoriginal", "conservative" etc) when they mean "forgettable" or "undistinctive".

Mozart didn't break any new ground, nor did Brahms.

[petrarch]

As long as we're dealing with older composers, i listened to Josef Anton Riedl's album vielleicht (NEOS) the other day which was immediately & thoroughly absorbing. i did not know this composer before, so i guess that's "new" enough >.> i was especially partial to bschat, terschied and the two versions of Glas-Spiele

while looking for more of his works i came across this CD, of which all the names except Beat Furrer were unfamiliar to me. on preliminary listens via naxos online it seemed extremely likeable. i don't know if anyone here has heard of any of the composers listed & can say anything about them

I have a number of electronic/electroacoustic works by Riedl on a CD with works realized at the Siemens studio for electronic music. I also have a few downloads from AGP with some additional works of his. From all of those, his music is most definitely worthy of deep exploration.

I have a single work by Isabel Mundry, available in one of those Donaueschinger Musiktage releases on Col Legno. It has been a long time (>10 years) since I listened to it.

[San Antone]

I have been watching this DVD and marveling at Sur Incises

[asin]B000E0VO1U[/asin]

In my opinion it is one of the most important works of the last 50 years.

[Karl Henning]

Mm, I remember it for a groovy work, and that DVD is a temptation.

[petrarch]

I have been watching this DVD and marveling at Sur Incises

[asin]B000E0VO1U[/asin]

In my opinion it is one of the most important works of the last 50 years.

Yes, the masterclass-like rehearsal and dissection is thoroughly engaging.

[San Antone]

A fine DVD, a little on the dry side but still worth checking out, I wouldn't say it's essential.

Let's see what's really essential?  Air; water; food every now and then ...

No this DVD is not essential.  But, for anyone with an abiding interest in Boulez's music and process, especially regarding these two works, this DVD is a valuable resource.

[San Antone]

Earlier I mentioned that I am reading the book Three Questions for Sixty-Five Composers (highly recommended) and last night I read the chapter with Morton Feldman's interview (he wandered quite a bit from the topic but gave informative responses). 

I learned a few things: Boulez was impressed with Feldman's music, sometimes, and bothered other times.  That's pretty much my own reaction, not to compare myself to Pierre Boulez in any other respect.  Also, John Cage studied with Arnold Schoenberg (who knew?) and felt that Schoenberg's music was more chromatic than Stravinsky's.  He confirmed a story told by Feldman about a meeting between Cage and Stravinsky where the Maestro was upset that Cage felt that way, and exclaimed, "But my music is also chromatic!".

[dyn]

heh... i was just reading an old thread here where the OP was complaining about how young people didn't listen to classical music and were only interested in pop. someone mentioned that young people made up a much greater percentage of the audience in "new music" concerts and the general consensus of the thread shifted towards the idea that orchestras should program more music by living composers to attract younger audiences, "but none of that nasty modern stuff like Cage and Xenakis." found it kind of entertaining.

Will check out the book; right now it's new thread time

[petrarch]

Earlier I mentioned that I am reading the book Three Questions for Sixty-Five Composers (highly recommended) and last night I read the chapter with Morton Feldman's interview (he wandered quite a bit from the topic but gave informative responses). 

For more Feldman anecdotes, nothing beats Give my regards to 8th St.

[asin]1878972316[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

. . .  Also, John Cage studied with Arnold Schoenberg (who knew?) . . . .

Not to geek out, but I believe I did know that Cage had studied with Arnie . . . .

[petrarch]

Not to geek out, but I believe I did know that Cage had studied with Arnie . . . .

Yes, some of us are well-read enough to know these tidbits . It's a smaller world than what the aesthetic differences might suggest...

[San Antone]

Yes, some of us are well-read enough to know these tidbits . It's a smaller world than what the aesthetic differences might suggest...

Well, I do consider myself "well-read" it's just that I have never been that interested in John Cage, and so have probably missed out on many tidbits concerning his development as a composer.

[petrarch]

Well, I do consider myself "well-read" it's just that I have never been that interested in John Cage, and so have probably missed out on many tidbits concerning his development as a composer.

Boulez and Stockhausen also had great respect for Cage. The Feldman-Stockhausen anecdote is priceless.

It's a smaller world than what the aesthetic differences might suggest...

EDIT: ...or than James would care to admit .

[Johnll]

i think people often say "doesn't break new ground" ("unoriginal", "conservative" etc) when they mean "forgettable" or "undistinctive".

Dyn when I used this phrase in connection with Jorg Widmann I did not intend to communicate the above. You are welcome to think whatever you want about Widmann but I prefer you do not put words in my mouth.

[petrarch]

Arnie warned Cage that without shedding harmony he'd run into a wall!

Absolutely agree!

As for the rest of your comment, it is worth as much as your taste for Cage.

[dyn]

Dyn when I used this phrase in connection with Jorg Widmann I did not intend to communicate the above. You are welcome to think whatever you want about Widmann but I prefer you do not put words in my mouth.

i'm not talking about you, i was referring to when people use the phrase "doesn't break new ground" as a negative criticism. eg "Widmann's new piece is good but we at the guardian don't feel it breaks new ground"

i haven't heard Widmann's music so can't comment on it

wasn't cage's study with schoenberg significantly more incidental than that of e.g. berg or webern? (as in, only a few lessons) or was that just something he/his biographers invented later to give him a more authentically "American" musical heritage & gloss over the not inconsiderable 2nd viennese influence

[petrarch]

shedding short for woodshedding, aka working on & practicing.

Of course, silly me!

In the early days .. some of his 'ideas' were disseminated by the young'uns, but ultimately neither really cared or thought much of his composing.

Ah the forgivable sins of the immature youth. If only they knew then what they knew later in life.

[petrarch]

wasn't cage's study with schoenberg significantly more incidental than that of e.g. berg or webern? (as in, only a few lessons)

Yes, it wasn't as systematic as with Berg and Webern.

[San Antone]

John Cage represents a way of thinking about art and its interface with the audience, rather than just another 20th C. composer, to me.  In that regard he was enormously influential and important.  However, his music judged entirely on its own terms, does not capture my long-term interest.  His books, e.g. Silence, are also not my cup of tea - I much prefer reading his comments from interviews in which he comes across as witty and coherent. 

In a way I see similarities between Cage and Stockhausen - although I find Stockhausen's music much more engaging.