composers of "exotic" music

[Henk]

I want to investigate more composers of "exotic" music (to distinguish from European music). And by that I do not mean other then western music. And not all music from other then western continents I call exotic. For example Ginastera doesn't sound "exotic" to me. And Chavez may sound exotic, but I seem not to like late-romantic stuff of other then European composers.

I now only can mention three, which I really do like:
Sculthorpe (western music maybe, but certainly "exotic")
Takemitsu
Villa-Lobos

[CRCulver]

When he's not writing lame crossover pieces, the music of Tan Dun can be very thought-provoking.

[Christo]

I actually know quite a lot of Dutch composers - composing music. If they're not exotic, what is?

(Perhaps a composition by the major Frisian composer, Paulus Folkertsma (1901-1972)) ? 

[MDL]

Stockhausen was heavily influenced by music from the Far East (not sure if that's an old-fashioned/racist term these days; I'm showing my age) and almost everything he composed from the late '60s onwards was fairly "exotic". Try Inori, a gorgeous orchestral piece in which a very Japanese-sounding melody is revealed and developed amid a shimmering haze of tuned metallic percussion.

[Henk]

Stockhausen was heavily influenced by music from the Far East (not sure if that's an old-fashioned/racist term these days; I'm showing my age) and almost everything he composed from the late '60s onwards was fairly "exotic". Try Inori, a gorgeous orchestral piece in which a very Japanese-sounding melody is revealed and developed amid a shimmering haze of tuned metallic percussion.

I'm neglecting Stockhausen. German composers began to sound very strange to me after 19th century.

[MDL]

German composers began to sound very strange to me after 19th century.

?!?!? Fair enough; each to his own.

[venicejazz23]

Check out anything by Minoru Miki especially his Pipa Concerto. He is Japanese and uses a lot of Japanese instruments and ideas. He's a personal favourite of mine, though maybe not to everyone's taste.

[pjme]

Wim Henderickx has composed 3 raga's for various combinations ( percussion & orch./ orchestra / viola & orch) - good performances available on Megadisc.
He currently works also with African musicians.
Check out his website  http://www.wimhenderickx.com/site/default.asp?lang=nl



Megadisc MDC 7833 (1999)
RAGA I, II, III
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Of Flanders,
cond. Grant Llewellyn
Gert François, percussion,
Leo De Neve,viola

[Brian]

I'm neglecting Stockhausen. German composers began to sound very strange to me after 19th century.

How old are you now? 

[mahler10th]

Scriabin was a fairly 'exotic' composer of his day - or at least he liked to think so.
I think he's great anyway.

[mikkeljs]

Scriabin was a fairly 'exotic' composer of his day - or at least he liked to think so.
I think he's great anyway.

He knew, he was great. 

And thanks to him, the future of classical music has already been written. 100 years ago.

[Heather Harrison]

Lou Harrison's music can be interesting.  His music has a lot of non-Western influence, including the Indonesian gamelan.  Over the years, I have on occasion found his compositions on old records, but I have not yet purchased many on CD.

Heather

[imperfection]

Tan Dun - Eight memories in watercolor

You can youtube them...http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Eight+memories+in+watercolor&search_type=&aq=-1&oq=

enjoy 

Also try this, a very exotic piece for erhu and piano written by an unknown composer, played by Lang Lang and his dad here in Carnegie Hall:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSYRABNbFdQ

[vandermolen]

You might like this:

[Symphonien]

The opening of Xenakis's Jonchaies has always struck me as rather "exotic" with its Indonesian-sounding quasi-pentatonic violin melody that turns into a sort of fugal cluster. The way the music develops after that may not be considered very "exotic" though...

[Christo]

You might like this:

Indeed. But. Basically, it's just an extreme long version of Revueltas' Sensemaya - and I doubt wheter the Aboriginals music really played the role in it it supposedly does.

[marvinbrown]

I want to investigate more composers of "exotic" music (to distinguish from European music). And by that I do not mean other then western music. And not all music from other then western continents I call exotic. For example Ginastera doesn't sound "exotic" to me. And Chavez may sound exotic, but I seem not to like late-romantic stuff of other then European composers.

I now only can mention three, which I really do like:
Sculthorpe (western music maybe, but certainly "exotic")
Takemitsu
Villa-Lobos

  Have you tried the operas of Janacek?  I find them quite "exotic"! his music is heavily influenced by Czech folk music!

  marvin

[techniquest]

Composers / compositions you might like to try include Hovhaness (USA) - I'd recommend his 11th symphony as a good starter and a pointer for the kind of oriental-style chordal sequences and orchestration which characterises many of his works.
Also, try Roberto Sierra (Puerto Rico); his 3 symphonies are fun and his short piece 'Fandangos' is a riot!
The symphonies of Isang Yun (Korea), Xi-Lin Wang (China) and Yoshimatsu (Japan) are certainly exotic in origin.
Just about anything from Naxos' "Japanese Classics" catalogue could suit. Good luck!

[Kullervo]

The opening of Xenakis's Jonchaies has always struck me as rather "exotic" with its Indonesian-sounding quasi-pentatonic violin melody that turns into a sort of fugal cluster. The way the music develops after that may not be considered very "exotic" though...

Some people can't hear Rossini's William Tell overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger; I can't hear the opening of Jonchaies without thinking of Janet Leigh driving like a maniac after stealing her boss's cash.

[mahler10th]

Langgaard.
Had a touch of the Scriabin mindset.