Which contemporary composers do you think are interesting and still write music? Without doing some research on internet, I only can mention Glass.
Well, that's a pretty broad question - there are dozens of names who deserve to be here!
But, as I am in one of my approximately yearly phases of deep infatuation with this composer, and as it would be nice to get his name here right at the start of the thread, before all the more obvious big guns get mentioned, I'm going to say the name Michael Finnissy.
Quote from: Henk on June 07, 2008, 12:12:25 PM
Which contemporary composers do you think are interesting and still write music? Without doing some research on internet, I only can mention Glass.
Sheesh! Well, I'll start my list with Glass and just go from there, no fair Internet peeking, natch:
Glass
Reich
Riley
Nyman
Milesi
Lentz
Balada
Penderecki
Wuorinen
Maslanka
Ewazen
Rautavaara
Krieger
Perle
Peck
Lansky
Davidovsky (I
think he's still with us and active...)
Saariaho
Aho
Samuel Jones
How much you wanna bet that by the time this thread is over there won't be single contemporary composer who is going to remain unmentioned?
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on June 07, 2008, 01:43:35 PM
How much you wanna bet that by the time this thread is over there won't be single contemporary composer who is going to remain unmentioned?
Luke
Karl
Me
Saul
okay...... i think we're about done here.
My two favorites are Arvo Pärt and Valentin Silvestrov. I dont care about other contemporary composers i've heard (Penderecki and Glass are among them).
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on June 07, 2008, 01:43:35 PM
How much you wanna bet that by the time this thread is over there won't be single contemporary composer who is going to remain unmentioned?
Yes, it's true.
And Henk is going to find out a certain amount (not much) about the posters, and if I were a betting man (that is, if I allowed myself to bet), I'd put my money on Henk not finding out too terribly much, if anything, about contemporary music.
Which is too bad, as there's a lot of it. But I must say, I'm stymied by the word "interesting." What I find interesting, Henk may not. I have a lot of experience with contemporary music, so might be in a good position to say whether something's any good or not. But that's as may be.
In instrumental music, Helmut Lachenmann, Chaya Czernowin, and Gerald Eckert are all doing intriguing explorations of what acoustic instruments can be made to do.
In electroacoustic music, Natasha Barrett, Beatriz Ferreyra, and Michele Bokanowski are each writing new and interesting things--quite different from each other, too. Add in Christine Groult to that. (It's difficult to stop for me with electroacoustic music as it's what I know best. I could fulfil Josquin's prophecy all on my own, with this type of music, anyway.
In live electronics, Zbigniew Karkowski and Francisco Lopez are two very interesting and different composers, Zbigniew being the louder and more abrasive of the two. Lionel Marchetti and Jerome Noetinger, if they still do gigs together (I don't know), are not to be missed. It's the best improv I know.
In minimalism, Eliane Radigue has done many wonderful, long, electroacoustic pieces--and is currently working with a cellist, writing instructions instead of notes (which are only a kind of shorthand instruction: play this pitch for this long at this volume), and so may qualify as experimental, too. Bronius Kutavicius also does a very different kind of minimalism, the repetitious kind. But it won't be like any other you've ever heard, as his roots are in Lithuanian folk music.
In live theater, Miguel Azguime has done some of the more interesting things I've seen, using voice and video and projection and costume in ways I've never seen anyone else do. The group Interface does both theater and improv. They have a DVD with Pauline Oliveros (one of the early electroacoustic/minimalist/improv people, and still one of the best) playing accordion. And one of the other cuts is a thing called Pika Pika, which has Tomie Hahn of Interface wearing motion sensing equipment doing stylized dancing that the equipment responds to and converts into really lovely noisy stuff. Lyn Goeringer has made gloves that do much the same, and she makes gestures with her hands that the gloves convert to sounds. Her "dancing" is not quite as stylized as Pika Pika is, but is as much a treat to watch as to listen to, as is only appropriate for theater, after all.
Well, that's a little taste, hardly even a taste it's so little, of a very few people alive and working today.
Quote from: some guy on June 07, 2008, 02:34:26 PM
Yes, it's true.
And Henk is going to find out a certain amount (not much) about the posters, and if I were a betting man (that is, if I allowed myself to bet), I'd put my money on Henk not finding out too terribly much, if anything, about contemporary music.
I'm specially interested in European (German and Scandinavian excluded, but Sweden included) music. Who are active nowadays and who do interesting things? When I get some names and information about them I can investigate further myself.
Henk
Quote from: Henk on June 08, 2008, 01:40:36 AM
I'm specially interested in European (German and Scandinavian excluded, but Sweden included) music. Who are active nowadays and who do interesting things? When I get some names and information about them I can investigate further myself.
Henk
Why excluding Germany and Scandinavia?
Rautavaara's earlier work is often quite striking, though some of his more recent stuff strikes me as rather mediocre and New Age-y. Pärt, despite (because of?) the self-imposed limitations of his current style, has really found his way to something deep and moving in music. For introductions to these composers, I'd recommend
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21WE9EH86CL._SL500_AA130_.jpg)
and
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41S9HTVH5AL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
You'll get some of their best pieces in excellent performances.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on June 07, 2008, 01:43:35 PM
How much you wanna bet that by the time this thread is over there won't be single contemporary composer who is going to remain unmentioned?
You should make a point of avoiding sour grapes at least
once a week 8)
To address the point of your post, though; I can think immediately of
three active, published composers whom no one here would (nor ought to) nominate as his favorite. I won't mention them, (a) because they are unworthy of our attentions, and (b) that would defeat the purpose of my reply here, wouldn't it? ;D
Quote from: Varg on June 08, 2008, 02:50:32 AM
Why excluding Germany and Scandinavia?
I'll guess that what he has heard already by living German and Scandinavian-other-than-Swedish composers, leaves him cold.
All right, here's a concise list of contemporary composers which i actually enjoyed:
György Ligeti
Krzysztof Penderecki
Alfred Schnittke
Nikolai Kapustin
Charles Wuorinen
And to a lesser extend:
Henri Dutilleux
Wolfgang Rihm
Still determining whether any of the above was actually a genius, but i think a couple of them could easily be considered great.
Jennifer Higdon
Henk, many countries have "Donemus" -like organisations where you can get plenty of information on living composers.
In Belgium it is Cebedem . Even a small country like Belgium has quite a few very interesting and "serious" composers who write in very different styles : Luc Brewaeys, Luc Van Hove, Piet Swerts, Annelies Van Parys,Benoit Mernier, Pierre Bartholomée....
In Italy ( http://www.cidim.it/ )Giorgio Battistelli, Marco Stroppa,Franco Donatoni ...
In France Thierry Escaich, Bruno Mantovani, Vincent Paulet, Tristan Murail,Marc-André Dalbavie, Jean Louis Agobet,Thierry Pécou,Thierry Lancino (beautiful violinconcerto...),Phillippe Hersant,Edith Canat - de Chizy....http://www.cdmc.asso.fr/
Stylistically however, the differences are huge : Stroppa uses lots of the most advanced electronics and studied with Boulez, Swerts is basically a tonal composer à la Prokovief. Fortunately, many composers have their own website and it is possible to listen to fragments. You can decide yourself.
Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland (read what Maciek sent us!) - from Brazil to Iceland and Canada....composers are hard at work. Check the programs of the Holland Festival,Het festival van Vlaanderen en het Festival de Wallonie, Ars musica in Brussels, in Straatsburg Musica,...Agora Paris, Archipel Genève, , Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Wien Modern... Donaueschinger Musiktage...
the websites of concerthalls and orchestras ( Cité de la Musique in Paris, ensemble Intercontemporain, Klangforum Wien..), artists like Steffen Schleiermacher, Heinz Holliger, Frances Marie Uitti,les percussions de Strasbourg,etc etc ....
And, whatever you think of German composers and their music : have a look at http://www.komponistenlexikon.de/....Helmut Lachenmann is not alone!
Sure, it is not "always easy" to find music one "likes"....Good luck!
P.
Josquin des Prez said:
1. György Ligeti
2. Krzysztof Penderecki
3. Alfred Schnittke
Hear, hear! ;D ;D For anyone that hasn't heard them, I would recommend the following for starters:
1. György Ligeti - "Amen" from the album "Miserere". The longest and most divinely uttered "Amen" you'll ever hear. If you say your prayers and end it with an amen like this, God will probably give you anything you want.
2. Krzysztof Penderecki - "Threnody for the victims of Horishima." To scare you rigid and envision the hell.
3. Alfred Schnittke - Anything - he was a completely inventive forward thinking composer.
I'd add Sallinen and Arvo Part 0:) too.
No one has yet mentioned Henryk Gorecki... :D
Someone I discovered recently is Michael Daugherty, via a recording of his "UFO" with percussionist Evelyn Glennie. While I'm not sure how "great" he is, he's definitely got a unique voice and a fine sense of orchestration.
And I haven't yet heard that the estimable Elliott Carter has died or ceased writing magnificent music. ;D
Quote from: pjme on June 08, 2008, 01:42:23 PM
Henk, many countries have "Donemus" -like organisations where you can get plenty of information on living composers.
In Belgium it is Cebedem . Even a small country like Belgium has quite a few very interesting and "serious" composers who write in very different styles : Luc Brewaeys, Luc Van Hove, Piet Swerts, Annelies Van Parys,Benoit Mernier, Pierre Bartholomée....
In Italy ( http://www.cidim.it/ )Giorgio Battistelli, Marco Stroppa,Franco Donatoni ...
In France Thierry Escaich, Bruno Mantovani, Vincent Paulet, Tristan Murail,Marc-André Dalbavie, Jean Louis Agobet,Thierry Pécou,Thierry Lancino (beautiful violinconcerto...),Phillippe Hersant,Edith Canat - de Chizy....http://www.cdmc.asso.fr/
Stylistically however, the differences are huge : Stroppa uses lots of the most advanced electronics and studied with Boulez, Swerts is basically a tonal composer à la Prokovief. Fortunately, many composers have their own website and it is possible to listen to fragments. You can decide yourself.
Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland (read what Maciek sent us!) - from Brazil to Iceland and Canada....composers are hard at work. Check the programs of the Holland Festival,Het festival van Vlaanderen en het Festival de Wallonie, Ars musica in Brussels, in Straatsburg Musica,...Agora Paris, Archipel Genève, , Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Wien Modern... Donaueschinger Musiktage...
the websites of concerthalls and orchestras ( Cité de la Musique in Paris, ensemble Intercontemporain, Klangforum Wien..), artists like Steffen Schleiermacher, Heinz Holliger, Frances Marie Uitti,les percussions de Strasbourg,etc etc ....
And, whatever you think of German composers and their music : have a look at http://www.komponistenlexikon.de/....Helmut Lachenmann is not alone!
Sure, it is not "always easy" to find music one "likes"....Good luck!
P.
Nice post. I haven't heard of the names from France and Italy. Interesting. I'm looking now at what's played at dutch classical radio stations.
I've found an interesting composer: Minas Borboudakis. For ones interested listen to samples at http://www.minasborboudakis.com.
I think the best way to discover new music is to listen to what's is played by well-known ensembles such as Ensemble Intercomporain and Schonberg Ensemble. Are there more ensembles like this??
Henk
Quote from: pjme on June 08, 2008, 01:42:23 PM
Henk, many countries have "Donemus" -like organisations where you can get plenty of information on living composers.
In Belgium it is Cebedem . Even a small country like Belgium has quite a few very interesting and "serious" composers who write in very different styles : Luc Brewaeys, Luc Van Hove, Piet Swerts, Annelies Van Parys,Benoit Mernier, Pierre Bartholomée....
In Italy ( http://www.cidim.it/ )Giorgio Battistelli, Marco Stroppa,Franco Donatoni ...
In France Thierry Escaich, Bruno Mantovani, Vincent Paulet, Tristan Murail,Marc-André Dalbavie, Jean Louis Agobet,Thierry Pécou,Thierry Lancino (beautiful violinconcerto...),Phillippe Hersant,Edith Canat - de Chizy....http://www.cdmc.asso.fr/
I've listened to some samples. I've found out that the much work of italian composers is available on the Stradivarius label. Looks like a very nice label. The work of french composers is worse available. Ensemble Intercontemporain has some nice cd's for sale, but they are expensive (E. 23 for 1 cd).
Samples of works of the following composers, which I've listened to and liked are: Donatoni, Maresz, Francesconi, Jarrel, Manoury, Mantovani, Fedele.
Dag Henk,
thanks for the update! That's good news.
I don't know if you can get VRT radio KLARA. Tonight was quite interesting - the presentation of a new CD and a DVD with works by Marc André Dalbavie (°1961) : a flute concerto ( for Emmanuel Pahud), and orchestral works : Concertate il suono and a double concerto for clarinet, bassethorn & orch. ( commisoned by Sabine Meyer). Very good performances - I thought - by the French P.O. / Pascal Rophé
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CbHF-ANfL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
(http://www.dvd4music.com/prodimages/de007l.jpg)
I couldn't make up my mind immediately - Dalbavie definitely isn't a "complicated, cerebral" composer - (when compared to, say, Ferneyhough or Birtwistle...) . His music is very colourful, delicately orchestrated and mostly "non-pompous". Boulez has conducted works by Dalbavie .
I witnessed a performance of: Dalbavie: La source d'un regard (opgedragen aan Olivier Messiaen) (opdrachtwerk, wereldpremière)
some time ago in the Concertgebouw - a refined work, not totaly unlike the soundworld of Dutilleux....
Next wednesday you can listen on VRT to a new Jade CD with works by Messiaen ( as chosen by his widow Yvonne Loriod - propably some youthworks or fragments ...?) . http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2008/06/olivier-messiaen-never-before-released.html
R Dutch Radio 4 will broadcast, the same evening, a concert from the Holland Festival with Kutavicius "Last pagan rites" and Caminates..Ayacucho" by Nono. Well worth discovering.
P.
In electroacoustic music, Natasha Barrett, Beatriz Ferreyra, and Michele Bokanowski are each writing new and interesting things--quite different from each other, too. Add in Christine Groult to that. (It's difficult to stop for me with electroacoustic music as it's what I know best. I could fulfil Josquin's prophecy all on my own, with this type of music, anyway.
[/quote]
Too bad you haven't been to Norway yet, Michael. At Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen Natasha Barrett has put up one of the most interesting electroacoustic installations I've yet to come across: Adsonore. It's the sort of conceptual work that you might appreciate the most if you read up on the background of it. "It is interactive, continuously changing, permanent and located in a public space. The functioning of the human immune system lies behind its interactive design, the real-time sound processes and the physical construction. Adsonore is therefore directly related to the building in which it is housed – a new building for biological basic research.
(Barrett, N. (2005). Adsonore. Organised Sound (2005), 10 : 111-119 Cambridge University Press.)
Quote from: Ugh! on October 02, 2008, 08:34:03 AMToo bad you haven't been to Norway yet, Michael. At Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen Natasha Barrett has put up one of the most interesting electroacoustic installations I've yet to come across: Adsonore.
It's true. Soon, I hope. I spent a lot of time with Natasha (and her husband and son) this past spring and so heard a little bit about Adsonore. A lot of time, but none of it "interview time," so I'll have to go to Norway eventually, if only to get that interview done.
There's a very funny account of one person's interaction with the installation here:
http://jilltxt.net/?p=448
Re-exploring this important thread, important because it's about the state of classical music of today. Many composers mentioned in this thread aren't active anymore I think. The question was about nowadays composing composers.
A list of composers I have investigated, whose works are available on cd, and want to investigate further:
- Robin de Raaff. One of the best, progressive and most interesting composers nowadays imo.
- Bruno Mantovani. Really have to get some of recordings of his work, but they are not easy to order.
- Julian Anderson. Love the two recordings I have of his work.
- Ivan Fedele. Still figuring out if I like it much.
- Edward Top. His string quartet is great.
- Per Norgard. Sound a bit too late-romantic to me, but want to investigate.
- Marc-Andre Dalbavie. I found some recent releases of his work.
- Giorgio Battistelli.
These are imo great composers but I think the list is too short to conclude the state of today's classical music composing is very high and works of high level are being made in large amounts. I'm sure this list is not complete. So I want you to provide more nowadays composing composers (with noting recordings / works).
Henk
Henk,
I just looked over the thread, too, and I wouldn't say that "many" of the composers mentioned so far are not active. A few, sure. (Some are dead, which is pretty inactive.)
All of the ones I've mentioned are active. I just saw several of them a couple of weeks ago and got more fresh, new CDs from them.
Anyway, here's some more names for you, since you seem to want them. I don't have information about recordings readily available from where I am. (The internet connection here in Hotel **** is really sucky.) But with Google (and your fast, I'm sure, connection), it should be easy to find things:
Zbigniew Karkowski
Lyn Goeringer
Francisco Meirino (Phroq)
Francisco Lopez
Elsa Justel
Christian Marclay
Alice Shields
Ross Bolleter
Ricardo Mandolini
Horatio Vaggione
Fausto Romitellli
Lidia Zielińska
Heiner Goebbels
If these people are inactive, then they've just stopped in the last week or two!!
Thanks. I will do some research on the internet to found out more about these composers.
I forgot to mention the French composer Bacri. He makes very nice, though not great imo, serial music.
Henk
Quote from: Henk on June 11, 2009, 04:52:13 AM
I forgot to mention the French composer Bacri. He makes very nice, though not great imo, serial music.
Henk
Henk according to what I have read, Bacri did not write any serial music since 1984 when he was 23. I do not seem to have any recording of his early works - maybe there is not any? - so I can not comment on what it sounded like but I am listening to his Symphony #6 and it sound much more like Roussel than Webern. Is it great? I don't know but I have enjoyed anything of his I have heard.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on June 07, 2008, 01:43:35 PMHow much you wanna bet that by the time this thread is over there won't be single contemporary composer who is going to remain unmentioned?
New rule! New rule! For every list on this thread, the poster must write at least ten words justifying WHY you find that composer interesting!
1. Sofia Gubaidulina - She has a lot in common with Shostakovich, particularly in how she uses silence and sparsity in sound.
2. Rebecca Clarke - One of the best American composers of the latter 20th century, particularly in the realm of chamber music.
Jean-Luc Fafchamps - A 43 year old Belgium composer and pianist who I can not remember hearing before. He is also a member of ICTUS ensemble. I recently heard a CD of his chamber works. My first impression was "another squeak and squawk" composer but as I listen more I found that while there are sections that could be described that way, over-all his music sings. What I found strange about the recording is that it appears to include 4 works that are not included in his list of works. Not recommended for the faint in heart but still recommended from Fuga Libera.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on June 07, 2008, 01:43:35 PM
How much you wanna bet that by the time this thread is over there won't be single contemporary composer who is going to remain unmentioned?
Plenty who haven't been mentioned yet.
(You don't take much joy in life, do you?)
Quote from: rockerreds on June 08, 2008, 10:02:34 AM
Jennifer Higdon
::) Oh how I think she is one of the biggest hacks in Contemporary classical music. She doesn't deserve the attention she gets. Her musical ideas are laughable and anything
serious she composed I can't take seriously. I mean I realize this is an old post, but, still, what a joke she is.
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 02, 2012, 08:29:31 PM
::) Oh how I think she is one of the biggest hacks in Contemporary classical music. She doesn't deserve the attention she gets. Her musical ideas are laughable and anything serious she composed I can't take seriously. I mean I realize this is an old post, but, still, what a joke she is.
Although I would not list Higdon in my favorite 50 or maybe even 100 favorite living classical composers, I would suggest that you are going overboard to call her a hack just because you do not enjoy her music.
I think her Concerto for Orchestra and Blue Cathedral are very listenable if you are interested in tonal contemporary classical music. The pieces are well put together, have some depth, and develops tension and release that it seems to me works. I would rather listen to her than most plink, plonk and screech contemporary composers that I explore regularly.
What I love about classical music is that there is such a wide variety of styles and sounds available today that everyone can find what they enjoy and explore to find new composers and music to add to their listening pleasure. One person's hack can be another person's great and that is the way it should be.
Why be disagreeable about musical tastes unless you just like to start arguments or be disagreeable?
Quote from: UB on March 03, 2012, 05:35:18 AM
Although I would not list Higdon in my favorite 50 or maybe even 100 favorite living classical composers, I would suggest that you are going overboard to call her a hack just because you do not enjoy her music.
I think her Concerto for Orchestra and Blue Cathedral are very listenable if you are interested in tonal contemporary classical music. The pieces are well put together, have some depth, and develops tension and release that it seems to me works. I would rather listen to her than most plink, plonk and screech contemporary composers that I explore regularly.
What I love about classical music is that there is such a wide variety of styles and sounds available today that everyone can find what they enjoy and explore to find new composers and music to add to their listening pleasure. One person's hack can be another person's great and that is the way it should be.
Why be disagreeable about musical tastes unless you just like to start arguments or be disagreeable?
Well you have a right express your opinion just like I have a right to express mine. If you don't agree with my opinion, then that's fine, you shouldn't take offense to it. I just don't think Higdon is worthy of any of the accolades she receives. She sure as hell didn't deserve that Pulitzer Prize.
I have no problem with your opinion of Higdon or any other composer. The only offense I took was at the way you expressed your thoughts as if anyone who thought differently obviously had no idea what was - IYHO - was good classical music. You could have just as easily said that you did not find her music appealing and then give some composers or music that are written in a tonal or near tonal style that others who do like her music might explore to broaden their listening.
Maybe Sally Beamish (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnxf) who is the CotW on BBC would not be a big stretch. Or Thomas Ades (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01c9nx1) or another composer you respect or at least do not think are hacks.
I just do not think you need to tear down one composer to champion another. Perhaps you could get more people interested in composers you enjoy - and I agree with many of your choices - if you used a little honey instead of vinegar in more of your posts.
BTW you are welcome to the last word on this subject because I have said all I want on it.
How is Jennifer Higdon a "hack"?
One of my favorite contemporary composers would undoubtedly be Kapustin. His music is not only unique, expressive, and complex, but it's also extremely accessible. In addition to this, he has written an absolutely massive amount of music that showcases a huge variety of different styles and a unique fusion of genres (jazz, rock, latin, etc.) within a classical idiom. It's quite shocking to me that his music isn't more popular than it is; many of his works still have yet to be recorded, despite the fact that his music is so idiomatic (especially for piano). My personal favorite piece by him is the Piano Quintet, Op. 89 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUC47xJc6ucz) -- such brilliant writing! His more popular-music oriented works are also crafted extremely well, such as the Concert Rhapsody, Op. 25 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxYjJEMwocs).
I'm also a huge fan of Corigliano and Penderecki, though I do feel that some of Penderecki's later work has become a bit predictable. And then, of course, there's Elliott Carter, who has miraculously managed to be exceptionally prolific at an age when most are practically unable to dress themselves (for those who don't know, he has actually written and published over 50 new works since he hit 90... he has recently turned 103! :o)
It's hard to credit the validity of that opinion from someone whose favorite "composer" appears to be Stockhausen...
Quote from: Elnimio on March 04, 2012, 02:10:08 PM
It's hard to credit the validity of that opinion from someone whose favorite "composer" appears to be Stockhausen...
Best to stick with the opinions themselves rather than going for the credibility of the person holding them.
Quote from: James on March 04, 2012, 01:46:01 PM
One of the reasons is because his music is quite familiar, derivative & highly diluted .. mimicking stylistic trends and cliches. That sort-of pastiche can be amusing for a short while but you'd wish the guy would grow beyond this into something must more fascinating, but he'd have to unlearn & shed a lot of excess baggage in order to do that .. it pales next to the real stuff imo.
I think it's a bit harsh to categorize Kapustin outside the realm of "real stuff." Perhaps his earlier works are cliche and derivative, but I can't see how that same criticism could be applied to works such as that Piano Quintet I linked to. Yes, he does heavily mimmic stylistic trends, but the context in which he uses them, harmonically, melodically, and formally, is undeniably original and well thought out. If there's another musician that has created something remotely similar to that quintet, then I'd certainly love to hear it!
Ultimately, it is probably much too soon to measure Kapustin's greatness (or lack thereof) due to fact that so much of his music has yet to be recorded. However, do you really think that your criticism of Kapustin is really an explanation for his lack of popularity? Wouldn't that aspect of his music make it generally more appealing to the masses? If you're looking to please crowds, I feel that Kapustin would be a somewhat obvious choice.
Quote from: Elnimio on March 04, 2012, 12:25:54 PM
How is Jennifer Higdon a "hack"?
Perhaps in hindsight, "hack" isn't the word I should of used. I suppose Higdon is a very capable composer or else she wouldn't be recognized as being one. I will say that of the works I've heard of hers ---
Violin Concerto,
Concerto for Orchestra, and
Cityscape, I have not heard a composer with an original voice or even one that has made any kind of emotional impact on me. I understand her music means something to someone, but it's just not my cup of tea. This is the nicest way I can put it.
Don't even get me started on Kapustin... ::)
Quote from: James on March 04, 2012, 04:36:55 PM
He's a fine musician, but he's not one of the big beasts, I can tell you that now. He just doesn't have the DNA for that. His art is treading safe & familiar territory .. he doesn't offer that much to well exposed serious music connoisseurs; I'm sure with wider exposure his brand of pastiche would please average, ordinary audiences who are looking to be pleased and nothing more ..
So is it your opinion that, for "serious music connoisseurs," music that is "safe and familiar" is not worth listening to? I fail to see why lack of innovation in Kapustin's music should discredit it or detract from its inherent craft, creativity, and enjoyability.
And I am certainly not trying to argue that he is "one of the big beasts," nor is that what I perceive to be the point of the thread; I just thought it would be worth sharing the link to the piano quintet for those who haven't heard it. Who would you consider to be the "big beasts" of today, with the exception of the composers I mentioned in my first post (Penderecki and Carter). Would you say that there are any living composers that you would consider to be on par with the likes of Stravinsky, Shostakovich, or Schoenberg?
I think the best defintion of a "hack" would be Osvaldo Golijov. If his music already sounded like boring pastiche to me, with this new scandal it's taken to a whole other level. Now it seems his boring pastiche wasn't even composed by him :)