21st century classical music

[chadfeldheimer]

I was really impressed by this. I bought this last night and listened on the train today. I'm new to this composer. There's a lot happening here and I need to listen again. I wish I had a chance to see something like this live.   

Great recording indeed. For me a serious contender for the greatest classical composition from the 21th century so far (if the year 2000, when it was composed belongs to the 21th and not the 20th century of course).

[milk]

Great recording indeed. For me a serious contender for the greatest classical composition from the 21th century so far (if the year 2000, when it was composed belongs to the 21th and not the 20th century of course).

Yes, I was hoping to sneak by with the year of composition.

[chadfeldheimer]

Yes, I was hoping to sneak by with the year of composition.

I read that Haas revisited "in vain" in 2002, so in this regard it is a proper 21st century composition.

[bhodges]

I was really impressed by this. I bought this last night and listened on the train today. I'm new to this composer. There's a lot happening here and I need to listen again. I wish I had a chance to see something like this live.   

It's a marvelous piece, and yes, it's fantastic live. At several points during the duration, Haas instructs the lights to be gradually lowered, into total darkness (including the musicians, who must memorize the music and play without being able to see the conductor). I saw it a few years ago here at the Park Avenue Armory (a huge, football field-sized space) and it was quite an experience.

--Bruce

[milk]

I've really become attached to this recording. I find myself listening to it often. It's not super challenging or grand. It has a unassuming charm and it's full of catchy melodies.

[Peter Power Pop]

I was really impressed by this. I bought this last night and listened on the train today. I'm new to this composer. There's a lot happening here and I need to listen again. I wish I had a chance to see something like this live.   

Great recording indeed. For me a serious contender for the greatest classical composition from the 21th century so far (if the year 2000, when it was composed belongs to the 21th and not the 20th century of course).

It's a marvelous piece, and yes, it's fantastic live. At several points during the duration, Haas instructs the lights to be gradually lowered, into total darkness (including the musicians, who must memorize the music and play without being able to see the conductor). I saw it a few years ago here at the Park Avenue Armory (a huge, football field-sized space) and it was quite an experience.

--Bruce

And here it is:

George Friedrich Haas - In Vain
(Klangforum Wien, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling)
http://www.youtube.com/v/9PtJH63D0YY

Amazon.com

[Peter Power Pop]

I've really become attached to this recording. I find myself listening to it often. It's not super challenging or grand. It has a unassuming charm and it's full of catchy melodies.

Sarah Cahill plays "Pattern B" from the Seventh Collection of Patterns of Plants at the Berkeley Arts Festival performance space:

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

Pinna Records

[Peter Power Pop]

I'm starting to enjoy it!

https://www.youtube.com/v/Yc-ocuXw8Ls

https://www.youtube.com/v/yGIEvUOf-JU

Amazon.com

[milk]

https://www.youtube.com/v/Yc-ocuXw8Ls

https://www.youtube.com/v/yGIEvUOf-JU

Amazon.com

I listened to this on the train the other day and enjoyed it much. Thanks for the videos.

[Peter Power Pop]

I listened to this on the train the other day and enjoyed it much. Thanks for the videos.

No problem. After listening to those snippets, I'm mighty interested in hearing the whole thing.

[torut]

I've really become attached to this recording. I find myself listening to it often. It's not super challenging or grand. It has a unassuming charm and it's full of catchy melodies.

Sarah Cahill plays "Pattern B" from the Seventh Collection of Patterns of Plants at the Berkeley Arts Festival performance space:

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

Pinna Records

It's very nice. I like the earlier albums of Patterns of Plants (different tunings, different instruments), but I feel that the piano version is more intimate. The melodies are catchy, but there is something unpredictable that makes repeated listening interesting.

[milk]

It's very nice. I like the earlier albums of Patterns of Plants (different tunings, different instruments), but I feel that the piano version is more intimate. The melodies are catchy, but there is something unpredictable that makes repeated listening interesting.

I find myself coming back to this music much more than I thought I would. Initially, I thought it was just mediocre. But now I think it's got real charm. I also agree with whoever said it's got a baroque quality, maybe like Rameau's keyboard music in an odd way.

[torut]

Keeril Makan (b. 1972)

The Noise Between Thoughts (2003)
https://www.youtube.com/v/2QWsbq-D6JI

Washed By Fire (2007)
https://www.youtube.com/v/kBhRxeonw4Q

In Sound
[asin]B0017R1DC4[/asin]
The Noise Between Thoughts, Washed By Fire, for string quartet - Kronos Quartet
Threads - Paul Dresher Ensemble Electro-Acoustic Band

The Noise Between Thoughts strongly reminded me of the string quartets of Lachenmann. As the album title may be suggesting, the focus of this work and Threads seems the sound itself. By contrast, Washed By Fire is a very melodic piece in a sorrow mood. A beautiful, grand work. I was very impressed by Makan's works on this album. I just listened to Afterglow (works for chamber ensemble, solo piano, solo violin), which is also quite good. Experimental and lyrical elements are balanced very well.

[asin]B00CX7OVSK[/asin]

[milk]

Patterns of plants peaked my interest in this composer so I purchased this recording. So far I'm feeling that there is much to be discovered in this music. Sometimes music takes me a while to get into but I enjoyed this right away. It's quite different than Patterns, very different Cahill's recording of patterns. This is ceremonial, dark sometimes, but also imaginative and meditative.

[torut]

Patterns of plants peaked my interest in this composer so I purchased this recording. So far I'm feeling that there is much to be discovered in this music. Sometimes music takes me a while to get into but I enjoyed this right away. It's quite different than Patterns, very different Cahill's recording of patterns. This is ceremonial, dark sometimes, but also imaginative and meditative.

I didn't know this. I thought the other works of Fujieda may be even sweeter than Patterns of Plants (I suspected he used the plants' electrical signals to make his music more abstract), but this is vey different as you described. The chants and just intonation synthesizer create a nice, calming mood, with interesting sonority. Very good.

[milk]

I didn't know this. I thought the other works of Fujieda may be even sweeter than Patterns of Plants (I suspected he used the plants' electrical signals to make his music more abstract), but this is vey different as you described. The chants and just intonation synthesizer create a nice, calming mood, with interesting sonority. Very good.

I'm interested myself in making a bunch of music that sounds like it's for some weird ceremony. This has that effect - which is nice because it suggests a possible world. I'm following him on Facebook and have noticed that he met Terry Riley in Tokyo for a concert by the latter (just by the way). I would have went...maybe... It's so hard to find out about these kinds of concerts (just found out my friends wife, an avant garde pianist, will perform Feldman with an ensemble in January in Kyoto! Yay!). 

[petrarch]

Going through a bunch of CDs I recently got from Kairos, primarily by spanish composers. All quite worthwhile. Listening to this now, definitely worth checking out:

[asin]B00303WQ42[/asin]

[torut]

I'm interested myself in making a bunch of music that sounds like it's for some weird ceremony. This has that effect - which is nice because it suggests a possible world. I'm following him on Facebook and have noticed that he met Terry Riley in Tokyo for a concert by the latter (just by the way). I would have went...maybe... It's so hard to find out about these kinds of concerts (just found out my friends wife, an avant garde pianist, will perform Feldman with an ensemble in January in Kyoto! Yay!).

Actually it (especially Night Chant III) immediately reminded me of your music.
I read some reviews of Riley's recent concert in Japan. Most people say that, although Riley's performance was wonderful, the place was terrible: most of the audience needed to stand up during the whole concert and couldn't even see him because of its long and narrow space, except for a few invited people who were given chairs in front of the stage.
Which Feldman pieces will be performed in Kyoto?

[milk]

Actually it (especially Night Chant III) immediately reminded me of your music.
I read some reviews of Riley's recent concert in Japan. Most people say that, although Riley's performance was wonderful, the place was terrible: most of the audience needed to stand up during the whole concert and couldn't even see him because of its long and narrow space, except for a few invited people who were given chairs in front of the stage.
Which Feldman pieces will be performed in Kyoto?

Yes, my girlfriend roughly translated an explanation of this by Fujieda that he posted on Facebook. I guess people complained but he chose the place because it was somehow connected to Riley's political views (or supported him somehow or his anti-Iraq war stance?)? My friend's wife will perform "Why Patterns?" I suggested they look at Feldman because they needed a relatively short piece for percussion, flute and piano - although most of his pieces are much longer of course. I've been sort of trying to get her to play Feldman. She performs a lot of French contemporary piano stuff at museums in conjunction with visiting composers.   
Has anyone checked out the new NPR podcast called Meet the Composer? I listened to their show on J.L. Adams today. Interesting!
http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/john-luther-adams-poor-career-choices-finding-home-alaska/

[torut]

Yes, my girlfriend roughly translated an explanation of this by Fujieda that he posted on Facebook. I guess people complained but he chose the place because it was somehow connected to Riley's political views (or supported him somehow or his anti-Iraq war stance?)?

It seems minimal/postminimal composers tend to be proactive in delivering political / social messages. (Reich, Glass, Nyman, J. C. Adams, J. L. Adams, ...)

My friend's wife will perform "Why Patterns?" I suggested they look at Feldman because they needed a relatively short piece for percussion, flute and piano - although most of his pieces are much longer of course. I've been sort of trying to get her to play Feldman. She performs a lot of French contemporary piano stuff at museums in conjunction with visiting composers.

That sounds interesting. I have not heard any Feldman's music in a concert. I want to hear a solo piano piece live sometime.