Re:Classical music works of the 21st century
by dri_ft on Tuesday September 17, 2019 @07:10AM
(#20993651)
I'm enjoying Michael Harrison's Revelation very much so far; thanks for the tip-off. By the way, the fifths in just intonation are a 3:2 ratio, not 2:1.
Re:Classical music works of the 21st century
by antognini on Tuesday September 17, 2019 @07:45AM
(#20993837)
Oh shoot, good catch! Yeah, 2:1 is just an octave, of course.
Re:Classical music works of the 21st century
by Mediterraneo10 on Tuesday September 17, 2019 @08:42AM
(#20994273)
It wasn't Für Alina that marked Arvo Pärt's departure from serialism but rather the Symphony No. 3.
Re:Classical music works of the 21st century
by Jeff_Brown on Tuesday September 17, 2019 @01:39PM
(#20997915)
I've wanted more music like Lowell Liebermann's piano compositions ever since I discovered them. Somehow extremely melodic and natural, while harboring the most absurdly strange harmonies.
Re:Classical music works of the 21st century
by mhh__ on Tuesday September 17, 2019 @06:17AM
(#20993416)
Ben Johnston's compositions scratch my microtonal itch
Re:Classical music works of the 21st century
by Jeff_Brown on Tuesday September 17, 2019 @01:40PM
(#20997927)
+1. Also Wendy Carlos made at least two wonderful microtonal albums -- Beauty in the Beast and Tales from Heaven and Hell.
* For my money, John Adams's best composition this century is El Niño (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2IUdBLVkOQ), though Doctor Atomic is also amazing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUHKHLk_VU). The former is a nativity oratorio and the latter is an opera about Oppenheimer and the Manhatten Project. On the Transmigration of Souls (a 9/11 memorial piece) is also especially moving. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwoasXzLdVY)
* Revelation, by Michael Harrison. This piece uses just intonation rather than the more common equal temperament. In just intonation, the notes are tuned so that the fifth is "pure" --- i.e., the frequencies are in an exact 2:1 ratio. This causes the other intervals to sound slightly out of tune and gives the music a really otherworldly feel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4oKzSRs3sA (Michael Harrison, incidentally was a student of La Monte Young who revived just intonation and composed a 5-hour piano piece called The Well Tuned Piano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfWV4rNB6KE)
* Sleep, by Eric Whitacre. Now a classic choral composition. (Cloudburst is also great, but was composed in 1995 at the age of 21!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw5gupbe9E0
* Orient & Occident by Arvo Pärt. Pärt has a lot of great works like Für Alina (which marked his departure from serialism), but most of them were composed in the 20th century, although he's still active! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGMaIfNdqH8
* "...similarities between diverse things", by Joby Talbot (2002). For piano trio and vibraphone. The title comes from a mathematician friend of Talbot's who died at the age of 20 and used that phrase to describe why he found mathematics beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tawlg0RN4I
* The Veil of the Temple, by John Taverner. A magisterial work lasting 7 hours. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62pRsgwSYjs&list=PLga2eRXhIy...
* Chanson Eloignee, by Morten Lauridsen. A lot of Lauridsen's more famous works were composed in the late 20th century, but he is still active. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ajmn9m-C9Y
And there's a lot more that I'm missing. A couple of other favorites of mine that missed the 21st century by a few years:
* Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings by Michael Nyman (1994) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svf9yuouXww
* Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Marquez (1994). This piece is great fun and helped to bring Gustav Dudamel to fame after he conducted it with the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra on their world tour in 2007. (Dudamel is now the conductor of the LA Philharmonic.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXeWiixwEz4
* 24 Preludes for Piano by Lera Auerbach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9u5wc2CkL8
Lots of great music out there!