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Dear All,

I am sitting here listening to Spotify and picking composers I would probably never buy a physical CD of (Stockhaisen for example), but are composers whose works I should be more familiar with. So here is my question:

Who are the classical composers of 21st (or even late 20th century) century music? Not just tuba and euphonium, but overall classical stuff.

Any and all suggestions are welcomed!

Take care,

BVD Press wrote: Who are the classical composers of 21st (or even late 20th century) century music? Not just tuba and euphonium, but overall classical stuff.

I have listened to these two recently, I tend to like their music:

Tristan Murail (former Columbia prof)

Gerard Grisey (Died in 1998)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tinChMgLnjc" target="_blank" target="_blank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX77MC5o ... re=related" target="_blank" target="_blank

They are two important composers in the French "Spectral" music school.

These two wikipedia articles might be of help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st-centu ... ical_music" target="_blank

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_21 ... _composers" target="_blank

Tan Dun

PMeuph,

Thanks for your post above in which you reference Gerard Grisey. Seeing his name brought back a lot of memories. My wife and I rented a house in Berkeley to Gerard in the mid 1980's when he was on sabbatical from an institution in France and teaching composition at U.C. Berkeley. His first winter here, it was very rainy and stormy, so much so that his wife, Jaqueline and son, Rafael returned to France where the weather was better.

I liked some of Gerard's music, and I guess many others did also. He formed a strong connection with Kent Nagano and the excellent Berkeley Symphony Orchestra. I attended a concert by that group in which one of Gerard's compositions was featured----------it opened with 27 bars of silence conducted by Nagano. Gerard Grisey also had some of his works performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

I was sorry when I learned of his death at such a young age.

Ace

I recently asked a prominent conductor/history prof. who the 'top' living composer is, he was reluctant to even hazard a guess. When such a situation might exist, the impact on the health of large performing organizations may be significant, or worse. Who is going to create a lot of buzz from beyond the grave?

Pascal Dusapin
Peter Eotvas
Kevin Volans
Stevie Wishart
Richard Barrett
Kalevi Aho
Simon Holt
Sally Beamish
Brian Ferneyhough

and lets not forget one of the 21st Centuries most vibrant and actvie composers the sprightly Elliott Carter

BVD Press wrote:...Who are the classical composers of 21st (or even late 20th century) century music?...

The etiquette classical is a bit problematic but just to name a few, not in any special order, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Anders Hillborg, Sven-David Sandström, Christian Lindberg, Andrea Tarrodi, Sofia Gubajdulina, Magnus Lindberg and specially for us brass players (late 20th) Christer Danielsson.

harrison birtwhistle is one I would mention, there are some excellent composers writing high quality music for films, Alan Silvestri (Castaway) Hans Zimmer, James Horner to name 3,
Libby Larsen is a composer I like to listen to

Where's the love for my boy John Adams!

bloke wrote:John Towner Williams - a few of his major 21st Century compositions

2001 A.I. Artificial Intelligence
2001 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2002 Catch Me If You Can
2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2005 Memoirs of a Geisha
2005 Munich
2009 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

bloke "probably the most likely - of any 21st orchestral works composed to date - to be performed in concerts"

+1

John Williams wrote more music for orchestra than any composer ever.

Arvo Pärt. I don't know if he is still composing.

Rautavaara

Peteris Vasks

Here are a handful of composers with some representative works.


David Lang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0xSV15Ofxo, also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH-giL7c7Ts. Music in the second clip starts around 1:30.
Jonathan Harvey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UJ2RXIEXa4
John Luther Adams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6wX1c-Zk9Q
Tristan Murail http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utQAXK15ZGM
Helmut Lachenmann http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zugK8167SoQ
Toshio Hosokawa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU-V3f1i2-k
James Dillon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R48UaObu47A
Tristan Perich http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGZSZwGQjmw
Marcos Balter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1_QYcFqG28

I've heard several pieces by Kenneth Fuchs that I liked enough to hear again, which is my criterion of a good composer.

What a great list! And to be honest, so many I have never heard of...I am a little embarrassed about this because of what I do, but alas many just don't compose for the genre I generally publish or deal with.

I will plug away at the list, but having listened to some sounds from each I really enjoyed Kevin Volans' piece he wrote for the Kronos Quartet...and now to check out more from each!

Frank Zappa

I believe I would agree with Joe(and Bill). John Williams is likely the cream of the crop. I realize there are many who might disagree. There are many who would contest Mozart's standing in the classical world, as well.

As for the use of multiple measures of silence, I believe I(that's right: I, TubaRay) am the master of this genre. In fact, my best works are made up entirely of rests. Since I am able to be the very best at this technique, I have been reluctant to assign the rights to some publisher. These must be worth millions of dollars. If anyone would like to purchase one of my compositions, send me a message and I will email you the music, upon receipt of your payment. I have written for virtually all instrumentations, and have many vocal compositions, as well.

TubaRay wrote:I believe I would agree with Joe(and Bill). John Williams is likely the cream of the crop. I realize there are many who might disagree. There are many who would contest Mozart's standing in the classical world, as well.

As for the use of multiple measures of silence, I believe I(that's right: I, TubaRay) am the master of this genre. In fact, my best works are made up entirely of rests. Since I am able to be the very best at this technique, I have been reluctant to assign the rights to some publisher. These must be worth millions of dollars. If anyone would like to purchase one of my compositions, send me a message and I will email you the music, upon receipt of your payment. I have written for virtually all instrumentations, and have many vocal compositions, as well.

1. Mozart is inferior to both Haydn and Beethoven in my thinking... (I still consider him a genius, and among the greatest ever, the two others really stand out as really brilliant to me.)

2.John Williams is a Master in the art of composition. He has great inspiration, great technical command over the orchestra, he can write in whatever style he wants, etc... He gets performed more than any other living composer and is probably one of the most heard composers ever. (lets not forget that James Horner has both Titanic and Avatar to his credit and that those two movies are among the most popular movies ever)

3. In reality, while I really enjoy Williams music, I do not consider him a 21st century composer. His music sounds very much indebted to the Late 19th and 20ieth century. I have called him a "Pastiche" composer and I think the term is, for the most part, an accurate one.

4. As to your claim of being the master of "Silent" composition. I have looked on Sheet Music plus and not found your music, and since John Cage as a published version, I think you would need to get some lawyers and sue his succession.

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/4-33/1008430" target="_blank