Classical Music after Stravinsky

Beethoven moved the architecture of music one step further from its mechanical underpinnings, then successive composers created whole new worlds of sound even further removed from music's traditional underpinnings, or relying on new underpinnings that were intellectual rather than physical.

I think these successive moves away from music's traditions and physical underpinnings may have had the result of causing the process to break down.

But I want to give these composers beyond Stravinsky another listen.

It's time to buy more CDs.

How about some recommendations?

Mike, I'm a bit confused by the title of your thread; one could argue that Classical music belongs to the Classical period. Do you mean composers after Stravinsky, i.e. 20thC composers? Or composers influenced by the classical tradition, but writing in the 20thC? In your initial post you then go on to mention works and performers.........sorry to sound pedantic, but what is is to be? Bax, Britten or Cage?

By classical music, I meant European Art Music in general, and not music from the classical period.

So I'm talking about composers after Stravinsky who belong to that same tradition.

That tradition is one of composed music played by artist who train in that tradition.

Mike

Rodrigo, Barber, and Shostakovich are the only composers that immediately come to mind.

Best,
BBM

Mike, FWIW, I find most of the music by the following post 20thC composers very important to me:

Edgar Varese

Dimitri Shostakovich

Bela Bartok

Morton Feldman

Anton Webern

Luigi Nono

Benjamin Britten

Olivier Messiaen

Sofia Gubaidulina

Gyorgy Ligeti

If you feel a compulsion to investigate any of the above, if you haven't already done so, I'd be happy to list particular recordings. I think there are also some very important composers that fall outside the 'tradition', such as Harry Partch, Bernard Parmegiani and John Cage, to name a few, but I'll leave it there for now.

quote:

Originally posted by graham halliwell:
Mike, FWIW, I find most of the music by the following post 20thC composers very important to me:

Edgar Varese

Dimitri Shostakovich

Bela Bartok

Morton Feldman

Anton Webern

Luigi Nono

Benjamin Britten

Olivier Messiaen

Sofia Gubaidulina

Gyorgy Ligeti

If you feel a compulsion to investigate any of the above, if you haven't already done so, I'd be happy to list particular recordings. I think there are also some very important composers that fall outside the 'tradition', such as Harry Partch, Bernard Parmegiani and John Cage, to name a few, but I'll leave it there for now.

I have particular pieces by the composers you mention, Britten : Billy Budd, The War Requiem, Shostakovitch : all the symphonies and the preludes and fugues, and Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, to name a few, and you make me realize they should spend more time off the shelf than they do.

I was going to write more, and suddenly realized my head may be up my ass a bit for reasons not yet understood.

Time to go listen for a bit :-)

I'd like your thoughts on Shostakovitch?

Mike, for something completely different, try Ligeti's violin concerto if you haven't already. There are not many recordings, and of those, only one is really good IMO: Peter Zimmermann's as part of a complete Ligeti edition.

Cheers,

EJ

"I'd like your thoughts on Shostakovitch?"

Shostakovich is a composer I have continually returned to throughout my life, probably because there always seems to be something new to hear depending on my own state of mind or well-being. From the very first notes of say his eleventh symphony, or one of the later string quartets, I feel a kind of chill and awareness which indicates something very special is taking place. Maybe the political and personal turmoil Shostakovich experienced in his life really is embedded in this music, but how he does that remains a mystery to me. Thankfully so.

Recording wise I've heard more disappointing performances than inspiring ones. Recently there have been some exciting recordings conducted by Vasily Petrenko with the Liverpool Philharmonic on Naxos. 5+9, 11 and this month 8 are now available. Petrenko and Karabits really do seem to able to portray the multi-dimensionality of Shostakovich's complex arrangements, without making the more rhythmic elements sound turgid or bombastic. I'd recommend 11 to anyone.

I couldn't live without the late Sting Quartets (i.e. 8 onwards) either. The Fitzwilliam and the Boridin are both wonderful. For me this is music to become lost in for years.

p.s. Mike; the reason your thread caught my eye in the first instance was because hearing The Firebird Suite as a teenager was the beginning of my deep interest in modern music.

quote:

Originally posted by graham halliwell:
p.s. Mike; the reason your thread caught my eye in the first instance was because hearing The Firebird Suite as a teenager was the beginning of my deep interest in modern music.

Stravinsky gets to me as well. I think he is the greatest composer of the 20th century, on the strength of his ballets.

I'll try out the Shostakovitch String Quartets.

I love the Schostakovitch Symphonies No. 1 & 15, but have tired of the others. Bombast is the reason. When funds allow, I will give the symphonic works you recommend a try.

a friend that I went to Britten's War Requiem with said Britten doesn't get much respect because he mainly did vocal works and didn't do big symphonies. I've seen Budd and Grimes, I'll be renting his other operas on Netflix. He brought over his new CD of remastered Requiem and was thrilled at how it sounded on my system.

Barber is wonderful and easy to listen to, sad that much of his unpublished work was burned in a house fire, salacious background to that event.

I was quite enchanted with Adams' works up until lately. Some are misses, esp Rain Tree and a Christmas oratorio I've sold on. For big and outrageous symphony Naive and Sentimental music with bass drum that thumps your chest. For fun small pieces Gnarly Buttons and John's Dances on same CD, Kronos Qt featured. I know he's not a fave here but I do like the west coast vibe in music from last mid century on which had major influence of asian music here.

At this moment I'm listening to a Berio record that I bought today. Excellent!