Which Contemporary Composers Are You Listening To?

[Thropplenoggin]

I've been listening to a lot of contemporary composers recently, many of whom seem to sculpt and play with sound itself to form 'music' that could just as easily be labelled 'sonic art'. Labels, eh? Who'd have 'em. Of course, naysayers use epithets like "squeaky gate music" to dismiss these experiments (I expect I said this myself once), but surely composers of all eras have sought to push boundaries, and the thought of just hearing more variations on melody-based tonal works for eternity is a dreary one.

Anyway, here are a couple of names and links to kick things off:

Gloria Coates - Symphony No. 4, 'Chiaroscuro' - the opening movement will sound familiar to Baroque lovers.

Wolfgang Rihm - I have a ticket to see In-Schrift performed by the Royal Concertgebouw at the Proms, and I'm as curious to hear what they make of this as I am to hear the Bruckner that follows.

Mica Levi's soundtrack to Jonathan Glazer's brilliantly disturbing sci-fi film, Under The Skin, is also brilliantly disturbing, managing to sound, well, alien.

Georg Friedrich Haas, who seems to work mainly in microtonality. I find the atmospheres his works evoke both unusual and engaging, meditative without resorting to any tired minimalist formulas.

Hopefully we can all discover other names and sound worlds...

[Beef Oven!]

Last night:

Gloria Coates - String Quartets Nos. 1, 6, 8 & 9 (CDs)
Richard Barrett - Flechtwerk (CD)
Rebecca Saunders - dichroic seventeen (download)
James MacMillan - The Confession Of Isobel Gowdie (CD)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Good call for a Thread, Thropple - and welcome back to the Forum!

I've been listening to quite a few CDs of Music by Swiss composer Jürg Frey (whose 64th birthday is today!!!) - most recently the CD coupling the Third String Quartet with Unhörbare Zeit for String Quartet and percussion duo. Lovely, still Music - gentle, breath-like brushes of bow on string which still captures and holds my attention throughout the works' duration (both works last longer than half an hour each, but time stands in beautiful stillness in both). The magnificent Bozzini Quartet are joined by the Smith/Ferguson Duo:

http://www.wandelweiser.de/_e-w-records/_ewr-catalogue/ewr1507.html

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/17/jurg-frey-third-string-quartet-bozzini-quartet-cd-review-jurg-frey

I've been less captivated by some of the Music by other members of Frey's Wandelweiser group of composers, but Antoine Beuger's (b 1955) tschirtner tunings for twelve members of the ensemble Konzert Minimal, I found better than many: quiet, unusual chords placed into silence. It's not Music that "does" anything - but, "colouring" the early morning silence (and with the first birdsong counterpointing the last ten minutes or so) it is in its own terms quite beautiful.

http://www.anothertimbre.com/kmbeuger.html

... and extract here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AA1VA4mcH0

Oh - and I've listened to Richard Barrett's everything has changed/nothing has changed a few times recently, too.

[HighlandDougie]

This CD is also of music written for a film but it works well on its own. She is a most interesting composer:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neuwirth-Goodnight-Mommy-Kairos-0015009KAI/dp/B01CJ5JM9I/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1494866243&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=olga+neuwirth

And, although not 'contemporary' (as in, he is no longer alive), these two CDs are a delight:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kagel-Die-Stucke-Windrose-Ensemble-Aleph/dp/B01M4S5O0V/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1494866426&sr=1-1&keywords=mauricio+kagel

[teamsaint]

Just as a general recommendation , @noggo, and bearing in mind your post industrial heritage, I'd suggest Annie Gosfield's music is well worth a listen.

[Petrushka]

This CD is also of music written for a film but it works well on its own. She is a most interesting composer:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neuwirth-Go...=olga+neuwirth

I remember Boulez and the LSO gave a work by Olga Neuwirth in the Barbican in 2000 (it preceded Mahler's 6th). I was very taken with it at the time but can't remember for the life of me what it was called. If anyone can recall it and if it's been recorded I'd very much like to know!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I remember Boulez and the LSO gave a work by Olga Neuwirth in the Barbican in 2000 (it preceded Mahler's 6th). I was very taken with it at the time but can't remember for the life of me what it was called. If anyone can recall it and if it's been recorded I'd very much like to know!

clinamen/nodus, Pet. That very performance is available on a KAIROS CD, coupled with the (longer) Construction in Space - some of her very best Music on this disc:

https://www.kairos-music.com/cds/0012302kai

[Thropplenoggin]

Thanks to all for your contributions: I look forward to having a listen when time allows.

[Petrushka]

clinamen/nodus, Pet. That very performance is available on a KAIROS CD, coupled with the (longer) Construction in Space - some of her very best Music on this disc:

https://www.kairos-music.com/cds/0012302kai

Thanks, Ferney, that was the one. Download only though by the look of it

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Thanks, Ferney, that was the one. Download only though by the look of it

Physical CD just about still available - "Used" won't break the bank, either:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neuwirth-Clinamen-Nodus-Boulez/dp/B00007BHHI

[Petrushka]

Physical CD just about still available - "Used" won't break the bank, either:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neuwirth-Cl.../dp/B00007BHHI

Thanks again. Duly ordered a 'used' copy

[HighlandDougie]

Inspired by an article by Alex Ross in the current New Yorker on Chaya Czernowin's new opera 'Infinite Now', I've just ordered:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Czernowin-Quiet-Various-WERGO-73192/dp/B00PQIBZ8C/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1494937216&sr=1-1&keywords=czernowin

Does anyone know the works on this CD? I've never heard her work but am intrigued by what AR has written. I see that she was a pupil of Brian Ferneyhough.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I see that she was a pupil of Brian Ferneyhough.

One of the students at the school where I used to teach went on to study composition with her, so that makes BF his "composer grandad"!!!

I don't know the works on that CD, HighDoug, but I do have the earlier WERGO release of chamber works:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shifting-Gravity-Wintersongs-Quatuor-Diotima/dp/B004KOW2GW

... which I find I respect and admire without being greatly excited by them. There is a video composer portrait on youTube which might find useful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h35tHVHpq6o

[HighlandDougie]

One of the students at the school where I used to teach went on to study composition with her, so that makes BF his "composer grandad"!!!

I don't know the works on that CD, HighDoug, but I do have the earlier WERGO release of chamber works:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shifting-Gravity-Wintersongs-Quatuor-Diotima/dp/B004KOW2GW

... which I find I respect and admire without being greatly excited by them. There is a video composer portrait on youTube which might find useful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h35tHVHpq6o

Fernie

Many thanks - I'll watch it later. I like the idea of "composer grandad"!

HD

[Beef Oven!]

She’s someone I came across on my YouTube surfing. I haven’t got any of her CDs. I don’t know the works on the CD that you’ve ordered, but I don’t think you’ll regret the purchase - her music is terrifically interesting!

This is great ......