New Music

Discussion in 'Classical Music' started by Coda II, Feb 1, 2005.

  1. Coda II

    Coda II getting there slowly

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    What was the last piece you really enjoyed having never heard it before? As opposed to a new reading of something you know.

    note: if the first thing that comes to mind has a BWV number you are not trying hard enough
     
    Coda II, Feb 1, 2005
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  2. Coda II

    tones compulsive cantater

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    Oh....aren't I...

    Not sure if this counts, as I know many of the melodies, but Paul McCreesh's reconstruction of a Praetorius Lutheran Mass for Christmas morning is one that comes to mind. Especially that final rendition of "In dulci jubilo", which blows out all the windows.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 1, 2005
    tones, Feb 1, 2005
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  3. Coda II

    alanbeeb Grumpy young fogey

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    Dvorak's symphonic poems.... The Wood Dove, The Water Goblin, The Golden Spinning Wheel and The Noonday Witch I did hear them 15 years ago at some concerts I went to, and they didn't make an impression then.

    Picked up Harnoncourt's recordings of them in HMV sale for £4.99 a few months ago and really enjoyed them when finally got to listen to them the other week. Lovely big stuff - good tunes, fantastic orchestration and very Brothers Grimm atmosphere.
     
    alanbeeb, Feb 1, 2005
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  4. Coda II

    griffo104

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    Fredric Rzewski - Main Drag on Stradivarius Records.

    Contemporary piece based around writings from inmates in Attica - then some DJ has been given a track to mix up. This blew me away, fantastic music and great recording but not everyones pint of beer - but very rewarding if you are into contemporary music and have an open mind - sort of classical music which gets reviewed in The Wire.

    A record of English Tone Poems I bought off ebay - usual suspects like Elgar, Finzi, etc.. but thoroughly enjoyable (and only 99p on the old black stuff :D )

    Each new issue of Hyperian's Granville Bantock cycle - superb.
     
    griffo104, Feb 1, 2005
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  5. Coda II

    pe-zulu

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    Interesting aspect.
    I seldom listen to modern music, the "new music" I listen to is usually old music (1200 - 1750), and when I aquire a new CD,
    it is very often a new interpretation of music, I know on beforehand. And different interpretations may be as different as day and night, and in a sense represent something I haven't heard before, especially when it is about medieval music.
    The answer to your question as to me is:
    Perotin: Sederunt Principes and Viderunt Omnes,
    two great four-part Organa, in this case interpreted by Early Music Consort of London, led by the late David Munrow (Archive).
    Venlig hilsen
     
    pe-zulu, Feb 1, 2005
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  6. Coda II

    alanbeeb Grumpy young fogey

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    New New Music - Jennifer Higdon's Concerto for Orchestra. Heard it last week and was very impressed. Not difficult or even remotely avant-garde, more like a cross between Walton, Barber and Bartok.
     
    alanbeeb, Feb 1, 2005
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  7. Coda II

    PeteH Natural Blue

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    Havergal Brian's Symphony No. 1, Gothic, of which I recently made the acquaintance. Scored for large orchestra, triple woodwind, quadruple brass, piano, organ, harps, seventeen percussionists, quadruple chorus and children's choir, brass bands, offstage ukelele ensemble and entire fitted kitchen. Old-school histrionics for two hours - very big, not particularly clever, but great fun.
     
    PeteH, Feb 1, 2005
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  8. Coda II

    Coda II getting there slowly

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    Whenever I find myself doing this I remember that there is so much out there that I have never heard; not to say that it is not rewarding. In fact Bach is a prime example of this (just to be clear, I have nothing against the man or his music; in fact the first CD I bought as a direct result of this forum was WTC1/Gilbert, prior to that Bach keyboard for me had been Gould/Hewitt).

    The thought behind my original question was that, looking back, it is possible to pick out certain works that in some way opened the door (ear) to a whole new area of music to enjoy. Sometimes it has to do with the piece itself and sometimes the circumstance of hearing it. Some of my signposts have been:-

    Giles Swayne - Cry
    Poulenc - Gloria
    Tallis - 40 part motet
    Verdi - Requiem
    John Surman - Road to St Ives
    Bjork - Debut
    Gavin Bryars - Jesus' Blood
    Wagner - Tristan

    It would be nice to think that new doors will continue to open, though I suspect that as we get older we spend more time closing them.
     
    Coda II, Feb 2, 2005
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  9. Coda II

    pe-zulu

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    Coda II

    In priciple I agree with you, but there is so much music around you in any conceivable genre, and in practice you have to make some preferences with growing age. Just as you have to specialize more and more in education and your work as time goes by, because you can't find the time for everything.

    Of course I listen to much music from all periods, but genres like opera - at least romantic and modern opera,
    serial music,contemporary minimalist music, modern jazz and musicals have never been able to hold my attention, despite patient attempts from my side. And in the long run I have found that "old" music harbour possibility for endless new dicoveries and suits my temperament better. So I am a little eclectic, but if life were eternal, I would surely adopt another view.

    Venlig hilsen
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 3, 2005
    pe-zulu, Feb 2, 2005
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  10. Coda II

    NickM

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    Some of my gobsmackers and door-openers (most recent first):
    2005 Gareth Farr - Le Temps est a la Pluie (there is fine music being made in New Zealand that nobody in the UK seems to know about)
    2003 Busoni - Two Studies from Doktor Faustus (elusive, and you need to hear it several times to "get" it - but from the first hearing you know there is something about it that demands you listen again... if only the mature Busoni had written more orchestral music...)
    1985? Philip Glass - Akhnaten (on R3 from ENO on a Sunday afternoon in the 80s - wow! better by far than the feeble recording)
    198? John Adams - Harmonium (and nothing of Adams' has lived up to it since)
    1975 Shostakovich - Symphony no. 15 (convinced me at age 18 that music without immediately "obvious" tunes could be worthwhile; and on better acquaintance the tunes were there after all!)
     
    NickM, Feb 23, 2005
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  11. Coda II

    Dynamic Turtle The Bydo Destroyer

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    Yeah, I'd vote for that too. Elements of Gershwin's more famous pieces in there too, afaic. Maybe something to do with the whole "cityscape" theme of the music.

    Great SACD recording, if you can find it.

    DT
     
    Dynamic Turtle, Mar 2, 2005
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  12. Coda II

    Joe

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    Smetana, 'the Moldau' from M Vlast. Sadly, it was music used at a funeral, so it will always have sad associations for me.
     
    Joe, Apr 13, 2005
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  13. Coda II

    Coda II getting there slowly

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    Thanks Joe, have now had this tune swimming round my head for the last hour!

    That despite the fact that Radio 3 have reminded me of something I should have included all along: the choral music of Georg Schumann. Sort of like German Poulenc is the best I can do at the moment. Anyway, check it here.
     
    Coda II, Apr 13, 2005
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  14. Coda II

    Joe

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    My wife played another 'new' piece of music t'other day. It was maddeningly catchy, and also vaguely familiar. This morning it dawned on me that said piece ('Finlandia' by Sibelius) was used as the theme tune for 'World in Action'.
     
    Joe, Apr 13, 2005
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  15. Coda II

    bat Connoisseur Par Excelence

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    Terry Riley:The harp of New Albion (long piece, on modern piano in mean tone tuning)
    Meredith Monk: Atlas (opera)
    Stravinsky:Symphony of psalms

    Really fascinating stuff. (?)
     
    bat, Apr 13, 2005
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  16. Coda II

    Zohia

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    Kernis - Air/Coloured Field/Musica Celestis
    To listen on a greyish day.
     
    Zohia, Apr 1, 2006
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  17. Coda II

    Rodrigo de Sá This club's crushing bore

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    If it had a BWV number it would not be the first time ... :D

    But you can actually listen to the piece that struck me positively here. The sound is odd, because it fades away suddenly to come to normal levels. But you'll get the picture.

    This is rather simple music, but I find it touchingly sincere and innocent. It is by Jean-François Tapray (1738/39?-1800?), oddly enough because I usually hate every single piece of music composed in the second half of the 18th century...
     
    Rodrigo de Sá, Apr 3, 2006
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