There are LOTS of good modern composers!!! I listen to modern music all the time and love it. I would forget the radio and start with a contemporary music history text as a source for directions in 20th century composition. I've never had any trouble finding cd's when I knew what I was looking for. Try some or all of the following: Luciano Berio, Thomas Ades, John Adams, John Corigliano, Richard Danielpour, Witold Lutoslawski, H. Dutilleaux, H.W. Henze, Henryk Gorecki, John Tavener, Giya Kancheli, E. Rautavaara, John Rutter, Toru Takemitsu, E.S. Tuur, Pierre Boulez, Peter Vasks.
Classical Music as Relics for easy listening
When is classical music art as opposed to easy listening or entertainment? I ask this question because it seems the FM classical music stations almost always claim "for asoothing relaxing time listen to W@#$" I guess this goes hand and hand with the midcult of symphonic fare that the orchestras and the music directors are dishing out. The radio stations play third rate baroque music "to soothe ones nerves on the commute home" (I guess you need something on the rush hour traffic on I-495 in DC) and for the symphonic fare: the same warhorses over and over, relics of dead great composers. Absolutely nothing new. I cannot remember
when the last time I here a modern piece by Part or Schnittke(though he is dead). I only found out Part or Schnittke by reading about them in the New York Times, and
getting a Naxos CD, to hear them. I have to go to Philly to Tower Records to find these composers because neither Borders or B&N have them. No wonder Classical music is dying slowly. Does anybody else have this same kind of frustration or are you just as happy hearing the same recordings over and over? Just asking......
when the last time I here a modern piece by Part or Schnittke(though he is dead). I only found out Part or Schnittke by reading about them in the New York Times, and
getting a Naxos CD, to hear them. I have to go to Philly to Tower Records to find these composers because neither Borders or B&N have them. No wonder Classical music is dying slowly. Does anybody else have this same kind of frustration or are you just as happy hearing the same recordings over and over? Just asking......