Who Will Stand the Test of Time?

Brownsfan is right on point. Not much I can add (or subtract) except:

Bernstein
Stravinsky
Ades
Gershwin
Bartok
Rogers and Hart
Prokofiev
Copland
Stevie Wonder
Richard Strauss
The Beatles
Johnny Mandel
Barber
Ervin Berlin
Duke Ellington
Jerome Kern
Ravel
Cole Porter
Wayne Shorter
Work out is over, sorry.......

Well, I guess someone has to follow up a post like that. Jeez!

There, I did it.

Lloydelee21, Thomas Ades is a young Brithish composer writing some of the most interesting and adventurous orchestral music today; IMO, one of the leading living composers along side the already mentioned John Adams, Part and others already mentioned by Brownsfan. Try "Asyla" with Simon Rattle conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony on EMI; very imaginative music.

Johnny Mandel was (passed very recently) an American jazz composer/arranger with a very distinctive style. He wrote many songs represented as part of the Great American Songbook. Try Shirley Horne's "Here's To Life", songs/ arrangements by Johnny Mandel. One of my very favorite vocal recordings; an absolutely gorgeous recording.

I am optimistic about the future of classical music, and music in general. There will always be a segment of the population that seeks out quality music, and will support it enough to sustain it, and that of future composers. For a fascinating read on this subject and related subjects, and to put this in a historical perspective, read this great article:

http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_3_urb-classical-music.html

Now, as far as "popular" music is concerned. Look at it this way: just how much lower in quality can it get? We now have a very popular form of "music" that is devoid of one of the previously essential ingredients of music: melody. We can argue about what exactly constitutes a good melody, but I think we can at least agree that it doesn't have to be traditional melody. BTW, if you like string quartets, and on the subjects of 20th century music that will stand the test of time and non-traditional melody, try the Bartok string quartets. Challenging music for sure, but brilliant and sure to stand the test of time.

I believe (hope?) that the time will come when the masses will be so starved for the kind of stimulation that only quality art can provide that many will return to the appreciation of quality music. I think that some of the points raised in the linked article point to this very real possibility. I also think that we should be careful about indulging in too much negativity and fatalism around this subject. If we truly care about the future of quality music, should we not take an even more active role in it's promotion and survival? At least by staying as open minded as possible when it comes to supporting music that may be challenging, and less safe and familiar, to our musical palettes. By not doing so we run the risk of letting our "preferences" become a kind of elitism that will do nothing to promote the creation of new quality music.

BTW, the Emerson Quartet's recording (DG) of the Bartok quartets is wonderful.

More food for thought:

http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/3985/full

Brownsfan, I agree; glaring omission, Britten.

I am an optimist by nature, and while I don't consider myself an old man, I am getting there fast. I do agree, however, with part of your general sentiment (but, only part, damn it! :-) Life is full of ironies, no? I have heard it said more than once, and by credible thinkers at that, that the beginning of the end was, in fact, the very recording technology that we love so much.

Schubert, the individuals of whom I speak are anything but "stupid". They are brilliant thinkers and successful musicians who understand the impact that recorded sound had on what in the past had been, for the masses, a common pastime: learning to play a musical instrument, performing for each other at family and friendly gatherings, as well as having much more knowledge about music in general than the average person today.

Anyway, I am sorry that your admitted old age, or some other factor, has caused you to seem so bitter and negative (what you call being a "realist"), but while I usually welcome a challenge as far as discussions on this forum go (right, Rok?), my gut feeling is that I should stay away from this one. Or, is reliance on gut feelings also something that only Americans do? BTW, not being American born, I have in-depth understanding of at least two nationalities and their traits, and I assure you that it is not only Americans who indulge in wretched optimism. Try it, you might like it.