# Has a good piece of classical music been written since Jan. 1 1900? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060 "2008-02-03T04:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/61 "2008-02-04T15:55:56Z")
[QUOTE=MGibson] It works for the layman and if it ain’t baroque then I say don’t fix it. [/QUOTE] Okay, you win. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/62 "2008-02-04T17:48:48Z")
It’s perfectly true that there’s a ton of 20th-century music in the repertoire – but most of it is early-20th century music. Another way to approach the question might be “how much postwar music is there in the repertoire?” The answer is not none, but it’s uncomfortably close. Someone mentioned Ligeti above, but is there any piece by Ligeti or somebody like that that could be regarded as being in the repertoire of major orchestras? There’s a perception that classical music is a fossil art form, and I’m not far from sharing in it. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/63 "2008-02-04T18:15:47Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] It’s perfectly true that there’s a ton of 20th-century music in the repertoire – but most of it is early-20th century music. Another way to approach the question might be “how much postwar music is there in the repertoire?” The answer is not none, but it’s uncomfortably close. Someone mentioned Ligeti above, but is there any piece by Ligeti or somebody like that that could be regarded as being in the repertoire of major orchestras? There’s a perception that classical music is a fossil art form, and I’m not far from sharing in it. [/QUOTE] I was at the St. Louis Symphony a week ago and heard a Ligeti piece (_Clocks and Clouds_ from 1973) and a piece by [Henri Dutilleux](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutilleux) from 1997 (_The Shadows of Time_). How often do they play these pieces? Dunno, but there is almost always something fairly modern on the program. Next week they’re playing John Adams’s _Doctor Atomic Symphony_ (2005). I believe nobody’s mentioned Ned Rorem (who’s still writing). ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/64 "2008-02-04T18:41:43Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] It’s perfectly true that there’s a ton of 20th-century music in the repertoire – but most of it is early-20th century music. Another way to approach the question might be “how much postwar music is there in the repertoire?” The answer is not none, but it’s uncomfortably close. Someone mentioned Ligeti above, but is there any piece by Ligeti or somebody like that that could be regarded as being in the repertoire of major orchestras? There’s a perception that classical music is a fossil art form, and I’m not far from sharing in it. [/QUOTE] Benjamin Britten? Leonard Bernstein? Dmitri Shostakovich? I think you have to bring the death date of classical music to somewhere a lot later than 1945, and even then I’m not sure that it’s dead: it might be that we are still too close to it. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/65 "2008-02-04T18:44:46Z")
Rachmaninoff Nothing else comes close. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/66 "2008-02-04T21:31:18Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Benjamin Britten? Leonard Bernstein? Dmitri Shostakovich? I think you have to bring the death date of classical music to somewhere a lot later than 1945, and even then I’m not sure that it’s dead: it might be that we are still too close to it. [/QUOTE] Shostakovich I’ll buy, though a good part of his work was prewar. But how much Britten or Bernstein do you really hear? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/67 "2008-02-04T21:42:15Z")
Yeah, Rachmaninoff. His second piano concerto is from 1901, and _Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini_ is from 1934. ---
**Author:** ![president\_eric\_b](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@president\_eric\_b](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/president_eric_b)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/68 "2008-02-04T21:43:21Z")
mmm Olivier Messiaen, Steve Reich, Anton Webern, are all smashing, fantastic & ace. A couple who haven’t been given love in this thread\*: Béla Bartók & Krzysztof Penderecki. The latter’s Passion of St Luke is awesome. \*assuming my reading comprehension is ticketyboo ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/69 "2008-02-04T21:45:19Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Shostakovich I’ll buy, though a good part of his work was prewar. But how much Britten or Bernstein do you really hear? [/QUOTE] Quite a bit. Maybe it’s because I’m a vocalist, but Britten seems to be one of the more ubiquitous names out there. I sing and hear it all the time. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/70 "2008-02-04T23:11:13Z")
[QUOTE=tagos] In case it has not been mentioned: Elgar - Cello Concerto. One of the finest pieces of 20th century music. [/QUOTE] An interesting hunch I had upon you mentioning this, which proved to be correct: the top three pieces in the Classic FM Hall of Fame, a good barometer of middle-of-the-road popular classics, are all from the 20th century. The Lark Ascending, the aforementioned Elgar, and Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto. (OK, so the last one was begun in 1900, but is that nitpick really worth the effort?) ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/71 "2008-02-04T23:13:39Z")
I love a lot of the composers mentioned here, esp. Gorecki, Glass, Bernstein and Britten. For a very recent piece, check out Marjan Mozetich’s [Affairs of the Heart](http://www.amazon.com/Affairs-Heart-Music-Marjan-Mozetich/dp/B00005Y7MN/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1202165607&sr=8-1) from 2000. Its neo-romanticism is a bit of throwback which is occasionally looked down upon by concert music snobs but it still remains a personal favourite. One tragically overlooked composer not yet mentioned is Bernard Herrman. He wasn’t just a great film composer, he was one of the best composers of the 20th century. The scores to “Citizen Kane”, “Vertigo”, “Psycho” and “Taxi Driver” are all master-works which should be treated with the same respect given to the works of Bernstein, Copland, and other contemporaries. Actually, that could be said of a lot of other movie composers like Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith, and Howard Shore, as well. ---
**Author:** ![stratosphear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@stratosphear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stratosphear)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/72 "2008-02-05T02:44:54Z")
[QUOTE=JKellyMap] Most would consider [Francesco Zappa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Zappa) “late baroque”, but YMMV. 😉 [/QUOTE] Although Wikipedia says it is not known whether the 2 zappas are related, it is pretty well established they are not directly related. The classical stuff I was referrring to can be found throughout his career, but of particular note is London Symphony Orchestry, Vol 1 and 2, The Yellow Shark, and Civilisation, Phase III Warning, some of these are not for the faint of heart or the close-minded, but as has alrady been pointed out, YMMV 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/73 "2008-02-05T03:23:34Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Shostakovich I’ll buy, though a good part of his work was prewar. But how much Britten or Bernstein do you really hear? [/QUOTE] _Peter Grimes_ is debuting the end of February at the NY Metropolitan Opera, so it’s not like Britten is not still being done. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/74 "2008-02-05T03:58:58Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] The Violin Concerto Prelude To Akhnaten\* is a musical perpetual motion machine matched only by _Bolero_. [/QUOTE] Slight hijack: It’s funny how everyone goes on about _Bolero_ when it comes to Ravel, when it is the single most boring piece of music ever written. Folks, it’s \*one \*theme, repeated one squajillion times (I counted), with no development. The whole piece is written to be anti-developmental. Ravel himself called it “a piece for orchestra without music”, and was convinced no orchestra would ever want to play it. Apparently, it came about when he was sitting at the piano, and thought to himself “well, this theme is kind of catchy, let’s see if I can repeat it enough times to drive people absolutely bonkers”. Seriously, though, I love Ravel - _Gaspard de la nuit_ gives me a very large hard-on. But, heck, I just wanted to say that. OK, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/75 "2008-02-05T04:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=Peak Banana] when it is the single most boring piece of music ever written. [/QUOTE] You, Sir, have obviously never…how shall I phrase this? Been in a romantic situation while Bolero was playing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/76 "2008-02-05T05:13:36Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Shostakovich I’ll buy, though a good part of his work was prewar. But how much Britten or Bernstein do you really hear? [/QUOTE] a lot more than Shostakovitch. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/77 "2008-02-05T05:55:57Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] You, Sir, have obviously never…how shall I phrase this? Been in a romantic situation while Bolero was playing. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Word. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/78 "2008-02-05T06:21:38Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] Holst? Orff? [/QUOTE] Make way! I can do Heimlich! ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/79 "2008-02-05T07:40:28Z")
[QUOTE=percussion] a lot more than Shostakovitch. [/QUOTE] I’d say I hear as much Shostakovitch as Britten, and that’s even though I live in pure Britten territory. And I’ve never had a pupil ‘discover’ Britten and get excited about him, not in the way they do about Shostakovich (perhaps more so than any other composer). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060/80 "2008-02-05T09:48:41Z")
[QUOTE=Kizarvexius] Rachmaninoff Nothing else comes close. [/QUOTE] Beat me to it. And yeah, nothing else comes close. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-good-piece-of-classical-music-been-written-since-jan-1-1900/436060.md?page=5)