I would like to re-iterate Satie. A fantastic composer, IMHO.
41 Posts and no one has made mention of the numerous classical works of the late Frank Zappa?
:eek: 
Most would consider Francesco Zappa “late baroque”, but YMMV. 
Oddly enough, I just watched an episode from last week’s The Colbert Report where Colbert interviewed a guy named Alex Ross who just put out a book called The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century. Both Colbert and I were kind of shocked to find out that it is almost exclusively about “classical” music in the 20th century and barely touches on rock or jazz at all.
So, if you’re wondering about “classical” music in the 20th century…there’s a book on it.
And his protéges, Les Six: Poulenc, Milhaud, Honegger… and the other three.
I came specifically to name Danny Elfman.
I have pieces from several of his soundtracks in amongst all those classical composers on my playlist.
And some Oingo Boingo, too, of course.
You must have missed this thread: The Essential Music Library: Contemporary Classical
Wynton Marsalis likes to call jazz “American Classical music”, to highlight its seriousness, complexity, and the virtuosity of its best players. I think that’s a bit of a stretch, but you could say that many educated people these days regard 20th century jazz in many of the same ways that 20th century people regarded 19th century* (or earlier) “classical” music.
*I know, most of that was “Romantic”. You know what I mean!
(Auric, Durey, and Tailleferre, if anyone was wondering)
I’m doing a project (undergraduate honors thesis) on the three that people have heard of. It’s about their religious music; I resisted the temptation to subtitle it A Catholic, a Protestant, and a Jew Go Into a Bar.
I’ll add Ottorino Respighi’s “The Pines of Rome” and “The Fountains of Rome.”
I was also very impressed by Don Gillis’s “Symphony X: Big D”
Elliott Carter and Olivier Messiaen haven’t been mentioned, but they are mentioned in this week’s New Yorker.
Carmina Burana is the most popular piece, but Orff wrote a trilogy, and, strangely, the two others are never heard: Catulli Carmina and The Triumph of Aphrodite.
Also:
William Walton Concerto for violin
Charles Widor Concerto for organ
Joseph Canteloube Chants d’Auvergne
Max Bruch Concerto for violin, Scottish Fantasy
Korngold Concerto for violin
De Falla, Dvorak, Ginestera, Glazounov, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Gavin Briars
Has anybody mentioned Terry Riley ?
Festivals of Rome sort of leaves me blah, though I particularly like Pines.
Orff’s Carmina Burana is 20th century isnt it? What about Greigs Pier Gynt?
In case it has not been mentioned:
Elgar - Cello Concerto. One of the finest pieces of 20th century music.
Yes, mid-1930s, and mentioned as early as post #10 in this thread.
1875, so a bit too early for this thread. Although he was active in recording music in his old age until his death in 1907, none of Grieg’s major compositions took place post-1900 (unless one includes the last few Lyric Pieces of 1901).
Plenty of great orchestral music, whether it’s technically “classical” or not. Henryk Gorecki wasn’t even born 'til 1933, and wrote his magnificent Symphony No. 3 in 1976. (Has John Williams copied that piece yet?)
And if you’re interested in the 20th century, that would be January 1, 1901; the entire year of 1900 was still the 19th century.
He can’t, it’s still under copyright and Gorecki’s still alive, so Williams would have his ass sued off if he tried.
I know that Ravel and Boléro have been mentioned, but I wanted to reiterate it and also to say that if you like Boléro and haven’t seen this movie, you are missing out on something really great.
Stravinsky, Britten, Mahler, and Shostakovich, all of whom have already been mentioned.
Hee hee hee!
Jeebus, folks, just take a spin into Eastern Europe… then France. “Classical” composers will come out of the woodwork everywhere. Or here, take a whole list! 