# The Essential Music Library: Contemporary Classical
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 21, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040 "2005-11-21T05:22:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/1 "2005-11-21T05:22:48Z")
The Essential Music Library project is an attempt to get the many musical minds of the SDMB to sit down and discuss what works are absolutely necessary for a well-stocked musical library. There will be roughly 20 threads detailing a variety of genres so that we can get the depth that would be missing from a single-threaded discussion and the breadth necessary to cover what’s out there.
This thread’s topic is classical music ranging from about 1900 to the present day.
Previous threads: [Project Planning](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335665) | [Classical](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336834) | [Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=337956) | [Jazz](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339051) | [Modern Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=340081) | [Blues](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=341203) | [Punk/Post-Punk/New Wave](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=342310) | [Opera/Choral Music](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343551) | [Rap/Hip-Hop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344056) | [Gospel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344690) | [Electronica](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345226)
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/2 "2005-11-21T05:32:34Z")
All of John Adams.
All of Steve Reich.
Most of John Corigliano.
All of Arvo Pärt (rhymes with . . . hey, does any English word rhyme with this? It’s pronounced like “pear” with a T. Can’t think of a rhyme!)
Most of Krzysztof Penderečki (rhymes with Gretzky, \*not \*Becky)
As long as there’s no Philip “Elevator music for pseudo-intellectuals” Glass, I’m happy.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/3 "2005-11-21T05:39:25Z")
A few easy ones:
Gustav Holst, The Planets
Carl Orff, Carmina Burana
John Cage, 4’33"
Claude Debussy, La Mer
Maurice Ravel, Bolero
Philip Glass may not be for everyone, but he’s one of the few famous modern composers, so I think he’s earned a spot here. I vote for Glassworks.
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### Author:  [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/4 "2005-11-21T05:40:42Z")
And how about **Aaron Copland** (Fanfare for the Common Man, Rodeo, Appalachian Spring), **George Gershwin** (Porgy and Bess, Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris), and **Prokofiev** (Symphonies, Lieutenant Kije, Peter and the Wolf).
Will film score composers be considered here, or is that going to be a separate thread?
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/5 "2005-11-21T05:42:32Z")
Stravinsky. Gotta remember Stravinsky. Le Sacre du Printemps and L’Oiseau de Feu are both very famous works and worth hearing at least once.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/6 "2005-11-21T05:43:29Z")
Careful, \*\*Rodgers01 \*\*and **ultrafilter**. THe composers you metion, while great, are not contemporary.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/7 "2005-11-21T05:43:36Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#):
>
> Will film score composers be considered here, or is that going to be a separate thread?
There will be a separate thread for film music and musicals, but I expect we’ll end up with some in here anyway.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/8 "2005-11-21T05:44:44Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> Careful, \*\*Rodgers01 \*\*and **ultrafilter**. THe composers you metion, while great, are not contemporary.
ultra, I was referring to your second post. For that matter, I’m not sure any of the others you mention are currently composing either.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/9 "2005-11-21T05:45:03Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> Careful, \*\*Rodgers01 \*\*and **ultrafilter**. THe composers you metion, while great, are not contemporary.
I’m misusing the word contemporary here to mean anything after 1900 (as was mentioned in the OP). It just worked out to be a convenient splitting point to keep the discussion focused.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/10 "2005-11-21T05:48:36Z")
Hmm. Well, that’s not what contemporary means. Ravel and Debussy could never be described as “contemporary classical,” so perhaps the OP should be corrected. Otherwise the term is meaningless. Seems the OP is seeking what might be termed “modern classical.” Wikipedia says (grain of salt, but I agree with it): “In the broadest sense, contemporary music is any music being written in the present day. In the context of classical music the term applies to music written in the last half century or so, particularly works post-1960.”
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### Author:  [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/11 "2005-11-21T05:56:03Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#):
>
> There will be a separate thread for film music and musicals, but I expect we’ll end up with some in here anyway.
Cool, but (and I assume you’ll do this, but just wanted to make sure) be sure to give those two topics their own threads, since Ennio Morricone doesn’t have a lot to do with “Annie.”
Leonard Bernstein would fit, on the basis of some of his non-theatrical stuff – the symphonies and the Chichester Psalms come to mind.
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### Author:  [@Israfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Israfel)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/12 "2005-11-21T05:58:31Z")
Here we go:
John Cage: The Perilous Night
John Corigliano: Symphony No. 1
Charles Ives: Three Places in New England; The Unanswered Question
Harry Partch: Barstow
Krzysztof Penderecki: Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima
Arnold Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire; Transfigured Night
Edgard Varese: Arcana; Integrales
Anton Webern: Five Pieces for Orchestra
Alrighty, that’s a decent start. I might contribute more later.
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### Author:  [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/13 "2005-11-21T08:50:30Z")
Please educate me a little about this category. Would Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Isao Tomita or Trans-Siberian Orchestra fit in here?
What about Twelve Girl Band?
(That last one was meant as a joke. I really don’t know much about this kind of music.)
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### Author:  [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/14 "2005-11-21T08:54:44Z")
Rimsky-Korsakov has a lot of excellent stuff. I’m particularly partial to “Capriccio Espagnol”.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/15 "2005-11-21T09:38:42Z")
Ahhh, this is the thread I get really opinionated in:
John Adams? I’ll give you _Shaker Loops_ and _The Death of Klinghoffer_. Other than that, most of his stuff is rubbish.
Steve Reich? Again, I’ll concede _Different Trains_, _Six Marimbas_, and not a lot else.
Corigliano? _Shudder_
Ones I’d agree with: Varese, Ives (the symphonies especially), lots of John Cage, and a few bits of Part. Penderecki, however, is so-so - while on the ‘eckis’, I’d offer Gorecki’s second symphony (_not_ the third, which is the famous one), and a healthy chunk of Lutoslawski’s orchestral output.
Now for some really important music, in no particular order
Berio - _Sinfonia_ and the _Sequenzas_
Schnittke - first symphony. Actually, make it all the symphonies.
Gubaidulina - _Stimmen…verstummen_
Ferneyhough - _Etudes Transcendentales_, _Time & Motion Study no. 2_
Xenakis - just about everything he wrote 🙂
I’m fairly sure Debussy, Ravel, Holst and certainly Rimsky-Korsakov belonged in the Classical thread. It’s silly to try and define a single cut-off date, when it’s simple to say that anything that’s part of the mainstream classical canon can be classified as such.
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/16 "2005-11-21T09:43:18Z")
John Rutter
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### Author:  [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/17 "2005-11-21T11:20:46Z")
My two pence:
Whilst the OP may or may not be misusing the word ‘contemporary’, I’m all for that misuse in this thread. IME knowing that some work was written before or after 1900 is usually a much better indication of what to expect from it, than knowing whether or not the composer is dead yet. Any label is arbitrary but I’ve found ‘20th century’ to work quite well. Until five years ago anyway 🙂 .
Having said that I’ve only heard a handful of composers.
I’ll second Steve Reich and John Adams. Plenty of great pieces but some boring misfires too.
Why has no-one mentioned Bartok yet? All of his string quartets are essential. Basically his entire ‘serious’ output, ie everything except the arrangements of folk-songs for piano and/or voices. (I had to learn such a piano piece for grade 8. What a waste of time. Bleurgh)
Schoenberg, Berg and Webern - I haven’t really got into their stuff but they’re big.
Anyone I’ve forgotten? Oh yes, [Nancarrow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conlon_Nancarrow)!
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### Author:  [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/18 "2005-11-21T11:26:14Z")
Oh, and props to lissener, for giving eloquent voice to my deepest feelings about Philip Glass.
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### Author:  [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/19 "2005-11-21T11:30:23Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> I’m fairly sure Debussy, Ravel, Holst and certainly Rimsky-Korsakov belonged in the Classical thread. It’s silly to try and define a single cut-off date, when it’s simple to say that anything that’s part of the mainstream classical canon can be classified as such.
I’d agree with that. Having had the opportunity, or maybe bad luck, to have to categorize chronologically composers into epochs for ease of reference, I found it hard and rather pointless. So maybe the Romantic Period ended around 1890 and the Modern period started 1890; what do I do with composers who straddle this line? Modern? Romantic left-over?
Anyway, considering modern classical composers, I’ve got a few suggestions:
[ul]
[li]Ralph Vaughan Williams - _A Sea Symphony_, some of his songs – I have the collection _Over Hill, Over Dale_, there must be others.[/li][li]Edward Elgar - _Enigma Variations_[/li][li]Benjamin Britten - _Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra_, _War Requiem_. While not necessarily a fan of Gardiner’s work in the classical period, two of his modern recordings (this one, and Gustav Holst’s _The Planets_) are truly outstanding.[/li][li]Arvo Pärt - takes some getting used to, but he’s worth the effort if for nothing but the immensely simple and powerful _Cantus im Memory of Benjamin Britten_. Shut down everything, close your eyes, turn the volume up for this.[/li][li]Jean Sibelius - _Finlandia_. Not great music necessarily, but a really fun piece.[/li][li]Carl Orff - _Carmina Burana_. This is an absolute must – the one piece of classical music that I have no-one ever found to dislike. [/li][li]Aaron Copland - _Appalachian Song_. Copland isn’t a _great_ composer either, but should be on the list of essentials for his innovations.[/li][li]Leonard Bernstein - _Chichester Psalms_. Great music, and fiendishly difficult to sing to boot.[/li][li]Maurice Duruflé - _Requiem_. I just like the piece; I couldn’t say if it is really great and essential.[/li][/ul]
Ralph Vaughan Williams - A Sea Symphony. I’ve no preferred recording.
ditto - some song collection; I have _Over Hill, Over Dale_, which is very good.
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### Author:  [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-contemporary-classical/332040/20 "2005-11-21T12:16:20Z")
> [@Enterprise](#):
>
> Ralph Vaughan Williams - A Sea Symphony. I’ve no preferred recording.
> ditto - some song collection; I have _Over Hill, Over Dale_, which is very good.
Well, damn my coding and all that. I was digging 'round the Internet and found this:
[http://www.classical.net/music/rep/lists/20th.html](http://www.classical.net/music/rep/lists/20th.html).
Anyone care to comment? This is also available for other periods; I’ve checked the Baroque listings against my personal favorites and we are in large agreement, therefore I pronounce this a very cogent and intelligently assembled list of great accuity and perceptiveness. On the other hand, the Classical Period list lists some pieces which I would definitely not include, and leaves some out which I would, which leads me to consider it a deficient and hastily assembled list which does not show great ability on the part of the assembler… 😛
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