[JohnFerrier]

Arrival, Olga Neuwirth's opera Lost Highway based on David Lynch's film of the same name. (Picked up the last copy from Amazon.) IMHO, Olga has the best musical imagination today. Pierre Boulez has desired to compose a contemporary opera, Neuwirth produced the goods...

"Lost Highway is a composition that decidedly lives from the transformation of physical spaces, diverse inner and outer spaces, into sound spaces. In performance, this is achieved through various, three-dimensional sound projections, which surround the audience with playing, live-electronics, and virtual acoustics, resulting in different experiential relationships from within and without, close by, and from a distance. The illustrations of these sound spaces and notes naturally are only an attempt to approach the experience in the theater. Fortunately, the possibilities of surround-techniques have come to our aid, which envelop the listener with alternating, overlaying sound-strata. Thus, the present production was intended to be mixed for 5.1 surround." (Olga Neuwirth)

 

[milkpowder]

Anyone know Jennifer Higdon's Blue Cathedral? The Royal Scottish National Orchestra recently gave a brilliant performance of it in Edinburgh (along with 'Shosty' 5th). It really reminds of Copland and MacMillan.

 

[Duggeh]

It depends on where you draw the line for classical and for modern, but for me Phillip Glass, Vangelis and Karl Jenkins would all be shortlisted.

 

[meme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconP /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you guys know of any budget-priced recordings of Xenakis? I don't have a single work by him.

It isn't budget price i'm afraid, but the Edition RZ double cd of his orchestral works is a good introduction as well as being an excellent set.

http://edition.r2010.de/edition/190-104,1,0.html

 

[Don Quichotte]

1. Arvo Part (I like Tabula Rasa and Arbos most of all I've heard)
2. Philip Glass (I like the Violin Concerto most, then Glass Jukebox and an album with Ravi Shankar called Passages)

 

[ramus]

Have a look at Osvaldo Golijov.He is one of the most talented composers of our time,IMO

 

[eyeresist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone know Jennifer Higdon's Blue Cathedral? The Royal Scottish National Orchestra recently gave a brilliant performance of it in Edinburgh (along with 'Shosty' 5th). It really reminds of Copland and MacMillan.

I have it on Telarc, though it's in my discard pile. It was enjoyable, surprisingly tonal, but not very memorable IMO.

 

[Vicious Tyrant]

I'll add to the votes for Arvo Part, John Tavener, and Heryk Gorecki.

How about Michael Tippett? I think his operas "King Priam" and "Midsummer Marriage" are accessible; pretty and interesting. Priam is darker than Marriage, but I think both are worth a listen.

 

[FalconP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicious Tyrant /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll add to the votes for Arvo Part, John Tavener, and Heryk Gorecki. How about Michael Tippett? I think his operas "King Priam" and "Midsummer Marriage" are accessible; pretty and interesting. Priam is darker than Marriage, but I think both are worth a listen.

I quite like Tippett a bit, especially his orchestral works (like the Divertimenti) and Sonata for 4 horns. The only Tippett opera I have is The Ice Break, which makes me cringe (a policeman at the scene of crime announcing "Dead, gone like the wind" -- and the campness goes on). But still I'd like to hear King Priam.

Decca has put out two boxes of Tippett -- an instrumental box of 6 CDs and a vocal box of 4 CDs (including Knot Garden and Midsummer Marriage). It's a shame that no sung text is included.

 

[Peter Polo]

Phillip Glass John Tavener

 

[JohnFerrier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears /img/forum/go_quote.gif George Crumb.

Finally picked up a copy of the 1977 premiere recording of George Crumb's Star-Child -- Pierre Boulez, New York Philharmonic (included in the 5-CD set titled: An American Celebration, volume 2). A work requiring four conductors that's not often performed. A 1999 recording by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra also exists that David Hurwitz/ClassicsToday.com rated 10/10. Until now, I've enjoyed the newer Warsaw recording especially part 4, Musica Apocalyptica. I expected the 1977 recording to be a lesser realization of this work. In spite of occasional pops, cracks, and coughs, I'm finding great charm and clarity with the older recording that has me looking forward to the other works included in the set. Some vocal passages seem drowned out by the mass of instrumentation. Yet, much of the work, including bells, chains, other percussion instruments, stand out favorably with this NY Phil. edition. Other works included are Elliot Carter's Concerto for Orchestra, Jacob Druckman's Lamia, Joan Tower's Sequoia, and other contemporary orchestral works (composed between 1952 to 1999). The image below links to the New York Philharmonic website with a full list of works.

For about $40, from an Amazon outlet store, I picked this up to fill in my collection of Boulez recordings, but now expect to listen more often and more carefully than I anticipated. I wonder why I didn't purchase the set sooner... hmmm... I don't have volume 1 yet... dunno... yet.



-

Just read the liner notes for the Warsaw disc. Instead for four conductors, it was recorded with one conductor recording the four ensembles seperately and edited/mixed together "under the conductor's supervision".

 

[Uncle Erik]

Arvo Part and Steve Reich are my favorites.

 

[ralphp@optonline]

Here are two modern American composers that have not yet been mentioned and are well worth a listen:

Joan Tower - try Sequoia and Sequoia (both are orchestral works)

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich - try Symphony No. 3 and Concerto grosso

 

[JohnFerrier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Arvo Part and Steve Reich are my favorites.

Pleasantly enjoying Reich's Tehillim ("Psalms") now. Zubin Mehta/NYPO included in the American Celebration set.

.

 

[JohnFerrier]

Wow! I struck the pay dirt. George Crumb is on disc 3. Joan Tower and Steve Reich on disc 4. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich on disc 5 (now in player).

.