Classical music works of the 21st century
theguardian.com
Classical music works of the 21st century
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Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#2What is their criteria for selection?
Are they working from the idea of a published piece of music that could be performed by any symphony, quartet, choral group, etc? Or is about what instruments it is for?
I'm just not clear on what their definition of "classical" music is.
Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#3What is their criteria for selection? Are they working from the idea of a published piece of music that could be performed by any symphony, quartet, choral group, etc? Or is about what instruments it is for? I'm just not clear on what their definition of "classical" music is.
Classical music as a genre is quite hard to define. Especially if you try to find some clear boundaries of where classical ends and jazz begins. That is the case for basically every genre.
Personally I would try to approach it like this: If it needs the particular band/artist to play it live, it's not classical, if it can be played by anyone with the notes and still be considered the same as hearing the original, it's classical.
I think the free dictionary puts it well:
> In technical musical usage this means music composed during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, characterized by the development of the sonata by such composers as Mozart. In popular use, however, the term is used to mean any serious art music as distinct from jazz, pop, or folk.
Looking at the article, I think their definition is based on the instruments used and the form of the piece (there's a whole lot of operas there).
Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#4What is their criteria for selection? Are they working from the idea of a published piece of music that could be performed by any symphony, quartet, choral group, etc? Or is about what instruments it is for? I'm just not clear on what their definition of "classical" music is.
Your confusion is completely right. The genre classical has an almost insanely wide meaning.
It originally only meant music from the Classical Period of 1720 to 1820, then Romantic music after that, and thus everything you describe above ought to be termed contemporary music (and is usually called something like that as a sub-genre).
There is a marketing explanation which is often the easiest definition to use, which is that labels have to box music into genres to sell and so they do, and get to decide if music should be pitched as classical.
Beyond using vaguely reminiscent ensembles, forms and orchestration then I guess the focus on the composer is probably the next main thing.
It is not a consistent definition though, where film composer John Williams gets called classical because of the aesthetic and influences and orchestration but then show music is not counted because for some reason its use of song forms and aesthetic is just not right, despite using mostly classical music orchestration...
Although there are classical pieces that are quite like show music. Like "The Trout" by Schubert (which comes under Programme Music which is also frowned upon as low tier by many music snobs).
So I can only really conclude that it's essentially the domain of marketers, critics and snobs to determine which artfully composed music deserves to be acknowledged as "classical" in the modern day and I think essentially the definition is "something that somebody collating new classical music for the Guardian / anyone bold enough to claim they define it thinks deserves the title".
Classical music is in the eye of the beholder.
Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#5What is their criteria for selection? Are they working from the idea of a published piece of music that could be performed by any symphony, quartet, choral group, etc? Or is about what instruments it is for? I'm just not clear on what their definition of "classical" music is.
>I'm just not clear on what their definition of "classical" music is.
It's the casual definition of classical music. Music played by musicians trained in classical repertoire, with mostly conventional instruments (violins, cellos, pianos), choruses, etc.
The criteria is that they suggest some pieces (there are no objective criteria, like "it has to be German" or "it has to have the viola"), and that they're modern works.
The established term for the kind of music they include (for works from early-mid 20th century and upwards) is usually "contemporary classical music".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_classical_music
No jazz, pop, electronica, funk, swing, salsa, afrobeat, hop jop, and so on.
Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#6What is their criteria for selection? Are they working from the idea of a published piece of music that could be performed by any symphony, quartet, choral group, etc? Or is about what instruments it is for? I'm just not clear on what their definition of "classical" music is.
Your confusion is completely right. The genre classical has an almost insanely wide meaning. It originally only meant music from the Classical Period of 1720 to 1820, then Romantic music after that, and thus everything you describe above ought to be termed contemporary music (and is usually called something like that as a sub-genre). There is a marketing explanation which is often the easiest definition to use, which…
>Your confusion is completely right. The genre classical has an almost insanely wide meaning.
To pundits, not to the common man, for which it means "mostly artsy stuff done with acoustic instruments by conservatory trained composers and performed and their like".
Heck, for the common man even the distinction "classical", "romantic" etc doesn't mean anything, Bach and Mahler is all classical, and even for my brother and their folks (classically trained professional orchestra musicians), the term "classical" is thrown around for all this repertoire.
It's just anything with "serious" trained composers, and (mostly) real instruments by conservatory players. Jazz and experimental works, like Xenakis or Stockhausen are excluded from called "classical" though, where e.g. a Phillip Glass piece would be included (but in that case, there's the "minimalist" branding which prevails).
In any, case since the article talks about modern works (21st century or so), it has probably this meaning:
Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#7What is their criteria for selection? Are they working from the idea of a published piece of music that could be performed by any symphony, quartet, choral group, etc? Or is about what instruments it is for? I'm just not clear on what their definition of "classical" music is.
Good question - I doubt there is a complete formal definition of what 'classical' music is. I remember an analogous explanation of the "institutional" theory of art - as being whatever someone of the artworld offers for consideration as art[1]. Same for the subject of (generally regarded) aficionados of the modern "classical music"-world I would guess; or indeed, any genre.
Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your confusion is completely right. The genre classical has an almost insanely wide meaning. It originally only meant music from the Classical Period of 1720 to 1820, then Romantic music after that, and thus everything you describe above ought to be termed contemporary music (and is usually called something like that as a sub-genre). There is a marketing explanation which is often the easiest definition to use, which…
> Your confusion is completely right. The genre classical has an almost insanely wide meaning. To pundits, not to the common man, for which it means "mostly artsy stuff done with acoustic instruments by conservatory trained composers and performed and their like". Heck, for the common man even the distinction "classical", "romantic" etc doesn't mean anything, Bach and Mahler is all classical, and even for my brother…
I like how there are some standout musicians whose catalogs could put a serious litmus test to any definition of 'classical' that one might suggest. People like Bela Fleck and Chris Thile... Some of their music is definitely classical, and some definitely not, and some in huge grey areas that would defy definition regardless if whether the basis is on compositional style or instrumentation/orchestration.
Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#9What is their criteria for selection? Are they working from the idea of a published piece of music that could be performed by any symphony, quartet, choral group, etc? Or is about what instruments it is for? I'm just not clear on what their definition of "classical" music is.
Your confusion is completely right. The genre classical has an almost insanely wide meaning. It originally only meant music from the Classical Period of 1720 to 1820, then Romantic music after that, and thus everything you describe above ought to be termed contemporary music (and is usually called something like that as a sub-genre). There is a marketing explanation which is often the easiest definition to use, which…
Personally I listen to the likes of Hans Zimmer, Jesper Kyd, Garath Coker, Ramin Djawadi, Michael Giacchino, etc when I'm looking for orchestral/symphonic instrumental music.
I don't think you could call them studio musicians - which was how John Williams started out (working for Mancini) but I can't imagine them fitting what is considered "classical" at the Guardian.
Re: Classical music works of the 21st century
#10This is a great list! For anyone who's interested in a few more recommendations:
* For my money, John Adams's best composition this century is El Niño (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2IUdBLVkOQ), though Doctor Atomic is also amazing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUHKHLk_VU). The former is a nativity oratorio and the latter is an opera about Oppenheimer and the Manhatten Project. On the Transmigration of Souls (a 9/11 memorial piece) is also especially moving. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwoasXzLdVY)
* Revelation, by Michael Harrison. This piece uses just intonation rather than the more common equal temperament. In just intonation, the notes are tuned so that the fifth is "pure" --- i.e., the frequencies are in an exact 2:1 ratio. This causes the other intervals to sound slightly out of tune and gives the music a really otherworldly feel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4oKzSRs3sA (Michael Harrison, incidentally was a student of La Monte Young who revived just intonation and composed a 5-hour piano piece called The Well Tuned Piano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfWV4rNB6KE)
* Sleep, by Eric Whitacre. Now a classic choral composition. (Cloudburst is also great, but was composed in 1995 at the age of 21!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw5gupbe9E0
* Orient & Occident by Arvo Pärt. Pärt has a lot of great works like Für Alina (which marked his departure from serialism), but most of them were composed in the 20th century, although he's still active! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGMaIfNdqH8
* "...similarities between diverse things", by Joby Talbot (2002). For piano trio and vibraphone. The title comes from a mathematician friend of Talbot's who died at the age of 20 and used that phrase to describe why he found mathematics beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tawlg0RN4I
* The Veil of the Temple, by John Taverner. A magisterial work lasting 7 hours. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62pRsgwSYjs&list=PLga2eRXhIy...
* Chanson Eloignee, by Morten Lauridsen. A lot of Lauridsen's more famous works were composed in the late 20th century, but he is still active. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ajmn9m-C9Y
And there's a lot more that I'm missing. A couple of other favorites of mine that missed the 21st century by a few years:
* Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings by Michael Nyman (1994) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svf9yuouXww
* Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Marquez (1994). This piece is great fun and helped to bring Gustav Dudamel to fame after he conducted it with the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra on their world tour in 2007. (Dudamel is now the conductor of the LA Philharmonic.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXeWiixwEz4
* 24 Preludes for Piano by Lera Auerbach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9u5wc2CkL8
Lots of great music out there!