[Classic] Masterpieces of Contemporary Music
When you hear the term “contemporary music,” what kind of pieces come to mind?
Chances are, many people don’t have a clear image.
To put it simply, contemporary music is the modern version of classical music, with a broader musical range than traditional classical.
Since it’s an abstract category, thinking of it as modern classical is perfectly fine.
This time, I’ve picked out some masterpieces of contemporary music.
If you like classical music, be sure to check them out!
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[Classic] Masterpieces of Contemporary Music (1–10)
String Quartet No 4Jonathan Harvey
Jonathan Harvey, a British composer known for actively incorporating electroacoustic techniques into his music.
A Cambridge graduate, he studied under Erwin Stein and Hans Keller, and ultimately earned a degree just below a Doctor of Philosophy.
His celebrated piece, String Quartet No.
4, makes extensive use of dissonance, resulting in a highly distinctive musical style.
If you’re a fan of noise music, be sure to check it out.
Become OceanJohn Luther Adams
John Luther Adams is an American composer with a Pulitzer Prize to his name.
Since he once played as a drummer in a rock band, his works often feel more catchy compared with other contemporary music.
His piece Become Ocean is one of his most celebrated works; as the title suggests, it’s a deeply calm contemporary composition inspired by the sea.
The Importance of Being EarnestGerald Barry
Gerald Barry is an Irish composer who studied under a roster of contemporary music heavyweights such as Peter Schat, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Mauricio Kagel, and Friedrich Cerha.
A piece of his I highly recommend is The Importance of Being Earnest.
It’s a work with a deceptively simple setup: just piano and vocals that are more like spoken narration than singing, set against striking dissonances.
If you listen closely to the piano—which is made to sound almost deliberately clumsy—you’ll gradually sense its remarkable level of refinement.
Let Me Tell YouHans Abrahamsen
Hans Abrahamsen is a leading Danish composer of contemporary music.
He is highly renowned in the contemporary music scene and has produced numerous masterpieces.
Let Me Tell You is one of his celebrated works, composed at the request of the Berlin Philharmonic.
Based on the novel of the same name, the piece offers a rich experience of the intricate structures that are a hallmark of contemporary music.
Written on SkinGeorge Benjamin
The composer George Benjamin, from London.
A beloved pupil of Olivier Messiaen, he attracted attention as a child prodigy from an early age.
He is known for his remarkably fast pace of composition and has produced numerous masterpieces to this day.
A work of his I particularly recommend is Written on Skin.
Although it is an opera, it is crafted as contemporary music that conveys a respect for the classical tradition.