Music of a wonderful world

Masterpieces of contemporary (art) music. Recommended popular pieces.

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

When people hear the term “contemporary music,” I suspect the vast majority don’t even know such a genre exists.

Even if they know a little about it, many probably feel it has a high barrier to entry and seems difficult to grasp.

The influence of contemporary music is deeply rooted across many fields—not only in classical music, but also in minimal music, avant-pop, free jazz, and noise avant-garde.

With celebrated works of contemporary music as the axis, I’ve selected tracks spanning a wide range of genres.

Masterpieces of contemporary (art) music. Recommended popular pieces (61–70)

Arthur Honegger – Symphony No. 2 for strings and trumpetOndřej Vrabec

Arthur Honegger – Symphony No. 2 for strings and trumpet

Arthur Honegger - Symphony No. 2 for strings and trumpetOndřej Vrabec

A work that reflects the somber mood of World War II.

It is scored for string orchestra with a trumpet entering in the third movement.

Honegger’s works are generally rational in character, and some find their matter-of-fact quality hard to embrace, but the Second Symphony features relatively accessible melodies, making it an ideal introduction.

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Berg: Three Pieces for OrchestraRattle Berliner Philharmoniker

Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra / Rattle · Berliner Philharmoniker

Berg: Three Pieces for OrchestraRattle Berliner Philharmoniker

Compared with his mentor Schoenberg and his friend Webern, Berg’s Romantic tendencies are markedly pronounced.

This Three Orchestral Pieces also startles with the roar of sounds typical of modern music, yet its viscous savor firmly traces the footsteps of late Romanticism that began with Tristan.

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Masterpieces of contemporary (art) music: Recommended popular pieces (71–80)

Violin Concerto: “Maninyas,” Movement IIIRoss Edwards

Ross Edwards “Maninyas” Violin Concerto movt 3

Violin Concerto: “Maninyas,” Movement IIIRoss Edwards

It’s a violin concerto that’s modern yet has an approachable side.

In recent years Australia has been producing a steady stream of fine composers, and the elusive sense of phrasing they seem to share makes me wonder what influences have been blended to create it.

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Kodály: Háry-János-SuiteSinfonieorchester ∙ Juraj Valčuha

Kodály: Háry-János-Suite ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Juraj Valčuha

Kodály: Háry-János-SuiteSinfonieorchester ∙ Juraj Valčuha

A representative work by Zoltán Kodály, who, alongside Bartók, epitomizes 20th-century Hungary.

Although originally an opéra comique, it is seldom performed due to the abundance of Hungarian dialogue.

The suite—six selections from the opera arranged for orchestra—is better known.

The cimbalom, a traditional folk instrument, is featured in the third and fifth movements.

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Alban Berg: LuluStaatsoper Hamburg

Lulu – Alban Berg

Alban Berg: LuluStaatsoper Hamburg

It is an opera in which the composer attempted to use the twelve-tone technique.

Although it was originally conceived in three acts, the composer’s sudden death left only Acts 1–2 and part of Act 3 completed.

It is usually performed in two acts, but a three-act version completed from the composer’s drafts is also frequently staged.

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