What is Modern Music?

[Beef Oven!]

!!!

OK, I don't want to start a game here, but
Is Whitacre's music modern?
Is Beef Oven! I mean Beethoven's late music modern?
Is Reicha's music modern?
Is Berlioz's music modern?
Is Liszt's late music modern?
Is Vermeulen's music modern?
Is Sorabji's music modern?

I haven't heard any of his music, so I couldn't say.
Not now.
No, and I don't know if it ever was.
Not now.
Not now.
Reasonably.
Yes.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Or even Wagner (without the " ")?

The inverted retrograde commas were used to show that the word contained within them was my own specific suggestion for a candidate for Stanfordian's request for "a new word" to describe etc etc etc ...

[ahinton]

I haven't heard any of his music, so I couldn't say.

!!!

[ahinton]

The inverted retrograde commas were used to show that the word contained within them was my own specific suggestion for a candidate for Stanfordian's request for "a new word" to describe etc etc etc ...

Je comprends!

[Serial_Apologist]

!!!

This is for Beef Oven's enlightenment!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rak_rJLG49k

My own view FWIW is that with a bit of coaching I could have composed this, or something very similar, by sitting and improvising music of this kind at the piano, and then transcribing it into a score.

So no, it is not what I would think of as "modern music" - a term I keep for composers whose general creative outlook is innovative, even though they may write more traditional works too. As far as I know Eric Whitacre is not interested in innovativeness - or at least I've not heard it in the limited music of his that I've heard.

More contentiously (returning to topic) Gorecki remains an innovative composer, and his music belongs nowhere other than in our own time, which would make him a modern composer by my reckoning, even though he would not see himself thus.

[Beef Oven!]

This is for Beef Overn's enlightenment!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rak_rJLG49k

Thanks S_A. I am quite sure I've never heard his music, but I believe I may have trodden in some.

Ny own view FWIW is that with a bit of coaching I could have composed this, or something very similar, by sitting and improvising music of this kind at the piano, and then transcribing it into a score.

Unless you really must, I shouldn't bother.

So no, it is not what I would think of as "modern music" - a term I keep for composers whose general creative outlook is innovative, even though they may write more traditional works too. As far as I know Eric Whitacre is not interested in innovativeness - or at least I've not heard it in the limited music of his that I've heard.

Does not conform to my definition of modern. I can see why people will like this music, but it's not for me - not a patch on Jackson, Whitbourn et al.

More contentiously (returning to topic) Gorecki remains an innovative composer, and his music belongs nowhere other than in our own time, which would make him a modern composer by my reckoning, even though he would not see himself thus.

Gerecki is modern music.

[MrGongGong]

Thanks S_A. I am quite sure I've never heard his music, but I believe I may have trodden in some.

You're gonna love this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WhWDCw3Mng

Such modesty and humility

(you need to tell him that Holger is at the centre of the universe not Eric, I mean who would name a planet "Eric" ?)

[Beef Oven!]

You're gonna love this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WhWDCw3Mng

On the contrary, I didn't.

Such modesty and humility

Well if you've got it, flaunt it (if you haven't, don't name a planet after yourself)

(you need to tell him that Holger is at the centre of the universe not Eric,

I mean who would name a planet "Eric" ?)

Stockhausen?

[Serial_Apologist]

Stockhausen?

Such satiety...

[oddoneout]

A cat walking across a keyboard would seem to me a perfectly legitimate way to generate music.

Mewsic to the ears for some no doubt.

[ahinton]

This is for Beef Oven's enlightenment!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rak_rJLG49k

That's not quite the word that I'd have used, but...

[ahinton]

Thanks S_A. I am quite sure I've never heard his music, but I believe I may have trodden in some.

I hope that you took a Beecham's powder AND wiped your shoes clean with a good anti-bacterial substance thereafter...

[ahinton]

Mewsic to the ears for some no doubt.

Scarlatti, of Cat's Fugue fame, would probably whiskasonata up in no time at all!...

[oddoneout]

Over the years, in my own mind I've ended up with something of a dual response to this question of modern music. A straightforward answer is 'music written in my lifetime' (as I think was mentioned in one of the early replies). The second response - works which move the musical landscape - is a bit more difficult as it's not only dependent on musical knowledge(which I don't have) to make that judgement, but is also more subjective. Arguably it also requires hindsight to assess what has moved music forward or made significant changes. Whatever the definition, it is certainly no indication of whether I am likely to enjoy what I hear, so if I don't recognise a composer I try to listen first and judge after. Seems to produce more hits than misses, but that may be because I've already filtered out forms of music making I'm not keen on, such as opera.

[Beef Oven!]

Mewsic to the ears for some no doubt.

And paw taste, for others.