Living Symphonists

[Alan Howe]

I'm with you, Colin. While we might each have differing tolerance levels regarding such things as dissonance, absence of apparent rhythmic activity or melody, etc., I'm at a loss with almost all the symphonies being written today. My tolerance stops with symphonists such as Maxwell Davies - and even he's pretty thorny!

[Dundonnell]

I can just about get there with the Maxwell Davies symphonies but no further

There was(maybe still is) a time when music writers used the term 'neo-romanticism' to describe composers who wrote or, in some cases(Penderecki in Poland, George Rochberg in the USA, Rautavaara in Finland, Silvestrov in the Ukraine) had reverted to tonality and to a degree of 'beauty' in their music.

As I understood it-and, I reiterate, I am no musicologist-neo-romanticism was distinct from minimalism. Neo-romantic music could still be quite "tough" and absorbed some elements of modernism.

While I could not cope with early Penderecki the music he started to write after around 1979/80 did attract me and still does. Rautavaara's 3rd I loved (and still do) because I am a lover of Bruckner and the 3rd is, of course, remarkably Brucknerian. Silvestrov's 5th is sublimely beautiful. Although Sallinen, McCabe, Aho or David Matthews can write complex music which requires concentration and commitment they are still writing symphonies which I can recognize as being in a received tradition of symphonic development. The Robert Simpson definition of the symphony is one that has a lot of resonance with me

And...just maybe...there comes a point in one's life when one is happy to settle for that and to be content to explore backwards, possibly sideways, but to leave the future to others

[Alan Howe]

I think we're broadly on the same page. I feel I ought to like some of the music mentioned in this thread, but for me it's a bit like trying to accustom myself to drinking something that's just too bitter for my taste. In the end, if constituent elements such as harmony, rhythm and melody are beyond my comprehension or appreciation, then I'm simply lost.

[UB1]

Wolfgang Rihm - His symphonies 1-3 are worth hearing but I find the building power of Vers one Symphonie Fleuve I - V more to my current taste. Neo-Romantic but without being syrupy of boring. I-III are available on CD but you will have to ask some Soulseek friend for IV and V.

Luc Brewaeys - My favorite Spectralist composer...Symphonies 1-5 are excellent but he started losing me with 6 and 7. There are parts of those two that I really can get into but as an overall listening experience they just do not quite work for me.

Lera Auerbach - I am surprised that I keep going back to the two symphonies that I have of this Russian composer because when I think about it I find them a little too neat. But they do work at a certain level and have enough surprises to keep me interested. Her works for piano or violin are probably her best work but I have found little that I did not enjoy except when I want to really stretch my  head.

Nicolas Baci - I only know two of his symphonies but #4 and #6good enough that I would love to have more. He has a lot of other music that is worth getting into.

Marc-Andre Dalbavie - I am going to use his 2005 Sinfonietta to get his name into this discussion. There is just lots of his music that I enjoy because it keeps my interest through the length of the piece. Rocks under the water is a major orchestral work that could be classified as a symphony.

Ib Norholm - This little known Dane has produced 12 symphonies that I have 10 of - if anyone has 10 and 12 I would love to have them. 1-3 should not offend anyone, 4-7 are to me the meat of his symphonies, the latter ones tend to have too much singing for me to really enjoy. Sopranos quickly lose my attention - I would rather just have instruments and electronics.

For those who are looking for living symphony composers who produces works that are more in keeping with earlier styles - I guess they would be called neo-romantics - I suggest Kaman Ince and Lowell Liebermann. Not my cup of tea but I am glad they are there for those who love their music.

[Dundonnell]

Although-as far as I know-he has written only a Chamber Symphony-I should put in a good word for Thomas Ades

I freely admit that I had not heard a single note of his music until a young friend on another forum sent me a copy of "Tevot". As I listened to this 22 minute long piece I grew more and more impressed. One can sense the progression of the music, that sense that the music is actually going somewhere. And, of course, It moves towards a conclusion of genuine beauty.

If by any chance you don't know the work then here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_vVN7ONPnc

Please listen to it If you believed-as I did-that a modern composer was incapable of writing such music then this restored at least some of my faith

[alberto]

A good word also for some ladies symphonists.
Not so much (from me) for the veteran (73 : ladies composers don't hide age) and prolific Gloria Coates, but praise from me for the slightly younger (72) Ellen Zaaffe Twilich: a very reliable composer IMHO.
I woul list also Alla Pavlova (59) and the "young" Victoria Borisova-Ollas (42), albeit author of just one symphony.
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Further gentlemen of different ages (and idioms)
Ned Rorem (88) and last symphony in 1958.
William Bolcom (73)
Oliver Knussen (59)
Aaron Jay Kernis (51)
Sergio Rendine (57): two symphonies not important, but very safe and comfortable.
If I were very fluent in English I would plea for the admittedly controversial G.Kancheli.

[Jimfin]

I have great hopes for Ades too: the only composer in my collection who is (three weeks) younger than me. If the symphony is dead: at least it was once alive, whereas for me minimalism has always been dead, however fashionable it is. I apologise to those who enjoy it, many of whom are people I respect.

[mbhaub]

Don't feel so bad if you don't get modern symphonies. Hardly anyone does. Most music listeners ears have trouble with a lot of 20th c music, even now. I've spent a long time listening to so-called modern music and there are still scores by the likes of Copland, Schoenberg, Bartok, even Stravinsky that I just don't get, and I don't like to listen to. It's as if the average human brain can only listen to music up to a certain level of abstractness and then it gives up. I feel bad for modern composers who want to write what they feel, but realize that no one wants to perform it, listen to it, or record it. But there are modern composers who do write music that people enjoy: film composers. Howard Shore, Danny Elfman, and John Williams just to name three haven't forgotten how to connect to an audience.

[Dundonnell]

A good word also for some ladies symphonists.
Not so much (from me) for the veteran (73 : ladies composers don't hide age) and prolific Gloria Coates, but praise from me for the slightly younger (72) Ellen Zaaffe Twilich: a very reliable composer IMHO.
I woul list also Alla Pavlova (59) and the "young" Victoria Borisova-Ollas (42), albeit author of just one symphony.
-------
Further gentlemen of different ages (and idioms)
Ned Rorem (88) and last symphony in 1958.
William Bolcom (73)
Oliver Knussen (59)
Aaron Jay Kernis (51)
Sergio Rendine (57): two symphonies not important, but very safe and comfortable.
If I were very fluent in English I would plea for the admittedly controversial G.Kancheli.

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Ned Rorem, Kancheli and Bolcom(at a pinch ) are all composers I most certainly should have listed

[Greg K]

The Symphonies of Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski might be worth investigating (2 of which I believe have been issued by Naxos).
Quite beautiful romantic works.

[Peter1953]

I fully agree with you, Greg. I also have a live recording of 10 November 2000 of Symphony No. 2 in B major "Symphonie zur Jahrtausendwende", op. 57, burned on CD (not commercial). If I only knew how to upload it with my old computer I would be very happy to do so.

[John H White]

As a reactionary amateur symphonist myself, I find most those composers mentioned in this thread way above my head. Maybe I should have been born 150 years earlier.

[isokani]

Well I had forgotten about Valentin Silvestrov whom I actually know and have worked with: his
FIFTH SYMPHONY is quite stunning... openly post-Mahlerian.
Don't know the others, but during the last ten years he has written in a tonal, quasi-traditional style, and one with his unmistakable personal imprint.
I have some broadcasts of later ones, and some home-made CDRs he did for me, so I will dig them out and consider whether it is possible to upload anything ...

[vandermolen]

Vasks, Kinsella and David Matthews would feature high on my list - and Eshpai who is very old now.

[Delicious Manager]

Two important living symphonists not yet mentioned:

John Corigliano (3 fine symphonies to date)
Per Nørgård (7 symphonies to date)