The greatest VCs written since 1960

[JimL]

Is gurning a good thing or a bad thing? 

[doctorpresume]

Is gurning a good thing or a bad thing? 

It's fine on radio  , but it's rather off-putting "live".

I saw Knussen and Josefowicz give the world premiere of the Colin Matthews concerto I mentioned upthread. Honestly, the ridiculously extreme facial contortions Ms Josefowicz went through were frankly bizarre, though thankfully the piece was strong enough to hold the attention in spite of her! (though she's a bloomin' fine musician)

[JimL]

You know, now that you mention it, the performing affectations of soloists (and some conductors) might be worth a thread of its own.  Sometimes the physical gestures, hand waving, grimaces and other contortions of violinists, pianists and cellists can be quite comically at odds with the sounds they produce, which can indeed be quite off-putting.

[markniew]

For those interested in hearing the VC by Bargielski - link available in the Downloads/Polish Music

[Delicious Manager]

For me, the greatest violin concertos since 1960 are:

William Bergsma
Corigliano
Dutilleux - L'arbre ses songes
Gubaidulina - Offertorium
Lutosławski - Chain 2
Nicholas Maw
Rochberg
Ruders No 2
Shostakovich No 2
Tishchenko No 2

[Alan Howe]

Thanks: a list containing works I already have (Maw, Rochberg, Shostakovich 2, Dutilleux), works I'm unfamiliar with but think I might like (Corigliano, Tishchenko 2) and others which scare me to death (the rest). Can anybody re-assure me that my ears are going to be safe if I investigate them?

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Gubaidulina's 'Offertorium' from 1980 I found a remarkable and profoundly moving work. I think it was the first Gubaidulina work I heard (in the Gidon Kremer, Boston SO / Dutoit recording on DG) and I've been hooked on her compositions ever since. Deeply impressive stuff.

I also direct your ears to her 'In tempus praesens: Violin Concerto' from 2007. I have two recordings (Mutter / Gergiev on DG and Gluzman / Nott on BIS), and consider there's little between them.

And if you want more Gubaidulina try 'The Lyre of Orpheus' (2006) for Violin, Percussion and String Orchestra.

Your ears, Alan, are quite safe with Gubaidulina, and listening to her stuff won't unsettle the enjoyment of Reinecke! But I'm not too sure about Tishchenko 2. Much of Tishchenko is unceasingly relentless and pretty strident, and if it does have a capacity to scare a listener to death then I think I'd regret going to meet my maker with Tishchenko still ringing in my ears.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Peter.

How about these pieces by Norgard?
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Apr12/Norgard_BISCD1872.htm

[Dundonnell]

Well, I hate to disagree  but I would take Tishchenko any day of the week in preference to either Gubaidulina or Norgard

Yes, Tishchenko is usually grim and relentless but in his fine Violin Concerto No.2 I can still hear the influence of his teacher Shostakovich. Indeed, the criticism of early and mid-period Tishchenko was that he was too much of a Shostakovich epigone. Gubaidulina and Norgard, on the other hand, are too near to Webernian expressionism for my tastes. I find the latter in particular almost unlistenable to.....and I say that as someone who admires a lot of mid to late 20th century music. I have given Norgard a fair try-on the repeated insistence by his fans (and there ARE many of them) that he is a great composer-but I just don't get him

The Norgard 2nd Violin Concerto can be heard in its entirety on You Tube. If you like what you hear then you have more advanced tastes than I do

[Holger]

Very interesting. I would very much agree with Colin that for me, Tishchenko is much more interesting and also accessible than Gubaidulina. Basically, Tishchenko is a composer whose musical language still works with tonal centres, and if compared to Gubaidulina he is definitely the one who is more rooted in tradition! His music certainly doesn't hide Shostakovich was his teacher, but in my view there is always a strong own voice, for instance regarding a certain architecture of his works. Honestly, two years ago when he was still alive he was my personal favourite for the greatest living symphonist. His Violin Concerto No. 2 is an excellent piece. It can even be found on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVqk2Xxox3A

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for these pointers, gentlemen. I obviously have some youtubing to do!

[dafrieze]

The Bergsma won't do you any harm at all - in fact, it's fairly standard-issue, mid-twentieth-century conservative stuff, with no sharp edges to cut yourself on.

[minacciosa]

Too bad 1960 is the cutoff, or I'd throw Benjamin Lees excellent 1958 Violin Concerto into the ring. Great piece that should be heard as often as the Bartok, Stravinsky or Prokofiev concerti.

[Peter1953]

There is another Meyer, which we have positively discussed in an old thread and that is Edgar Meyer. Another previously discussed VC, like Edgar Meyer's, is composed by Lee Actor for the violinist Pip Clarke. Nice, lyrical and accessible VCs worth listening once in a while.
However, a thread on great VCs written since 1960 isn't IMHO "complete" without mentioning both delightful VCs (No. 1 in D minor, op. 50 and no. 2 in B minor, op. 100) by Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski, despite the fact that both works are not composed in a contemporary idiom but in a romantic style.

[Alan Howe]

I'd say Dutton were onto something when recording Christopher Wright's incredibly beautiful new VC...