frank

Hello Manny,

I'm curious what you think/feel about contemporary music?! Pieces from composers like Ligeti, Takemitsu, Rihm, Benjamin?

Here in Berlin the programs are very often a mixture from classical pieces and contemporary stuff. I always listen to everything that's presented and don't "run away" when there is a modern piece at the end of the program.

But it's more an analytical thing: I try to find out what they are doing and what it is doing to me. And I find it's not touching me like older pieces. Any thoughts?

Frank

Manny Laureano

Frank,

There are some contemporary pieces that truly hit me on an emotional level and there are others that remind me of a finely crafted car without an engine. Looks gorgeous but it goes nowhere.

I am fortunate that the level of new music played by this orchestra is generally quite high. That is, it's interesting, difficult, and meaningful for the most part.

ML

frank

Hello Manny,

Thanks for the reply! So which were your favourite pieces? There is one which I remember well, it was "Surrogate Cities" by Heiner Goebbels played by the Berlin Philharmonic.

Manny Laureano

frank,

I knew you were going to ask that!

I think I remember composers more than I do names of new pieces, some of the titles are so silly.

Some of John Adams I like very much. Skrowacewski has written a couple of pieces that I enjoy also, his Concerto for Orchestra and also his Passacaglia. Thomas Ades is very challenging and interesting. We played a piece about witch burnings by a Scottish composer that was tremendously intense. John Corigliano Jr. is another excellent composer.

So many pieces I'm leaving out... Christopher Rouse, also. I'll remember more after I sign out!

ML