Does anyone know of any modern composers (meaning, composers who are at their peaks right now, or are on the rise…not like George Crumb or anyone) who actually have any fury? By fury I mean abrasion, just fucking something to kick you in the ass really hard. The most recent composers I’ve heard with any fury have been Xenakis and Ligeti, which is pretty sad given that both of them are dead now.
Most composers I come in contact with today (via MySpace and also more famous contemporary composers I’ve downloaded) are (musically) the biggest bunch of squares I’ve ever seen. A lot of it is boring as fuck (and generic as fuck) choral music. It’s the kind of music that would have the composer on the cover of the album wearing a white turtleneck in front of a fireplace holding a dove. FUCK THAT SHIT.
If not that, it’s music very much in the style of film music. I’m all for film music…when it’s in a film. On it’s own it’s usually dull as balls (unless you’re John Williams)…the function of film music is as an accompaniment to the soloist…the drama. The same way I’d be bored listening to an opera without the singers, I’m bored listening to film music outside of the context of a movie (except for extraordinary cases, like John Williams).
I know I’m being incredibly judgmental here and I know there are people who derive genuine enjoyment from the styles I’m bashing, but I’m totally sick of it and NEED a modern composer who isn’t a big Nancy. As it is, to get fury I either go back to older classical stuff or stuff like Melt Banana, some Nirvana, older Metallica, etc.
I’ve heard some Finissy and he’s not really my type, although he’s not a pansy. His music sounds Lisztian to me…I’m more into stuff with tighter rhythms.
I understand. I mean Lisztian in that his style is very free rhythmically (and with pianistic effects) and was influenced greatly by Liszt. It reminds me of Sorabji, who was very influenced by Busoni, who was in turn very influenced by Liszt (although Sorabji was directly influenced by Liszt, too). Liszt pioneered pianistic effect (like we discussed in the other topic) and very free sounding passages. This music has that effect, despite whatever rhythmic meaning or complexity lies within.
(Liszt’s music isn’t nearly as out-there rhythmically as this, but he took the first steps towards this. He throws in free-sounding runs all the time for a rhapsodic pianistic effect, more than any other composer I’m aware of from his day, and he’s famous for it. Then came Busoni and Sorabji.)
Look at this Ligeti score…
See the difference? Rhythmically I’m pretty conservative. Time is measured in even increments, our hearts pulse at constant beats, we generally walk to a set rhythm. I like that and prefer more strict, Mozartean rhythm to the more free kind of rhythm that Liszt pioneered and that 20th century figures like Sorabji (and apparently Finnissy) have taken to the extreme.
no. i just punched in ligeti on google image search.
i can see it perfectly on my PC. im using a laptop, though, so that might have something to do w/ it. the notes and stuff for me are a perfect black and the background is a dark gray.
either way…heres another score of what i was talking about… (again ligeti)
concurred. to all who havent heard hindemith, check out richter’s 2nd sonata and ludus tonalis (which is what i expect canadian will upload). somehow, however, i think ligeti is more furious. hindemith and ligeti cannot be compared however. they have almost nothing in common with each other.
ahahaha i never knew richter played that piece. i have ivo janssen doing that suite, but he is lacking majorly in fury. i can expect that richter probably makes it sound like a totally different piece. massive respec when you post the 1922 suite.
Except for the common kickass factor. Admittedly, though, I haven’t heard much by Hindemith, just Kammermusik and a sonata. It’s mainly just something I never followed up on, though…it’s good stuff. Ligeti I have the etudes, Musica ricercata (probably both from here), and some organ stuff. I like the organ stuff the best.
COMPOZ HAFF U BEEN LIZTENIN TOO 
