Contemporary - Classical Explorer

Contemporary

Psappha Commissions

A remarkable disc that demands - and rewards - active listening. Every piece is a gem in its own right

Contemporary

Edmund Finnis and the Manchester Collective: Shades

Music with a fragile, utterly unique atmosphere

Birtwistle

Repost: Birtwistle Chamber Works (BIS)

A superb disc - the Nash Ensemble reminds us of their place at he top of the chamber tree, while Birtwistle's music remains as uncompromising and brilliant as ever

Contemporary

Visions and Utterances: Concert Review

An invaluable experience for Rebecca Saunders’ blistering new piece and George Walker’s fine Sinfonia No. 5

Contemporary

The Music of Ondřej Adámek

Two highly significant World Premieres caught for posterity

Contemporary

Henze from Vienna

One of Naxos' finest ... a celebration of the lyrical side of Hans Werner Henze

Contemporary

Repost: Interview with composer Xiaogang Ye

Ye's voice is brilliant, individual, his works perfectly crafted ...

Contemporary

News posting: Nneka Cummins wins the Liverpool Philharmonic's Rushworth Composition Prize

The Liverpool Philharmonic is delighted to announce Nneka Cummins as the winner of its annual Rushworth Composition Prize, establihed in 2015 by the Rushworth Foundation. It forms part of Liverpool Philharmonic’s continuing commitment to the commissioning and performance of new music as well and supporting home-grown talent. The competition

21st Century

The Beauty of Contemporary Music: Detlef Heusinger

In short, an expression of utmost beauty couched in modernist terms

Rebecca Saunders

Rebecca Saunders (II): Solo

Performances of the utmost commitment from members of Klangforum Wien; Saunders could hardly ask for finer accounts

Contemporary

The music of Pierre Boulez: Anthèmes +

A bargain for all lovers of Boulez, a straightforward invitation to explore for those who wish to take this leap into the Abyss ...

Contemporary

Magnus Lindberg's gritty orchestral music

... this set of live performances is a fine document of one of our most significant contemporary composers

Contemporary

The Magic of the Manchester Collective

From the first time I heard the Manchester Collective in 2018, I was enraptured. That was at Stoller Hall in Manchester, a concert memorably entitled 1001 Demons containing music by Xenakis, Harvey, Vessel, Reich, Gordon, Finnis and Elms. Here on Classical Explorer, we covered their EP Recreation, an article which

Contemporary

Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and the music of Francisco Coll

Kudos to Pentatone for daring to release this disc and to Kopatchinskaja and Gimeno for their indefatigable belief in Coll's music

News

Pedal Power! Ecologically friendly commissioning from the London Sinfonietta

(Composer Laura Bowler, photo copyright Robin Clewey) Last week the London Sinfoinetta, a resident orchestra at London's Southbank Centre, announced a trailblazing commission from composer Laura Bowler, Houses Slide. The premiere will take place at the Royal Festival Hall on July 9. The production will be powered entirely by bicycles:

20th Century

Folksongs à la Berio; plus Berio meets the Beatles!

If you haven't heard the Berio Folksongs, now is the time ...

Contemporary

For Clarinet and Strings ...

The work of Metier Records and of instrumental groups such as the one here, Gemini, should be universally lauded. They keep the music of today alive ...

Contemporary

The World Was Once All Miracle: The Defiantly Eclectic World of Raymond Yiu

If you like music that is intriguing, entertaining, challenging, sophisticated and sometimes outrageous, you'll like this

Contemporary

The heady, complex and beautiful music of Thomas Adès

No-one is going to pretend the music of Thomas Adès is going to be easy. Like much of the best music, it reveals its secrets over time. I was very, very taken with his opera The Exterminating Angel (after the stunning 1962 surrealist film by Buñuel) while back in 2014