This list is chiefly assembled from various lists by other composers and musicians. This list is to get you started in listening to 20th and 21st century composers. It is by no means comprehensive, but it should give you a taste of some of what’s out there.
| JOHN ADAMS | Short Ride in a Fast Machine |
| Harmonium | |
| THOMAS ADÈS | (Various Works) |
| SAMUEL BARBER | Adagio for Strings |
| Piano Concerto, op. 38 | |
| BELA BARTOK | String Quartets |
| Concerto for Orchestra | |
| Music for String, Percussion, and Celesta | |
| Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor | |
| ALBAN BERG | Lyric Suite |
| Violin Concerto | |
| LUCIANO BERIO | Sinfonia |
| LEONARD BERNSTEIN | Symphony No. 2 |
| BENJAMIN BRITTEN | Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings |
| War Requiem | |
| JOHN CAGE | Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano |
| ELLIOTT CARTER | String Quartets |
| AARON COPLAND | Piano Variations |
| Appalachian Spring | |
| Fanfare for the Common Man | |
| JOHN CORIGLIANO | Symphony No. 1 |
| GEORGE CRUMB | Ancient Voices of Children |
| Black Angels | |
| LUIGI DALLAPICCOLA | Liriche Greche |
| PETER MAXWELL DAVIES | Eight Songs for a Mad King |
| CLAUDE DEBUSSY | Piano Music |
| Prélude à L’Après-midi d’un faune | |
| FREDERICK DELIUS | Florida Suite |
| TAN DUN | CD: Nine Songs/Ritual Opera (CRI Label) |
| EDWARD ELGAR | Enigma Variations |
| GABRIEL FAURE | Requiem |
| MICHAEL FINNISSY | (Piano Works) |
| BRIAN FERNEYHOUGH | (Various Works) |
| PHILIP GLASS | Einstein on the Beach |
| HENRYK GORECKI | Symphony No. 3, op. 36 |
| JOHN HARBISON | Mirabai Songs |
| CHARLES IVES | Central Park in the Dark |
| Songs | |
| The Unanswered Question | |
| GYORGY LIGETI | Atmospheres |
| Lux Aeterna | |
| String Quartet No. 2 | |
| Piano Etudes | |
| OLIVIER MESSIAEN | Terrangalila Symphonie |
| Quartet for the End of Time | |
| Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus | |
| CARL NIELSEN | Symphony No. 4 |
| ARVO PART | Fratres |
| Litany | |
| SERGEI PROKOFIEV | Piano Sonatas |
| Romeo and Juliet | |
| Violin Concerto No. 2 | |
| SERGEI RACHMANINOFF | Vespers, op. 37 |
| Piano Concerto No. 2 | |
| SHULAMIT RAN | CD: Music of Shulamit Ran (CRI Label) |
| MAURICE RAVEL | Orchestra Music |
| La Mer | |
| STEVE REICH | Music for 18 Musicians |
| Triple Quartet | |
| Different Trains | |
| NED ROREM | Songs |
| JOHN RUTTER | Requiem |
| ALFRED SCHNITTKE | String Quartets |
| Requiem | |
| ARNOLD SCHOENBERG | Pierrot Lunaire |
| Variations | |
| Verklarte Nacht | |
| Survivor from Warsaw | |
| String Quartets | |
| ALEXANDER SCRIABIN | Piano Preludes |
| Poem of Ecstasy | |
| DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH | Symphonies Nos. 8, 10, and 11 |
| Violin Concerto No. 1 | |
| String Quartet No. 8 | |
| JEAN SIBELIUS | Swan of Tuonela |
| Symphonies | |
| RICHARD STRAUSS | Last Four Songs |
| IGOR STRAVINSKY | Concerto for Piano and Winds |
| Symphony of Psalms | |
| Octet | |
| Movements | |
| Petrouchka | |
| Firebird | |
| Le Sacre du Printemps | |
| Apollon Musagète | |
| TORU TAKEMITSU | CD: Toru Takemitsu (Virgin Label) |
| MICHAEL TIPPET | Child of Our Time |
| EDGARD VARESE | Octandre |
| Ionization | |
| ANTON WEBERN | Symphony |
| VAUGHN WILLIAMS | Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis |
| The Lark Ascending | |
| Serenade to Music | |
| Symphony No. 5 |
What Pieces & Recordings Do You Recommend?
This is undoubtedly an extremely incomplete list. Please comment below to share your recommended listening for 20th and 21st century concert music. Also, what are some of your favorite recordings of contemporary concert music?
©2016 Aaron Alon. All Rights Reserved.
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