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[Graham]

I'm wanting to get some recordings of 20th century atonal classical music. Especially piano works, and some violin and piano would be cool too. But does anyone know of any composers that wrote that sort of pieces? Or recommend any pieces in that style? I remember hearing them in Higher/Advanced higher but never got round to asking my teacher who they were by.

[Paulscoconutass]

there was a guy that always played piano stuff late night on bbc - not joules holland - i'm assumming there would be something on the bbc website.

[Frosty Jack]

Atonal music was invented by Arnold Schoenberg around the 1920s, and was continued by his two pupils Alban Berg and Anton Von Webern.
These three are the ones you need.
Not strictly atonal, bus also interesting for piano music is stuff by John Cage, his style - I think it's called aleatoric or something music - uses all kinds of weird effects like bits of metal, nuts and bolts etc on the piano strings. He 'wrote' a piece called "4mins 33 secs" in which the pianist comes on stage, lifts the piano lid, then sits in silence for exactly 4 mins 33 secs. The idea being that the music is created by all the other ambient sounds in the hall at that moment in time.
Check them out.

[Graham]

Thank you. I've taken note of those composers and try and have a look for some of their work. I think I heard some John Cage pieces in Higher Music and have heard about the 4 minute 33 second piece. But I will give them a listen.

[flossie suvara]

I believe John Cage (or his estate - can't remember if he's dead or not) is suing Mike Batt (who acheived fame as the genius behind the wombles albums), as he wrote a similar piece of silence, ("1 minute's silence")

See here if you don't believe me.


http://www.chartattack.com/DAMN/2002/07/0404.cfm

Flossie

[Paulscoconutass]

atonal music never really was my thing - i beleve the guy that wrote 4 minutes 33 seconds - also dropped a tennis ball inside a piano and recorded it hitting the strings....... no need at all.

[Graham]

Originally posted by Paulscoconutass
atonal music never really was my thing - i beleve the guy that wrote 4 minutes 33 seconds - also dropped a tennis ball inside a piano and recorded it hitting the strings....... no need at all.

When I did the 20th century part of the Higher Music course everyone always hated atonal apart from me. There's just something about it I really like. I admit things like 4 minutes 33 seconds are a bit pretentious, but I quite like the whole tennis balls and pencils in the piano thing.

[General Ermintrude]

you should try throwing fireworks inside. absolutely stunning!

[vapid]

Originally posted by Frosty Jack
[b]Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Von Webern.

Nice..
you might like Varese also- Ionisation or Deserts maybe.
Dunno if its strictly atonal, but i like muchly.

Even better than a prepared piano and a stihl saw. (is that where cage starts bleeding into stockhausen? or only if there's a helicopter involved?)

[Fables of Faubus]

The ultimate in mad, atonal stuff is Maxwell Davies

-Eight songs for a mad King

Schoenenburg is good too