Talking about whether one likes or dislikes "atonal" music is rather like
asking if one likes modal music.  The answer should be that it depends on
the composition.  The term "atonal" is also rather too vague to mean much.

Nonetheless in saying "I don't like atonal music" I can tell straight away
at what composers this is directed against.  I really however don't think
writing a lengthy apologia will get anywhere.  I think that a practical
guide to making the difficulties to melt away is more important.

So the first rule is not to be frightened by the music.  If you can listen
to late Mahler, Bartok, Strauss, and late Shostakovitch (especially the
late string quartets) then it really shouldn't present much problem to you.
My first port of call should, I think, still be Alban Berg.  Try starting
with his Lulu suite.  If you like that then you might try to move on to the
Violin Concerto.  If you like these they will seem strange and exotic at
first but increasingly beautiful as you get used to the music.  Soon it
will start sounding like any other music.  So listen to them until things
seem completely familiar to you.  Only then would I try something else.
Opera lovers should try Wozzeck or Lulu.  If you love chamber music try
the Lyric Suite.  If you want something orchestral try his Three Orchestral
Pieces.  In fact Mahlerians should go straight for the Three Orch.  Pieces:
listen out for the three hammerblows of Fate.  If you like orchestral songs
(like those of Mahler, Wagner, or Strauss) go for straight for his
Altenberg Lieder (go for Margaret Price and Abbado).

The next step is to explore this new sound universe.  It's a brave new
world at there from now on.  But still don't be frightened!  On the other
hand don't just go out and listen to some horrendously difficult Xenakis.
Next I would go on and try something like Schoenberg's Second String
Quartet.  This is a really an intensely beautiful work.  Lieder lovers and
chamber music lovers will really be delighted at how refined and delicate
this music is.  Also it's all just so quintessentially Viennese.  Schubert
and Brahms are never too far away.  If you hadn't already I would also go
back and explore the tonal Schoenberg thoroughly.  His Verklaerte Nacht
(try Karajan), Pelleas und Melisande (make sure it's the stunning recording
by Boulez!), and Gurrelieder are all musts.  Those of you who are too
frightened to take the plunge into anything remotely "atonal" should begin
with these works before even contemplating touching anything from even
Berg.  They are a reasonable sort of appetiser to entice you to try to be
a bit more adventurous.  I should tell you that the musical language is
essentially much like that of Strauss.

Only after all this has sunk in would I then go on to explore the only
slightly more difficult areas.  Having said that people may find that
this new sound world is now not so frightening and that works like Pierrot
Lunaire may strike them as being just about impossible to stop listening
too.  Also lyrically approachable are later works by Schoenberg such as
the Violin and Piano Concerti.Chamber music lovers are directed straight
to the late String Trio.  If you love choral music Die Jakobsleiter is
as intensely visionary as choral music comes.  If you liked Berg's Three
Orchestral Pieces go straight for the Five Orchestral Pieces (Boulez is
just spine tingling!).

Webern should quite rightly be left to last.  The only exception to this
rule is that Mahlerians are directed early on to his Six Orchestral Pieces
Op.  6 (Karajan for the later version, Boulez/Berlin Phil for the original
version).  This is a work which really explodes any notion of this composer
being abstract and unemotional.  The central funeral march explodes into a
cry of anguish so intense that it makes Mahler seem reserved.  You will
never see the Second Viennese in the same light ever again.

Of all post war composers go straight for Luciano Berio (try Boulez's
collection on Sony, or Coro), and Ligeto (try Boulez's CD from DG) who are
both often just amazingly accessible.  Some may find them more accessible
sometimes than Berg.  From here on the range of choice is huge and really
depends on your personal taste.  Stravinskians will find that his serial
works still funnily enough sound utterly Stravinskian.  Agon is worth
having a go at.  An excellent way to try out a smorgasbord of different
post-war composer's is Abbado's Wien Modern series.  The works are
generally (but not always) quite carefully chosen to appeal rather
than perplex.  You are sure to find something that you will like.

I only wish someone had told me something like this when I first tried to
get into this music.  Like a lot of other people I picked all the wrong
works for a beginner and at times it seemed as though I'd never come to
grips with it.  Now I'm glad I persevered but also realise that it didn't
actually need to be difficult at all!  I also made the mistake of skipping
out Bartok, Strauss or Mahler and going straight for late Webern.  That was
a mistake, but still I got there in the end.

All this music is now music from a by-gone century.  I am amazed when
I find recordings by Webern filed under "contemporary composers" in CD
stores.  For some people he just won't die I guess.  I am even more amazed
that music from the 1920's can still be considered "too modern" by even
very well listened people.  Really it's not anywhere near so difficult
if you approach it in the right way.  So be brave, be open minded and be
willing to encounter revelations.  What a wonderful journey of discover
it is!

Satoshi Akima
Sydney, Australia
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