John Dalmas wrote:

>The year 1899 saw the completion of three works still in the standard
>repertoire:
>
>Sibelius: Symphony No. 1
>Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht (string sextet version)
>Elgar: Enigma Variations
>
>Anyone want to hazard a guess which three composers might come up this
>year with a work likely to be standard a century hence? ...

Don't know about the Schoenberg, but we did the Elgar last season.

Frankly, I can't think of anyone still writing whose music is going to
be played in 2099.  For all the interest in "minimalist" music I can't
really see it as more than an extended flash in the pan.  The situation
is different, though.  Composers writing in 1899 were writing at the
tail end of a developing tradition that began in the 17th century or even
earlier.  The early 20th century composers did their best to break the
old models (although many kept large chunks of tradition--Schoenberg for
example).  If one allows that the 20th century initiated a new practice,
then maybe we ought to wait another couple hundred years...but wait!  Why
not ask what pieces were written in 1799, 1699, or even 1599, that are
still played today? Mozart will probably be around longer than either
Sibelius OR Elgar.

Chris Bonds