Ian Crisp wrote:

>As previously announced, I propose that this time we vote for the most
>definitively twentieth-century pieces of classical music. Not necessarily
>the best pieces written during the century, but the one or ones that future
>generations may look back on as best summing up the particular musical
>nature of this departing century.

My first thoughts:  ideally, since I think there's probably as much good
music being written now as at any time in the past, I'd like to vote for
one piece each from 1900-19, 1920-39, 1940-59, 1960-79 and 1980-99.

IMO Sibelius has got over the ups and downs of fashion, and future
generations will see him as one of the most influential composers of
the century.  The second symphony might not be his best piece, but it's
probably the one which best illustrates the nationalism of 1900-19.

In view of the number of composers who went to Paris to study, the
representative piece for 1920-39 ought to be French.  It probably ought to
be jazz-influenced too.  Picking something by Ravel - one of the piano
concertos, I think - would make me feel less uneasy about leaving Vaughan
Williams out altogether.

For political as much as musical reasons, the representative piece for
1940-59 ought to be Russian.  Since all the other pieces I'll be voting for
are orchestral, it's likely to be the Shostakovich piano quintet rather
than one of the symphonies.

The representative piece for 1960-79 is easy.  Gorecki's 3rd is far better-
known, and has sold far more CDs, than anything else from those years.

Sadly, I don't know enough about recent music to be able to offer an
opinion on what would be representative of 1980-99.  I'll vote for either
Kancheli's Mourned by the Wind or Vasks's cello concerto, because those are
the only two pieces I know of that I'm sure will be "mainstream" for future
generations.

Peter Varley
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