Ian Crisp writes:

>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.

  Stravinsky - Rite of Spring
  Sibelius- Fourth Symphony
  Mahler- Das Lied von der Erde
  Bartok - String Quartet # 3.
  Berg- Violin Concerto

As Deryk Barker's excellent analysis makes clear there is a huge diversity
of works and styles to choose from.  It was hard for me not to select
quality works- let our century be represented by its best work.  Looking
at these choices, the Rite of Spring opens up enormous new possibilities
for art music, and is a great listening experience.  Das Lied von der
Erde represents the late romantic era, which is not a nineteenth century
hangover- but characteristic of our century.  Sibelius Fourth Symphony is
one of the great nordic symphonies - another characteristic 20th century
school running through Nielsen and Holmboe to Norgard.

The Bartok quartet represents the emergence of the expressionistic string
quartet - an approach often attempted, but never done better than Bartok
did it.  And the Berg Concerto is the greatest achievement of the tone row
school.

So who is left out? Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy, Janacek, Messiaen,
Nielsen, Ives, Shoenberg, Webern.  I know that other listers will have good
reason to add Stockhausen and Varese to the mix.

It hasn't been such a bad century from the classical music point of view.
Just for the record, my distant ancestor Boris Chasanovich left behind his
choices for the nineteenth century (He died in 1899 and a half).  Beethoven
-Third Symphony Chopin - Preludes Schubert- Winterreise Wagner- The Ring
Cycle Brahms- Bruckner- Seventh Symphony (tied with Brahms- Fourth
Symphony)

I did not vote for any work more recent than the Berg Violin Concerto
which is very nearly as old as I am.  Many other voters included Messiaen.
Britten, etc,at least bringing their lists up to to the post world war 2
era.  but most lists have an early twentieth century look.  I suppose that
there is no denying the great Stravinsky and Mahler works of the early 20
th century.  A separate vote on post second world war works may be in
order.

Professor Bernard Chasan
Physics Department, Boston University