Definitive 20th century piece? It all starts with Sacre du Printemps.
Nothing has been the same since its 1913 premier, which provoked a riot.
Others would be the Hindemith Symphony in Bb.  Sure, it's a band piece, but
it's a towering giant of a work.  I've played it, andALL the parts are
intricately carved, equally challenging, and firmly rooted in Hindemith's
thematic development.  Concerto for Orchestra, or the Music for Strings,
Percussion, and Celeste by Bartok.  Shostakovich's string Quartet #13,
which is as least as profound as the late Beethoven Quartets.  Anyway, i
digress.

Charles L. L. Dalmas
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