Kevin Sutton, responding to John Parker:

>>To suggest that there are no composers writing music for musicians to play
>>seems simply absurd.
>
>If it is so absurd, kindly list me 10 compositions since Britten's War
>Requiem (1962) that are as significant, well constructed and original as
>said same.

Foul, Kevin!  That may well be an impossible challenge, but one he doesn't
have to meet to win his point.  And you've escalated.  What you said before
was:

>Stravinsky...and Britten seem to me to be the only people in the last
>40 years who were capable of sitting down and actually creating something
>that was original, and that stood a chance of lasting beyond the first
>performance

This was much too strong too, though a fair challenge, if less plausible,
and that said, I will say I share your high regard for Stravinsky and
Britten--and I didn't know that anybody was still performing (I almost said
writing) aleatoric music.

Now if anyone did want to take up your War Requiem challenge, they might
start by mentioning Shostakovich's Babi Yar Symphony, also from 1962.  But
I wouldn't put any money on finding a full ten.

Jim Tobin