My100 best pieces of contemporary music on You Tube

By contemporary I am suggesting works composed after 1950, some backward looking (a little) and all highly innovative. I hope that this collection is enjoyed for its drama, beauty and humour as well as intellectual satisfaction. Along with my suggestions there are also ideas provided by friends and visitors to the blog.

String Quartets

Horatiu Radulescu – Before the universe was born https://youtu.be/K1YK3ah4nAA

Wolfgang Rihm - String Quartets. https://youtu.be/Yv2MxQx-B2k

Morton Feldman - String Quartet No. 2 https://youtu.be/pBv5T7gUiPo

Benjamin Britten – String Quartet No. 3 https://youtu.be/p_Wl-pGY23s

Elisabeth Lutyens – String Quartet No. 6 https://youtu.be/73kMX1ENUEo

H. W. Henze String Quartet No. 5 https://youtu.be/UJTS5uDnUxE

Luciano Berio – String Quartets (complete) https://youtu.be/hUoVzvNGGts

Per Nørgård - String Quartet No.10 "Harvest Timeless" https://youtu.be/wfAfcLeyWT0

Valentine Silvestrov – String Quartet No. 1 https://youtu.be/pGfViPw_Vv8

References to the past

Benjamin Britten – Curlew River https://youtu.be/UElSN7HTSeM

Arvo Part – Credo https://youtu.be/kGsJOiXTOVU

Luciano Berio – Sinfonia 3^rd movement https://youtu.be/9YU-V2C4ryU

John Adams – Christian Zeal and Activity https://youtu.be/59ceORsBT0A

Karlheinz Stockhausen – Hymnen (Region 2)  https://youtu.be/I0KPWzZta8I

Thomas Ades – Three Mazurkas op. 27 https://youtu.be/Y0lhKV1YVb0

P. M. Davies – A Sad Pavan https://youtu.be/v1MIAwhPe3o

Electronic and computer

Else Marie Pade -  Faust https://youtu.be/28TqFKy4lG0

Iannis Xenakis – Analogique A et B https://youtu.be/mXIJO-af_u8

Iannis Xenakis – Pithoprakta (+ graphic score) https://youtu.be/nvH2KYYJg-o

Luigi Nono – Collection tape and instrument works http://ubu.com/sound/nono.html

Karlheinz Stockhausen – Mikrophonie https://youtu.be/EhXU7wQCU0Y

Pierre Boulez “Anthemes 2” https://youtu.be/TMYDgwNALY8

Keith Rowe – Live 2001 https://youtu.be/Eb-GPdnfbyI

Jonathan Harvey “Advaya” for cello… https://youtu.be/N1iinhi2Ors

Eliane Radigue – I’ile resonante https://youtu.be/1RrsiGmLp_E

Indeterminate, chance and improvisation

John Cage – Atlas Eclipticalis (1962) https://youtu.be/epBkVgfoXNk

John Cage – Williams Mix https://youtu.be/9ql4Ophbt7k

Tomoko – Sauvage Presences https://youtu.be/UOe9ZOobJeg

John Butcher and Rhodri Davies https://youtu.be/7pGbI69kCGQ

Steve Reich – Pendulum Music https://youtu.be/fU6qDeJPT-w

Keith Rowe and John Tilbury (article and performance) https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/18/the-playlist-experimental-huddersfield-highlights-amm-george-lewis-derek-bailey

John Zorn – The Hermetic Organ https://youtu.be/P25oAHGkI9A

Cornelius Cardew – Treatise https://youtu.be/JMzIXxlwuCs

Concerto

Betsy Jolas Points D’Or https://youtu.be/CbAV3YOQVAM

Betsy Jolas Stances https://youtu.be/Loz5XbBqg9I

John Cage – Concerto for prepared piano https://youtu.be/wGsGPF1QPP8

Jonathan Harvey - Bird Concerto with Piansosong https://youtu.be/yPdcBxDmJIg

Pēteris Vasks - Presence 2nd Concerto for Cello and String Orchestra https://youtu.be/JX6NaqScyT8

Harrison Birtwhistle – Concerto for violin https://youtu.be/vZ8cucdjhZk

Sofia Gubaidulina – Concerto for two orchestras and symphony jazz band

https://youtu.be/8VqSvBtp77Q

Thomas Adès - Violin Concerto https://youtu.be/CVG5R6sIobo

Toru Takemitsu – Fantasma https://youtu.be/00Fl-iUKT2A

György Ligeti – Piano Concerto (+ score) https://youtu.be/P3mDevv2LP0

Symphonies and symphonic

P. M. Davies – Symphony No. 6 https://youtu.be/RQUemd5gPH4

Grace Williams – Symphony No. 2 https://youtu.be/FhuCNMhlK-U

Per Nørgård – Symphony No. 8 https://youtu.be/gyIkRY5Bmks

Magnus Lindberg – Two Episodes https://youtu.be/mXUu7rHnZcY

Magnus Lindberg – https://youtu.be/wdQpt3VHhmI

Robert Simpson – Symphony No. 9 https://youtu.be/hlJkv5URiEU

Alun Hoddinott Symphony No. 7 https://youtu.be/J_qi2A0T-3I

Kalevi Aho – Symphony No. 16 https://youtu.be/tGtEokvmnbM

Krzysztof Penderecki – Symphony No. 2 https://youtu.be/SXBWSBLBMX4

Yuri Kasparov Symphony No. 4 https://youtu.be/_a-X-oKywhg

Giacinto Scelsi – Four Pieces for Orchestra (1959) + score https://youtu.be/MfTjz6emd7c

General

Louis Andriessen – De Stijl https://youtu.be/9qJtKiZLUhE

Elliott Carter – Clarinet Quintet https://youtu.be/7eQi5_oKlek

Christian Wolff – Another Possibility https://youtu.be/f0eiS0IDITg

Christian Wolff – Percussionist Songs https://youtu.be/8c9-QyZjh1M

Christian Wolff – Preludes for Piano https://youtu.be/sf7_CQVyv_4

Claude Vivier – Zipangu (+ score) https://youtu.be/qV8RYaRrx1M

Dai Fujikura “Calling” https://youtu.be/asa0CqJLVtg

Takashi Yoshimatsu And Birds Are Still https://youtu.be/0guuuE6NjjQ

Toshio Hosokawa – Vertical song I https://youtu.be/Ji0gxsRp71M

Minoru Miki – Marimba Spiritual https://youtu.be/Iqe_b3lhQbU

Vocal

Morton Feldman Rothko Chapel https://youtu.be/ks_mZJR-lAQ

Grace Williams- Fairest of Stars https://youtu.be/QTOS7OSn5V4

Bruno Maderna Ages https://youtu.be/ImTQn9CXngI

John Tavener – The Lord’s Prayer (+score) https://youtu.be/U0qE57aSMs4

Henryk Gorecki – Amen (+score) https://youtu.be/pBv5T7gUiPo

Henri Pousseur Dallage Arabesque (Paysages Planetaires) https://youtu.be/BQAVZx58QX8

Kate Soper – Voices from the killing jar https://youtu.be/LCAt4mKhCpY

Piano / keyboard

Art Tatum – Tea for Two (+ score) https://youtu.be/kACt0FM0Kf8

György Ligeti – Hungarian Rock https://youtu.be/qdzvk1BJOBQ

Thomas Adès – Traced Overhead + score https://youtu.be/a5G_I-pWR8Q

Akira Nishimura Mirror of Star https://youtu.be/CQ36ZNgAFes

Salvatore Sciarrino -  Perduto in una città d'acque + score https://youtu.be/jDZ-OgtI5o4

Salvatore Sciarrino -  Anamorfosi https://youtu.be/yCcqkFTvwAI

Giorgio Sollazzi suggestions

Brian Fernyhough – Chronos Aion https://youtu.be/3hAWN4HF3SQ

Franco Donatoni – Ronda https://youtu.be/BStf2-h3pfw

Xingzimin Pan – Kaidan (+ score)  https://youtu.be/286s4bnS53Y

Luigi Nono – Varianti, musica per violin solo, archi e legni https://youtu.be/1D1CHBu_jsg

Bruno Maderna – Musica su due dimensioni https://youtu.be/T28rO9kcNqY

Mauricio Kagel – Match für drei Spieler (1964) https://youtu.be/9Ep31Jk3Vjo

Matthias Pintscher – Sonic Eclipse https://youtu.be/vhq7DYL_lnQ

Jacques Zafra – for alto recorder https://youtu.be/rvtCJ17RmyI

Music by composers we exchanged posts with in previous posts and blogs

Emma-Ruth Richards https://soundcloud.com/emma-ruth-richards/sets/choir

Max Fuschetto https://youtu.be/jjD9kl_ryDc

Alex Rotundo https://youtu.be/Gpr-YmXrbnk

Nurtan Esmen https://soundcloud.com/naesmen/sets/piano-sonata-6

Anthony Littlewood http://www.tonycopse.uk/micros1-2.mp3

Martin Tynlander https://soundcloud.com/martin-tynlander/sets/pensa-a-fleba?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=googleplus

Joo Won Park https://noremixes.bandcamp.com/album/modulationist

Vahagn Vardanyan https://youtu.be/ZcI3F8TH4jk