Hello again! For me, this month’s listening has been characterised by preparing for some further compositional study. As such, I’ve been listening to a lot of contemporary pieces and really thinking about the direction that current composers are going in the way they write music, and have shared some (amongst other things) below. Please don’t be put off - I like to think of some of this music not in terms of its tune, or even its harmony, but in terms of the feeling you get when you listen to it, or perhaps its textures, or what you think it means/portrays. Often it can feel like people talking about contemporary music can be quite pretentious, but it doesn’t have to be (and in my experience, it hardly ever is), and it’s also OK not to like something! It’s really interesting to see how composers are pushing the boat out in terms of what can be done to create sounds that make a listener feel or experience something. I hope you find this month’s picks interesting!

György Ligeti - Lux Aeterna

This piece really has blown my mind, and it must be very difficult to sing! The slowly shifting close harmonies create a real mystic, otherworldly feel that I think is really easy to get lost in when listening.

Eleanor Alberga - Suite from Dancing With the Shadow

This is largely a much more energetic piece, with more jarring harmonies, but so full of character. There are three short contrasting movements here, and in just 15 minutes, Alberga creates a piece with incredible individuality and range, and some really exciting rhythms.

Sergei Rachmaninov - Sonata for Cello and Piano (Excerpt - 3rd Movement)

I am currently recovering from surgery, so can’t play the cello at the moment. As soon as I can, I am determined to learn this. Sometimes I’m a bit iffy about Rachmaninov, but I think this movement works especially well. Deceptively simple melodies and harmonies create something very purely beautiful.

Daniel Bernard Roumain - String Quartet No. 5 (Rosa Parks)

This is just an incredibly good piece of music. Combining all kinds of extended playing techniques and rhythm with an occasional minimalist feel, this piece has a deep link to black history in both subject matter and musical influences.

Kaija Saariaho - Petals

A really fascinating piece which explores the cello’s ability to create layers of sound, coupled with live electronics. Saariaho’s composition often blurs the lines between texture and harmony, and this piece creates a really tangible listening experience not about tune or even harmony itself but about the changing nature of sound and texture.