Contemporary
1950 to now
Composers still writing. There is no mainstream: minimalism's repetition, the spectralists' analysis of overtones, works that count the room and the projection as part of the piece, and a straightforward return to tonal writing all proceed at once. Shanghai hears premieres by Chinese composers every season, which is the part of this period most easily heard here and the part most worth going to, because a first performance is not always followed by a second.
What to listen for
- Work out the timescale on which the structure changes: in a minimalist piece one shift may take minutes to surface.
- Watch for unconventional playing techniques, since in much of this music the colour is the subject.
- Give premieres priority: the piece has not yet been heard into being a classic, and your judgement of it is as new as anyone's.
Contemporary in Shanghai
All concertsWorks being played
All works- Clouds and Water in Ripples, from A Thousand Li of Rivers and MountainsZhao Lin2 dates
- Duo, Double Concerto for Cello & ShengZhao Lin2 dates
- Moonlit Ravines and Pines in the Wind, from A Thousand Li of Rivers and MountainsZhao Lin2 dates
- A Happy Excursion, Double Concerto for Cello & PipaZhao Lin2 dates
- Études pour piano, Book 1Ligeti1 date
- Action – Passion – IllusionErkki-Sven Tüür1 date
- Contrabass Concerto: Wolf TotemTan Dun1 date
- QuietlyLi Bochan1 date
- Erhu Concerto "La Joie de la Souffrance"Chen Qigang1 date
- Ode to the Red FlagLv Qiming1 date
- Mother Earth — Piano ConcertoFazil Say1 date
- Fantasia Concerto (Marimba Concerto No. 2)Emmanuel Séjourné1 date
Composers (61)
ComposersOtmar Mácha1922–2006CzechXenakis1922–2001Greek-FrenchLigeti1923–2006Hungarian-AustrianKurtágb. 1926HungarianMorricone1928–2020ItalianZdeněk Lukáš1928–2007CzechGeorge Crumb1929–2022AmericanLv Qiming1930–2024ChineseMiroslav Raichl1930–1998CzechMauricio Kagel1931–2008Argentine-GermanColeridge-Taylor Perkinson1932–2004AmericanShchedrinb. 1932RussianPavel Jurkovič1933–2015CzechSchnittke1934–1998RussianPärtb. 1935EstonianSun Yiqiangb. 1935ChineseGao Weijieb. 1938ChineseZhu Liangzhenb. 1939ChineseMeng Qingyunb. 1941ChineseZhao Jipingb. 1945ChineseBanevichb. 1946RussianVictoria Yagling1946–2011RussianChen Qigangb. 1951中国Philip Sparkeb. 1951EnglishPhilippe Manouryb. 1952FrenchTakashi Yoshimatsub. 1953JapaneseMeng Weidongb. 1955ChineseRoland Dyens1955–2016FrenchYe Xiaogangb. 1955中国Wang Jianminb. 1956ChineseTan Dunb. 1957ChineseErkki-Sven Tüürb. 1959EstonianBrett Deanb. 1961AustralianEmmanuel Séjournéb. 1961FrenchMark O'Connorb. 1961AmericanJosé M. Sánchez-Verdúb. 1968SpanishFazil Sayb. 1970TurkishMatthias Pintscherb. 1971GermanWidmannb. 1973GermanZhao Linb. 1973ChineseJérôme Ducrosb. 1974FrenchYao Chenb. 1976ChineseMuhlyb. 1981AmericanSteven Verhelstb. 1981BelgianZhou Tianb. 1981ChineseCaroline Shawb. 1982AmericanGiancarlo Castro D'Addonab. 1983委内瑞拉Wang Chenweib. 1986SingaporeanChen Si'angChineseJiang WantongChineseJin XijiaChineseLi BochanChineseLi YanChineseLiu TianqiChineseWang RuiChineseWang ShengliChineseWang YunfeiChineseWen ZiyangChineseXiong Wei / Pan QingbeiChineseYu YitongChineseZuo YijianChinese
The dates are a reading aid, not a boundary. Bach died writing counterpoint that Haydn's generation had already given up, and Rachmaninoff was writing romantic concertos while Webern wrote twelve-tone miniatures. Any two neighbouring periods overlap by decades.