Contemporary

The period since the Great War is undoubtedly the most bewildering of all, as composers have pulled in various apparently contradictory and opposing directions. Typical of the dilemma during the inter-war years, for example, were the Austrians, Webern and Lehar, the former was experimenting with the highly compressed and advanced form known as ‘serial structure’, while simultaneously Lehar was still indulging in an operetta style which would not have seemed out of place over half a century beforehand.

So diverse are the styles adopted throughout the greater part of the present century that only by experimentation can listeners discover for themselves whether certain composers are to their particular taste or not. However, the following recordings serve as an excellent introduction and will certainly repay investigation.

Album Title Catalogue No.
100 CHRISTMAS MEDITATION C7371
101 CLASSICS - The Best Loved Classical Melodies 8.508004
102 MASTERPIECES - ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra Miniatures C5051
12 HEROINES OF IMPERIAL CHINA (Hong Kong Philharmonic, Wing-Sie Yip) 8.225816
129TH ARMY BAND: 129th Army Band 75442261232
20 BEST OF TROPICAL DANCE MUSIC EUCD1243
20 KLASSISKA FAVORITER (20 Classical Favorites) 8.570566
20TH CENTURY ENGLISH BALLETS 8.553495
20TH CENTURY MUSIC FOR FLUTE AND ORCHESTRA 8.554185
21ST CENTURY INSTRUMENTAL SOLOS (Russo, Gattet, L. Watts, Sukmanova, Papendell, Duncan, Bruggergosman, Gerard Kim) OC533
21st Century Spanish Guitar, Vol. 1 - BROTONS, S. / PUERTO, D. del / MORALES-CASO, E. / CRUZ DE CASTRO, C. / BALADA, L. (A. Levin) 8.573024
21st Century Spanish Guitar, Vol. 2 - BALADA, L. / TORRES, J. / LÓPEZ GODOY, M. / GARCÍA ABRIL, A. / PABLO, L. de / SOUTULLO, E. (A. Levin) 8.573409
21st Century Spanish Guitar, Vol. 3 - MORALES-CASO, E. / VEGA, L. / GARCÍA ABRIL, A. / BALADA, L. / HALFFTER, C. / GRECO, J.L. (A. Levin) 8.573760
25 FAMOUS MARCHES, Vol. 3 75442255382
25 ORCHESTRAL MASTERWORKS FOR BAND 75442203032
25 YEARS WITH THE TAMMITTAM PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE CDS720
3 Centuries of Female Composers (10-CD Box Set) GP897X
3 Wishes of the Rose - Everlasting Chinese Love Songs (Takako Nishizaki, Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony, Breiner) 8.223427
30 Piano Poetries (Maisenberg, Oppitz, Lifschitz, Mamikonian, Katz, Bulva) MP2102
32 NATIONALHYMNEN (Die) - Der Fussball-Weltmeisterschafts-Endrunde 2006 (32 National Anthems - FIFA World Cup 2006) 8.551248
32 NATIONALHYMNEN (Die) - Der Fussball-Weltmeisterschafts-Endrunde 2010 (32 National Anthems - FIFA World Cup 2010) 8.552010
32 NATIONALHYMNEN ZUR WELTMEISTERSCHAFT IN BRASILIEN (Die) (32 National Anthems - FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil) 8.552014
40 TRACKS FOR 40 YEARS - Delos' 40th Anniversary Celebration DE3440
50 AMERICAN PATRIOTIC MILITARY SONGS 75442263462
50 PATRIOTIC SONGS - Music for the 4th of July 75442200162