Jon, one thing Lileks mentioned below was that “the symphonic tradition gave way to atonalism.” But the symphonic tradition isn’t dead, I’m happy to report ? not all orchestral works are avant-garde “sound experiments” suitable for comparison with torturing cats with dental drills (or for inside jokes on the Locker Room, for that matter). I’ve encountered recently several composers from nations formerly in the direct or indirect grip of the Soviet Union that are producing gorgeous, pensive, challenging, and often quite Christian works. I wrote about three in my recent Carolina Journal review of Wojciech Kilar‘s September Symphony, which the Polish composer wrote in 2003 to commemorate the 2001 terrorist attacks. Here’s what I said:
Kilar is famous in his native Poland as one of the “Vintage 33” composers (he and fellow Polish composers Henryk G?recki and Krzysztof Penderecki were all born in 1933). The Vintage 33 had more than the birth year in common — each initially made waves as avant-garde composers, then independently rejected that direction of composing and began pursuing more Romantic musical paths.
To them I would add Arvo P?rt, Rodion Shchedrin, Alla Pavlova, and … well, I know there are several more out there, but as I follow this musical path I am making several prolonged pauses to smell the roses, as it were.
