"Contemporary" Music

What is Contemporary Music?

According to Victor Mendoza, a teacher at Berklee College Valencia, contemporary music is “music performed and created with what is rhythmically, harmonically, and texturally current.”

Classical musicians refer to contemporary music as academic music derived from the Western tradition of music composition that evolved through different periods, going back to romantic, classic, baroque, and further down.

Certainly, the music composed back then was contemporary during those times.

Bach didn´t think of himself as a “baroque” composer…

Much of the so-called academic music labeled nowadays as contemporary could easily be called just plain “noise” by the standards of any regular person (and even a big portion of professional musicians). And this group probably consists of about 99,999999999 percent of the human population…

If that sort of music is not understandable or enjoyable for the vast majority of professionals with vast musical training, how relevant can it even be for non-professionals?

However, every now and then, a person like Barbara Hannigan appears.

She makes even the weirdest of noises enjoyable or at least entertaining.

How can she manage to do that?

Id´say: a mixture of huge talent (genius perhaps?), utter craftsmanship, and highly developed showmanship skills. This last one is essential in the way she communicates with her audience and carries the message through.

I can assure you there are plenty of people with the first two, but who lack the third aspect, no matter what type of music they play.

And this is one of the reasons why Classical or most instrumental music doesn´t become relevant to the vast majority of people on the planet: communication.

I´d love to share a video of Barbara Hannigan doing what appears to be an almost impossible feat: singing, directing an orchestra, and acting, all at the same time.

And not with anything simple, but with some of the most complicated music one could ever think of: Watch her perform Ligeti´s Mysteries of the Macabre.

I wonder how “enjoyable” this music is for the average person to just listen to. But watching this beyond-impressive performance is certainly something thrilling to behold.

I hope you enjoy it ;)

And I wish you a great day!

Claudio.

P.D. This work isn´t even “contemporary” to us now, it was composed in 1991…