Anna Clyne Night ferry and Mason Bates Alternative Energy on Spotify

„Modern music” is sometimes still applied for compositions of the 1960’s or 70’s… 
But what is really „modern” is the sense of music from *now*, this period, the 2010’s? 
A youtube video let me listen to this production; two young composers who are composers-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and each got one of their works recorded by, no less, conductor Riccardo Muti.
The two works are very different. „Night Ferry” by Anna Clyne (b. 1980, London) is a well written 22 minute orchestral piece with literary references, that are not literally audible in the piece. She discusses the background of this composition in this excellent article. 
The „Alternative energy” by Mason Bates (b. 1977, Richmond) on the other hand is a *very* literal description of energy's recent history and future, spanning four movements and hundreds of years. Modern music gone Disney, was my first thought, but even if the first movement is Copland meets John Adams in the wrong era, the last two movements contains a well woven combination of electronics (mixed at Skywalker studio’s…!) and orchestra, that intrigue enough to give it an extra listen. More about the piece, here.

Anna Clyne (b. 1980) Night Ferry, for orchestra (2012)
Mason Bates (b. 1977) Alternative Energy, for orchestra and electronics (2011)

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Riccardo Muti, conductor

http://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/30J22wwDJ8XDrMfqKmlyAZ (HTTP link)

Anna Clyne & Mason Bates