[Randy]

Now available in a set of four CDs for the price of two, these eight symphonies are one of the pinnacles of 20th century symphonic music. The music is superb, and the recordings and performances are excellent.  These are true monuments of western civilization.  Try also the Frankel violin concerto written around 1949 to memorialize the Holocaust.  It is a searing work of great beauty.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=75259

[Tyson]

can you give a short description of the style of music?

[Randy]

Tyson,
   What we used to call "modern" or "contemporary" music.  Not for people whose idea of classical music goes no further than say, Rachmaninov or Rimsky-Korsakov.  Lots of dissonance and jagged melodic lines.  I also love the symphonies of Holmboe, Aho, and Robert Simpson, music that is basically tonal, but full of dissonance.  Frankel supposedly is serial, but it seems tonal to me, but maybe I'm used to it.  The short pieces included as filler are very easy on the ear, various overtures, etc., probably a lot like his film music.

This page from Tower gives you samples from the discs.  Taken in such short fragments leaves you with no clue to its overall impact, but will give some idea.  I hope you try them.

Randy

http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2713703

A sampling of tracks supposedly from Sym. 7 & 8 from where the disc is listed alone, brought instead of Frankel, the Barber Violin concerto.  Talk about false advertising!.

[Tyson]

I also have Simpson and Holmboe, along with lots of Ligetti, Webern, Reich, and quite a few other moderns.  Good stuff & I'll have to check out Frankel.

[Randy]

If you like Ligetti, you will have no difficulty with Frankel.  May I suggest the symphonies of Kalevi Aho as well, if you are not yet familiar with this composer.