Best New Classical Music of 2016

A list of the best new classical music of 2016.

Best Orchestral Work

Classical music has always been loved by fans for its intricate and beautiful melodies. In 2016, there were many great works that came out in the genre. Here is a list of some of the best new classical music of 2016.

John Adams – Scheherazade.2

The great American composer John Adams is no stranger to the opera house, but his newest work, Scheherazade.2, is something different altogether: a concert work for violin and orchestra that weaves together elements of the East and the West, the ancient and the modern.

The piece is based on The Arabian Nights, and Adams says he was inspired by the idea of “the endless story.” “Scheherazade has to keep telling stories night after night to save her life,” he says. “And in a way, that’s what we’re all doing — we’re all trying to create our own little narratives to keep things interesting for ourselves and for others.”

Scheherazade.2 features some of Adams’s most beautiful writing for the violin, and it’s a showcase for the virtuosic talents of its dedicatee, Leila Josefowicz. The work had its world premiere last month at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and it will be performed by orchestras across the country this season.

Anna Clyne – Masquerade

This past year has seen some incredible new music written for orchestra, and one of the most outstanding examples is Anna Clyne’s Masquerade. Written for a massive orchestra of over 100 musicians, this work is an absolute tour de force, seamlessly blending together elements of classical, pop, jazz, and rock. The result is an exhilarating work that is sure to become a modern classic.

Esa-Pekka Salonen – Violin Concerto

Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Violin Concerto, written for and performed by the virtuoso Leila Josefowicz, is one of the most exciting and innovative new works of classical music. It is a tour de force for both the soloist and orchestra, with an exhilarating energy that communicates directly to the audience. The work was inspired by Salonen’s own experience as a violinist, and it shows his deep understanding of the instrument and its capabilities. The concerto is a perfect example of Salonen’s unique voice as a composer, and it is sure to become a modern classic.

Best Chamber Music/Ensemble Work

This is a list of the best new classical music of 2016. It includes chamber music and ensemble works. Chamber music is a form of classical music that is written for a small group of instruments. Ensemble works are written for a larger group of instruments.

Thomas Adès – Piano Quintet

There’s no mistaking a Thomas Adès work when you hear it. The concert quintet “Piano Quintet” is full of the composer’s signature angular melodies, sharp rhythms, and beautiful harmonies. It’s a tough work to play, but when it’s performed well, it’s absolutely mesmerizing.

Jennifer Higdon – Percussion Quartet

Percussion Quartet by Jennifer Higdon is a work for four percussionists. The piece was composed in 2016 and is approximately six minutes long.

Percussion Quartet is a high-energy work that features all four players on a variety of percussion instruments. The work begins with a fast section that features all four players on drums, followed by a slower section that features the marimba and vibraphone. The work ends with a fast section that features all four players on drums.

Percussion Quartet is an excellent example of chamber music/ensemble writing for contemporary classical music. The piece is well-crafted and enjoyable to listen to. The use of different percussion instruments creates a rich and sonically interesting texture, and the overall form of the piece is well-organized and effective.

John Luther Adams – Inuksuit

Adams’s Inuksuit (2009) for nine to 99 percussionists may be the most perfect work of art created in the 21st century. It can be performed almost anywhere – in a park, on a beach, in a city square – and it summons up the power and mystery of the natural world. The music is austere and hypnotic, yet strangely exhilarating; it feels both ancient and modern, universal and deeply personal. Inuksuit is a masterpiece that seems to contain all of John Luther Adams’s music within it – and all of us as well.

Best Solo Instrumental Work

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of J.S. Bach in the history of classical music. Few composers have had as profound and pervasive an influence on the course of Western music as Bach, and his solo works for keyboard and for violin in particular have been essential touchstones for every generation of classical performer since his death in 1750.

Hélène Grimaud – Wild Harmonies

French-born, New York-based pianist Hélène Grimaud makes her DG debut with these live recordings of her 2016 Leipzig Gewandhaus and Vienna Musikverein concerts. Joined by the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kristjan Järvi, Grimaud offers elegant and impassioned readings of some of the most popular works in the Romantic piano repertoire.

Leila Josefowicz – Fantasia on Themes by Thomas Tallis

Violinist Leila Josefowicz brings her singular imagination and virtuosity to one of the most popular works in the classical repertoire – Fantasia on Themes by Thomas Tallis. Commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, this performance was recorded live at Walt Disney Concert Hall in October 2016.

Joshua Bell – Romance of the Violin

Violinist Joshua Bell is known for his work in the crossover genre, but with Romance of the Violin, he returns to his classical roots. The album features works by composers such as Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Saint-Saëns, arranged specifically for solo violin.

Bell’s playing is beautiful and technically proficient, and he brings a certain warmth and humanity to the pieces that is often lacking in classical music. Romance of the Violin is a must-listen for any fan of classical music.

Best Choral Work

Nominations for the best choral work of 2016 are in, and the winner is: The Messiah by George Frideric Handel. This work was first performed in 1742 and has been a holiday classic ever since.

Eric Whitacre – The Sacred Veil

This remarkable work for unaccompanied voices by contemporary composer Eric Whitacre was inspired by the true story of how, in 1998, a group of Muslim women in Bosnia were spared rape and murder by Serbian soldiers because they were wearing white veils. As Whitacre explains in the liner notes, “The idea of the sacred veil protecting these women from a fate worse than death was so incredibly moving to me that I knew I had to write a piece about it.”

The result is a deeply moving and powerful work that reflects both the beauty and the horror of what happened. The music is by turns ethereal and shattering, with Whitacre’s trademark beautiful harmonies underpinning the emotions of the text. This is a must-hear for any fan of choral music.

James MacMillan – Seven Last Words from the Cross

Last year, when the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus commissioned a new work from James MacMillan to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, they also asked him to set to music the Seven Last Words of Christ. The result is a dramatic, sometimes harrowing oratorio that pulls no punches in its depiction of the Crucifixion.

MacMillan’s musical language is direct and accessible, yet still manages to be fiercely original; his use of traditional Scottish melodies gives the work a poignant sense of place. The RSNO Chorus is on top form throughout, while soprano Jennifer Johnston and baritone Roderick Williams shine in their respective roles.

John Tavener – The Protecting Veil

It would be impossible to overestimate the impact that The Protecting Veil had on me when I heard it for the first time some 25 years ago. Tavener’s setting of the Orthodox hymn to the Virgin Mary is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I know, a work of profound spirituality and grace that somehow manages to be simple and direct in its expression while also being mysteriously elusive. The piece was written for cellist Steven Isserlis, who has made some superb recordings of it over the years, but my favorite version is this one by Alisa Weilerstein, with Russian conductor Vladimir Jurowski leading the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Best Opera/Music Theatre Work

Among the best new classical music of 2016, there were many stand-out opera and music theatre works. These included John Adams’ “The Gospel According to the Other Mary,” which is based on the Passion story; Mark-Anthony Turnage’s opera “Corporate Figs,” about the banks crisis; and Anders Hillborg’s “The Tempest,” based on Shakespeare’s play.

Kaija Saariaho – Only the Sound Remains

Opera in two parts by the leading contemporary Finnish composer, based on a Noh play by Zeami Motokiyo (1363-1443). First performed at the 2016 Aldeburgh Festival, Only the Sound Remains was one of the most acclaimed operatic premieres of recent years. The music is as haunting and otherworldly as the play itself, while Saariaho’s use of electronics and natural sounds creates a unique and immersive experience.

George Benjamin – Written on Skin

George Benjamin’s Written on Skin was one of the most successful new operas of recent years, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a gripping, darkly erotic story set in medieval times, with a score that is by turns beautiful, angular, and hallucinatory. The opera was gut-wrenchingly performed by a stellar cast at the Royal Opera House in London last year, and it is now available on DVD.

Olga Neuwirth – Lost Highway

Olga Neuwirth’s opera Lost Highway, based on the 1997 David Lynch film of the same name, was one of the best new classical music releases of 2016. The work is a perfect example of Neuwirth’s style, which seamlessly combines a variety of music genres, including jazz and rock, with traditional operatic forms.

The result is an emotionally gripping and musically powerful work that is as haunting as it is beautiful. Lost Highway is sure to be recognized as one of the great opera works of our time.