Boulez, um, hates music. I can't explain why exactly. I just know it. Well, any more of this talk and we'll have to start a serialism thread. I don't think anyone wants that!

Ligeti's the man. The Sony Classical release, Mechanical music (for Barrel Organ, Metronomes, and Player Piano), is one of my favorites.

I suspect your assessment of Boulez may be accurate. (although I'm not nearly so familiar with Boulez as with the "Holy Trinity" of serialism... )

I've had my dinner and am in much less of a ranting mood than I was earlier today... Basically I just think Schoenberg doesn't really live up to most of his hype. I don't think he was really all that great of a composer or teacher. ...as a composer, certainly nowhere near the same league as someone like Stravinsky... or Ligeti... who is most definitely THE MAN!

---drsquid

Squid Quote of the moment:
The only significant difference between an oral and rectal thermometer is the taste.

I did not like Boulez music, it seemed a bit like a joke (emperor wears no clothes style). I do however like some of his conducting. Ligeti is great, recently I really got into Menotti, his music is very listenable, but if you consider he is also writting the libretto, it is pretty darn cool stuff. The Telephone is super, so perfect.

Hmmmm...interesting ideas. Maybe before having a new listener plunge straight into the New Vienna School (Schoenberg, Webern, Berg), it might be a good idea to try some really progressive Shostakovich, like maybe the 1st or 4th symphonies. Of course, his 5th is considered quite accessible, so I didn't mention it (I very much like most of his symphonies).

Where can I find the best version (and similar tracks) of Beethoven's "Für Elise"?