Elliott Carter RIP

[AdamSmith]

The greatest American composer of them all, for my money.

 

http://m.guardiannews.com/ms/p/gnm/us/sGI1l9v0VJUNOI7nF8dg6uA/view.m?id=15&gid=music/2012/nov/06/elliott-carter&cat=usa

[uwsman2]

I still find his music very difficult - especially the pieces he was writing in the 1960s and 1970s. But I was pleasantly surprised in Carnegie Hall several years ago when I attended the premiere performance of his Piano Concerto and found it very listener-friendly. Either my ears have grown up or he had simplified his style a bit by then. The more recent pieces tend to be more direct and even, at times, lyrical. And, as with many composers who are in advance of their times, it takes musicians time to catch up with them and find the music in the notes. I suspect that there is strong substance at the heart of his compositions and over time they will be more and more effectively performed. I was certainly sad to read about his passing. He probably had one of the longest active composing careers in history.