Everybody - simply everybody!-has been talking about Elliott Carter's 100th birthday. Lots of superlatives have been thrown his way. Carter is a 20th century modernist, meaning there is a lot of atonality that you have to wade through while listening to him. At its best, Carter's work is rhythmically and harmoniously inventive, always with a lot more wit and verve than typical modernists. The Carter "sound" is flurries of note, rising and falling in quick clusters, punctuated by odd silences and sudden bursts of sound. It's a compelling style. However, I doubt that large numbers of people have been moved to tears by Carter's work in the manner that they might be moved by Beethoven or Mozart.
Carter has long been a favorite among conservatory students, and its no wonder; his works are complex, demanding, and interesting. He also seems to have composed works for almost every imaginable instrument, which always comes in handy if you are an oboe player looking for a solo feature. His best works are for small combinations of instruments, which makes him perfect for small experimental ensembles. Still, Carter is someone who looks to be remembered as more of an intellectual figure than a popular one.
Here are a few Carter works to chew on:
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Pastoral - is a duo for piano and english horn. the rhythm is jaunty and jazzy. the melody lines are odd, but still sing-songy. To give you an idea of Carter's reach, Aaron Copeland supposedly reversed the melody from this piece for "Appalachian Spring" four years later.
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Changes is a piece for solo guitar that is one of Carter's most famous works, since it has long been influential among guitarists. If you've ever been to a guitar recital and wondered why the guitarist is plinking and plonking in such an odd manner, this is why.
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Clarinet Concerto is one of Carter's signature large scale works with a clarinet squealing over Carter's flurries of notes.
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Oboe Concerto is another large scale work. The oboe has never sounded more playful, although it has also never sounded annoying at times.
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Canaries is a work for solo tympani. It still manages to retain the Carter "sound," despite the absence of melody.
