On Hypermodern Classical Music

Yes, there is such a thing as hypermodern classical music. It’s not just a monopoly of brilliant pop performers like Bjork, Yorke and Willow. In fact, it is not only alive and well—with a very distinctly non po-mo vibe—but seems to be a largely Nordic (i.e. Anglo-Scandinavian, and particularly Icelandic) development. There is a gravitas and solemnity about this music—befitting the Nordic temperament, of course (Hamlet could’ve composed any one of these)—along with a sincere quest for meaning that eschews all postmodern shallowness and triviality.

One of the structural features of hypermodernity in general is the gradual erosion of the distinction between Top and Pop. The lines are no longer quite so severely demarcated as they were in the days of Philip Glass (a precursor) and Karlheinz Stockhausen (also a precursor). These hypermodern “classical” musicians, for instance, now routinely make music videos for their work—a rare occurrence in postmodernity— while pop music often incorporates full blown orchestras in artistic ensembles by Bjork, Thom Yorke and Lana Del Rey. Even heavy metal artists like Marilyn Manson or bands like Metallica (on their 1999 album S&M) and RUSH (on their last album Clockwork Angels) have been utilizing orchestras since at least the late 1990s. (There are precursors, of course, back in the 1970s such as Pink Floyd and Deep Purple).

For this blog, I have collected You Tube videos of what seems to me to be eight of the best hypermodern classical musicians currently performing (all falling into the later Gen X division). I have listed the links below (keep in mind that you may have to click on the video three or four times to get it to work for some reason). I would only caution the listener to beware that these works can be emotionally overwhelming, so make sure you’re in a good zen-like meditative mood when clicking the links.

Here we go!

From the UK:

Everyone knows how crushingly painful the end of a romantic relationship feels like and I think no one has translated those feelings into a classical repertoire better than the British composer Anna Clyne, who nails it with this cello and orchestra performance.

Anna Clyne, Dance I: when you’re broken open

Also from the UK (though German born) is Max Richter’s exquisitely lovely album The Blue Notebooks (referring to the Blue Octavo Notebooks of Kafka):

From Iceland:

This one’s my particular favorite of the batch. Greg Grandin’s 2009 book Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Jungle City was a project that Werner Herzog was going to make into a film (and he would’ve been the perfect choice) but now it does not appear to be on the slate for him. But it doesn’t matter because we have Johann Johannsson’s fantastic album inspired by it.

Johann Johannsson, Fordlandia

From Iceland:

Some kind of musical Ereignis event is going on in Iceland. They appear to be taking their revenge on Europe for monopolizing classical music for the past 800 years or so.

Olafur Arnalds, …And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness

From Iceland (again):

This one will put you into a kind of opium-like trance that can last for hours as you dream of sinking civilizations and their cosmic debris flung out like shrapnel all around you.

Hildur Guthnadottir, Without Sinking

From the Netherlands:

The German word Stimmung, which means “mood,” is perfect for characterizing Beving’s amazing piano work.

Joep Beving, Prehension

From Italy:

And even in sunny, cheerful Italy we have with Federico Albanese a master of broods and moods.

Federico Albanese, Before and Now Seems Infinite

From America:

Trivial po-mo Pop Mart America, did you say? Not with this guy. Forget it. Light up that bowl and dig in.

Dustin O’Halloran, Lumiere