Is Classical Music Dead? Is there now only a standardized sound for everyone? Are the boundaries between classical and popular music being blurred, or do they need to be redrawn? What about genres or ideologies? These are just some of the many questions posed in the modern music scene, including whether it even makes sense to adhere to such terminology anymore. Portuguese composer Nuno Côrte-Real offers an answer with his new CD „Kind of Classic“.
The ideas of what music should be have fundamentally changed. From the Romantic ideal to modern reductionism and other contemporary trends, there is a wide range of opinions. Questions of identity, regarding what and whom classical music represents today, have moved to the forefront, and the rise of subcultures, supported by technological developments, expanded its influence. Added to this were postmodern trends in all their fragmented and multidimensional aspects, leading to a gradual return of tonal compositions and a rediscovery of powerful musical expressions. To paraphrase John Steinbeck, classical music has been dying for centuries, “but never gave up.”
This, „Kind of Classic“ is the perfect title for this CD, featuring the world premiere recording of Nuno Côrte-Real’s (b. 1971) „Concerto for Tuba op. 65“ as well as the concertante works „Luar Galego op. 23“ for cello and strings and „Elegia op. 33 B“ for piano and orchestra. It’s hard to say what is classical and what is not. Côrte-Real is one of today’s most highly regarded Portuguese classical composers, known for his rhythm-melodic-harmonic patterns, sometimes reminiscent of the bright minimalism of John Adams, while never abandoning the primacy of melody (or at least melodic patterns). Characteristic of both Côrte-Real’s music and his personality are his irony and theatricality, with which he questions the uncertainties of the modern world and new stylistic possibilities.