Contemporary Classical

Prepare to lose yourself in the vast and complex labyrinth of sound we've constructed from the endlessly fascinating archives of contemporary classical music. We hope these Essentials will expand your musical horizons, so throw caution to the wind and expect nothing short of revelation, thanks to minimalist pioneers like Kronos Quartet collaborator Terry Riley — "In the Summer" from Lifespan — and the great Steve Reich — "Pulses" from Music for 18 Musicians.

A former rocker from Estonia pushes the envelope, in Next Steps.

Born a generation after the likes of Steve Reich and Philip Glass ("Rubric"), John Adams is a towering figure among post-minimalists — here we've included "Concord" from My Father Knew Charles Ives (2003), his homage to the influential composer whose graceful and deep-running "The Unanswered Question" appears in Deep Cuts. Estonia's Erkki-Sven Tüür has a background in rock (he used to play with '80s outfit In Spe) — here, we offer you his "Architectonics 1".

Discover the incredible piano mutations of Morton Subotnick in Deep Cuts.

Now that you've familiarised yourself with the more accessible faces of the contemporary classical scene, push the boat out with composers who inhabit the experimental margins of their chosen field – take, for example, Morton Subotnick — the often startling "3rd Movement" from Liquid Strata — who has done incredible things with live electronic processing, or instrument builder Harry Partch — Enclosure V — one of the first composers to champion the use of microtonal scales.

If much lasting contemporary classical music at first startles and confuses with the shock of the unfamiliar, its finest composers tend to take on the mantle of visionary geniuses once the impact of their work has been fully digested and appreciated. A ripple of influence tends to spread into other genres and disciplines, hence the appearance here of figures with links to rock (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Roger Eno, Kronos Quartet), movie soundtracks (Philip Glass, Eleni Karaindrou, Bernard Herrmann, Nino Rota), and the infinitely unfolding realms of sampling and electronica (Steve Reich, Johann Johannsson). Fortune will most definitely favour the brave among contemporary classical novices, so dive into this selection at the deep end and savour the entrancements and surprises you will most certainly encounter.