I have an old Gidon Kremer album on DG which is split between Philip Glass's "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra" and Schnittke's "Concerto Grosso No.5."

The Glass is pleasant in a non-threatening sort of way, fairly minimalist, and a quite relaxing listen. I enjoy it. The Schnittke gives me a headache, and that's not a turn of phrase, it really, honestly, does make my head hurt. It's f*ck*ng awful!

Those are, of course, purely personal opinions and reactions. Others may wax lyrical about the Schnittke whilst complaining that they find the Glass boring.

It is though, to me, the album that perfectly expresses and encapsulates the dichotomy that is "Contemporary Classical Music." Just because you give it a label doesn't mean it's all one thing or the other. The label itself is, as is often the case, irrelevant. It's either music you like, or music you don't, with a middle ground ranging from music that's forgettable to music that's tolerable. Those labels will, of course, be rewritten by most listeners.

As always, thank goodness we don't all like the same things or it would be a grey (or these days perhaps a taupe...) old world.

[EDIT]
Found it.  Try it and see...IF YOU DARE!!!! 

I have the CD and know it well.

I can only take issue with your appraisal of the Glass. Pleasant? PLEASANT??

I think Glass's Violin Concerto is superb, one of the greatest written.  I absolutely adore it and have heard it live twice, too.


I agree about the Schnittke, though

Yeah, but once you lot get away from the easy listening mainstream of contemporary classical you get the botts and the glanders and go into catatonic withdrawal!

There's a ray of hope with Jules, as he has confessed (under dire threat) that he liked the Vasks violin concerto just a teeny weeny bit, and Sculthorpe had a moment or two that wasn't totally dire.

Oh what a short memory, Jerry.    We've discussed Vasks, and I even recommended his "Plainscapes " to you.  I also own the flute concerto album you were playing a few days ago.  I listen to Glass, Pärt, Hovhaness (yes, including the one with the whales) Taverner, Reich, Sculthorpe, Górecki, Nyman, Riley, Einaudi, Jenkins, and Takemitsu among others.  I don't like everything that each one of them has written and recorded, but that's true of a lot of mainstream composers too.

I dislike some of the things you like.  That doesn't make me unadventurous, it just means I don't like them.  If I refused to listen and voiced a dislike, that would be unadventurous, but I always give them a chance before deciding.  I like what I like, I assume you're the same.  I can't like something simply because it's "worthy" or enough people think I "should" like it, Jerry.

I dare say I could find some wonderful symphonic or operatic metal that you wouldn't like, or maybe some traditional English folk tunes?  It's almost a certainty that there are things I love that you dislike.  It's not because you are unadventurous, and I assume you'd put up a spirited defence if I accused you of that, and then tried to explain why you were wrong for not liking them.

To me, music should ultimately be about enjoyment, pleasure, perhaps even beauty at its height, not the aural equivalent seeing how close you can hold your hand above a candle-flame without pulling away, or screaming in pain.

Sermon over? 
Some good points, some red herrings.
I never said anyone was unadventurous.
Who said anything about music being "worthy", Paul?  Or that people "should" like anything, Paul.
- 2 comments aimed at me by name. 
I think I had better leave this thread before we get beyond fisticuffs and get the knives out!

Well, I do like quite a lot of Glass, some Reich and I love the Ligeti Requiem. Now, I don't know anyone else who likes the latter. For me, it's a somewhat scary but compelling trip. Oh, and I love Poulenc's sound world. And Shostakovich. So I'm not completely tied to the Romantic period!

EDIT: and Piston, and Grofe, and Taverner.