As part of the research point into Boris Blacher, I found some interesting references to his works for flute, including the Divertimento op. 38; written for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon.
Listening to it at first, it seems dissonant and jerky; the constantly changing rhythmic patterns means it is difficult to keep a beat or predict what is going happen next; it's quite hard work to listen to from this respect and wouldn't by suitable as background music. Whilst it isn't what I would usually listen to, the unexpected changes and new ideas make it intriguing to listen to.
Blacher uses dissonant chords regularly, often with notes semitones apart. His melodies don't have the same elegance as something out of the classical/romantic era, but he is still able to create flowing lines. It is very reminiscent of works by Schoenberg.
At times it seems as though he has written a section as a series of random notes with nothing to connect them. If you consider that he put the same emphasis on rhythm as melody when he wrote the music you get an appreciation of why it sounds very different to music from earlier eras.
Each instrument seems to have a separate voice but they all seem to have a similar level of involvement, as though it were calculated. The middle passages seem to have a lead instrument with the rest accompanying, but the lead instrument changes with the start of a new section.
Ultimately this style of music is very difficult to listen, and therefore appreciate. Underneath the surface, however, there is a lot of detail and precision that goes into composing works like these, even if it does then end up sounding quite random (there's something ironic about that).
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