Since Superman Returns has hit theaters, let me take this opportunity to recommend Michael Daugherty’s fun and engaging Metropolis Symphony. Unlike most contemporary compositions, it’s as accessible as Beethoven or Brahms; I once heard Daugherty explain that, having been educated in composition in the 1970s, when melodic music was frowned upon, he had to draw on his experience in a rock band to learn how to write melodies. (The one negative review on the Amazon page should be read as a positive review in disguise — the reviewer speaks highly of the coterie of “legitimate” atonal composers who spent the second half of the 20th century systematically alienating classical music from its audience.)
