Arvo Pärt (1935 - ) - Mystical Minimalism
If you're going to download anything I've put up, make it this one.
Part is easily my favourite composer, a man obsessed with angels, icons and the Russian Orthodox Church who creates contemporary minimalist classical pieces with floating simple melodies that are reminiscent of holy music.
Plus the rhythmic complexity of a piece like Benjamin Brittten shows why he was so influential on later period minimalist like Steve Reich.
Hans Otte (1926 -2007) - Experimental Classical
I don't know a lot about Otte, but this solo piano cycle, Das Buch der Klänge« (The Book of Sounds, 1979-82) is a beautiful collection that brings to mind great composers like Satie and Debussy.
But the way notes and harmonics slow push and meld into one another, and the prominence of silence speaks of John Cage, Terry Riley, Morton Feldman.
A great album to put on while you're mind may be elsewhere, and let the touches of melodies float around.
Hauschka (Volker Bertelmann) - Classical House
Bertelmann is a young german known more for his prepared piano and chamber pieces (a style made most well known by Cage and La Monte Young, read here if you want to know more), but here with guys from Mum and Calexico, he gives us his take on House music.
I've only just started listening to it, and while there's moments of too much preciousness and tweeness, it's also absolutely great at times.
As a reviewer said elsewhere it's not house music, but it's not not house music either.
You can also watch him prepare his piano in these amazing series of videos at NPR.org
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