No one can predict which pieces amid the imminent flood of classical works commemorating 9/11 will endure. Examining World War II for a historical precedent isn't much help, either. From piles of patriotic compositions, two great pieces emerged before the war ended: Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time (written in a POW camp in 1940) and Shostakovich's harrowing Seventh Symphony (composed during the siege of Leningrad in 1941). Schönberg's A Survivor from Warsaw (1947) appeared immediately afterward, but the best of the bunch, Penderecki's unforgettable Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, cropped up later, in 1960. Sometimes sonic monuments take a while.

Reaching for the Big Statement is risky, and although part of me cringes at what may flow from a composer's pen (or speakers) in remembrance of 9/11, I also admire the courage of those making the attempt on September 11, 2002: local composer Laurence Berteig, who premieres An American Requiem, and the duo of Lisa Hutton and Mark Polishook, who devised Revisiting September 11, 19[72], an installation juxtaposing radio broadcasts from 9/11 with images from 1972. History abounds with monumental duds like Beethoven's Wellington's Victory (1813), so I wish all of these modern composers the best of luck making the mourning music we need. CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI

The Northwest Sinfonietta & Chorus performs An American Requiem Wed Sept 11 at noon, 5:30 pm, and 8 pm (Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 292-2787), $10/$35. The opening reception for Revisiting September 11, 19[72] is Wed Sept 11 at 7:30 pm (Jack Straw Productions, 4261 Roosevelt Way NE, 634-0919), free. Thereafter, the installation is open weekdays, 9 am-5 pm, through Fri Nov 29.

chris@delaurenti.net