Classical Music

[brownjenkins]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
Is phillip glass a classical somposer? hmm...nah. he has written some symphonies...but symphony only means a piece of music written for several instruments...a rock star could write something like that and call it a symphony, and it would be a symphony, but it would still be rock music...

classical in terms of training, but you are correct... i guess he would be a "modern composer"

[Mercutio]

Calm yourself Hector. I get the point. Settle...settle...take deeeeeeep breaths...

Brownjenkins- Phillip Glass would be a "modern composer."

[brownjenkins]

Originally posted by Mercutio
Brownjenkins- Phillip Glass would be a "modern composer."

i wonder what people will think of that 200 years from now

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by brownjenkins
I wonder what people will think of that 200 years from now

"Qaug aehdkfjj e di i akod sdaie yzk?"

translates to..."Our ancestors were real jerks. They call that music? And "modern"?"

[hectorberlioz]

"modern" of what? that is the question. Elfhelm called it "classical crossover", and he seems to be right...
I actually dont like what he's composed...
however, some real "classical modern" composers are...

1. Christopher Rouse
2. Richard Danielpour
3. John Adams
4. Ligeti (not sure of first name...)

the first three are american, not sure of Ligeti's nationality though....

[hectorberlioz]

www.christopherrouse.com
www.richarddanielpour.com
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/adams_bio.html
http://www.sonyclassical.com/artists/ligeti_top.htm
http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/boulez.html


may the new generation of composers suceed in bringing back people's attention to the greatest muisc in the world

[Mercutio]

What do you guys think about John Cage's music?

Its a debatable topic.

Here's an article on one "interesting" piece he wrote:

Time for John Cage

The world’s longest performance of a piece of music is being played in Germany, and it will go on playing for another 639 years.

John Cage's composition ASLSP, or to give it its full title As Slow As Possible, is part of what organisers have described as ‘a revolution in slowness.’

But can this really be taken seriously or is it simply a publicity stunt? Arts In Action reports.

Throughout his life, the experimental American composer, John Cage, was celebrated for his various efforts to subvert audiences’ conventional concepts of what music is, and should be.

Famously quoted as saying, ‘if my work is accepted I must move on to the point where it isn’t’, Cage continually pushed back artistic boundaries and led audiences to the edge of reason.

Much of his theory of art was based on random events. Whether he used conventional percussion instruments or tinkered with audio frequencies, performances of Cage’s work always sparked conversation.

In 1952 he challenged every musical assumption with his most notorious piece entitled 4'33". Here players sat silently for the allotted time, allowing the ambient noise to fill the void. This quite literally was the sound of silence.

Now, nine years after his death, the memory of Cage most certainly lives on.

Last week, The John Cage Project launched what they claim will be the world's longest musical recital.

Organ2/ASLSP is due to be performed on the town organ in Halberstadt in northern Germany over a decidedly leisurely 639 years.

Apparently some 360 spectators, paid DM30 (UK�10) to see the recital's organist inflate his instrument's bellows and they'll have to come back in another 18 months time in order to hear him play the first chord - and one each year or so thereafter.

Providing that sponsors can be found, the performance is scheduled to reach its finale in 2640, with a half time interval planned in 2319.

Although Cage originally wrote ASLSP in 1992 as a 20-minute piece for piano, for many years musicologists have deliberated over just how slow, as slow as possible really is.

Whilst purists have argued that time is infinite, the John Cage Organ Foundation agreed on the figure of 639 years to correspond with the number of years since the construction of Germany’s first block single organ.

The performance has been presented as the ultimate antidote to a fast paced world. As organiser, Michael Betzle, has explained:

‘The long period of time is supposed to form a contrast to the breathless pace of change in the modern-day world.’

It is certainly very slow, but as music critic Michael White, explains this is not necessarily how John Cage intended the music to be performed:

‘It is in the spirit of John Cage… he was an outrageous character, in a sense, he was the emperor of the avant-garde.’

‘His whole life was spent creating events and happenings… they were meant for you to go away and think about some principal or philosophical idea that each piece embodied and reflected.’

When asked about his thoughts on death, John Cage famously replied:

‘That's a mystery the solution of which interests me very much.’

Unless his music enables the audience to cheat death, it is extremely unlikely that anyone will witness the entire live performance.

Organiser, Michael Betzle, has even said:

‘I am 57 years old. I have to accept the distinct possibility that I shall die before the concert is over.’

So what does ASLSP signify? Is there any point in staging a concert that even the organisers will never hear?

From Michael White’s point of view, there are always lessons to be learned from Cage performances. He explains:

‘I think Cage was a con-man, but he was a con man who stumbled on some brilliant truths and was able to make use of them.’

'I met him a few times and he was funny and able to laugh at himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t take what he was doing seriously, he did, but he thought that there was a joke in everything.'

'I think people who grasp some deep truths about life are able to look at life and see how funny it is.’


hmm...

[brownjenkins]

i put him up there with many, though not all, abstract expressionist's in the art world... deconstructionism for it's own sake

the problem i see is getting too caught up in the mechanics of the music and losing site of the inspiration

there is a place for free-form music... it's "jamming" in my mind... you see it today in jazz and rock... and i see no reason to believe it did not existed prior to the era of recorded music, we just don't have any record of it

the key is unplanned inspiration

i had a friend back when i was in school who dated a "modern composer"... he use to show me his sheet music and explain to me the "beauty" of the chord transitions... but to him it was more of a math problem then a piece of music

is it still art, i guess... is it enjoyable, usually not

[Mercutio]

I would consider his music interesting, but, as you said, mathematical more than musical. He is analyzing music down to the very basic steps and what its made of, and composing from that perspective.

I'll take real "classical" anytime to listen to over music such as John Cage's. But I think I'd rather critically analyze this type of music. To me it would be more interesting because of its "differentness."

Note: I'm not saying other music (like "classical") is not fun to analyze! It all is neat, just modern is, well, unusual and unique.

[brownjenkins]

true, a lot of jazz also has that "philosophical" flair to it too... i can imagine it would be interesting to a well-trained musician

i'm the "play-by-ear" type myself, so i may have a slight prejudice

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by brownjenkins
true, a lot of jazz also has that "philosophical" flair to it too... i can imagine it would be interesting to a well-trained musician

i'm the "play-by-ear" type myself, so i may have a slight prejudice

Jazz. Never the same. Always original. Maybe I should start a Jazz music thread...hmm...?

Modern music is often like modern poetry. Unless you are a modern musician/poet yourself, you can't understand it.

My brother writes modern poetry. I can never figure out what he means, is referring to, etc. But apparently its good! (I sure can't tell )

[Mercutio]

What instrument (any kind...except dumb answers like "kazoo" ) do you like the least?

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
www.christopherrouse.com
www.richarddanielpour.com
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/adams_bio.html
http://www.sonyclassical.com/artists/ligeti_top.htm
http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/boulez.html


may the new generation of composers suceed in bringing back people's attention to the greatest muisc in the world

Would this "new generation of composers" include you?

[Khamûl]

Originally posted by Mercutio
Maybe I should start a Jazz music thread...hmm...?

There's already one somewhere...

[bursts into song]

Out there...

Beneath the pale moonlight...[/song]

[Mercutio]

ok. I'll bump it up.

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

Originally posted by Mercutio
What instrument (any kind...except dumb answers like "kazoo" ) do you like the least?

bagpipes, accordion and hurdy-gurdy(weird Mediaeval wind up violin)

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by Last Child of Ungoliant
bagpipes, accordion and hurdy-gurdy(weird Mediaeval wind up violin)

What don't you like about bagpipes.

I was at a bagpipe school (not a student mind you) in Newfoundland. It was really interesting. Bagpipes and maple syrup everywhere.

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

Originally posted by Mercutio
What don't you like about bagpipes.

I was at a bagpipe school (not a student mind you) in Newfoundland. It was really interesting. Bagpipes and maple syrup everywhere.

they just annoy me.
accordion's are worse,
have you ever benn to UK?
when you get accordion players up and down high streets...aaaaarrgg

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by Last Child of Ungoliant
they just annoy me.
accordion's are worse,
have you ever benn to UK?
when you get accordion players up and down high streets...aaaaarrgg

Been to the UK? nope---maybe I'll go this summer to visit my brother (He'll be at a study abroad program for two months)

We have an accordion--Its only annoying when your dad plays it literally in your ear. wow.

[hectorberlioz]

John Cage-I find his method of composition ridiculous. It takes all the creativity out of composing. what a load of rubbish he is. thats my final say on that...

My least favorite instrument...hmmm...I'd say the oboe... J/K Mercutio .
Probably the accordion...