Only if you think the pinnacle of composition is writing music with lyrics in song forms. Of course, most non-composers, especially poets, think just exactly that.
No, no, no. I don't think that at all, Art. But I just sat through a piece by Henri Dutilleux at the Philadelphia Orchestra, and it was OK, but it had no theme, hence, no development. It was all sound effects. While listening to it, I kept thinking, "Gee, I'd rather be listening to Carl Ruggles's Star Treader," which has both themes and development, and is really original. Too much contemporary music is written by people with no real talent and no real imagination, but with a lot of skill in harmony and especially orchestration. I give you Jennifer Higdon.
Understood. But that's just the difference, again as in poetry, between someone who has something to say vs. someone has lots of technique but nothing to say. Certainly there's plenty of music that's merely sound effects in contemporary music, but there's also plenty of that in all the other arts, too. People with more skill than imagination are prevalent, and always have been. And not just in music.
But speaking as a composer, I can say that, and believe it, and also still point to many examples of new music that DO have something to say. Tan Dun, for starters. It's not a short list, although it probably is indeed shorter than the other list.
But I also think a lot of new music on Broadway is also not very good or interesting. So. . . .
Only if you think the pinnacle of composition is writing music with lyrics in song forms. Of course, most non-composers, especially poets, think just exactly that.
ReplyDeleteNo, no, no. I don't think that at all, Art. But I just sat through a piece by Henri Dutilleux at the Philadelphia Orchestra, and it was OK, but it had no theme, hence, no development. It was all sound effects. While listening to it, I kept thinking, "Gee, I'd rather be listening to Carl Ruggles's Star Treader," which has both themes and development, and is really original. Too much contemporary music is written by people with no real talent and no real imagination, but with a lot of skill in harmony and especially orchestration. I give you Jennifer Higdon.
ReplyDeleteUnderstood. But that's just the difference, again as in poetry, between someone who has something to say vs. someone has lots of technique but nothing to say. Certainly there's plenty of music that's merely sound effects in contemporary music, but there's also plenty of that in all the other arts, too. People with more skill than imagination are prevalent, and always have been. And not just in music.
ReplyDeleteBut speaking as a composer, I can say that, and believe it, and also still point to many examples of new music that DO have something to say. Tan Dun, for starters. It's not a short list, although it probably is indeed shorter than the other list.
But I also think a lot of new music on Broadway is also not very good or interesting. So. . . .