[Fmpro] a new world odor

[Ted Peterson]

On Jan 28, 2008, at 7:49 AM, Fernando Rivas wrote:
>
> I don't know that you can generalize in this way. Just because we  
> exist in a
> permissive milieu doesn't necessarily mean we are all cultural  
> morons.  What
> is the alternative to this world view? A totalitarian world where  
> everyone
> is told what is 'cultural' and what isn't and how to properly live  
> up to it

Fernando:

I don't think we can evaluate whether we are putting a stamp on  
anything while we are  doing it. We may think we're charting new  
waters and opening new minds but we'll just never know. At some point  
in a composer's life, a decision must be made as to whether or not  
his or her contribution will last beyond the immediate. As Boulez  
aged, he was very concerned with how he would be viewed historically.  
Stockhausen never had that problem probably because of his success in  
Germany. But eventually even he faded for newer artists.

Music, culturally, may be going through an evolution and reinvention.  
Maybe Cage's "4 minutes 33 seconds" was the period at the end of the  
artistic evolution of the music that started with Greek modes and led  
to silence. In other words, for that system, everything has been  
examined in an experimental way and the only thing left to do was  
nothing.

Popular music was rising up and is the main music of the masses. No  
longer to people look to opera composers for catchy tunes but to folk  
groups. And make no mistake about it, all of pop and rock is folk music.

Musical evolution is a funny thing. Once equal temperment hit one  
would have to believe that children would be batting away at the  
piano just as they do now. Composer's surely heard this and yet we  
don't see the development of atonality until the expansion of the  
tonal system had breached the bounds of in a key to on a key. Where  
voice leading and the rules of the common practice period break down.

So we have to start thinking of styles. Not personal styles but  
period styles that hold sway for a period than become passe for  
something new. In the past it was Stravinski and Schoenberg. (Who  
were friends until the "Moderninski remark from Schoenberg." They  
both lived in Bel Air on adjacent streets. The corner of Stravinski's  
lot met the corner of Schoenberg's. Schoenberg had a tennis court and  
played tennis every day.  It is interesting that Stravinski moved to  
serial composition towards the latter part of his life whereas  
Schoenberg remained stoic in his position). However, historically  
Schoenberg has less of a chance of being remembered for more than  
just a couple of works and the founding of the Vienesse School.  
Stravinski is assured just with his first three operas.

The LA Phil used to put on concerts trying to ling Stravinski's use  
of tonality with the "New Tonalists" like John Adams but that's a  
real stretch.

I would equate Sondheim or Williams with Salieri; both are decent  
composers who write for "the people." If one were looking for the  
Bach''s of our day, one would not look to film music but to people  
working locally with a huge output. They may have little local  
following but a huge following in other countries.

You have probably never heard of Fred Rzewski. Do a search and take a  
listen. We still have composers working and producing but they don't  
have popular following.

Ted Peterson