tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post7160376191466735821..comments2024-03-27T23:06:03.736-05:00Comments on The Music Salon: "Where have the great composers gone?"Bryan Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-85615887061333550622016-07-24T08:16:24.713-05:002016-07-24T08:16:24.713-05:00I'm quite sure you are right! There really is ...I'm quite sure you are right! There really is nothing like the symphony orchestra, which demonstrates all sorts of qualities and values. Pop music, on the other hand, seems mostly intent on demonstrating the values of a reality tv show...Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-66547325844937644252016-07-23T11:32:28.082-05:002016-07-23T11:32:28.082-05:00I've done a lot of young people's concerts...I've done a lot of young people's concerts, and you can see the fascination in their eyes when they finally see how an orchestra works. That the orchestra is is such an incredible example of human cooperation is not lost on them. And the instruments themselves are mysterious beautiful machines that THEY can learn how to work. <br />Pop music culture is incredibly seductive, it's true. But give an audience full of kids a rousing version of "Sabre Dance" and you'll see some enthusiasm. Jephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-54124203703673516142016-07-21T15:13:17.511-05:002016-07-21T15:13:17.511-05:00See today's post.See today's post.Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-32749325394387292832016-07-21T13:31:02.355-05:002016-07-21T13:31:02.355-05:00That is an interesting hypothesis, Jeph-- once the...That is an interesting hypothesis, Jeph-- once the Boulezes began preaching with 'conversion or death' in their hearts, the traditional audiences' interest "just cratered" and they escaped by going away &c. Hmm. But I think Young People's Concerts were doomed once the kids decided that those pop musicians' culture was more appealing, and this for lots of reasons, many of which weren't much connected with the music itself. <br /><br />Bryan, I paraphrased a comment to arrive at the 'greatness always = revolutionary' sentence. The actual commenter was perhaps not alleging that the two are <i>always</i> connected, although it seemed to me that he was implying that. :-)<br />Marc in Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04331547981498637474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-86520153857789014152016-07-21T10:59:37.976-05:002016-07-21T10:59:37.976-05:00I weep to hear that it was philosophers who had a ...I weep to hear that it was philosophers who had a stranglehold on art music establishments! Was it not ideologues? I'm rather fond of philosophers, myself...Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-33528508315345372052016-07-21T09:49:29.553-05:002016-07-21T09:49:29.553-05:00the curmudgeonly author asks a fairly interesting ...the curmudgeonly author asks a fairly interesting question. I think I agree that "greatness" is conferred mostly in the rear-view mirror, usually by OTHER ARTISTS who are influenced by and advocate for the composer's works to be played and/or studied over time. <br /><br />But I also think that the old composers we consider great made music which is massively appealing to the audience. That has to factor in somehow. During the Modernist period, the philosophers got a stranglehold on art music establishments, I think a certain contempt for the audience developed, and subsequently audience interest in art music just cratered. The appealing music moved elsewhere, into film, popular forms, etc. Jephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-58066937313634581002016-07-21T08:19:10.486-05:002016-07-21T08:19:10.486-05:00I completely neglected to look at the comments to ...I completely neglected to look at the comments to the Guardian article. Just had a look now and there are some quite good comments. I didn't see the one you quote about greatness always involving being revolutionary. Sounds like a good topic for a post!Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-50566253188418020092016-07-20T18:48:23.598-05:002016-07-20T18:48:23.598-05:00I read through much of the comments thread, or ski...I read through much of the comments thread, or skimmed much of it; lots that might be paraphrased, 'what is great?/there is no great! any longer' and 'so and so is great/so and so is not great'. One person raised the question: does 'greatness' <i>always</i> involve <i>being revolutionary</i>? I think not, but that's one of those ideas that require so much stipulating to this and that and distinguishing there and here that one's head is left spinning. Not that head spinning is always a bad thing, of course; it's often necessary.Marc in Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04331547981498637474noreply@blogger.com