tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post7365802298086903593..comments2024-03-27T23:06:03.736-05:00Comments on The Music Salon: Music and FoodBryan Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-83726753007431404672013-12-13T07:35:24.050-06:002013-12-13T07:35:24.050-06:00Sorry to be so very tardy replying to the comments...Sorry to be so very tardy replying to the comments!! Just too many things to do. And I still haven't had a chance to check out your blog, Joel. But I will.<br /><br />I agree with you about the personality of orchestral works, Joel. When we are using metaphors to talk about music, we always have to remember that they are only metaphors and there are a thousand other possibilities. And, of course, they are subjective because they are a kind of interpretation. But I don't have anything against interpretation.<br /><br />That's a very interesting question, Rickard. In the 16th century Spain was one of the leading nations in the development of instrumental music. The music of Luis Milan and Luis de Narvaez was at the leading edge of the forms. In fact, some variations by Narvaez are among the very first written for a solo instrument. This tradition of writing for plucked string instruments, first the vihuela and later the guitar in various forms, kept on in Spain and Latin America to this very day. The real question is why did they not abandon the plucked instruments in favor of the keyboard instruments such as the harpsichord, clavichord, virginal and later the pianoforte?<br /><br />One of the big repertoires of music for keyboard in the 18th century was the sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti, written in Spain. But that was at the Royal court. In Spanish society, the keyboard instruments seem not to have become popular as they did in France, Italy, Germany, Austria and England. Why was that? To my knowledge, no-one has really researched this question. But I can speculate a bit. Keyboard instruments, while extremely capable and useful are also, compared to plucked instruments, rather expensive. Perhaps they were more difficult to afford in Spain and Latin America. Or perhaps it relates to the middle class. In most of Europe during this time a prosperous middle class was developing who could afford to purchase keyboard instruments for the home. Perhaps in Spain the middle class did not develop to the same extent.<br /><br />But this is all just speculation and the truth might be quite different!<br /><br />As for why Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven did not write for the guitar, it was likely that they grew up with the piano (or harpsichord) and it was both more familiar and more capable of rich and complex textures.<br /><br />Schubert, by the way, did play the guitar and wrote quite a few of his songs on the guitar. During his life they were often published in versions for guitar as well as piano.Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-52898770318755996902013-12-10T10:10:14.095-06:002013-12-10T10:10:14.095-06:00Forgot about the harp but I was mainly thinking of...Forgot about the harp but I was mainly thinking of instruments such as guitar, lute and mandolin.Rickardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08084578675339015204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-84015123851047804552013-12-10T09:55:02.784-06:002013-12-10T09:55:02.784-06:00A question came up when I read this article (a bit...A question came up when I read this article (a bit offtopic at least):<br /><br />Most of the pieces for classical guitar, at least before the modernism were written by Spanish or South/Middle American composers (it seems like that's the case to me). Why do you think that's the case? Why didn't for instance Beethoven, Haydn or Schubert write anything for guitar. Was guitar just seen as a Spanish folk instrument (and thus not worthy) by non-Spanish/non-latin composers? In fact it seems like a majority of the major composers didn't write for any other plucked string instrument either. Maybe you have already covered this topic but if you haven't maybe you could write a post about it.Rickardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08084578675339015204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-48874541347539014142013-12-10T09:49:14.178-06:002013-12-10T09:49:14.178-06:00I used a food metaphor once, to explain difference...I used a food metaphor once, to explain differences between musical forms on my blog (in spanish) http://clasicoobservador.blogspot.mx/2013/05/por-que-no-existe-un-gusto-popular-por.html<br /><br />Well, it's good to know I'm not the only one who thinks programs are like menus. However, to relate specific composers with specific food, is something I never thought. The Beethoven-steak made me hungry, haha.<br /><br />For orchestral works, I prefer to think them as people, which have different fixed character features (themes), but they change with the circumstances, they change mood... Also, they show different sides of them in different movements... things like that. They're complex, rich, coherent and unique, like persons.<br /><br />Metaphors are useful, but of course, the only problem is that sometimes you don't want to "impose" your subjective perception of the work.<br />Maybe for some people, Beethoven tastes like chicken. Joel Lohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09899053147050874817noreply@blogger.com