Quote:
Originally Posted by almacg
I dunno, I think he wrote an atonal violin concerto...?
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Important words underlined in your post.
I'm listening to that very violin concerto as I type this.. and it's NOT "atonal" in any way.
I think it's very important to make a distinction between music that isn't "I - IV - V" tonal, and music that is NOT tonal at all.
I hate the term "atonal" because really in the end, all it says is what the music is not... not-tonal. Except not-tonal can mean SO many things.
I happen to think that Berg's violin concerto, for example is not a "not tonal" work. It might be serial, but it has such heavy tonal implications all the way through, even in its most dissonant passages that one can't really say "this music is NOT tonal".
The Adams violin concerto you mentionned uses more pungent harmony than he normally uses, but it's still quite firmly anchored to a tonal centre. So, more dissonant than, say... Brahms?... but definately not "atonal".
Is "atonal music" dead?
I think the question should rather be "is the concept that 'tonality is not a valid compositional element' dead?"
I believe we live in a period where composers of true talent will find ways of combining tonal elements as well as the more experimental (well, they WERE experimental at SOME point) techniques into a musical langauge that truly reflects the age in which we live. No more rejecting of the past, no more denying the recent past, only integrating and becoming whole and healthy creative artists, aware of our heritage and eager to forge forward in a positive and creative atmosphere.