An Announcement of Sorts

Yesterday was the world premiere of a piece I've written, in a pretty classical idiom, by a professional orchestra at their new year's eve concert. The whole thing went over really well, but what was especially interesting was the comments I got from the audience after the concert. You wouldn't believe how many times I heard that they were afraid a "world premiere" was going to be another atonal, dissonant sort of conglomeration of notes. I actually heard people say they didn't think that beautiful music such as that was even created anymore. Now those people obviously don't get out to see movies often, but the point is, there's a reason we still play Bach and Beethoven and Strauss. They sound good, and that's what people like to hear.

Now, as for you guys: as a pre-college composer venturing around the internet, picking up advice here and there, I hear so often "Oh classical, that's a style that died hundreds of years ago. Why do you compose in a dead style?". Well, because it sounds good. And yesterday, I really came to understand that it is not just me who supposes so. So this is to all of you who still see the beauty in the classical idiom. Don't stop composing in it, because you're not the only one who sees the beauty in it.

Shoot, got to go! Anyhow, I'll post the song later. Leave your comments about this thread.

Its not that Atonal/modern/eccentric/just plain crazy composers do not see the beauty in classical, but we also see the beauty in modern/contemporary works as well.

Hum... What beauty?

But so few others, namely audiences, really can see beauty in that sort of music. I don't really even know what I'm getting at here... it's just hte realization that after years of "it's nice, but it was done centuries ago", finally hearing the "it's nice" without the "... but it was done centuries ago" is coming to me. People just like music that sounds good, and now I know that I can't always bother myself with those who nag- why don't you do it in a modern way? Frankly, because I can't appreciate it, and it doesn't sound good. But it wasn't just the audience, members of the orchestra said "thanks, last year we had to premiere a more atonal piece, and the entire orchestra hated it and it had no melody" and people in the orchestra's staff would say "thanks, you wouldn't believe how many plain _bad_ pieces we're asked to play".

I don't know if other young, more conservative composers (ie older style) have been as troubled about this as I do though. To be told your music is in a gone-and-past time, and consequently of lessened value in the present... well, yesterday was a reassurance to myself that such music is not at all lessened. If anything, it's, in general, preferred by people today.

I do agree with you, quite a bit of audiences/quite a bit of performers enjoy the "old style".

But for me as a composer there is this undeniable love to composers like John Corigliano, Schoenberg, Carter,Bryant,Part, Adler and Ruggles. All I can hope is that audiences/performers can learn to appreciate what I appreciate, and there is a change happening people's ears are opening up, I geuss all it takes is time. ;)

Art in general is on the verge of another revolution. Artistic periods (IE - baroque, romantic, modern, etc.) have all been progressing exponentially faster and faster. Every artist wants to make a name for themselves, to be original, so they do more and more "original" (or, rather, ridiculous) things to be noticed. This was fine at the beginning of the 20th century, when it was new, but now artists need to realize that "shocking" isn't always the best reaction to a piece of artwork or music. (btw, music that sounds bad to me makes me go "eww, it's just another modern piece", not "gee, what sort of innovative person wrote this"). That was Romanticism. Romanticism died in the 1970s, when the industrial age ended and the information age began.

A romantic personality like Van Gogh wouldn't survive today. Today, one must plan, save, and know so much about so little. One cannot just limp through life painting pictures and composing music at random. Once again, that was Romanticism. There is not a name for the new age of art yet, but it may very well be upon us.

Originality in music now must come not through notes, but through the spirit of the music. A novel work is one that nobody has ever felt before!

Back to the subject, yes, I think a reversion to classical values regarding music is what the general public yearns for. It is a revolution, of sorts! And I am very excited to say it! Classical revitalists are all revolutionaries.

I hope that shines light on the issue, (as opposed to "Huh? Wha...?") :happy:

Evan :closedeyes:

So are you implying that modern music has no soul?? that it is just there to shock?

I don't think I said anything about soul. But since you brought it up...

I think one's soul can be expressed in a multitude of ways. Art, for one. Music, dance, words. These are all ways to express one's self. I think, however, the public does not appreciate atonal music. In today's society, not only must artists express their soul, but they must be marketable. Some of the best composers and artists are in the advertising business, writing jingles and making websites.

The major point I was trying to suggest is that perhaps musical ideas occasionally need to look back and study the past. Of course a great composer would incorporate modern values into their works...

I think some major modern values include...

1. Having things done at the click of a button.

2. Technological accessibility.

3. The desire to know about everything.

The artist must decide how to portray them.

Oh, and by the way, I don't think composers want their works to be shocking, but indeed, they sometimes are.

Evan

Studying the past actually has been done, still is and most likely always will be.

Such as Prokofiev's Classical Symphony or a great amount of of Arvo's Part's music.

Will it have great effect in the future? I don't know, it seems limited to me, modern music I feel that it is more effecient for expression. As much as I love the C major chord I feel if I want to to create the utter most joy I will apply it, but.. I will change it for my needs such as tone clusters of the white keys still while emphasizing the C and G.

I sympathize with a slight dissatisfaction in listener comments... and I will try to share my thoughts.

It is a very very hard thing to do, to listen to a thing and enjoy it for what it is. I don't know if the classical idiom can be reconciled at all with what I'm getting at, but...

On the one hand, we cannot escape our expectations. Once a piece has begun, we begin to make comparisons to all the music we've heard in the past. Perhaps "what it is" is particularly noticeable as being not something else, something we were expecting. On the other edge of the sword, if "it" turns out to be understandable in terms of something we've already heard, then a leap is so easily made to "Yeah, I get this. It's like that other thing that I already know about." And this, I have found, is a dead end listener-wise. Your beautiful complex meaningful thing has just been reduced to mere adjectives.

The "This is nice, but..." reaction is oh so hard to avoid! And it's because people have barriers in their minds. Oh so many barriers. Even ones like "Composers nowadays write nothing beautiful any more!" How can you solve what's clearly their problem? Now I happen to be for the breaking down of all mind-barriers, hoping that I don't crack down the last one and find monotone brown sludge, but beautiful diverse unprecedented zappy connections. But either way, widening your field of expectation, allowing for more exceptions, can't bring anything but a wider enjoyment, a greater sensitivity to all things...can it?

What makes a work "shocking" is often a dissonance between the minds of composer and audience. With any luck or skill(!) you'll be able to leverage things so that the audience resolves to *you*, or something. At least *towards* you. Brought a centimeter closer by a stunning realization midmusic.

I hope it's not a hopeless effort.

;) You're pre-college and you got performed by a professional orchestra?? Yeesh, I'm so jealous!

Indeed, so do I...

Perhaps in some ways I was wrong.

I will think for the time being.

Kindness to all,

Evan