Klarinet Archive - Posting 000000.txt from 1997/05

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Music, performance, and marching bands
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 10:17:20 -0400

On Wed, 30 Apr 1997, Mark Charette wrote:

> This brings me to a slightly different point. Once in a while on this
> list I hear "pop" music being denigrated - it's not "serious" music, it
> won't stand the test of time, it's only "movie" music, it's too
> commercial. It may be well to remember that opera was the "movie" of its
> time. Maybe the "Star Wars Theme" isn't the "Marriage of Figaro", but
> they stem from the same needs. How many pieces were commisioned way back
> then for special occasions; gee, isn't that awfully commercial?

Mark, I will take your word for it that you want to raise a "slightly
different point," but I confess that I can't quite tell what that point
is. If you are saying that when a composer such as Mozart accepted a
commission that signifies that his philosophical stance toward music
becomes the same as that of Liberace, Elvis Presley or (insert here the
name of your favorite rock-and-roll or country/Western star), then I would
have to most vigorously and vociferously disagree with you.

The central question in this instance becomes, "Is the composer or
performer's primary motivation artistic or commercial?" Can we imagine
that Mozart would or could have accepted a commission with the proviso
that he write inferior music? I don't think so. On the other hand, if
sufficient dollars were at stake, would Liberace or Elvis Presley produce
music of pretty much any quality, or no quality at all? The evidence
speaks for itself.

We're getting into a rather complicated area of musical aesthetics here,
and the internet is about the least satisfactory way of dealing with such
questions. I really enjoy discussing this and similar topics, but I'm not
much in the mood this time of year to type on e-mail an entire discourse
on musical aesthetics.

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
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