Klarinet Archive - Posting 000304.txt from 1997/05

From: BKruse@-----.com
Subj: Re[2]: 20thC
Date: Fri, 9 May 1997 19:15:15 -0400

There are a number of people on this list who could explain who Bill O.
Smith is better than I could and I hope they will speak up. About all I
know about him is that he has been in the forefront of this multiphonics
stuff that I associate with 20th century music for clarinet.

I guess the term "20th century music" means something more specific to me
than simply "music composed in the 20th century". There is popular music,
which has little lasting value other than as a record of what was popular
at a certain time. There is jazz, which at least makes an effort to evolve
at a level higher than simply stylistic differences. There is music that
is more or less a continuation of 19th century style and practice. And
then there is music which attempts to break as radically as possible with
what came before. The last one is the one I think of as 20th century
music, because I think this century is unique in its conscious effort to
explore new possibilities. Whether you buy the idea that tonality ran out
of steam at the beginning of the century or not, it's definitely clear that
all the arts went through some sort of mid-life crisis about that time.

Appearances to the contrary, I'm not knocking pop music or jazz. Nor am I
trying to dictate the definition of 20th century music. I'm just trying to
explain what that term evoked for me, and why that generated the Bill O.
Smith reference.

Barry

_____
Subject: Re: 20thC
Author: Gary_VanCott@-----.com at MINDSCAPE
Date: 5/9/97 1:35 PM

Gary VanCott = NHIN
05/09/97 01:35 PM
>My vote goes to Bill O. Smith
Who is he???
For better or worse, I can't think of any answer other than Benny Goodman.
Gary Van Cott
Las Vegas, NV

   
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