Klarinet Archive - Posting 000861.txt from 1998/01

From: "Craig E. G. Countryman" <cegc@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Music: Modern vs. 'Old'
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 23:25:48 -0500

I think that modern music should be mixed with the old. After all, in
Mozart's day his music was "modern" and people responded well to it.
But, at the same time, the music of Bach and others before could still
be heard. In order to truly move forward we must take some risks, but
at the same time perserve a balance that will not scare people away.

Aaron Copland is a rather modern composer that has written tons of
wonderful music. I started listening to his works mainly for
cross-referencing to his Clarinet Concerto, but the more I heard the
more I wanted to hear. Likewise, after playing some excerpts from
Stravinsky's work I wanted to hear more of him. These were two
composers I never thought I would grow to love, as I was a passionate
lover of the classics, but I did.

As long as you come with an open mind, you can really become acquainted
with some things you never would have encountered otherwise. You've got
to take a chance on some things. You may not like every piece you hear,
I don't, but you may really find a new composer or genre that you find
very appealing.

I do agree with you that the average person must like music as well.
Part of what makes music so effective is that it can reach a large
audience. However, saturating the audience with too much of anything
can make the tired of turning out. By a delicate balance you may
attract some people back that may otherwise have stayed away.

Sincerely,

Craig Countryman