Klarinet Archive - Posting 000892.txt from 1998/01

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Modern Music
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 19:12:19 -0500

At 10:01 AM 1/21/98 -0500, Charlie Griffin wrote:
>Dear Listers,
> I disagree with the definition of modern music. I'm surprised it
>took as long as it did for someone (Benjamin Maas) to point out the irony
>in the so-far general acceptance of calling two dead guys (Stravinsky and
>Copland) modern. As a living, breathing, composer of non-random,
>non-serial music that intends to be in a dialogue with the music and
>people of my time (now almost the 21st Century - let's get with it
>people!), what I often find most frustrating is the a priori assumption
>that my music is beneath contempt, especially if you haven't even heard
>any of it yet.
>
Apparently some composers ARE catching on! Hooray! :-)

I do not wish to denigrate all recent works based only upon their date of
composition. But if music is NOT "in dialogue with the...people" as you
say, then it fails to interest me. I deliberately staked out an overly
broad territory, expecting to stimulate disourse, and I have not been
disappointed. But music that is written to be UGLY, while it may have a
place somewhere, has no place in MY record library! I cannot abide
amusical music!

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.