Klarinet Archive - Posting 000819.txt from 2001/09

From: Virginia Anderson <assembly1@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: Bernstein Sonata/Audience & performer (was: Cage knocks)
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 07:19:30 -0400

on 25/9/01 9:15 pm, alevin@-----. Levin) wrote:

> As a student of Nadia Boulanger, I suggest that there is a lot of donkey
> dung in the foregoing assumption.

Charming.

and on 25/9/01 9:15 pm, Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright) wrote:

> Without meaning any offense, it seems to me that 4'33" is an
> amusing gag. While it attracts attention, when viewed in the context
> of 'musical performance' it is somehow dishonest, or perhaps insincere,
> or perhaps invalid, or perhaps contemptuous of the audience.... I
> haven't found the perfect description yet....

This reminds me of the cosmetics counter saleswoman on the British comedy
_The Fast Show_, who would come up to customers and say things like, "This
product is more suited to women of your age, will hide all those horrid
blemishes, detract from your enormous hips and make you look as if you're
not desperate for a man and afraid of dying unloved. No offense!"

More seriously, I will take part in adult, academic debates and discussions,
not engage in slanging matches. I get villified from both sides for putting
4'33" on an equal musical level with the Bernstein Sonata and saying that I
preferred the former. Rather, I was hoping that this thread would lead into
the problems and solutions of interpreting the indeterminate elements of a
lot of experimental and avant-garde music - ones specific to clarinet,
especially. Allen, rephrase your point without the attack and I'll answer.
And Bill's mention of audience noise leads directly to the question of
interpreting accidental sounds in Cardew's Paragraph 6 of _The Great
Learning_, which is a whole lot more interesting than his repeated claims
that 4'33" isn't music (it is, Bill, maybe not to you, but to the bulk of
the musical community). Anyone for a cordial, collegial discussion?

Cheers,

Virginia
--
Virginia Anderson
Leicester, UK
<vanderson@-----.uk>
Experimental Music Catalogue: <http://www.experimentalmusic.co.uk>
...experimental music since 1969....

---------------------------------------------------------------------

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org