Klarinet Archive - Posting 000557.txt from 2001/11

From: "Tony Wakefield" <tony-wakefield@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] A few facts about scary avant-garde noises
Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 08:26:42 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "Virginia Anderson" <assembly1@-----.com>
Subject: Re: [kl] A few facts about scary avant-garde noises

>And yet people think it's normal not to
> like recent music.

Yet more narrow-mindedness. Such rubbish Virginia, - if you can hear me.
We have an abundance of tolerance towards new music these days. Much more
than 40/50/60 years ago. New composers are being appreciated for their real
worth (when they have been educated properly at college) these days. It just
IS not true they are being scorned.

What I do have some reservations with however, is some extreme forms of
experimental music. As I`ve said, all music has to, and must affect the
emotions. Even supermarket musak does that - albeit subconsciously.
Experimental music should really be confined to the lecture room and to the
student`s recording studio. It says to me that it is an experimental
exercise, and if it is this - experimental, it is telling me that the
student is still studying, that s/he is also unsure what directions lie
ahead, and that it is nothing more than that - certainly because of that is
the reason why it should not be heard in the concert hall outside of
college. There`s no reason why, of course, that a talented graduate who is
articulate enough to write an 'absolute' composition (not experimental
music), i.e. a student who has enough maturity to understand that his
intellect, research and emotion has advanced his composing to surety, (as
much as is possible for comparative inexperience) cannot be heard in the
'normal' concert hall.

The term 'experimental' is therefore a killer to it`s own cause, is it not?
If it is expected/demands that it has/needs to be heard in our concert halls
along side our 'normal' repertoire, then let it stand side by side, and
<not> be classified as 'experimental'. Otherwise lets keep it in the
classroom where it has an abundance of legitimacy.

Tony W.

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