Klarinet Archive - Posting 000971.txt from 2002/11

From: Bi6W@-----.net (Bill Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Trivia --- Hindemith
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 18:09:12 -0500

<><> Walter Grabner wrote:
Bill, back to basic music history/music theory for you.

<heh> Not that it matters, but I haven't been there for the *first* time
yet --- not for a complete tour, at least!

I don't know where I picked up the wrong idea about Hindemith, but I'm
going to listen to a recording or two.

Nonetheless I must say that, for some people, the border between tonal
and atonal is less obvious than for other people. If "tonality" means
a tonal center towards which everything else in the composition
gravitates, the first movement of Strauss's Domestic Symphony leaves me
twisting painfully in the wind..... pure screeching with no path that
leads back home. By comparison, I feel that Mahler symphonies do show
a 'clear path home'.

I realize that another aspect of "tonality" is that some notes in the
chromatic scale are not used to any great extent. In other words, the
music has a key without too many accidentals. In this sense, I accept
that I misused the word "atonal".

I suppose part of my problem is whether the name "tonality' requires
*both* a tonal center and a key.

After reading about Hindemith, I accept that my use of the word 'serial'
*was* wrong. As I said above, for some reason I associated Hindemith's
name with "serial' --- where "serial" means equal usage of all notes in
the chromatic scale, often according to a formula.

<><> Remember the old Bernstein/New York Philharmonic broadcast
explaining the ambiguous ending of "Zarathustra"?

No, I never heard it (the broadcast, that is). I assume you mean the
comparatively short "Thus Spake Zarathustra" opus 30? If you feel like
elaborating, I'll certainly listen.

Thank you,
Bill

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