Klarinet Archive - Posting 000551.txt from 2003/07

From: "Michael Norsworthy" <mnorswor@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] RE: ClarinetFest
Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2003 09:13:42 -0400

Whilst everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I must say that I'm
shocked by the remark below. Shall we continue playing the same handful
of pieces at EVERY ClarinetFest? Should the art NOT move forward and
remain stuck in the 18th-19th centuries? Should composers continue to
write unintelligent Neo-Romantic crap like so many American composers
have taken to doing in the last 10-20 years or so? Or perhaps we should
ask Brittany Spears for a new clarinet concerto...

As someone who makes his living largely by doing contemporary music by
composers such as Berio, Donatoni, Boulez, Cage, Zorn, Feldman,
Sciarrino and many others, I'm usually appalled by other players'
unwillingness to learn and try new things and types of music. When
perfect authentic cadences are taken out of the mix, people's ears
usually turn off rather than on, thus perpetuating a cycle of ignorance
and backstepping in the art we profess to care about so much.

Look at most of the great European players, i.e. Damiens, Carbonare,
Cuper, Stevensson, etc... They're aware of the importance of this so
called experimental, 12 tone stuff and actively commission and support
composers who are writing interesting, innovative and truly NEW music.
While there are many American players, many my friends and colleagues,
who do play new literature on a regular basis, the trend in the USA
nowadays is to get on the orchestral track, play your Beethoven, Mozart
and Brahms, win a job (if you have the dedication and luck to win an
audition) and then work for an orchestra that programs the same handful
of composers year after year after year. We wonder why the arts are
going down the drain in the US, well, perhaps it's because artists here
are by in large too damned lazy to give the public something new to
listen to. The thought trend is... If we do Mahler with a light show,
that'll bring 'em in! WRONG!

I could rant about this all day if given the opportunity, however, what
I've said above begins to get my point across. Rather than criticizing
the new and hiding out with the old, embrace change and new things.
Dare to be a little different and learn about this "new" music stuff...
you might be surprised with what you find. While the old composers are
still wonderful (yes, I too love Mozart and the others), their horses
have been beaten to death for 200 years... Why not ride a horse that's
got life in it, one that you can work WITH (meaning many composers are
ALIVE) and that you can influence in postiive ways. Stop being so lazy.

Regards,
Michael Norsworthy
mnorswor@-----.net

P.S. I'm sure this will spark many replies... have at it boys and girls!

> Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2003 19:10:23 -0700 (PDT)
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> From: ormondtoby@-----.net (Ormondtoby Montoya)
> Subject: ClarinetFest
> Message-ID:
> <16243-3F18A88F-2036@-----.net>
>
> According to the archives, nobody has said much about this year's
> ClarinetFest. The evening concerts were tremendous; but were other
> attendees as turned off by the large ratio of 12-tone / experimental /
> serial / atonal / etc during the daytime sessions as I was? One of
> them drove me out of the auditorium.

> It was real music.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/

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