Is anyone interested in contemporary music?

[treitz3]

Admittedly and honestly? Me as well, slowGEEZR.

Sounded like a great noise floor at the beginning.

Tom

 

[NorthStar]

I'm hoping atonal music will die a quiet death so future generations don't realize how music has degenerated in the 20th century.

Gary, about RAP music?

 

[GaryProtein]

Gary, about RAP music?

Excuse me while I barf!

 

[BlueFox]

Reminds me of opera. I hate opera. One thing I love about string quartets is no "singing". Don't forget Morton Feldman and Gloria Coates for modern music.

 

[FrantzM]

Not sure about the originality of the piece... I thought I was listening to La Mer. Her voice though was really nice, and so was the dress.

You sure, you were looking at the dress ?

The piece takes more significance after a few listenings and preferably on a good pair of headphones. I can "dig" Boulez but he's not my favorite contemporary composer .. Can be stellar though as a conductor.

As for Rap it is unfortunate that what we mostly associate with 'rap" is the derivative commercial , violent, belittling and mysoginistic fare. Rap is much more.. ... Again referring to history, Jazz was seen under the same light a century ago ...

 

[ack]

You sure, you were looking at the dress ?

Well, when one has good vision, one's eyes tend to wander.

 

[Ronm1]

I get the opera and rap references. I enjoy those both also, until the singing and or reciting start

 

[Al M.]

I'm hoping atonal music will die a quiet death so future generations don't realize how music has degenerated in the 20th century.

I am afraid you're hoping in vain. Atonal music is finding young audiences these days, and some of these folks would rather listen to it than to Beethoven. I like to listen to both.

Anyway, you are missing out on some of the most exciting music written -- and performed, by often young musicians who can play the most difficult stuff just incredibly well, and do so with enthusiasm.

Today I was listening to Jadgen und Formen (Hunts and Forms) by Wolfgang Rihm, a 50-minute aural rollercoaster ride for an ensemble of 23 players. Complex and highly polyphonic music that will make your head spin -- in a positive way.

With this kind of music it also becomes obvious why you need a high-end system, for the timbral and spatial separation of all the instruments and different musical strands. On a regular stereo you would hear only half the music.

 

[Al M.]

By the way, that piece is played on my CD by the Ensemble Modern, which has also played Frank Zappa's music and was greatly admired by him, for good reason.

 

[GaryProtein]

By the way, that piece is played on my CD by the Ensemble Modern, which has also played Frank Zappa's music and was greatly admired by him, for good reason.

I am afraid you're hoping in vain. Atonal music is finding young audiences these days, and some of these folks would rather listen to it than to Beethoven. I like to listen to both.

Anyway, you are missing out on some of the most exciting music written -- and performed, by often young musicians who can play the most difficult stuff just incredibly well, and do so with enthusiasm.

I'm not surprised about Zappa. Imitation and flattery makes people feel good about themselves.

I have no doubt regarding the abilities of todays musicians, but if atonal music was so well liked, concerts wouldn't start with atonal pieces and finish with a classical blockbuster. That way, the audience is forced to listen to what they didn't come to hear and they wouldn't talk out at intermission because what they came to hear is performed last.

 

[Al M.]

I have no doubt regarding the abilities of todays musicians, but if atonal music was so well liked, concerts wouldn't start with atonal pieces and finish with a classical blockbuster. That way, the audience is forced to listen to what they didn't come to hear and they wouldn't talk out at intermission because what they came to hear is performed last.

The audiences are different. I am talking about young people coming to concerts dedicated to atonal music.

Also, some people come specifically for the atonal piece. Ten yers ago I went with a bunch of buddies to a concert by the Boston Symphony (under James Levine) in Boston, featuring the almost hour-long Sinfonia by Elliott Carter and Beethoven's Eroica symphony. We all came mainly for the Carter, even though we all liked the Beethoven as well (the latter is one of my all-time favorites). One guy came from Delaware for just this event, another one from NYC (that guy also came for the Carter while he thinks Beethoven is the greatest composer of all time, but obviously he has plenty opportunity to hear Beethoven live in NYC as well). One of the guys spoke after the concert with a young person who had not heard much classical music yet, and that person actually had preferred the Carter over the Beethoven.

 

[MadFloyd]

I like the piece. I find the arrangement stimulating.

 

[GaryProtein]

The audiences are different. I am talking about young people coming to concerts dedicated to atonal music.

Also, some people come specifically for the atonal piece. Ten yers ago I went with a bunch of buddies to a concert by the Boston Symphony (under James Levine) in Boston, featuring the almost hour-long Sinfonia by Elliott Carter and Beethoven's Eroica symphony. We all came mainly for the Carter, even though we all liked the Beethoven as well (the latter is one of my all-time favorites). One guy came from Delaware for just this event, another one from NYC (that guy also came for the Carter while he thinks Beethoven is the greatest composer of all time, but obviously he has plenty opportunity to hear Beethoven live in NYC as well). One of the guys spoke after the concert with a young person who had not heard much classical music yet, and that person actually had preferred the Carter over the Beethoven.

I think you are talking about a small niche audience with a specific interest.

 

[Diapason]

I understand not liking something, I don't understand wanting it to disappear when others enjoy and admire it. Who cares if it's a niche interest? So is classical music among the wider population. So is high end audio. So are lots of worthwhile things.

 

[Al M.]

I understand not liking something, I don't understand wanting it to disappear when others enjoy and admire it. Who cares if it's a niche interest? So is classical music among the wider population. So is high end audio. So are lots of worthwhile things.

+1

And indeed, classical music is just a niche interest as well. You think Beethoven is 'popular'? Think again. And classical chamber music is even more of a niche interest than orchestral music, for example.

What is more, the audiences of classical avantgarde appear to be more dedicated as well. They are consistently silent during concerts of such music, only to burst out in often thunderous applause after a piece has ended. This in stark contrast to regular classical concerts where you always have the obligatory coughs and the turning of program booklet pages. I hate paying a hundred bucks for a good seat at a Boston Symphony concert only to be distracted by these noises or actions from not sincerely interested idiots.

 

[es347]

What do you think of this?

[video]https://youtu.be/e9782tg1CEU[/video]

..I've found fingernails on blackboards more enjoyable but no argument regarding the dress and her...well let's just leave it at that

 

[audioline]

I just can't find the melody in that piece - that's simply to demanding for me!

 

[Al M.]

WoW - I know almost nothing about Stockhausen except vaguely recalling my confusion over his comments about 9/11, but your Web site is very impressive and it was interesting to read a bit about the music on the one LP of his that I have. Bravo and thank you for that!

You're welcome, Tim! I am glad you enjoy my website. I try to write from a listener's perspective; there is so much literature on the theory of Stockhausen's music already, but the music is there to be listened to, not just to be analyzed from the score.

 

[NorthStar]

I explored around, listened to some...it would take some time for me to get accustomed to this genre...and it goes way far too...up in the air playing a violin quartet from helicopters, seriously.

__________
__________

? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helikopter-Streichquartett

? https://web.archive.org/web/20141117125904/http://www.stockhausen.org/helicopter_intro.html

________

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I am afraid you're hoping in vain. Atonal music is finding young audiences these days, and some of these folks would rather listen to it than to Beethoven. I like to listen to both.

Anyway, you are missing out on some of the most exciting music written -- and performed, by often young musicians who can play the most difficult stuff just incredibly well, and do so with enthusiasm.

Today I was listening to Jadgen und Formen (Hunts and Forms) by Wolfgang Rihm, a 50-minute aural rollercoaster ride for an ensemble of 23 players. Complex and highly polyphonic music that will make your head spin -- in a positive way.

With this kind of music it also becomes obvious why you need a high-end system, for the timbral and spatial separation of all the instruments and different musical strands. On a regular stereo you would hear only half the music.

Sorry Al, but that's a crock and an elitist attitude.