Quickie Bang on a Can Marathon Report
Jeff Harrington
Don't have much time to do this, but thought I'd give it a one minute
shot.
Seven hours of essentially post-minimalist music was the main course
Sunday at Avery Fisher hall in the 9th? BoAC Marathon. Started at 2:30 we
left before the last hour of Steve Reich's Drumming.
*****************************
Highlights for Elsie and I:
Alvin Curran: VSTO - played by the Cassatt Quartet. Dedicated to Scelsi's
memory; a static glowing piece of quiet and strange beauty.
Frederic Rzewski: Piano Piece #4 (Lisa Moore of the BoCA All-Stars) - an
extraordinary piano piece building from repeated notes at the top of the
piano; descending into the depths while flirting with the stylistic
mannerisms of Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin. A little brief.
George Antheil: Ballet Mecanique - played with Leger's
mechanical-surrealist move.
****************************
Interesting and or Fun:
Anna Dembska: Coyote - extended vocal techniques meet the western animal
world and C&W.
Liu Sola: China Collage - a little cute, but crazed Pipa playing and some
great singing and humor.
Daniel Goode: Tunnel Funnel - about 5 times too long, but a vast
minimalist exploration of multiple flutes and trombones with chamber
orchestra.
Charles Amirkhanian: Church Car I, Dumbek Bookache IV, Dutiful Ducks -
in person, still ranting about the CIA, still cool.
Phil Kline: Whole Lotta - 12 boomboxes at the service of Led Zep. Ligeti
results.
The concert as a whole had a lot less variety to it and a lot more of the
same kinds of rock-inspired post minimalist music that the BoAC All-Stars
perform. A little more marketing this year and a little more hype. No
Carter, Feldman, Ligeti, etc... no Europeans!
All and all an extraordinary way to spend 7 hours even on a beautiful
Sunday. Only $15.00!!!!
Jeff Harrington "Art does not make peace...
je...@parnasse.com That is not its business...
http://www.parnasse.com Art is peace." -- Robert Lowell
Richard St. Clair
rus...@nntp.best.com (Jeff Harrington) wrote:
>Don't have much time to do this, but thought I'd give it a one minute
>shot.
>Seven hours of essentially post-minimalist music
What's next, neo-post-minimalism?
Rick
(feeling very 'flammable' today)
Herb Levy
In article <4pq1pt$q...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, "Richard St. Clair"
<an23...@anon.penet.fi> wrote:
> rus...@nntp.best.com (Jeff Harrington) wrote:
>
> >Don't have much time to do this, but thought I'd give it a one minute
> >shot.
>
> >Seven hours of essentially post-minimalist music
>
> What's next, neo-post-minimalism?
>
Jeff's post hasn't shown up on this server yet, but, uh, isn't all music
written in the 1990s literally "post-minimalist"?
Herb Levy
he...@eskimo.com
Frank Brickle
: What's next, neo-post-minimalism?
You blinked! That was Monday through Thursday last week.
And -- just a reminder -- remember that Stylistic Evolution
will be down for routine maintenance June 16 - 23.
Ipsifendous Archilochus
In article <4pq1pt$q...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>,
>>shot.
>
>
>What's next, neo-post-minimalism?
>
little labels: sit down for five minutes and think real hard about the
term 'post-modernism'. Then, head out for some jumbo shrimp. :)
--G
Matthew H. Fields
In article <4pqu50$f...@news.iastate.edu>,
Ipsifendous Archilochus <ipsi...@iastate.edu> wrote:
>Good rememdy for those who suffer the temptation to deal in these handy
>little labels: sit down for five minutes and think real hard about the
>term 'post-modernism'. Then, head out for some jumbo shrimp. :)
Hmmm, what about Futurism? Didn't that require a similar feat of
doublethink?
--
_ || Composer and educator
/ \ * || URL:http://www-personal.umich.edu/~fields
* | * || URL:mailto:fie...@umich.edu
Dr. Matthew H. / ields || Phone 313-936-7579 days, 313-769-4836 eves.
Richard St. Clair
he...@eskimo.com (Herb Levy) wrote:
>Jeff's post hasn't shown up on this server yet, but, uh, isn't all music
>written in the 1990s literally "post-minimalist"?
Not as long as the first-gen minimalists keep on drumming, or strumming, or
thrumming, or humming, or whatever it is they do...
R
Jeff Harrington
OK OK OK OK----->...here's our joke about the concert:
What is post-minimalism?
"Uh... like, I wanted to be uh, you know, rock star, but, like, I went to
Princeton instead."
;-)
One thing I kept noticing at this concert, if it was real rock music, at
least I could get off on the bass. No bass! Patterns... rock
patterns... that's why post-minimalism ain't a bad moniker.
Kenneth Goldsmith
Here's my quickie BOAC Marathon Report from ThingReviews =
(http://www.thing.net/ttreview/)
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-
Author: Kenneth Goldsmith --- Date: 6/11/96 --- Copyright: ThingReviews NY=
C
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Bang On A Can Marathon
Alice Tully Hall, NYC
June 2, 1996
This is one spectator's observations of the much-hyped Bang On A Can
Marathon, which happened June 2, 1996 at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center,
NYC. I am not a musician, nor do I pretend to be an expert--I'm just a
fan...
For those of you who don't know, the Bang On A Can Marathon was started in
1987 by a bunch of students who had just finished at Yale. They came to New=
York with big ideas in mind: basically to turn the New Music scene on its
ear--a merging of the long divided Uptown and Downtown scenes. Founder Davi=
d
Lang had participated in a New Music consort at Yale that gave adventuresom=
e
all-night concerts. When he arrived in New York he wanted to replicate that=
heady all-nite concert feeling (historical precedents: Terry Riley, Robert
Wilson, John Cage, etc.). However, New York in the late 80s was not New Yor=
k
in the 70s; people wanted to be in bed at a reasonable hour, hence a daytim=
e
marathon tradition began. From its humble beginnings at Exit Art, the venue=
moved to Millennium on E. 4th St., to The Kitchen, finally finding a
permanent(?) home uptown at Lincoln Center.
They claim that they are interested in presenting music we've never heard
before; they want us to leave the auditorium unsure of what exactly music i=
s
(or to quote the slogan of the late, great Downtown performance space
Roulette "Yes, but is it music?"). Over the years, they've done a formidabl=
e
job in digging up some really obscure stuff. The three judges blindly liste=
n
to over 200 entries and make the final decision based not on resum=E9 or
accomplishment, but on the actual music itself. Eccentricity is appreciated=
,
as is obscurity.
However, what's as interesting as the music presented at this annual event
is the curatorial slant of David Lang, Michael Gordon, and Julia Wolfe.
Atonality, 12-tones, Cageian aesthetics, and Darmstadt influence were
completely absent in the most recent installment of the Bang On A Can
Marathon. Rather, the emphasis was on fierce attack, strong rhythm, and
minimalism. The volume was extremely loud through out the entire 8 hour
show; it was rarely adjusted regardless of the nature of the piece (the
exception being the Curran piece: see below). We caught the first 2 hours o=
f
the show then split for a walk in Central Park; we then returned for the
final 3 hours. Here's a brief rundown of the pieces we saw:
George Antheil "Ballet Mechanique," performed by Red Fish Blue Fish. This
ensemble, a group of students from UCSD, was led by Steve Shick,
percussionist of The Bang On A Can All Stars. They did a formidable job wit=
h
this old chestnut. In typical BOAC style, they punched up the sound: strong=
attacks, high volume and an up-to-date tape of a screeching jet-engine
instead of the old-fashioned propeller used in my early 1950's Carlos
Surinach recording. A real bonus was the simultaneous showing of a Fernand
Leger film--evidently meant to be shown with the original piece. IMHO, BOAC=
wanted to show the roots of their agenda and make a historical
connection--hence, the inclusion of this piece. Every piece that I witnesse=
d
during the rest of the day had a "Ballet Mechanique" feel to it.
Eve Beglarian "Machut in the Machine Age IV: Ay mi!" Performed by Twisted
Tutu: Eve Beglarian & Kathy Supove. Two chicks dressed in black bras wearin=
g
transparent plastic shirts made me suspicious from the start. This piece wa=
s
based on a miced up child's organ. One woman banged on the organ (which was=
fed into tape delay/loop system) and the other played Reichian "4 Organ"
chords on the keyboard. Twisted Tutu tried for outrageousness in their
attire, but thankfully the more entertaining outlandishness was to be found=
in the music: strange muffled knockings meeting canned psychedelic suburban=
60's Wurlitzer sounds straight from Grandma's basement.
Zack Browning "Breakpoint Screamer" Performed by Ensemble Screamer. This
could have been the sleeper of the day--it certainly ranked amongst my
faves. 5 trumpets and electronics belting out very tight horn charts. As th=
e
electronics got faster, the players responded (or maybe it was the other wa=
y
around) until things got so sonically overworked that they were about to
explode. Very BOAC fare, that succeeds in just the way that BOAC aspires to=
:
rhythm, volume, intensity and rock and roll. This one left our heads
spinning and our ears dazzled.
Pamela Z "The Muni Section" & "In Tymes of Olde" Performed by Pamela Z. A
commissioned piece based on the sounds of San Francisco. Pamela Z. is a
wonderful performer. She was wired up like a suicide bomber. I couldn't
quite make out which wires led to where but every time she moved a part of
her body she triggered a sound bite. The samples were of people asking
directions, conductors on subway cars, tourists, etc. She did a Joan La
Barbaraesque vocal treatment over the top of her strange acoustic dance. He=
r
voice is beautiful and her range is broad but the material was lacking as i=
t
moved into sentimentality. This had the effect of softening the edge an
otherwise feisty performance.
Alvin Curran "VSTO" Performed by the Cassatt Quartet. Dedicated to Giacinto=
Scelsi, this piece was gorgeous although the context was completely wrong.
After the hi-jinx rock 'n' roll of the first few works (particularly the
Antheil & Browning), this low volume Scelsi-esque acoustic composition hit
dead air. The delicate overtones and strange microtones were unfortunately
lost on me due to my still-ringing ears. 2 1/2 hours into the show, it was
time for a break. Here's what we saw when we returned:
Michael Gordon "Lilies" Performed by Michael Gordon Philharmonic. I like
Michael Gordon's music. I like his CD with works from the 80's "Big Noise
from Nicaragua." I like his Stravinskyian maximalism. I like his Reichian
Minimalism. So, I liked this work too. (2 blaring amped violins, an electri=
c
guitar, a baritone sax, and a Casio keyboard repeated in square dance-like
configurations between the various players, each pushing the others to be
louder and more mechanical.) It was just like all his other work. And
perhaps that's the problem--I don't get any urgent sense of progression or
growth in Gordon's work. There was no date on the work in the program notes=
and despite the rush of pleasure this piece gave me, it all left me
wondering: where is he headed? Where does he go from here?
Toby Twining "Shaman" & "Richi Richi Rubel" Performed by Toby Twining Music=
=2E
Some music is better seen than heard. To watch this a capella quartet was
amazing; they did some very beautiful and difficult things with their
voices. There was Tuvan and overtone singing; there were wonderful
harmonies. It was a strange mixing of American Indian chanters meeting Bobb=
y
McFerrin meeting Jimmy Rodgers on a Saturday afternoon in Washington Square=
Park; the whole world was there.
David Lang "Cheating, Lying, Stealing" Performed by the Bang On A Can All
Stars. This piece leads off the new BOAC compilation CD. And it's a bad
choice. Each time I put the CD on, I find myself fast forwarding to the 2nd=
piece (Annie Gosfield's wonderful piano-work "The Manufacture of Tangled
Ivory," which was performed today but we missed it). Today's show confirmed=
my feelings: there's a disappointing lethargy to this Lang work (I've
enjoyed his work previously). He faces the same problem that Michael Gordon=
seems to face: they've both stylistically painted themselves into a
corner--they've reached the end of something and need something fresh to
happen. The normally sparking All Stars dimmed here and one felt their lack=
of inspiration pervading the concert hall.
Charles Amirkhanian "Dumbek Bookache IV" "Church Car I" "Dutiful Ducks"
Performed by Charles Amirkhanian. This was a real treat. Evidently
Amirkhanian no longer performs these 70's classics but he "came out of
retirement" for this performance. There is an odd purity to these
sound-texts: bits of words rubbing against each other free-forming meaning
to a hypnotic beat; Amirkhanian spoke before the performance and said that
he'd been reading Clark Coolidge & Gertrude Stein around the time he wrote
these. He performed solo with accompanying taped voices. Each piece was
brief--like a pop song. The audience received him warmly. If only most pop
were this challenging...
Phil Kline "Whole Lotta" Performed by Phil Kline. The undisputed hit of the=
show. Kline got up in front of an audience and created a process artwork
before our eyes using 12 boomboxes and tape loops. He approached the first
box, turned on the mic and screamed a high pitched Residents-inspired
version of Robert Plant's "Woman you need loovvvveeee" from Zep's "Whole
Lotta Love." From there he went down the line of boxes repeating the phrase=
with gradual intensity. When all the tape loops were rolling(creating an
almost perfect feedback echo Plant imitation) he went back to the first one=
and started all over again, erasing the work he had just created. In its
place, a new and abstract drone born. Kline pulled off something really har=
d
to do: successfully mixing rock and New Music in a way that neither kitsch
or overly intellectual.
Frederic Rzewski "Piano Piece #4" Performed by Lisa Moore. Lisa Moore is on=
e
of the great assets of the BOAC All Stars. I've seen her tackle some of the=
most challenging pieces with the greatest of ease. Rzewski's piece was no
exception. Moore, with seemingly no effort, glided through the treacherous
passages presented here. A simple pulse at the top end of the piano grew in=
intensity and proceeded down the keyboard to the lowest range. Settling
somewhere in the middle, it nestled itself in a bed of subtle pulses and
vibrations to finish out this brief but astonishing work.
Steve Reich "Drumming" Performed by Red Fish Blue Fish. Led by Steve Shick.=
You've got to give these kids an A for effort. This is an impossibly
difficult piece to get right. Subtle voices and percussion weave in and out=
of one another creating an almost static field. It must take years of
practice to get it right. There were problems here: bad feedback in the
middle of the quietest parts, unsure vocals... But there were also moments
of great beauty that is inherent in this gorgeous work: heady middle-range
marimba playing, fierce attack bongo play... It's always a pleasure to get =
a
chance to hear this work; and one can always find dazzling passages
regardless of the quality of the performance.
In summation (and here comes my armchair musicology) here's what I think:
Bang On A Can is attempting to create a historical lineage for themselves;
it's one that ignores the major musical thrust of the 20th Century--the 12
tone row-- and instead begins with Futurism, proceeds through Stravinsky,
Cage & Harrison's percussion/gamelan periods, and rockets straight through
to Minimalism, often touching down into Pop along its merry way. We end up
with Stravinsky's "Le Sacre du Printemps" taken to the umpteenth degree,
tempered with Minimalism, and juiced up with electric guitars. It's a sexy
approach and it's certainly has caught my attention. Now that they've got
it, the real question is: where do they go from here?
-Kenneth Goldsmith
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-
Kenneth Goldsmith is the host of WFMU's "Unpopular Music with Kenny G."
(91.1 FM, East Orange)
ken...@wfmu.org
http://wfmu.org/~kennyg
Matthew H. Fields
In article <4pslu2$q...@nntp1.best.com>,
Jeff Harrington <rus...@nntp.best.com> wrote:
>What is post-minimalism?
>
>"Uh... like, I wanted to be uh, you know, rock star, but, like, I went to
>Princeton instead."
Went to Princeton, came out an expert in maximal money for minimal effort,
sounds like they're ready to go work for Northrop Defense Systems!
Frank Brickle
Matthew H. Fields (fie...@zip.eecs.umich.edu) wrote:
: In article <4pslu2$q...@nntp1.best.com>,
: Jeff Harrington <rus...@nntp.best.com> wrote:
: >What is post-minimalism?
: >
: >"Uh... like, I wanted to be uh, you know, rock star, but, like, I went to
: >Princeton instead."
: Went to Princeton, came out an expert in maximal money for minimal effort,
: sounds like they're ready to go work for Northrop Defense Systems!
So...you're saying that Northrop offers strong support for Minimalism?
One might have thought it was General Dynamics...
I've got to admit there's something to this caricature. The thing is,
how else are you supposed to market yourself these days? The only
admissible posture is "moving towards the audience." But you can't go
halfway -- "Schoenberg Lite" is just silly. One way or another you
wind up trying to be some kind of pop star, or else Lion of High Culture.
Actually the whole scene looks pretty grim right now. A couple of weeks
ago I went to a concert by the Turtle Island String Quartet. They did
a terrific job, the audience *loved* it -- the usual jazz and blues
tunes played by a quartet. But it was hard not to wonder how that
audience would have reacted to the original versions -- not well, I
think -- and whether it wasn't after all just Pat Boone doing Little
Richard.
Come to think of it, an awful lot of recent music seems to suffer from
the same problem. Pat Boone doing, if not Little Richard, Shostakovich.
Matthew H. Fields
In article <4pukgn$i...@newton.crisp.net>,
Frank Brickle <bri...@newton.crisp.net> wrote:
>Matthew H. Fields (fie...@zip.eecs.umich.edu) wrote:
>: In article <4pslu2$q...@nntp1.best.com>,
>: Jeff Harrington <rus...@nntp.best.com> wrote:
>: >What is post-minimalism?
>: >"Uh... like, I wanted to be uh, you know, rock star, but, like, I went to
>: >Princeton instead."
>: Went to Princeton, came out an expert in maximal money for minimal effort,
>: sounds like they're ready to go work for Northrop Defense Systems!
>So...you're saying that Northrop offers strong support for Minimalism?
>One might have thought it was General Dynamics...
My 1984 summer job at Northrop was enough to convince me that both
N. and GD qualify.
Herb Levy
In article <4psbm0$2...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, "Richard St. Clair"
<an23...@anon.penet.fi> wrote:
> he...@eskimo.com (Herb Levy) wrote:
>
>
> >Jeff's post hasn't shown up on this server yet, but, uh, isn't all music
> >written in the 1990s literally "post-minimalist"?
>
> Not as long as the first-gen minimalists keep on drumming, or strumming, or
> thrumming, or humming, or whatever it is they do...
>
> R
Oh, come on. The tendency to name a specific style as "post-anything" is
absurd. Any work that comes later than minimalism, whether or not it
shows the influence of minimalism, is literally "post-minimalist."
The term doesn't make a useful distinction.
Herb Levy
he...@eskimo.com
Jeff Harrington
Jeff Harrington (rus...@nntp.best.com) wrote:
: Herb Levy (he...@eskimo.com) wrote:
: : In article <4psbm0$2...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, "Richard St. Clair"
: : <an23...@anon.penet.fi> wrote:
: That is absurd. :-) In NYC, post-minimalism means specifically composers
: extending minimalist music, usually towards rock or world musics. If you
: don't know what it means, that doesn't mean it is lacking in meaning.
: What does impressionism *mean*? We use the term nonetheless. Modernism?
: Etc... We adopt naming conventions and some live and some die.
Sorry to comment on my last post...
Post-impressionism is a good model for this type of accepted absurdity in
naming art. To art congnoscenti it means specifically Matisse, Van
Gogh, Gaugin. But everything since 1900 is post-impressionism! Seems to
conote some type of extension of style in this context, too.
Jeff Harrington
Herb Levy (he...@eskimo.com) wrote:
: In article <4psbm0$2...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, "Richard St. Clair"
: <an23...@anon.penet.fi> wrote:
: > he...@eskimo.com (Herb Levy) wrote:
: >
: >
: > >Jeff's post hasn't shown up on this server yet, but, uh, isn't all music
: > >written in the 1990s literally "post-minimalist"?
: >
: > Not as long as the first-gen minimalists keep on drumming, or strumming, or
: > thrumming, or humming, or whatever it is they do...
: >
: > R
: Oh, come on. The tendency to name a specific style as "post-anything" is
: absurd. Any work that comes later than minimalism, whether or not it
: shows the influence of minimalism, is literally "post-minimalist."
: The term doesn't make a useful distinction.
That is absurd. :-) In NYC, post-minimalism means specifically composers
extending minimalist music, usually towards rock or world musics. If you
don't know what it means, that doesn't mean it is lacking in meaning.
What does impressionism *mean*? We use the term nonetheless. Modernism?
Etc... We adopt naming conventions and some live and some die.
Best,
Richard St. Clair
Herb Levy wrote:
>Oh, come on. The tendency to name a specific style as "post-anything" is
>absurd. Any work that comes later than minimalism, whether or not it
>shows the influence of minimalism, is literally "post-minimalist."
Minimialism is still going, er, 'strong' - it's premature to call anything
post-minimalist...yet.
Rick
Richard St. Clair http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/
Richard St. Clair
Frank Brickle wrote:
>how else are you supposed to market yourself these days? The only
>admissible posture is "moving towards the audience." But you can't go
>halfway -- "Schoenberg Lite" is just silly.
Actually, Frank, I really *like* the idea of "Schoenberg Lite"!
Anyone want to go 'all the way' with it? ;) Oh, I forgot - John Harbison
already did <nyuck!>...
Herb Levy
In article <4q1273$i...@nntp1.best.com>, rus...@nntp.best.com (Jeff
Harrington) wrote:
> Herb Levy (he...@eskimo.com) wrote:
> : In article <4psbm0$2...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, "Richard St. Clair"
> : <an23...@anon.penet.fi> wrote:
>
> : > he...@eskimo.com (Herb Levy) wrote:
> : >
> : >
> : > >Jeff's post hasn't shown up on this server yet, but, uh, isn't all music
> : > >written in the 1990s literally "post-minimalist"?
> : >
> : > Not as long as the first-gen minimalists keep on drumming, or
strumming, or
> : > thrumming, or humming, or whatever it is they do...
> : >
> : > R
>
> : Oh, come on. The tendency to name a specific style as "post-anything" is
> : absurd. Any work that comes later than minimalism, whether or not it
> : shows the influence of minimalism, is literally "post-minimalist."
>
> : The term doesn't make a useful distinction.
>
> That is absurd. :-) In NYC, post-minimalism means specifically composers
> extending minimalist music, usually towards rock or world musics. If you
> don't know what it means, that doesn't mean it is lacking in meaning.
>
> What does impressionism *mean*? We use the term nonetheless. Modernism?
> Etc... We adopt naming conventions and some live and some die.
>
Jeff, I understand how the term "post-minimalism" is used. I simply think
the term is overly vague.
My problem is that, as you write, terms like "impressionism",
"modernism," "minimalism," etc. ARE already vague. To include these as
reference points for later styles in anything but a simple chronological
sense, is lazy & can only further increase the degree of vagueness in what
is an already confusing arena.
Regardless of how the term is used "in NYC".
Bests
Herb Levy
he...@eskimo.com
Herb Levy
In article <4q12ft$i...@nntp1.best.com>, rus...@nntp.best.com (Jeff
Harrington) wrote:
> Jeff Harrington (rus...@nntp.best.com) wrote:
> : Herb Levy (he...@eskimo.com) wrote:
> : : In article <4psbm0$2...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, "Richard St. Clair"
> : : <an23...@anon.penet.fi> wrote:
>
> : : > he...@eskimo.com (Herb Levy) wrote:
> : : >
> : : >
> : : > >Jeff's post hasn't shown up on this server yet, but, uh, isn't
all music
> : : > >written in the 1990s literally "post-minimalist"?
> : : >
> : : > Not as long as the first-gen minimalists keep on drumming, or
strumming, or
> : : > thrumming, or humming, or whatever it is they do...
> : : >
> : : > R
>
> : : Oh, come on. The tendency to name a specific style as "post-anything" is
> : : absurd. Any work that comes later than minimalism, whether or not it
> : : shows the influence of minimalism, is literally "post-minimalist."
>
> : : The term doesn't make a useful distinction.
>
> : That is absurd. :-) In NYC, post-minimalism means specifically composers
> : extending minimalist music, usually towards rock or world musics. If you
> : don't know what it means, that doesn't mean it is lacking in meaning.
>
> : What does impressionism *mean*? We use the term nonetheless. Modernism?
> : Etc... We adopt naming conventions and some live and some die.
>
> Sorry to comment on my last post...
>
> Post-impressionism is a good model for this type of accepted absurdity in
> naming art. To art congnoscenti it means specifically Matisse, Van
> Gogh, Gaugin. But everything since 1900 is post-impressionism! Seems to
> conote some type of extension of style in this context, too.
>
Over time any terminology in common usage will take on a new meaning.
That doesn't mean that this new term is the least confusing, most
productive description of the artistic style under consideration. Just
cause there's already instances of this awkward usage, doesn't mean that
we need to continue using to coin terms for new art trends.
In the last decade or two we've had musical styles called post-modernism,
post-serialism, post-Romanticism, post-minimalism, and possibly a few more
that I've forgotten. Probably, most of these terms won't end up meaning
very much, but the continued attempt to define current work primarily in
the context of older work is awkward, lazy, often inaccurate, inelegant,
reactionary, as well as, as I've written before, just plain confusing.
Even if the term has some current usage, doesn't mean I can't complain
about it before it really takes hold. Granted my efforts probably won't
have much effect in the long run, but if I had my druthers I'd prefer that
people began using something else, perhaps the term totalism that showed
up in a few of Kyle Gann's columns, anything but post-x.
Herb Levy
he...@eskimo.com
Jeff Harrington
Herb Levy (he...@eskimo.com) wrote:
: In the last decade or two we've had musical styles called post-modernism,
: post-serialism, post-Romanticism, post-minimalism, and possibly a few more
: that I've forgotten. Probably, most of these terms won't end up meaning
: very much, but the continued attempt to define current work primarily in
: the context of older work is awkward, lazy, often inaccurate, inelegant,
: reactionary, as well as, as I've written before, just plain confusing.
My guess is that these terms have disappeared primarily because the music
they describe has not maintained its interest. Not that we've digested
anything, really, from the past 20 years.
: Even if the term has some current usage, doesn't mean I can't complain
: about it before it really takes hold. Granted my efforts probably won't
: have much effect in the long run, but if I had my druthers I'd prefer that
: people began using something else, perhaps the term totalism that showed
: up in a few of Kyle Gann's columns, anything but post-x.
Totalism? You're kidding. That was just weird/proto-Wagnerian!
Regards,
Richard St. Clair
bri...@newton.crisp.net (Frank Brickle) wrote:
>And -- just a reminder -- remember that Stylistic Evolution
>will be down for routine maintenance June 16 - 23.
Hey, that's now. No wonder - I felt a tremor in The Force.
R
jaq...@en.com
In article <4psbm0$2...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, "Richard St. Clair"
<an23...@anon.penet.fi> wrote:
> he...@eskimo.com (Herb Levy) wrote:
>
>
> >Jeff's post hasn't shown up on this server yet, but, uh, isn't all music
> >written in the 1990s literally "post-minimalist"?
>
> Not as long as the first-gen minimalists keep on drumming, or strumming, or
> thrumming, or humming, or whatever it is they do...
>
Ah, but they don't. Are the new works of Reich and Glass really anything
like what they were doing in the 60s? And didn't Tom Johnson announce A
Long Time Ago that minimalism was dead?
--
Jeffrey Quick
http://www.en.com/users/jaquick
Frank Brickle
In article <4q4bi2$i...@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>,>...I really *like* the idea of "Schoenberg Lite"!
>Anyone want to go 'all the way' with it? ;) Oh, I forgot - John Harbison
>already did <nyuck!>...
Actually I do too. But woudn't that be Berg, then? ;-)