There is still good in the world.

daniel on Dec 9th 2008

I’m listening to a first-rate performance and recording of Steve Reich’s “Music For 18 Musicians”. It’s absolutely fabulous still, after all these years.

In any case, I figure if I can subject myself to “The Rite of Spring” at the TSO and have to deal with music that hasn’t any meaningful harmony or structure, the least I can do to achieve balance is imbibe a great deal of music that’s nothing but.

Filed in main | 7 responses so far

7 Responses to “There is still good in the world.”

  1. # Chris Hubbson 10 Dec 2008 at 9:21 am

    I am unfamiliar with “Music For 18 Musicians”. I shall have to give it a try.

  2. # danielon 10 Dec 2008 at 11:53 am

    Definitely find a place where you can preview it before you buy it. It’s an interesting piece, but it’s also a polarising piece.

  3. # davidon 11 Dec 2008 at 12:02 pm

    whoa whoa whoa…did you just say, subject myself to the rite of spring? no meaningful harmony or structure? i think you’re confusing stravinsky with schoenberg. yeah, it’s got some pretty staggering harmonies, and some mega-complex rhythms, and perhaps it is asymmetrical…but that piece was a 30-minute revolution, the kind of which has scarcely been witnessed in the history of western music. it’s one of the defining pieces of the 20th-century.

    (steve reich…he’s good, too.)

  4. # danielon 11 Dec 2008 at 12:36 pm

    All of the things you said may in fact be true, but I still didn’t like it except on a really visceral level. I think the harmony and structure defied any concept of harmony and structure. I know Schoenberg took this further (I’ve tried listening to 12-tone and process music… it’s not easy to do!) but The Rite of Spring really gave that whole modern classical thing a kick in the pants.

  5. # links for 2008-12-11 - chrishubbs.comon 11 Dec 2008 at 11:02 pm

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  6. # davidon 15 Dec 2008 at 2:19 pm

    fair enough.

    i think it’s a staggering work of awesome.

  7. # danielon 17 Dec 2008 at 1:20 pm

    I’m not disagreeing at all!

    I just didn’t enjoy it much.