I am impressed by the sheer variety of genres in these lists. I thought I had eclectic taste in music but much of this is new to me.
I think Schoenberg's development of serialism was a victim of its own success. Schoenberg wanted to release music from its conventional structures. He did, and as a result, his music is like the Silence in Doctor Who, monsters immediately forgotten once one stops seeing at them, only in this case the sense involved is hearing. I studied Schoenberg and Berg alongside many other 20th century avant garde composers for a music history exam, listening to their music repeatedly lest I be required to describe it in essay format on the exam. I can remember Berg's Wozzeck a little, I cannot remember the Schoenberg I listened to - his deliberate deconstruction of music removed the little auditory hooks music has to help with recall. Two decades later, I still go back to listen again to the other avant garde composers, whose music I can recall enough to want to hear it again, but Schoenberg exists as a silent memory.
Even though he is the Godfather of the triumvirate (to mix my metaphors), I connect least with Schoenberg of these three. Berg managed to build interesting "melodies" out of 12-tone rows, and I think that his Violin Concerto is quite beautiful. Webern is an impressionist and a miniaturist. That leaves Schoenberg, and like you, I struggle to assimilate him--though I do love Leonskaja's playing on this record. My favorite Schoenberg is Pierrot Lunaire, for its sheer weirdness.
So happy to be in the company of David Gilmour, whose album "Luck and Strange," is one of my favorites, too. Thank you, John, for your appreciation of our debut CD, "The Quiver," by In These Trees and Tartie!
Man, John, what a collection. I'm with Holly about the eclecticism. You're giving me my listening through the end of the year, including a quiet New Year's getaway, Fascinating Gilmour doc. It gave me a much deeper understanding of the role of producers, much, it seems, like a theatrical or film director. I was struck by how Charlie discusses with the musicians playing any particular part the accompanying lyric, like a director discussing a scene with an actor. With all else musical, a very totalizing approach I didn't anticipate. And @susanbordo 's cousin!
I am impressed by the sheer variety of genres in these lists. I thought I had eclectic taste in music but much of this is new to me.
I think Schoenberg's development of serialism was a victim of its own success. Schoenberg wanted to release music from its conventional structures. He did, and as a result, his music is like the Silence in Doctor Who, monsters immediately forgotten once one stops seeing at them, only in this case the sense involved is hearing. I studied Schoenberg and Berg alongside many other 20th century avant garde composers for a music history exam, listening to their music repeatedly lest I be required to describe it in essay format on the exam. I can remember Berg's Wozzeck a little, I cannot remember the Schoenberg I listened to - his deliberate deconstruction of music removed the little auditory hooks music has to help with recall. Two decades later, I still go back to listen again to the other avant garde composers, whose music I can recall enough to want to hear it again, but Schoenberg exists as a silent memory.
Even though he is the Godfather of the triumvirate (to mix my metaphors), I connect least with Schoenberg of these three. Berg managed to build interesting "melodies" out of 12-tone rows, and I think that his Violin Concerto is quite beautiful. Webern is an impressionist and a miniaturist. That leaves Schoenberg, and like you, I struggle to assimilate him--though I do love Leonskaja's playing on this record. My favorite Schoenberg is Pierrot Lunaire, for its sheer weirdness.
I had forgotten he wrote Pierre Lunaire - that I do remember, as you say, for its sheer weirdness.
So happy to be in the company of David Gilmour, whose album "Luck and Strange," is one of my favorites, too. Thank you, John, for your appreciation of our debut CD, "The Quiver," by In These Trees and Tartie!
Thanks, Binnie! I look forward to whatever is coming next with this project.
Man, John, what a collection. I'm with Holly about the eclecticism. You're giving me my listening through the end of the year, including a quiet New Year's getaway, Fascinating Gilmour doc. It gave me a much deeper understanding of the role of producers, much, it seems, like a theatrical or film director. I was struck by how Charlie discusses with the musicians playing any particular part the accompanying lyric, like a director discussing a scene with an actor. With all else musical, a very totalizing approach I didn't anticipate. And @susanbordo 's cousin!