Again, there are Neoclassical works that “the public” love just like “the public” love the old masters. Pulcinella Suite is a direct example that “competes,” but really anything from that era of Stravinsky is a great example. Francis Poulenc’s work is immensely popular (his clarinet duet and clarinet concerto are particularly good). In fact, directly after WWI is when all this stuff came out because europe couldn’t afford large orchestras.
This idea that modern classical music can’t be fun and entertaining is just plain strange! Serialism really gives modern music a bad name. People still compose tonal works, and tonal music is not considered “uninteresting.”
There’s nothing “bad” about serial music. (Individual works may of course vary in quality.) Not all music needs to be “accessible”. You’re right to point out that some modern music is, but it’s okay if also some isn’t. One just cannot expect everyone to be able to keep up indefinitely with increasing musical complexity.
Not even Beethoven is accessible to everybody, it seems.
Well wait a minute: you were the one who pointed specifically to serialism as the culprit for the “inaccessible” reputation of “modern music”. If you consider minimalists inaccessible also, why didn’t you include them in the blame?
No, I don’t think minimalists are inaccessible. You suggested that there is “increasing musical complexity,” and I was merely pointing out there doesn’t necessarily have to be “increasing musical complexity.”
I cited increasing musical complexity as the reason why serial music is considered “inaccessible”. I didn’t say anything about non-”inaccessible” music.
But not all modern music is inaccessible. In fact a lot of is more accessible than the old masters (I mean come on, The Firebird isn’t hard to understand at all). People seem to act as if once serialism came around all composers immediately threw out all ideas of tonality and harmony and that’s not true. Many people openly rejected ideas of atonality.
I don’t really have anything against serial music. Some of it is pretty cool. But that’s not what “modern music” is.
I should have been clearer that what I meant by good classical music is music which appeals to the general public.
Again, there are Neoclassical works that “the public” love just like “the public” love the old masters. Pulcinella Suite is a direct example that “competes,” but really anything from that era of Stravinsky is a great example. Francis Poulenc’s work is immensely popular (his clarinet duet and clarinet concerto are particularly good). In fact, directly after WWI is when all this stuff came out because europe couldn’t afford large orchestras.
This idea that modern classical music can’t be fun and entertaining is just plain strange! Serialism really gives modern music a bad name. People still compose tonal works, and tonal music is not considered “uninteresting.”
I beg your pardon...!
There’s nothing “bad” about serial music. (Individual works may of course vary in quality.) Not all music needs to be “accessible”. You’re right to point out that some modern music is, but it’s okay if also some isn’t. One just cannot expect everyone to be able to keep up indefinitely with increasing musical complexity.
Not even Beethoven is accessible to everybody, it seems.
I like to point out this line in particular, and then point to minimalist (and post-minimalist) composers.
Music doesn’t have to get necessarily more complex. Composers, like any large group of people, don’t agree on anything.
Well wait a minute: you were the one who pointed specifically to serialism as the culprit for the “inaccessible” reputation of “modern music”. If you consider minimalists inaccessible also, why didn’t you include them in the blame?
No, I don’t think minimalists are inaccessible. You suggested that there is “increasing musical complexity,” and I was merely pointing out there doesn’t necessarily have to be “increasing musical complexity.”
I cited increasing musical complexity as the reason why serial music is considered “inaccessible”. I didn’t say anything about non-”inaccessible” music.
But not all modern music is inaccessible. In fact a lot of is more accessible than the old masters (I mean come on, The Firebird isn’t hard to understand at all). People seem to act as if once serialism came around all composers immediately threw out all ideas of tonality and harmony and that’s not true. Many people openly rejected ideas of atonality.
I don’t really have anything against serial music. Some of it is pretty cool. But that’s not what “modern music” is.
I thought that was pop music.