Please get the facts straight, a young Bach walked to hear Buxtehude who was an old man at the time.

Arggh, I so want to post a response to this thread when I have the time and energy to devote to it...it's late now; I'm tired.

When you do post, I'll read what you have to say carefully, and I'm sure a lot of other folks will too.


-J

Same here. Joe do so, please!

Minnesota Public Radio has a little catch line they like to throw in during station breaks:

"Remember, all music was once new."

Which is true, It's hard to disagree with that. And the implication, that we should give all new music a chance is something I also agree with--for awhile. But I won't listen endlessly in the spirit of tolerance. I won't necessarily listen until I am "used to it," and am on the edge of saying "I like it."

Endless listening and endless tolerance can lead to some strange conclusions. I imagine most of us could get used to the smell of our dirty socks piled up in the bottom of our bedroom closets. After while, if our mom comes in and throws the socks in the washer, we might be left feeling that we miss that smell. Indeed, we like it.

This little cameo of how we come to "like" things can be applied to many issues of art and taste.

I've been trying for years to come up with a better way to validate artistic expression, but I haven't quite got it yet. But I do know that I'm very wary of getting used to something by endlessly and tolerantly listening it.

TomTomasino
aka
tomasino

I'll speculate very confidently that no composer wants you to listen to his music "endlessly and tolerantly," until you "get used to it," and are kinda-sorta ready to admit that you maybe like it. No one else is asking you to do this either. What some of do us want from people with your attitude (to the extent that we care at all) is a good-faith acknowledgement that if we've grown to love something that you don't like or understand or want to be a part of, it's not because we've merely become accustomed to it, our natural and true perceptions distorted by familiarity or will-power. There is no dirty sock. We are not fooling ourselves, or pretending.

Please get the facts straight, a young Bach walked to hear Buxtehude who was an old man at the time. Here's a link for more information:

http://www.melos.ca/bux.pdf

One of the musicians who had studied them was the young Johann Sebastian Bach, then employed as an organist in
Arnstadt, some 400 km south of Lübeck. In 1705, the 20-year old Bach asked his supervisor for four weeks leave to visit Lübeck to “learn one thing and another about his art;” almost certainly it was Buxtehude whom Bach wanted to see. One wonders how he thought he could walk to and from Lübeck and have time to learn much there in just four weeks. He actually spent four months there.

On his return to Arnstadt, Bach was reprimanded for the long absence from his duties and also for confusing the congregation with “strange variations” and “foreign tones” in
his chorales. Indeed, Bach’s compositions for organ changed significantly after his visit to Lübeck, becoming more dramatic and harmonically complex. It is thought that hearing
Buxtehude’s music had a profound impact on the developing musical mind of the young Bach, who was essentially self-taught; however, it is not known whether he and the 68-year old Buxtehude actually met.

As for whether JW's music does it for you try this piece his Song for World Peace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhtQRu40V7s

As a native New Englander I also like this piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgkdm1Vs_9s

This last one really shows Williams' mastery of orchestration. The orchestral clarity is wonderful and the photos set with the music made me homesick.

His mastery of orchestration!? He employs other people to do that for him. As do a most film composers.

However, he did orchestrate his Piano Concerto in F.