Serious 20th Century "Classical" Music diverged off from the popular culture audience, who were scared away by the atonal screeching. Or did it? The author lovingly describes some of his favourite moments in this genre of music, and makes the argument that this "difficult" art has finally infiltrated our current pop culture in movie soundtracks and electronica experiments.
VB took me out to hear a performance of Das Lied von der Erde and I was totally enthralled with every bit of it. However, playing it in the office while I am trying to work is just not on.
This Schoenberg piece, on the other hand, flowed along very pleasantly and did not make any annoying demands on my attention. Poor Schoenberg, does that mean he has well or badly withstood the test of time?
The Igor Stravinsky recording session is distracting because people are talking, but the music is quite pleasing and actually interesting in a way that helps me think.
When I put on the Brecht & Weill I just had to stop working and listen to it because it is so awesome.
This particular Stockhausen piece is impossible to work to. Too much high pitched squeaking. And what's with the angel images? Crazy ass fan art. I like it quite a bit; definitely not good background music like the helicopter one.
- sally mckay 11-13-2011 4:58 pm
The first thing I ever downloaded from Napster was Stockhausen's Helikopter-Streichquartett. (nerd) - L.M. 11-13-2011 8:19 pm
me too, or at least, it was among the first 10. That is something I did not know we had in common. - sally mckay 11-14-2011 12:05 am
Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht was one of his lovely early works, back when he was more influenced by Mahler. He later made his place in musical history by developing the Bach-inspired 12-Tone system, which is based upon mathematical interpretations of how dots should go on staffs. Most audients found this breakthrough difficult to listen to for sustained periods of time. - VB 11-14-2011 12:20 am
We had a fair amount of Schoenberg discussion here last year, in relation to Cory Arcangel's youtube of cats on keyboards. - sally mckay 11-14-2011 12:26 am
The Mahler & the Schoenburg both sound like familiar movie soundtracks. - L.M. 11-14-2011 1:40 am
November 11, 2011
The Rest Is Noise; Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross
Serious 20th Century "Classical" Music diverged off from the popular culture audience, who were scared away by the atonal screeching. Or did it? The author lovingly describes some of his favourite moments in this genre of music, and makes the argument that this "difficult" art has finally infiltrated our current pop culture in movie soundtracks and electronica experiments.
Gustav Mahler
Arnold Schoenberg
Igor Stravinsky
Bertolt Brecht & Kurt Weill
Karlheinz Stockhausen
- VB 11-13-2011 2:57 pm
VB took me out to hear a performance of Das Lied von der Erde and I was totally enthralled with every bit of it. However, playing it in the office while I am trying to work is just not on.
This Schoenberg piece, on the other hand, flowed along very pleasantly and did not make any annoying demands on my attention. Poor Schoenberg, does that mean he has well or badly withstood the test of time?
The Igor Stravinsky recording session is distracting because people are talking, but the music is quite pleasing and actually interesting in a way that helps me think.
When I put on the Brecht & Weill I just had to stop working and listen to it because it is so awesome.
This particular Stockhausen piece is impossible to work to. Too much high pitched squeaking. And what's with the angel images? Crazy ass fan art. I like it quite a bit; definitely not good background music like the helicopter one.
- sally mckay 11-13-2011 4:58 pm
The first thing I ever downloaded from Napster was Stockhausen's Helikopter-Streichquartett. (nerd)
- L.M. 11-13-2011 8:19 pm
me too, or at least, it was among the first 10. That is something I did not know we had in common.
- sally mckay 11-14-2011 12:05 am
Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht was one of his lovely early works, back when he was more influenced by Mahler. He later made his place in musical history by developing the Bach-inspired 12-Tone system, which is based upon mathematical interpretations of how dots should go on staffs. Most audients found this breakthrough difficult to listen to for sustained periods of time.
- VB 11-14-2011 12:20 am
We had a fair amount of Schoenberg discussion here last year, in relation to Cory Arcangel's youtube of cats on keyboards.
- sally mckay 11-14-2011 12:26 am
The Mahler & the Schoenburg both sound like familiar movie soundtracks.
- L.M. 11-14-2011 1:40 am