Alan Gilberts plans for the NY Philharmonic next season

[greg]

Of course melody is not everything in music, but seriously, when was the time you encountered a modern work that had real depth and structure ?

All the time. Structure is something that can be determined by the listener, in a way. I suppose different people naturally chop the information up into different pieces. For example, you might listen to the Penderecki Threnody and think that it has no structure, yet I hear it as a series of sections, many of which are ended by a pause.

Stuff like Boulez, Carter, or Stockhausen can be really hard for me to get, though- much harder to hear any kind of structure. Boulez's sonatas require such intense concentration that it's hard to keep up, although it feels good to listen that closely to the music.

[Homo Aestheticus]

Erm...several times a month. 

Um, would you like to share some addresses ?       Are they all in Manhattan ?

[bhodges]

Um, would you like to share some addresses ?       Are they all in Manhattan ?

"Several times a month" refers back to this statement:

Of course melody is not everything in music, but seriously, when was the time you encountered a modern work that had real depth and structure ?

My suggestion: go out and hear more contemporary music.  If price is an object, take a look at Alex Ross's recent article on budget concertgoing, mentioned in his follow-up post below:

http://www.therestisnoise.com/2009/02/cheap-seats-followup.html

New York City must be one of the best--if not the best--places in the world to hear great music free.  Not that you'd want to, but you could spend your entire life going to recitals at Juilliard alone, and 99% of those cost nothing.

--Bruce

[Homo Aestheticus]

http://www.therestisnoise.com/2009/02/cheap-seats-followup.html

A nice resource. Thanks.

New York City must be one of the best--if not the best--places in the world to hear great music free.  Not that you'd want to, but you could spend your entire life going to recitals at Juilliard alone, and 99% of those cost nothing.

'Free' is the key word, yes...     I believe London has the most vibrant music scene in the world.