Jewish American Composers

[Mirror Image]

Nonsense. The problem with Milhaud is that his music is as inexpressive and artificial as it gets.

I seriously doubt you've heard much of Milhaud's music to make such an absurd assertion. You clearly don't get Milhaud and that's okay. It's not the composer's fault that you don't like the music.

[Mirror Image]

Have you heard the 2nd violin concerto?

Though he certainly is an uneven composer from what I've heard, I find a statement like this about a composer having written nearly 500 opera wildly unbelievable - as I don't think you know more than a fraction of them.

I wouldn't worry about him, erato. He never has anything positive to say about anything and he's always looking for an argument from other people for no reason.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Not much of an argument. Both arts are different. As I said, you clearly don't know what you're talking about.

I don't find "Josquin's" statement controversial or objectionable. There's lots of good American music, sure - but are there any American composers who are the equal of Bach or Beethoven?

That said, it's kind of a pointless argument. I will continue to enjoy music from both sides of the Atlantic.

[Szykneij]

I don't find "Josquin's" statement controversial or objectionable. There's lots of good American music, sure - but are there any American composers who are the equal of Bach or Beethoven?

Since both Bach and Beethoven were born before the United States existed, that's not surprising. Any American vrs. European comparison of classical music would have to start with the 20th century to make any sense at all.

[starrynight]

We are a nation of immigrants, a nation bound together not by genetic heritage and the accident of birth but rather by choice and our commitment to shared fundamental values.

That's what politicians like people to think.

[some guy]

American music at its best is not as great as European music at its best. That's my argument.

But that's not an argument. That's an assertion. Those are different things. An argument will include assertions, might even end with one, the kind we call "conclusion." But an assertion, alone, is definitely not an argument.

In any event, words like "best" and "great" are vague terms that need quite a hefty shovelful of facts and carefully reasoned opinions to hold any weight at all.

[vandermolen]

Have recently been enjoying Bloch's 'Three Jewish Poems' - a fine work.

[TheGSMoeller]

Paul Schoenfield.

[starrynight]

But that's not an argument. That's an assertion. Those are different things. An argument will include assertions, might even end with one, the kind we call "conclusion." But an assertion, alone, is definitely not an argument.

In any event, words like "best" and "great" are vague terms that need quite a hefty shovelful of facts and carefully reasoned opinions to hold any weight at all.

Music isn't really a competition or sport anyway.  There can be good music from everywhere, and it's influence crosses all political or ethnic boundaries.  Music possibly more than any other art has a universality which looks to transcend both place and time, so limiting it by looking backwards at it ideologically can severely limit our vision of the individuality of a composer.

[vandermolen]

I've greatly enjoyed the music of this composer: