Is It Music or Gibberish ?

[Operahaven]

A first-rate blog post by  ACD :

http://www.soundsandfury.com/soundsandfury/2008/04/on-music-and-gi.html

[bwv 1080]

Can it not be both? 

[prémont]

Can it not be both? 

Yes, if you think of music in the broadest sense = combination of tones,
or rather: combination of sounds.

[springrite]

A first-rate blog post by  ACD :

ACD = Gibberish

[(poco) Sforzando]

Since I hear in Elliott Carter "a perceptible and coherent musical narrative from beginning to end," I conclude his work is not gibberish but music.

[karlhenning]

Eric, in your signature, you want the its without any apostrophe.

And . . . do you often sail on the H.M.S. Pimp-a-Blog?  Jolly good!

[Operahaven]

Karl, thanks for pointing out the unnecessary apostrophe.

I find it interesting that two prominent writers/critics have expressed their impatience towards the music of Elliot Carter.... That's all. 

[(poco) Sforzando]

Karl, thanks for pointing out the unnecessary apostrophe.

I find it interesting that two prominent writers/critics have expressed their impatience towards the music of Elliot Carter.... That's all. 

Which two?

[Operahaven]

Which two?

Justin Davidson and ACDouglas.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Justin Davidson and ACDouglas.

Oh. It was the word "prominent" that threw me.

[MN Dave]

One man's gibberish is another man's music.

End of thread. 

[Keemun]

We don't give a rat's ass about the processes and methods a composer uses to create his works. We insist only that those works be music and not gibberish which is to say we insist on each having a perceptible and coherent musical narrative from beginning to end.

Agreed. 

[DavidRoss]

Darn--I had hoped for something other than the usual supercilious mediocrity from Mr. Douglas.

Wasn't familiar with Mr. Davidson.  Apparently he writes for New York Magazine, which David Mamet recently referred to as "an open running sore on the body of world literacy...."

A curious note (curious to me, at least) is that I generally agree with Mr. Douglas in a shared preference for tonal music.  But that, I pray, is where the similarity ends.

[karlhenning]

Oh. It was the word "prominent" that threw me.

Precisamente.

[DavidRoss]

Oh. It was the word "prominent" that threw me.

Yes, of course.  But do you mean that Mr. Operahaven's irony is not intentional?

[jochanaan]

Operahaven, if I wanted to, I could easily find two "prominent critics" who would defend Carter and Perle more eloquently than your two attack them.  But what I really want to know is, what do you think?

As for me, I am unacquainted with the music of Perle, but I find Carter's music (what I know of it, which I confess isn't much; I have little time now for exploratory listening amid the amount of playing I do) to be fascinating, and to possess a narrative that, while having little to do with conventional notions of coherence, still evokes a desire to know "What Next?"  You don't need tonality or a conventional story to evoke a compelling musical or dramatic experience.

[MN Dave]

It's gibbermusic.

[The new erato]

Gibberish music is music without structure; which might imply that there either is none, or that you are not able to discern it. Simple as that. A modicum of modesty is implied in case the last alternative turns out to be the case.

[MN Dave]

Gibberish music is music without structure; which might imply that there either is none, or that you are not able to discern it. Simple as that. A modicum of modesty is implied in case the last alternative turns out to be the case.

Oh, I was just playing around. I've never heard any Carter. Not on purpose anyway.

[The new erato]

Oh, I was just playing around. I've never heard any Carter. Not on purpose anyway.

My post wasn't specifically meant for you. But there's a differece between music one doesn't like, or understand, or whatever, and bad music. Just as music you like isn't automatically great music. I like lots of dross. If one dislikes great music, and likes c..p, it's your joy or loss or whatever.