Quote from: The GuardianIn his keynote speech for the Incorporated Society of Musicians annual conference (http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/comment/story/0,,2053775,00.html), [Peter Maxwell] Davies rails against the 'dumbing down' of culture for the sake of accessibility and invites us to raise our ears 'to the wheels on high of a divine cosmic order'
I half wish he hadn't chosen to bookend his speech with obscure quotations from Medieval literature - not sure that will turn on newcomers - but I can't help agreeing with much/most/all of what he has to say.
I wonder what Sean would make of this. ??? I'm sure he'd go along with the general doom-laden, head-shaking, ' 'twere better when I was a lad' nature of it all, but he'd have trouble accepting some of PMD's statements on the way, such as the second paragraph of the second page.
I like this quote:
When Alexander Goehr, John Ogdon, Harrison Birtwistle and I were students in Manchester, we were summoned all together to the Principal's office in college, the day after a Manchester Chamber Concerts Society evening had finished with a very funny Haydn finale. It had been impossible not to smile, and even laugh, discreetly. We were told our behaviour was unforgivable in a serious concert, and that we were a disgrace to the college, and should have more respect for the composer and the string quartet.
if only because people misunderstanding Haydn is a particular bugbear of mine.
Thanks for the link...I'm not sure PMD has any particularly interesting points to make in the larger scale, but there's plenty worth reading in it. I should take a second look after I've finished digesting my coffee. ;)
Quote from: lukeottevanger on April 11, 2007, 02:06:32 AM
I half wish he hadn't chosen to bookend his speech with obscure quotations from Medieval literature - not sure that will turn on newcomers
It's one way to earn the sympathy of the Death Metal crowd, though, eh? 8)
What does that mean? I didn't realize the producers of reality television listen to obscure living composers' speeches...
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.