A fellow cellist just found this amazing piece, and I think he puts it very well, so I'll let him explain:
Below is a link to a recording from the mid-1990s. A couple of Russian-born conceptual artists had determined, via a poll of listeners, what the most unappealing kinds of music were -- then created a piece embodying all of them. For example, people hate songs about holidays, choirs, and kids singing. So there was a passage where a children's chorus singing about Labor Day.
Here's an account of how the sonic parameters were selected:
The most unwanted music is over 25 minutes long, veers wildly between loud and quiet sections, between fast and slow tempos, and features timbres of extremely high and low pitch, with each dichotomy presented in abrupt transition. The most unwanted orchestra was determined to be large, and features the accordion and bagpipe (which tie at 13% as the most unwanted instrument), banjo, flute, tuba, harp, organ, synthesizer (the only instrument that appears in both the most wanted and most unwanted ensembles). An operatic soprano raps and sings atonal music, advertising jingles, political slogans, and "elevator" music, and a children's choir sings jingles and holiday songs. The most unwanted subjects for lyrics are cowboys and holidays, and the most unwanted listening circumstances are involuntary exposure to commercials and elevator music. Therefore, it can be shown that if there is no covariance--someone who dislikes bagpipes is as likely to hate elevator music as someone who despises the organ, for example--fewer than 200 individuals of the world's total population would enjoy this piece.
http://ubu.artmob.ca/sound/komar_melamid/KomarMelamid_The-Most-UnwantedSong.mp3
ps. it's worth listening to it all
What a great idea! I'm going to give this a good listen later on.
A very interesting concept indeed!
Just finished listening, and I actually found it quite amusing really. A soprano rapping about various random topics over a background of bagpipes and flutes, interspersed with annoying children's voices advertising for Wal-Mart through singing about various holidays (the most memorable of which was Ramadan ;D), some sort of 2nd Viennese School sounding episode for soprano and organ with tone clusters 8), clichéd harp and flute with some protester yelling over the top, amongst others things. And of course some awesome tuba playing! :D A sometimes comical, other times annoying postmodernist musical pastiche.
Not something I would listen to more than once though... Looks like they succeeded in creating "unwanted music" then. ;)
I'm not sure why, but this reminded me of a piece by Bernd Alois Zimmermann called Musique pour les Soupers du Roi Ubu, which is made up of nothing but quotations from other pieces. It's fun to play "spot the quotation" :D
http://ubu.artmob.ca/sound/zimmerman_ba/Zimmermann-Bernd-Alois_Roi-Ubu.mp3
Can't listen right at the moment, but the original piece and this Zimmermann sound totally fascinating! The concepts are giving me a huge grin...will be listening to both a bit later.
--Bruce
More pointless gimmicks for the gimmick oriented. How fascinating.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on April 24, 2008, 07:58:42 AM
More pointless gimmicks for the gimmick oriented. How fascinating.
Yes, we wouldn't want to have any fun now, would we? $:)
Quote from: MN Dave on April 24, 2008, 08:09:10 AM
Yes, we wouldn't want to have any fun now, would we? $:)
No, we wouldn't.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on April 24, 2008, 07:58:42 AM
More pointless gimmicks for the gimmick oriented. How fascinating.
Like fugues.
Quote from: Corey on April 24, 2008, 08:40:47 AM
Go fugue yourself. ;)
Go take a flying fugue, you motherfuguer.
Quote from: Corey on April 24, 2008, 06:27:29 AM
I'm not sure why, but this reminded me of a piece by Bernd Alois Zimmermann called Musique pour les Soupers du Roi Ubu, which is made up of nothing but quotations from other pieces. It's fun to play "spot the quotation" :D
http://ubu.artmob.ca/sound/zimmerman_ba/Zimmermann-Bernd-Alois_Roi-Ubu.mp3
That concept's a bit like Peter Schickele's "Unbegun Symphony", which if I remember correctly also marries "Ode to Joy" and "Yankee Doodle" in counterpoint.
Quote from: Corey on April 24, 2008, 06:27:29 AM
I'm not sure why, but this reminded me of a piece by Bernd Alois Zimmermann called Musique pour les Soupers du Roi Ubu, which is made up of nothing but quotations from other pieces. It's fun to play "spot the quotation" :D
http://ubu.artmob.ca/sound/zimmerman_ba/Zimmermann-Bernd-Alois_Roi-Ubu.mp3
'Spot the quotation' is indeed fun in this work, though I think the humour in it is of the "the darkest hour is just before it goes completely black" variety. ;)
Dudes, I can like listen to a fugue if it's fun, or even a little fun . . . .
Quote from: bhodges on April 24, 2008, 06:42:16 AM
Can't listen right at the moment, but the original piece and this Zimmermann sound totally fascinating! The concepts are giving me a huge grin...will be listening to both a bit later.
--Bruce
Now listening to
The Most Unwanted Music, which is pretty hilarious...somehow the tide of banalities, when edited chock-a-block with other different banalities, makes something rather compelling. Don't know if it'll be a "must repeat dozens and dozens of times," but on its own terms it's fun. The bagpipes crashing in everywhere are quite amusing, as is that highly annoying children's chorus. ;D
PS, if anyone else is having trouble with the link (I was, for some reason), try
this one (http://www.ubu.com/sound/komar.html).
--Bruce
Quote from: Guido on April 24, 2008, 04:36:21 AM
A fellow cellist just found this amazing piece, and I think he puts it very well, so I'll let him explain:
Below is a link to a recording from the mid-1990s. A couple of Russian-born conceptual artists had determined, via a poll of listeners, what the most unappealing kinds of music were -- then created a piece embodying all of them. For example, people hate songs about holidays, choirs, and kids singing. So there was a passage where a children's chorus singing about Labor Day.
Here's an account of how the sonic parameters were selected:
The most unwanted music is over 25 minutes long, veers wildly between loud and quiet sections, between fast and slow tempos, and features timbres of extremely high and low pitch, with each dichotomy presented in abrupt transition. The most unwanted orchestra was determined to be large, and features the accordion and bagpipe (which tie at 13% as the most unwanted instrument), banjo, flute, tuba, harp, organ, synthesizer (the only instrument that appears in both the most wanted and most unwanted ensembles). An operatic soprano raps and sings atonal music, advertising jingles, political slogans, and "elevator" music, and a children's choir sings jingles and holiday songs. The most unwanted subjects for lyrics are cowboys and holidays, and the most unwanted listening circumstances are involuntary exposure to commercials and elevator music. Therefore, it can be shown that if there is no covariance--someone who dislikes bagpipes is as likely to hate elevator music as someone who despises the organ, for example--fewer than 200 individuals of the world's total population would enjoy this piece.
http://ubu.artmob.ca/sound/komar_melamid/KomarMelamid_The-Most-UnwantedSong.mp3
ps. it's worth listening to it all
An intriguing concept, indeed. I'm going to give it a listen when in a sufficiently forgiving and tolerant mood. ;D
Quote from: Corey on April 24, 2008, 06:27:29 AM
I'm not sure why, but this reminded me of a piece by Bernd Alois Zimmermann called Musique pour les Soupers du Roi Ubu, which is made up of nothing but quotations from other pieces. It's fun to play "spot the quotation" :D
http://ubu.artmob.ca/sound/zimmerman_ba/Zimmermann-Bernd-Alois_Roi-Ubu.mp3
Music for the entertainment of exotic royalty? Such a niche market piece!
Quote from: Wanderer on April 24, 2008, 09:18:47 AM
An intriguing concept, indeed. I'm going to give it a listen when in a sufficiently forgiving and tolerant mood. ;D
Yes, you will probably need both. ;D
--Bruce
The bagpipes are essential to good music. I rate this up there with Ravels Bolero, Tchaikovskys 1812, and any outstanding performance of humpty dumpty.
Quote from: mahler10th on April 24, 2008, 09:45:09 AM
The bagpipes are essential to good music. I rate this up there with Ravels Bolero, Tchaikovskys 1812, and any outstanding performance of humpty dumpty.
Oh, it's the paulb game all over again, isn't it?
Well, I like (and think well of) both the
Boléro and the
1812 Solemn Overture, and would sooner listen to either of these than to the
Mahler Tenth.
Tchah! 8)
Quote from: karlhenning on April 24, 2008, 10:11:12 AM
Oh, it's the paulb game all over again, isn't it?
Well, I like (and think well of) both the Boléro and the 1812 Solemn Overture, and would sooner listen to either of these than to the Mahler Tenth.
Tchah! 8)
Agreed. Although I AM awfully fond of the bagpipes and
musette. :)
8)
This is the most hilarious thing I have heard in months. ;D ;D I'm on the Easter children's song with Wal-Mart ... tears are welling up in my eyes ... I'm trying to do homework but everytime the bagpipes come in I end up convulsing with laughter!
Okay, the organ is kind of annoying.
The final chorale is awesome. I'm saving this to my iPod.
Quote from: Brian on April 24, 2008, 11:39:02 AM
The final chorale is awesome. I'm saving this to my iPod.
Isn't it great! It's like an overblown film soundtrack to some weird, cheesy Western, ending in "a burst of radiance." It's weird: for music designed to annoy, the thing is oddly endearing.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on April 24, 2008, 11:40:55 AM
Isn't it great! It's like an overblown film soundtrack to some weird, cheesy Western, ending in "a burst of radiance." It's weird: for music designed to annoy, the thing is oddly endearing.
--Bruce
I bet it sounds like the Residents. ;D
Quote from: bhodges on April 24, 2008, 11:40:55 AM
Isn't it great! It's like an overblown film soundtrack to some weird, cheesy Western, ending in "a burst of radiance." It's weird: for music designed to annoy, the thing is oddly endearing.
--Bruce
I honestly think P.D.Q. Bach is looking like an amateur at this point. ;D
Quote from: Brian on April 24, 2008, 11:48:28 AM
I honestly think P.D.Q. Bach is looking like an amateur at this point. ;D
Oh, you'd best not say that within eight clicks of Hoople, Sir! ;D
Quote from: MN Brahms on April 24, 2008, 11:46:22 AM
I bet it sounds like the Residents. ;D
Now that you mention it...there is some resemblance. :o
Quote from: Brian on April 24, 2008, 11:48:28 AM
I honestly think P.D.Q. Bach is looking like an amateur at this point. ;D
I actually intended to dip into it just for a few minutes, but couldn't stop listening (and laughing) until the end. Now I have to check out
The Most Wanted Song to see what that is about.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on April 24, 2008, 11:57:58 AM
I actually intended to dip into it just for a few minutes, but couldn't stop listening (and laughing) until the end. Now I have to check out The Most Wanted Song to see what that is about.
--Bruce
It's not half as
good bad interesting, at least in my estimation. :(
Is the Most Wanted song online too?
EDIT: I just found it on itunes.
I think the last few minutes were, really, REALLY torturous..... the elevator music and then the stuff that sounds like music from church plays.
Before that, I found it to be funny, interesting quirky..... "Do all your shopping at..... Wal-Mart!" :)
Like a modern day Schnittke......
I don't know, smooth jazz is still worse
After reading so many comments, I felt that this idea may have had potential. Sometimes music written to purposely clear a room can have a lot of merit to the initiated. However, I couldn't get past the part when the singing first starts. It just sounded embarrassing. Maybe that's the point, but I'll put Richard Strauss back on.
Quote from: bwv 1080 on April 24, 2008, 08:29:44 PM
I don't know, smooth jazz is still worse
My dad listens to that stuff. He finds it relaxing. The good thing is that at least they use (much more) than 3 note melodies all the time. The bad thing is that is ARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHGHHHHHHHH has no life in it!!!
Quote from: GGGGRRREEG on April 25, 2008, 02:04:44 PM
My dad listens to that stuff. He finds it relaxing. The good thing is that at least they use (much more) than 3 note melodies all the time. The bad thing is that is ARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHGHHHHHHHH has no life in it!!!
You know, it sounds so light, airy and fancy-free, but you have to figure the people who make that noise are really f*cking evil.
Quote from: MN Brahms on April 25, 2008, 02:06:18 PM
You know, it sounds so light, airy and fancy-free, but you have to figure the people who make that noise are really f*cking evil.
It was actually an old scheme by Ubloobideega to establish a musical style that puts people to sleep so he can eat their souls when they aren't looking. But not many people like it, so he just gave up...... and the people who still do it are the souls that he threw up because they tasted painfully boring.
It just "shows to go," you can make music out of just about anything. ;D (Disclaimer: I haven't yet heard it. :o)
This piece is halarious! Chocolate time! ;D ;D
So after this, who's down for Menuhin's complete Beethoven symphony cycle?
Quote from: jochanaan on April 26, 2008, 03:26:30 PM
It just "shows to go," you can make music out of just about anything. ;D (Disclaimer: I haven't yet heard it. :o)
You'll laugh, you'll cry...
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on April 24, 2008, 11:14:16 AM
Agreed. Although I AM awfully fond of the bagpipes and musette. :)
8)
Did Mahler ever use bagpipes? If so, let me know and I will try him out again. ;)
Quote from: Bogey on April 26, 2008, 09:38:11 PM
Did Mahler ever use bagpipes? If so, let me know and I will try him out again. ;)
No, but sometimes he instructs his woodwind players to
sound like bagpipes. ;D (
Grell "shrill" and
kreischend "screeching" in the Seventh Symphony's Scherzo.)