John, Would you point me in the direction of this "OrchestraList"? I'd really appreciate it!
Thank you, Brennon Bortz On 1/29/06 5:18 PM, "John Howell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > At 10:53 AM +0000 1/29/06, Owain Sutton wrote: >> >> Some good points, perhaps, although I think you need a bit more >> evidence before making such claims about Dufay or Josquin with such >> certainty! > > In DuFay's lifetime the popularity of one's music can be measured by > the number of manuscripts containing that music, and his is in lots > of them. And Ottaviano Petrucci in Venice was one of the first > printers of polyphonic music, a successful businessman, and therefore > a shrewd judge of his own marketplace, and he chose to print and > publish much of Josquin's sacred music. > >> However, moulding one's music to fit the market expectation is *not* >> necessary in order to make a living from composing, and there *are* >> composers who do so with music that nobody would describe as >> toned-down or sold-out. > > Yes there are, and I don't mean to deny it. But that's a matter of > creating a market that didn't exist before by presenting something > appealing and putting it before those to whom it might appeal, and > not necessarily meeting PAST market expectations. That's two key > factors: music that is appealing (and music CAN be appealing without > being watered down!), and making it known. The first is the creative > side of a composer's job description; the second is the business > side, which composers are often clueless about. > >> However, your general tone seems to look on the composer purely in a >> utilitarian manner - particularly in the suggestion that wind band >> music is the way forward. > > OK, I consider composers to be highly skilled craftsmen and women, > exactly as they considered themselves through the end of the 18th > century. If that is utilitarian, then so be it. I do not consider > composers "artistes" who are "inspired" and "must compose what they > must compose." That's romantic BS. Or not. But it isn't something > I've ever felt, nor has my wife, who is the real composer in the > family. > > And as to the wind band as the movement of the future, it simply is. > And I, personally, believe the traditional symphony orchestra to be > the closest thing possible to a perfect ensemble to express virtually > anything in music. But the OrchestraList is full of weeping and > gnashing of teeth by conductors searching for new audience members > and composers seeking a first performance of their works, let alone a > second, while the wind band world is wide open to creative and > challenging works by living composers. It lacks the flexibility and > tonal possibilities of the orchestra, but it is where the greatest > growth outside pop music is bound to take place in the 21st century. > (You heard it here first!) > > Please don't think that I'm advocating this, but I am aware of many > different facets of the music world and I'm simply describing what I > see. > > John > -- B. Christopher Bortz Graduate Student, Music Composition University of California, Riverside [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
