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Ian Pace
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« Reply #15 on: 13:05:38, 03-01-2008 » |
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To: The Director, Tourist Agency of Finland: Dear Sir/Madam, The following comment on a Guardian blog has been brought to my attention: Too many people seem to still think all contemporary music is stuck in the period between say Webern and Stockhausen of the 1970's, when much of today's music is very approachable and even tuneful. Try listening to John Adams, HK Gruber, John Corigliano, Vladimir Godar or just about anyone from Finland, or even James MacMillan. I accept much of this music has dissonances, but it also has gorgeous sounds and even tunes you can hum. Sorry to sound if i am picking on you timetocare, but much of it has form, stucture, is tonal and definitely melodic. I wish to suggest to you, Sir/Madam, the colloquial English phrase that begins 'With friends like that.....' I look forward to your reply, Yours &c. |
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'These acts of keeping politics out of music, however, do not prevent musicology from being a political act . . .they assure that every apolitical act assumes a greater political immediacy' - Philip Bohlman, 'Musicology as a Political Act'
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time_is_now
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« Reply #16 on: 13:09:56, 03-01-2008 » |
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Lol Ian. I did wonder about that! But given the regularity of features on - oh, just about anyone from Finland  - I decided that comment had obviously been written by either Tom Service or the Guardian arts editor ... |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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richard barrett
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« Reply #17 on: 13:27:36, 03-01-2008 » |
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actually having got to the bottom of the article I found matticus had already made all the points that had occurred to me immediately Yes, that was a fine contribution from the mysterious Matticus. Regarding Finland, the great Mauri Antero Numminen more than makes up for all those "gorgeous sounds and even tunes you can hum." |
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Ian Pace
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« Reply #18 on: 13:30:25, 03-01-2008 » |
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I'm trying to remember a single occasion where MacMillan has been ostensibly commenting on some matter of importance - Scotland, Catholicism, contemporary music, or whatever - which hasn't actually been a veiled plug for his own work and activities?
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'These acts of keeping politics out of music, however, do not prevent musicology from being a political act . . .they assure that every apolitical act assumes a greater political immediacy' - Philip Bohlman, 'Musicology as a Political Act'
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Ian Pace
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« Reply #19 on: 13:32:40, 03-01-2008 » |
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Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I want to be,
Pony trekking or camping,
Or just watching TV.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
It's the country for me.
You're so near to Russia,
So far from Japan,
Quite a long way from Cairo,
Lots of miles from Vietnam.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I want to be,
Eating breakfast or dinner,
Or snack lunch in the hall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.
You're so sadly neglected
And often ignored,
A poor second to Belgium,
When going abroad.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I quite want to be,
Your mountains so lofty,
Your treetops so tall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I quite want to be,
Your mountains so lofty,
Your treetops so tall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.
Finland has it all.
(I remember this song coming back to haunt Michael Palin when he visited Finland in Pole to Pole)
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'These acts of keeping politics out of music, however, do not prevent musicology from being a political act . . .they assure that every apolitical act assumes a greater political immediacy' - Philip Bohlman, 'Musicology as a Political Act'
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time_is_now
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« Reply #20 on: 13:44:15, 03-01-2008 » |
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some matter of importance - Scotland, Catholicism, contemporary music, or whatever Isn't the comparison with Scotland a little unfair to whatever? |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #21 on: 13:53:17, 03-01-2008 » |
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(I remember this song coming back to haunt Michael Palin when he visited Finland in Pole to Pole)
I trust he then extemporised a verse on the joys of lying on your back in a lake at 3.30am in broad daylight in between sauna spells? If he didn't he should have. |
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stuart macrae
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« Reply #22 on: 14:16:32, 03-01-2008 » |
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some matter of importance - Scotland, Catholicism, contemporary music, or whatever Isn't the comparison with Scotland a little unfair to whatever? Oi watch it Yorkie!  |
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Sydney Grew
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« Reply #23 on: 14:29:07, 03-01-2008 » |
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actually having got to the bottom of the article I found matticus had already made all the points that had occurred to me immediately Yes, that was a fine contribution from the mysterious Matticus. We wondered how he could have brought himself to use the word "conservative" three times as a term of derogation. |
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richard barrett
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« Reply #24 on: 14:33:50, 03-01-2008 » |
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We wondered how he could have brought himself to use the word "conservative" three times as a term of derogation.
Probably an excusable impatience with fuddy-duddies like MacMillan. |
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George Garnett
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« Reply #26 on: 15:09:21, 03-01-2008 » |
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a veiled plug Readers of a nervous disposition are advised against googling for a picture of such a thing. |
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increpatio
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« Reply #27 on: 15:37:20, 03-01-2008 » |
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[oops...wrong thread...]
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« Last Edit: 15:39:50, 03-01-2008 by increpatio »
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matticus
Posts: 34
Every work of art is an uncommitted crime.
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« Reply #28 on: 16:50:21, 03-01-2008 » |
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We wondered how he could have brought himself to use the word "conservative" three times as a term of derogation.
It was only (intended as) derogatory in being applied to Richard Morrison; in regards to MacMillan and Holt I was just objectively describing their music for the benefit of some of the readers -- most posters to the Guardian arts blog are much less familiar with contemporary music than people here and probably aren't even familiar with the work under discussion, much less its position with regards to other music. I guess that's why I didn't notice the overuse (but I'm happy to adopt RB's excuse...). |
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lovedaydewfall
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« Reply #29 on: 21:03:25, 03-01-2008 » |
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I'm trying to remember a single occasion where MacMillan has been ostensibly commenting on some matter of importance - Scotland, Catholicism, contemporary music, or whatever - which hasn't actually been a veiled plug for his own work and activities?
I think this is "right on" , Mr. Pace. Well said. It would be hard to find a more arrogant nonentity than J.McM. ( a judgment arrived at partly from having heard a very small amount of his so-called "music", and partly from having heard his idiotic pronouncements. |
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