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The Radio 3 Boards > The Radio 3 Boards > Radio 3 Specialist Programmes > New Music > Composers who use Silly Descriptions do themselves a Great Disservice!
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Author Topic: Composers who use Silly Descriptions do themselves a Great Disservice!  (Read 1018 times)
Sydney Grew
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« on: 12:56:28, 10-08-2008 »
Yesterday we thought a little ultra-modern music might be nice. We tuned in to "Hear and Now" to listen to the productions of one or two experimental composers! We were hoping to hear novel but complex harmonic progressions and tightly organic things in the best Anglo-Saxon tradition.

Altogether five offerings were advertised, all written by persons with whose names we were unfamiliar. There were "Larry" [i.e. Laurence] Goves, Jonathan Green, Michael Clarke, "Sam" [i.e. Samuel] Hayden, and Yannis Kyriakides he evidently a foreigner from regions Meridional.

But upon seeing the descriptions - or rather nick-names - of their pieces we realized the impossibility of our plan. Rather than waste our time we switched off and found something better to do! One was called "My Name is Peter Stillman. That is not my real name." Another piece was called "Into Movements." A third went under the title "Emmeshed II" [sic]. The next offering was "Schismatics," and the last "Hyperamplified." A dim and dreary catalogue is not that? We mean to say, "Into Movements" - that is the mentality of a six-year-old!

We knew instantly that not one of these five men could possibly be an educated dignified and serious person! But it is a shame that none of them appears to have realized how important it is to awaken a mood of pleasant and intelligent expectation in a prospective audience. Is there nothing better being written that could be broadcast?
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harmonyharmony
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« Reply #1 on: 13:09:44, 10-08-2008 »
So let me get this straight. You looked at the titles of the pieces and decided that on the basis of this, that it wasn't worth listening to them?

Quote from: Sydney Grew on 12:56:28, 10-08-2008
that is the mentality of a six-year-old!

Coincidentally, that's precisely what I thought when I read your post.
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #2 on: 13:09:53, 10-08-2008 »
Analogous to judging a book by its cover, surely?

 By the same logic, might we not as well ignore people who chose names for themselves which seem similarly to fail to awaken the same mood and expectation?
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richard barrett
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« Reply #3 on: 14:00:04, 10-08-2008 »
Quote from: Sydney Grew on 12:56:28, 10-08-2008
Is there nothing better being written that could be broadcast?

There may well be better titles being written, but these, unless one is obsessed with the most superficial appearances, are a relatively insignificant part of the musical experience, are they not?

I've seen that piece by Larry Goves performed three times and have grown very fond of it.
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increpatio
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« Reply #4 on: 14:02:56, 10-08-2008 »
Syd, why do you assume that names of pieces should be descriptions of the pieces?
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autoharp
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« Reply #5 on: 14:07:24, 10-08-2008 »
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Morticia
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« Reply #6 on: 14:10:11, 10-08-2008 »
You echo my thoughts, Mr Harp Wink
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martle
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« Reply #7 on: 15:52:07, 10-08-2008 »
I do believe my good friend and colleague 'Sam' Hayden was christened 'Sam' and not 'Samuel'. So ner de ner ner.  Tongue
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Andy D
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« Reply #8 on: 18:03:19, 10-08-2008 »
Oh dear, SG, by not listening to the entire programme you missed out on an interview with Paul Miller aka
DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid
- surely a name worth getting apoplectic about? Grin
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richard barrett
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« Reply #9 on: 18:08:51, 10-08-2008 »
Did anyone hear that interview? was it interesting?
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offbeat
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« Reply #10 on: 21:37:35, 10-08-2008 »
I did not hear the Here and Now programme so cant comment about music played but think Mr Grew has made a valid point
Seems many modern compositions have these off the wall titles in much the same way as many pieces of modern art follow the same pattern. Of course this does not mean the music is worthless but does seem that some composers use throwaway titles just for special effect as if to say 'how hip am i!!!
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owain
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« Reply #11 on: 21:48:52, 10-08-2008 »
Quote from: Sydney Grew on 12:56:28, 10-08-2008
...and Yannis Kyriakides he evidently a foreigner from regions Meridional.
I'm not sure what the point is here.  Funny-sounding name?  Is that your problem?
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BobbyZ
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« Reply #12 on: 21:51:23, 10-08-2008 »
Quote from: owain on 21:48:52, 10-08-2008
Quote from: Sydney Grew on 12:56:28, 10-08-2008
...and Yannis Kyriakides he evidently a foreigner from regions Meridional.
I'm not sure what the point is here.  Funny-sounding name?  Is that your problem?

See reply #5 !
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time_is_now
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« Reply #13 on: 22:17:43, 10-08-2008 »
Quote from: offbeat on 21:37:35, 10-08-2008
I did not hear the Here and Now programme so cant comment about music played
Neither did Mr Grew! Wink

I think he is sort of winding us up, although perhaps more by pushing us into making statements we don't mean ... Is there really anyone here, even hh (Wink), who has never decided not to listen to a piece of music on the basis of an offputting title? And do Ron and Richard really believe titles are a tiny, almost insignificant aspect of a piece of music? I certainly don't!

Larry Goves however is a thoughtful and intelligent person and a thoughtful and intelligent composer and although I don't much care for what I've read of Paul Auster, I'll forgive LG his choice of title. Sam Hayden is also a more than respectable composer, although perhaps less inventive in the titular realm. I don't know anyone who thinks Yannis Kyriakides is a respectable composer, but this fact has little to do with his Cypriot origins. For the others I cannot speak, except to say that I have the impression Jonathan Green is capable of better music than the piece Mr Grew would have heard had he stayed tuned in on Saturday night.
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #14 on: 22:28:33, 10-08-2008 »
Quote from: time_is_now on 22:17:43, 10-08-2008
And do Ron and Richard really believe titles are a tiny, almost insignificant aspect of a piece of music? I certainly don't!

What on earth leads you to believe that I might, 'tisnow?  Huh
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