When trying to understand modernist ruptures, the revitalization of tradition inherent in supposedly destructive tactics is readily apparent. Stravinsky and Schoenberg seem to intend not that we stop listening to Bach in order to listen to them, but rather that we become better listeners of Bach for having listened to them. In fact, all modernisms upon deeper examination show themselves to be a struggle against the imminent obsolescence of a past so beautiful as to be on the verge of banality. Never before modernism has art been so conservative!
—Caetano Veloso, Tropical Truth: A Story of Music and Revolution in Brazil
Archive for the ‘Classical’ Category
Quote of the Day
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010Listen to This
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010Largehearted Boy interviews Alex Ross about his new book, and Ross provides a short playlist of records that emphasize the book’s “principal theme—the interconnectedness of far-flung musical realms.” Selection number one: Beethoven’s Third Symphony. Selection number two: Pere Ubu’s “30 Seconds Over Tokyo”. My kind of guy. Ross’s audio guide to the book is here.
Hammer a ring on it
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, better known as the BBC Proms, were founded in 1895, with the intention of presenting concerts in a less formal atmosphere for those unfamiliar with classical music (audience members were originally allowed to wander around the hall and eat, drink, and smoke while the music was playing—hence “promenade”). This year, the composer Mark-Anthony Turnage extended that idea into the music itself with his new piece Hammered Out, which incorporates a straightforward version of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” as one of it’s central themes.
There are already remixes available, of course, but none worth hearing as of yet. Personally, I wish Turnage had been a little more daring with his use of the song—this comes dreadfully close at times to those horrible old London Symphony Orchestra versions of pop hits. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this sort of thing.
H/T: Alex Ross
