James Tobin quoting Steve...

>>I get the impression Dun doesn't believe transformation or transition
>>necessary.  Music for him seems to reflect an unchanging state of mind.
>>This may work for Chinese music (I don't know whether I've actually
>>heard the real thing), but not for most listeners in the West.
>
>Let's suppose for the sake of discussion that all of this is true.
>How much do most listeners in the West know about any kind of Asian
>music or, for that matter, anything in depth about any of the ancient
>and continuing Asian civilizations in general?

Your comment raises a question in my mind.  I have not listened very
much to Dun's music, but recall having thoughts similar to what Steve
articulated.  On the other hand, I am a great fan of works like Mayuzumi's
Mandala Symphony...and just about everything I have heard of Mayuzumi.

I guess my question is...does one need to know about some aesthetic to
judge music or should the music be judged on its own terms?  It seems
to me that good music defines its own aesthetic.

For me...and I probably need to listen more...my problem with Dun's music
is that he absorbs many of the gestures of Western art music and for me
seems to be at cross purposes.  On the other hand, a composer like
Mayuzumi, while he used a conventional symphony orchestra and some
gestures of Western art music, the music seems to be more fluent.

And speaking of oriental composers writing symphonic music...any favorites
out there.  I vote for Mayuzumi and Miyoshi...and sharing a recent..."this
reminds me of that..." as I was listening to the Kokkonen Third Symphony,
towards the end of the last movement where the piano comes in...it
reminded me of Mayuzumi's Mandala Symphony, which probably explains why
Mayuzumi's music came to mind.

Karl