Peter Varley writes ...

>There are three assumptions here which may not be valid:
>
>1) that there is any such thing as _objectively_ "great music";

Probably not since it is so personalized.  However, the mythical committee
of 100 musicologists that I have referred to in past posts could probably
agree that some music is indeed great music even if individual member of
the committee don't like it.

>2) that, if there is, it can be written by a computer;

I think that my software can write CM that one could not tell that it was
written by a computer.

>3) that "the CM community" (if there is such a thing) can act in unison.

Yes, there probably is such a thing and I'm sure that there are a list of
things that they could agree on.  I have searched in vain for those things
in the time that I have been on the list.  To continue in that effort, let
me snip from my website section on "Philosophy" [of my computer generated
music] and see if we can agree on music at this very high level.  Here goes
---

- Music must not create boredom and must be pleasurable to listen to.

- Musical compositions are built upon musical themes (melodies if you
prefer) which must be more than a series of random pitches and durations.
The themes must have some musical interest or merit.

- Boredom normally results if the composition is the mere playing of these
themes over and over.

- This boredom can be prevented if these themes are varied by having them
played by different voices (instruments), in different keys, at different
speeds, with different rhythms, and in different tonalities.

- This boredom can be further prevented and interest aroused if these
themes are "developed" by breaking them down into their constitutes parts
and playing these parts by themselves.

- The mind of the listener finds pleasure in the act of recognition, that
is, recognizing something as having been heard before, especially if this
recognition results in the mental picturing of a form whose structure can
be discerned through analysis and concentration.  In short, nothing is more
pleasurable to the mind than successfully solving a problem, i.e.  putting
pieces together into a whole.

- The art of composition is in the arranging of the themes, their
variations, and their developments into a structure that is discernible
as a whole to the listener.  This structure is called form.  This structure
must be complex enough to require some analysis but not so complex as to be
frustrating in its analysis.

Can we agree on any of these?

Bill Pirkle