(with thoughts on Webern, and Nielsen)

Mitch Friedfeld <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>So for the concert we attended last Thursday night, I tried something
>new: I deliberately went to the Kennedy Center with no foreknowledge of
>what would be performed.

Thanks for sharing your experience.  And, congratulations for your
willingness to be so open to listening.

I wonder if your appreciation for the Webern was changed by not knowing
ahead of time the name of the composer?  And on the subject of Webern,
I recently downloaded an arrangement of his Langsamer Satz...amazingly
beautiful.

While it is probably pointless to speculate, I have wondered what sort
of music Webern might have written had he continued with this earlier
style, but alas, had he done so, he, like Korngold, might have been
considered irrelevant.  Oddly, it seems that Korngold is probably more
"relevant" today, with the bulk of Webern's work being viewed as a
curiosity.

Writing this I am reminded of the notion of how tastes change, and how
what was once considered significant, is no longer valued.  Clearly the
pendulum continues to swing, but sadly, it seems that in doing so, so
much that was good, can be lost.  I am reminded of all of those who wrote
tonal music, some of it quite good, during the years when 12 tone was
"in." So much wonderful music was ignored...and still is.

And, as I continue to ramble...I wonder if anyone might have read the
Ross article on Nielsen.  Any thoughts as to why Nielsen has never enjoyed
a level of popular given to Sibelius?  Was Nielsen out of step with the
critical thinking of his time?

Karl

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