Donald Satz <[log in to unmask]> responds to me:
>... Fleming's voice up to this point is not one that I like very much,
Ok, "De Gustibus..." for this one...
>Would it be unreasonable for me to claim that there was a fair amount of
>humor in Baroque music, particularly the Baroque operas? Beyond that, I
>don't like humor in music one bit. When I recognize it, I get ticked off.
>There's no P.D.Q. in my house, only a budding P.H.D.
Well, for humor, there are three kinds of humor; cheap humor, wooly humor,
and just fine humor. Cheap humor I consider P.D.Q Bach, and W.A. Mozart,
with his really cheap "Ein Musikalischer Spass" (I have left out Mozarts
operas here), and childish marches a.s.o. Haydn, Beethoven and Wagner
though, were great humorists, and YES, I do consider the humor in "Die
Meistersinger aus Nuernberg" better than italian opera buffa!
Don't you think, Don, it is witty when Ludwig lets the trombone play "The
Devils Note" in the 666th bar of symphony nr.5? Or listen again to the
opening of Haydns 60th symphony. After a little opening the violinst
realize that they need to tune their instruments and do so...the music
starts over again, and when everything seems fine; suddenly it appears a
march on a slavonic folkmelody, so smoothly and carefully wowen into the
music, but still not fitting the least. a.s.o. It gives a very comic
impression, and I love it!! I love humor in music. Even in Mahler one can
find humor, and the point here is trhat my idea about music comes close to
Mahlers idea of what a symphony should be. "It must be like life; include
everything!"
Would you like to elaborate a little why you don't like humor in music? Is
there a speciafic reason for music, of don't you liek humor at all (I think
you do)?
Mats Norrman
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