Mr. Major.....you are(once again) taking a snippet of my posting and
commenting as a whole on it.  I am asking the question(and this is from my
previous posting) If the 12 tone system was created to bring about a new
set of boundaries, thereby making one's music more creative then why do it
at all.  I mean....does a person HAVE to create a new system to make their
music more creative? I am perfectly creative with non-12 tone music.  SO
were Mompou and Nielsen and Shostakovich and so on.  If they wanted to make
a 12 tone system for WHATEVER reason then that's fine with me.  I don't
have to agree with it.  I am no less sophisticated because I think it
sounds like hog-vomit.

>Moreover, 12 tone music does NOT create predetermined melody in all
>respects......

I found this statement to be alittle odd considering the fact that it was
in reply to my statement:"this is a system which creates a predetermined
melody in some but not all respects." You essentially argued back to me
with my own statement.

>Certainly there is more to art than beauty.Gorgeous melodies aren't
>everything.

I totally agree.........never said otherwise.

>Of course, sometimes I find their music filled with grief.  If you limit
>yourself to "gorgeous melodies" you really limit what you as a composer
>can express.

I agree again.....I never said otherwise.  Although I must say this.  I
believe that anytime you like something or are attracted to something...
you must find something positive to say about it.  There is SOMETHING that
makes you like it.  I don't think you would take a sorrowful piece and say
"I love this piece because it is SOOO sorrowful!" Maybe you would but I'm
sure you would find the music to be beautiful.  Beautiful doesn't
necessarily mean happy or light or anything of the sort.  To call something
beautiful just means that you find it attractive.

>I see no reason to filter out at least seemingly non-gorgeous melodies
>from my life.

Good.....nor do I.  In fact....I don't know why you say this at all.  I
was commenting on my skepticism of an inspired melody in 12 tone music.  I
wasn't saying that a gorgeous melody was all that mattered or anything like
that.  I write heavily contrapuntal music and although I like my melodies
I am concerned with my entire piece as a whole rather than one small
aspect.  I don't know......I feel I am defending somethings I've never
said....in fact I am.  So I must finish up for now!

--Wes Crone