Continuing the threa with Karl Miller responding to me:

>> Who is going to do anything meaningful about the loss of fine tonal music
>> during those dark, 12-tone years?
>
> I guess I don't see those years of 12-tone music to be dark years.  What
> I find problematic is the notion that a particular mode of expression
> is ignored as the result of notions of what is "trendy." For me, a piece
> of music should be judged based on what it says, versus the vocabulary
> used to express those ideas.

Quite so.  Though this is not the way it usually works.  And I did not
mean to imply that the 12-tone music was dark in itself.  The darkness
was spread by zealots who saw serialism as the ONLY way, and who did
everything they could to sabotage the careers of those who chose other
ways of expression.  Much good music was lost thereby, and many composers
who could have contributed wonderful music were effectively quashed.
Boulez has much to answer for in this regard.

Karl:

> Indeed, perhaps there could be a foundation to underwrite
>such performances, or even better, record those works.  As I
>may have mentioned before, one of my fantasies was a repertoire
>orchestra.  It could be located anywhere.  They would provide
>a 90 minute program every other week.  The musicians would all
>be young people looking for their first orchestra jobs.  The
>programs would be broadcast nationally and the performances
>would be available for download or on CD.  The programs would
>include previously unrecorded works.  ...  I would prefer
>that no living composer be performed by the orchestra.

Sounds good up to that point.  Why no living composers?  There are a
lot of us old guys who have been waiting in the wings for fifty or sixty
years.  You mean we have to die first?  Well, whatever it takes.  If I
could be assured that Karl's young professionals would perform and record
my orchestra works if only I were dead, I would take the poison pill
tomorrow.  But before I do that, I would like to see something in writing.

David Lamb saving up sleeping pills in Seattle

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