May 4, 2005 at 8:55 AM

Does anyone check their blog entries just to see if there's any comments? I caught myself doing that today, and was dissapointed that there weren't any. Not that I should be disappointed. I guess it's just that I know people are reading it if there are comments. Not that I comment on every blog that I read of course...

Didn't get much practice done today. I was planning on it, but realised that I have an aural assessment tomorrow and needed to complete my portfolio. I've just got a couple of analyses to complete, which I'll do after work.

We had a special Chamber Music workshop today. I couldn't see the point of it. We've got a "concert" on friday, and that time could've been better spent rehearsing, rather than have some people playing some minimalist piece and the rest sitting there being bored, and laughing at how the euphonium player could be so wrong.

It got me thinking though. Where did this come from? Why are we listening to this instead of some Mozart or Beethoven? Why can't I remember the melody of this piece, yet can remember the second subject of the first Violin Sonata by Brahms? Where did classical music become so wrong? And why?

I remember a sweedish conductor (i forget the name) laying the blame on Schoenburg. His tone rows are where it began. It started turning audiences away. They would hear the first note and go "ok." then they'd hear the second note and ask "Why?" Then they'd hear the third note and ask themselves "Why am I here?" and by the fourth note they would be leaving.

I'm not saying that Schoenberg was a bad composer. I personally think that the theory behind the tone rows are excellent, and he must have put a lot of work into perfecting it. I wonder how many tone rows he made before realising that at some point there was a reflection of a key signature? As I say, I respect the work he put into it.

However, the work he did alienated many audiences from the concert hall. Schoenberg's music should not be performed for the public, but should be available for conservatory students. It is important for them to study these things, and understand them, however is there really a point in writing music that takes a music degree at least to be able to understand it?

Of course, I could be wrong. I'm sure there are people out there that like that music. But it has gotten me interested in this question: Where did it all go wrong? What are the events that brought about Schoenberg's Tone rows. Why did composers suddenly start writing minimalist, or post minimalist pieces. Surely there must have been something behind it?

So I've resolved myself to start writing some essays about music which I shall post on my website. I don't know how often I'll post them. I'd like to do one a month, but that might be a bit ambitious. I'm going to start off in the baroque period and work my way up to the 20th century. I'll start researching tomorrow, after my assessment is completed.

Well, until next time

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on May 5, 2005 at 5:31 AM

Ben, I've had the same experience you have. No one has commented on my blog entries for a while. In fact, there have been no comments on a lot of people's blogs for a while.

I agree with you about Schoenberg and the minimalists. If it doesn't appeal to the emotions, it's not music, IMO.

What is the URL for your website? I'd like to look at it.

From Emily Grossman
Posted on May 5, 2005 at 8:36 AM

I do that all the time. I'm guilty of getting more comments than giving, since I usually breeze through the blogs in such a hurry.

I always read your blog, Ben. Thanks for all the entertaining entries, and I hope you keep writing.

From Ben Clapton
Posted on May 5, 2005 at 11:29 PM

hi pauline,
I enjoy reading your blog as well. Infact I enjoy reading everyone's.

My website (i post it fairly regularly) is http://www.benclapton.id.au

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May 4, 2005 at 8:55 AM

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