Richard's blog » music

Bliss?

Richard — Sun, 02 May 2010 13:08:11 +0000

Saw Brett Dean’s new opera Bliss last night (reviews here). Lots to recommend – astonishing set, brilliant performances. I think the music has grown on me since watching it.
I’m a bit over gratuitous dissonance these days though. It doesn’t seem culturally relevant to me. I think the tipping point for me is around something I’ll call decipherability – is the music so complex that I can’t decode it? Because if I can’t work out roughly what the harmonic progressions are, what the rhythms are, then I’m essentially hearing noise, even if I’m listening to music. There were quite a few times last night where I didn’t follow what was going on compositionally.
That having been said there are many stretch-modernists whose music I admire: Messiaen & Ligeti are probably the two favorites that come to mind. What are your feelings about super-modern art music?

Rhys’ Hot Summer – Luke Warm?

Richard — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:06:24 +0000

Andy Warhol predicted in 1968 that the time would come that everyone would be famous for fifteen minutes. Seems to me Rhys‘ Hot Summer is what happens when people try to stretch that to half an hour:

Rhys (one name only, y’know, like Cher) has put out this execrable single, Hot Summer. Cringeworthy rhyme-schemes, a chorus that has little more than two notes and two words. (Hot summer… Hot summer… hot hot summer… ) I think the dancing is supposed to look serious. It’s a cover of a song done by German group Monrose of the same name, which may be even worse (certainly the clip is cheap and nasty, and notice how little the girls dance):

I only express such animosity to Rhys’ song because, loathe though I am to admit it, it sticks in my head. But I can’t decide, is the whole concoction, music, lyrics, etc. a good example of naive, pure Camp, or is it simply bad? As Sontag put it in her near-perfect essay “Notes on Camp“:

23. In naïve, or pure, Camp, the essential element is seriousness, a seriousness that fails. Of course, not all seriousness that fails can be redeemed as Camp. Only that which has the proper mixture of the exaggerated, the fantastic, the passionate, and the naïve.

24. When something is just bad (rather than Camp), it’s often because it is too mediocre in its ambition. The artist hasn’t attempted to do anything really outlandish. (“It’s too much,” “It’s too fantastic,” “It’s not to be believed,” are standard phrases of Camp enthusiasm.)

What do you think?

Sorabji on iTunes

Richard — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:34:48 +0000

Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji is one of the most intriguing compositional figures of the twentieth century. Most of his compositions demand super-mortal technical ability, memory and endurance. (Check the multi-hour Opus Clavicembalisticum.) Music is often densely contrapuntal and the musical language is highly coloured and exotic.

For something more “approachable” though, I love this positively ridiculous pastiche on Chopin’s Minute Waltz for piano solo (Track 10, 5:13). Like nothing else you’ve ever heard.