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Originally Posted by mbhaub /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I don't doubt for a minute that Stockhausen had an influence on many composers, for good and bad. And his passion for music was very real. But let's be honest: his music never achieved popular acclaim in any sense and it never will. Of course he's not alone. Many composers of his generation like Berio, Xenakis, wrote music that is too difficult for even the educated music consumer, and our only exposure will be on a few scant recordings. Watching trends in so-called "classical" music, I think it's kind of funny that while much attention is now on performing music in historically informed styles, the vast majority of music written in the last half of the 20th century is being utterly ignored. There are some unfortunate casualties, like Roger Sessions. And there are some composers like Messiaen (Stockhausen's teacher) whose music really is becoming better known. But alas, I don't think this will ever happen to KS. Name one piece of music written by any serialist composer in that style that has made it into the "standard rep" of our orchestras. Can't do it, can you? There is one, Wozzeck, but then, it's an opera. That whole generation of composers was led down a dead end path -- just the opposite of what they thought they were doing.
On the other hand....any interested reader should definitely get a Stockhausen work that is well worth hearing: Gruppen. Then to hear what craziness I can't tolerate, hear the Helicopter Quartet.
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Musically worthless? If you merely could name any 'musically worthwhile' schools of 20th and 21st century...
I did take a listen to the Helicopter Quartet and I LIKED IT. Again, looking at classical music as something that has to be classics is fairly... I can't find the right polite word now.
If you think that electro-acoustic, musique concrete or structuralism is OUT - I've got something to say about that.
Firstly, it's like stating that Munch or Dali were geeks whose art is unbearable and the recent trends should follow artists like Constable.
Give it up. You can't force artists finding new ways of expression and stick to methods that have been surpassed or aren't actual anymore.
In your mind, what's good 'classical'? Blunt movie soundtracks where the composer has to follow the picture and hit a larger audience?
In my opinion, Wagner was GROSS. Sick. I can't stand his theatral operas. Not for a while. Generally, librettos about "stoltze Koennigin" are so awkward they make me turn the radio off until the next day.
And I'm a person who can listen to Luc Ferrari, Throbbing Gristle or John Cage or Ligeti or Lustmord or Die In Progress or Burzum or Pig Destroyer all day long.
Secondly if you think that modern music reaches no audience you're wrong.
Here in Slovakia I can listen to modern classical for one hour a day 5 days a week on Slovak Radio.
And you're wrong if you think K.S. (or majority of modern composers) intended to have their works played all around the world.
You maybe should stop posting in this thread indeed.
It's an extreme sign of despect.
HAILS TO KARLHEINZ.