Let me put here the program notes of this work by David Lang himself: I think one of the reasons our commercial culture likes all music to be fast and snappy is because in fast music it is harder to recognize the passing of time. You listen to the tunes, to the catchy phrases, but you are not allowed to feel just how time slips away. Slow music is good for contemplation but is probably terrible for business, so you don't get much of it in your daily life. One of the noble things you can do in a piece of 'serious' music is allow for an experience that can't happen in your everyday life. the passing measures is that kind of experience.
Having just sat through it, I believe the cure for insomnia has at last been found. It is of course 25 minutes too long. Full marks for the audience, I heard little or no coughing!! Amazing. Lang is without doubt a very interesting composer and actually this is one of his better pieces. But he does, like most modern day composers, only writes for himself. The work of a true artist is to give people what they want and can appreciate. Lang's music is difficult to listen to at best, and this work is no exception.
"The work of a true artist is to give people what they want and can appreciate." I strongly disagree. Satisfying the needs of the audience is never the main thing for a 'true artist' in my opinion. That's what martketing managers and politicians do.
"The work of a true artist is to give people what they want and can appreciate." That is utter plebeian horseshit. True artists give people things they never imagined / knew existed, and the public has to, you know, work at these things vs. the most slothful of passive consumption of things 'readily understood,' -- i.e. things within that area of sounding safely familiar is more about pop culture, not 'fine art."
A ridiculous statement, it would be pointless being a musician in that case, creating a composition comes from the very heart and soul of the artist, if we choose to dislike something somone has manifested, that is our right, but to try and control and only allow musicians to compose music that you approve is the biggest pile of dystopia styled crap I have ever heard.
@@stevesheppardmusic Why thank you Steve. Such an informative comment and what a charming well mannered person you really must be. So I'll tell you something for nothing: Music can be described but never explained. Hope you enjoy the rest of your ignorant and rude existence.
When a composer lacks talent and skill, he resorts to "concepts" (aka "schticks"), in this case, long chords ad infinitum that are meaningless insofar as the way one follows the other. Cut them apart, throw them into a hat, shake them around, spill them out, and tape them back together, and the "effect" will be exactly the same. It is, however, great music for 1st graders, since there is so little required of the players.
Another listener trapped by their conditioned listening habits and preexisting expectations who misses the point completely (and therefore can't enjoy a beautiful piece).
@@jackjohnsonnmceiv That is an overblown version for large orchestra that misses it entirely, does not meet the composer's intention and distorts / misrepresents the piece. Fie.
@@MuseDuCafe Well said. Yet, if as David Lang says, " One of the noble things you can do in a piece of 'serious' music is allow for an experience that can't happen in your everyday life. the passing measures is that kind of experience," then the performance and the recording of a performance that demonstrates "slow music for contemplation" still needs to be heard clearly. Instead of "intense," I should have said "more well-defined," or "with more presence.." I'll wager that the composer was sitting in the front row.. he wanted to hear it!
@@jackjohnsonnmceiv Thanks. Even when much younger, I had no problem with the slower, contemplative pieces (the more current - modern included), but then I was quite seriously trained in classical music from the age of six. Some of these 'complaints' which have this piece as 'a bore, etc.' remind me of that Stravinsky quip, "Even a duck can hear." This makes me think the complainants were Not listening, but only hearing. The dynamic through this piece is 'piano; (maybe even pp), every performer amplified; the softer dynamic comes along with a a distinctive timbre at that dynamic level, the amplification is to make that more readily audible to the audiences in halls.
Let me put here the program notes of this work by David Lang himself:
I think one of the reasons our commercial culture likes all music to be fast and snappy is because in fast music it is harder to recognize the passing of time. You listen to the tunes, to the catchy phrases, but you are not allowed to feel just how time slips away. Slow music is good for contemplation but is probably terrible for business, so you don't get much of it in your daily life. One of the noble things you can do in a piece of 'serious' music is allow for an experience that can't happen in your everyday life. the passing measures is that kind of experience.
Added to my favorite meditative music list! This is some of the best written ambient music you can find.
that actually is a really great performance
Brings one into the Eternal Now !
Having just sat through it, I believe the cure for insomnia has at last been found. It is of course 25 minutes too long. Full marks for the audience, I heard little or no coughing!! Amazing. Lang is without doubt a very interesting composer and actually this is one of his better pieces. But he does, like most modern day composers, only writes for himself. The work of a true artist is to give people what they want and can appreciate. Lang's music is difficult to listen to at best, and this work is no exception.
"The work of a true artist is to give people what they want and can appreciate."
I strongly disagree. Satisfying the needs of the audience is never the main thing for a 'true artist' in my opinion. That's what martketing managers and politicians do.
"The work of a true artist is to give people what they want and can appreciate."
That is utter plebeian horseshit. True artists give people things they never imagined / knew existed, and the public has to, you know, work at these things vs. the most slothful of passive consumption of things 'readily understood,' -- i.e. things within that area of sounding safely familiar is more about pop culture, not 'fine art."
A ridiculous statement, it would be pointless being a musician in that case, creating a composition comes from the very heart and soul of the artist, if we choose to dislike something somone has manifested, that is our right, but to try and control and only allow musicians to compose music that you approve is the biggest pile of dystopia styled crap I have ever heard.
@@stevesheppardmusic Why thank you Steve. Such an informative comment and what a charming well mannered person you really must be.
So I'll tell you something for nothing:
Music can be described but never explained.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your ignorant and rude existence.
When a composer lacks talent and skill, he resorts to "concepts" (aka "schticks"), in this case, long chords ad infinitum that are meaningless insofar as the way one follows the other. Cut them apart, throw them into a hat, shake them around, spill them out, and tape them back together, and the "effect" will be exactly the same. It is, however, great music for 1st graders, since there is so little required of the players.
If they ever have a competition for most boring piece, this is a definite contender.
There is a more intense version of this piece recorded at ruclips.net/video/c0H2sA7kh0w/видео.html
Another listener trapped by their conditioned listening habits and preexisting expectations who misses the point completely (and therefore can't enjoy a beautiful piece).
@@jackjohnsonnmceiv That is an overblown version for large orchestra that misses it entirely, does not meet the composer's intention and distorts / misrepresents the piece. Fie.
@@MuseDuCafe Well said. Yet, if as David Lang says, " One of the noble things you can do in a piece of 'serious' music is allow for an experience that can't happen in your everyday life. the passing measures is that kind of experience," then the performance and the recording of a performance that demonstrates "slow music for contemplation" still needs to be heard clearly. Instead of "intense," I should have said "more well-defined," or "with more presence.." I'll wager that the composer was sitting in the front row.. he wanted to hear it!
@@jackjohnsonnmceiv Thanks. Even when much younger, I had no problem with the slower, contemplative pieces (the more current - modern included), but then I was quite seriously trained in classical music from the age of six. Some of these 'complaints' which have this piece as 'a bore, etc.' remind me of that Stravinsky quip, "Even a duck can hear." This makes me think the complainants were Not listening, but only hearing.
The dynamic through this piece is 'piano; (maybe even pp), every performer amplified; the softer dynamic comes along with a a distinctive timbre at that dynamic level, the amplification is to make that more readily audible to the audiences in halls.