Symphony/Composer Bravely Condemns Evil

It was while I was enjoying a quiet pint at work when I happened upon this lively article about the Symphony No. 7, by Shostakovich.

Music Review: BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Peter Collins, South Wales Echo, July 21, 2010

IT was while I was enjoying a quiet pint during the interval of this gripping Welsh Prom concert that I eavesdropped on a lively conversation about the Symphony No 7, by Shostakovich.

Beer is about the only way I know to prepare for that symphony, too.

The symphony, known as Leningrad, occupied the whole of the second half of the concert.

As symphonies tend to do from time to time.

So, what of their lively conversation.

The thrust of the tete-a-tete was whether the massive work was Shostakovich’s nationalistic symbol of Russian resistance and defiance to Nazi totalitarianism, or a more general depiction and condemnation of totalitarianism, with the brutality of Stalin as its driving force. As always with Shostakovich it is an interesting but ultimately futile debate.

God, how incredibly fascinating. Did his music actively hate Nazis, or just passively hate them?

figure argument: Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position.

Also, futile? Really? Let's ask wikipedia, they know everything.

In its time, the symphony was extremely popular in both Russia and the West as a symbol of resistance and defiance to Nazi totalitarianism and militarism. As a condemnation of the German invasion...

Okay, so in its time, it was a "symbol of...resistance and defiance to Nazi totalitarianism".

Hmmm...that seems strangely familiar. Hey, wait a minute!

...[rereads article...then wikipedia entry...then article again...then takes a shot of whiskey]...

Wikipedia seems to suggest that the symphony both condemns AND resists Nazi totalitarianism!

How can that be? Don't keep us in suspense...which is it? Who won the argument?

Nevertheless, it was fascinating to see which view conductor Thierry Fischer would take as he picked up his baton to lead BBC NOW.

Good call...let the conductor decide. So, which is it: resistance or condemnation?

It seemed to me that Fischer, who was in command of the music and the orchestra from start to finish, was inclined to view the opus as more of a general condemnation of evil.

Really? The symphony condemns evil in general? Not just Nazi totalitarianism, but all evil?

Really?

Maybe the Eighth symphony is a statement that the children are our future.

[sigh...]

Also, copying from wikipedia is lazy, and such.

figure copying: Thank you, Al Gore, for the internets.

Boulez Serves up Imperialism

Came across this little arts brief for an upcoming concert featuring Boulez’s Le Marteau sans Maître.

The highlight is a performance of Pierre Boulez’s Le Marteau sans Maitre [sic]…

See.

But…

The highlight is a performance of Pierre Boulez’s Le Marteau sans Maitre [sic] which encompasses the sound worlds of modern jazz, the Balinese Gamelan, and traditional African and Japanese music.

Okay. Here’s the deal—and I think it’s important, or at least it says a lot about our author's care for attention to detail:

Just for argument’s sake, let’s start from scratch. Let’s assume I have no idea what this piece is about, what it sounds like, whether the composer was still alive or not (or what a composer actually does, for that matter), and that he was also a famous conductor (you know, one of those guys who does an interpretive dance in front of a classical band). Let’s assume I’m a targeted reader.

Now, from the above sentence, I’m thinking to myself, perhaps, this kind of stuff. Not bad. Part Allman Brothers, part Ennappadam Venkatarama Bhagavatar. Suffices to say (etymology link), I’m thinking fusion of some sort or another. Or if I were a tad more classical savvy, maybe I’m thinking this fashion of fusion. Not exactly my bag, but certainly fusiony, to be sure.

My point is that it’s to everyone’s benefit, especially the layperson’s, that the description matches the product. But here’s what this description did:

…because this is the product (Movement IX, Bel édifice et les presentiments).

At this point I'm asking myself, how did this go so wrong, so quickly?

I bet I know; and I bet, deep down, you know, too.

Wiki.

Pedia.

The instrumentation was quite novel for Western music at the time [1955], lacking any kind of bass instrument, and drew some influence from the sound of “non-European” instruments, the Xylorimba recalls the African Balafon, the Vibraphone [the] Balinese Gamelan, and the Guitar the Japanese Koto…

I guess a guitar is like a koto; they both utilize plectrums of one kind or another. (Wiki Disclaimer)

Figure 1. A koto (left) and a guitar (right) Wait! Sorry. Koto right, guitar left. Or…dammit Boulez!

Unfortunately, whoever pilfered the Wiki entry and, subsequently, wrote the little concert blurb must not have finished reading the entire sentence.

…though “neither the style nor the actual use of these instruments has any connection with these different musical civilizations” (“Speaking, Playing, Singing” (1963) in Boulez 1986, 341).

What’s that you say? A quote from Boulez, himself! Cited, even! (At least an attempt at a citation. To be sure, I double-checked its veracity.)

Now, exactly where "modern jazz" came from is still a mystery.

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I've got the ill communications

Sifting through the Kansas City Star, I came across this title:

Chinese composers show Western influence

And decided that I didn’t want to deal with that particular type of stupid. Instead, I chose this winner:

Yo-Yo Ma shows why he’s probably the world’s greatest

Uh. Greatest…? Online poker player?

I kid the witty, yet only somewhat confident, copy editors of the Star. But seriously, what’s the deal with the off titles? Obviously, the Star hasn’t heard of any of the numerous online random title generators. They must actually use their brains. Dang, that’s hard work! In a few seconds, I didn’t use my brain and came up with this title: Delicious Man. I think that would have been a perfectly apt title. Don’t you?

Anyway, how is Mr. Ma doing these days?

The program opened with Franz Schubert's Sonata for Piano and Arpeggione, an extinct, cello-sized six-string guitar played with a bow.

I see. So the Star has heard of Wikipedia, but not its fallibility.

This work flows from one wonderful song or dance to another…

What our author “probably” means is that it flows from the Allegro moderato to the Adagio, then to the Allegretto. Kind of like songs or dances, I suppose. Then again, Wikipedia doesn’t cover the details. It does, however, cover this:

…but there's an undercurrent of sadness to it all -- perhaps because in 1824 Schubert was growing seriously ill and felt increasingly isolated.

…though, Wikipedia covers this without the speculation. Way to avoid plagiarism! Give yourself five points.

What else does Wikipedia say? Nothing?! I guess it’s time for some original prose, then.

Anyone who's ever played a music program for a live audience knows how hard it can be to hit the ground running, especially with music this reflective.

No comment. Just, yikes.

That Ma and [pianist] Stott were still very affecting in the Schubert only shows the level at which they're working.

The rest of the review, which doesn’t deserve any more of my time, continues on with a similar mix of horrible non-information, like the above, and Wikipedia alterations.

Figure 1. Last known photograph of a living arpeggione

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