tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post1971591214772063710..comments2024-03-26T15:57:13.443+00:00Comments on On An Overgrown Path: Making the case for contemporary musicUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-9211665001694587492008-01-29T15:33:00.000+00:002008-01-29T15:33:00.000+00:00Scott, thanks for that informative piece. There is...Scott, thanks for that informative piece. There is no problem at all over 'baby food', we are just putting two different meanings on it.<BR/><BR/>I didn't intend it to be a perjorative, but rather as an illustration that a varied diet, both gastronomic and musical, is essential to development. <BR/><BR/>It probably didn't communicate very well, but that's what I meant. <BR/><BR/>When our son was very young we took him to Madeira on holiday. I contracted food poisoning and ended up eating his baby food - it's not that bad!Pliablehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10616598845886342325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-62131153461853300782008-01-29T14:16:00.000+00:002008-01-29T14:16:00.000+00:00I'd like to mention one aspect of "promoting" cont...I'd like to mention one aspect of "promoting" contemporary music - the different presentation types. Somewhat simplistically, there are four - concerts and radio programming with each subdivided into "specialist contemporary" and a mixture of contemporary and other.<BR/><BR/>I live just north of Toronto Canada. Complete concerts of contemporary music have been pretty well served here in my experience. Example - an organization called New Music Concerts, founded in 1971 and directed by Robert Aitken. Lots of lovely stuff, and they make an effort to have the composers present to speak to the audience. One fond memory is of a concert of the music of Toru Takemitsu, with Takemitsu introducing each piece. As you'd expect, such concerts are held in small halls, and you get to recognize quite a number of the other audience members over time.<BR/><BR/>"Regular" concerts are a different matter. Contemporary music is there, but most often with short pieces done before intermission. To be fair, the Toronto Symphony does commission some pieces, with the composer introducing the premiere. <BR/><BR/>Local radio is mixed. A private, largely classical station has little contemporary stuff. CBC Radio 2 programs some contemporary music, but they recently canceled the long-running and excellent "Two New Hours" on Sunday evening. It specialized in broadcasting recent concerts, often with the composer in the studio to comment. Great stuff ... but it's gone.<BR/><BR/>It seems to me that the game has to be to find a way to encourage more contemporary music in "mixed programs." As a listener, I try to poke at this by sending complimentary e-mails when I've heard a worthwhile contemporary piece on the radio or in concert. <BR/><BR/>I've also turned away subscription requests from the Toronto Symphony by explaining that I knew most of what was being programmed, and more new music would help. Sometimes I get someone who seems interested.<BR/><BR/>Small things, to be sure, but I suspect that bottom-up audience reaction has considerably more leverage than top-down encouragement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-6130591842621962102008-01-29T12:21:00.000+00:002008-01-29T12:21:00.000+00:00Bob, I reacted to what came across to me as an ins...Bob, I reacted to what came across to me as an insulting and pointless comparison. Saying that someone is consuming "baby food" doesn't sound friendly or helpful to me, regardless of how accurate you may feel it is.<BR/><BR/>However, since it appears that we simply see this issue quite differently, I withdraw my "bad-tempered" comment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-16404895864005199992008-01-29T07:51:00.000+00:002008-01-29T07:51:00.000+00:00Scott, it may apply elsewhere, but I hope that we ...Scott, it may apply elsewhere, but I hope that we are not yet at the point <I>On An Overgrown Path</I> where putting forward a point of view is considered to be "a bad-tempered outburst".<BR/><BR/>An awful lot of people eat at McDonalds. That doesn't make the fare on offer there a balanced and healthy diet.Pliablehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10616598845886342325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-56675116993672674702008-01-28T22:47:00.000+00:002008-01-28T22:47:00.000+00:00I share your frustration. However ...There is too ...I share your frustration. However ...<BR/><BR/><I>There is too much baby food in today’s concert programmes and radio schedules.</I><BR/><BR/>I really don't see that slagging the music for which a majority of concert-goers will pay is any help at all. Does the case for contemporary music depend on trashing the other fare on offer, or was this just a bad-tempered outburst?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-82519640631393711482008-01-28T18:38:00.000+00:002008-01-28T18:38:00.000+00:00One of the most exciting recitals that we attended...One of the most exciting recitals that we attended last year -- in Berkeley -- featured Jane Chapman and Kate Ryder performing works by David Coll, Simon Emmerson, Evelyn Ficarra, Jeremy Hunt, Jason<BR/>Levis, and Roger Redgate.Garth Trinklhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11084463787729969177noreply@blogger.com