Breaking news - music blogging is not quite dead

A comment added by Lukas Fierz in answer to my question Where has all the musical adventurousness gone? set me questioning once again whether music blogging, and that includes On An Overgrown Path, now serves any useful purpose. When OAOP first posted back in 2004 music blogging was driven by sharing discoveries and sharing experiences. Today that sense of revelation has been exorcised by a toxic mix of self-interest and couch activism, all driven by a paranoid pursuit of social approval. Readership numbers and egos have been boosted, but the music has suffered terminally.

My recent post asked where has all the musical adventurousness gone? Who is transcending conventions and pursuing their own unique musical vision? In one of the most useful contributions to music blogging since the advent of social media, Lukas Fierz answered my question by listing a five contemporary musicians who are pushing the socially-defined classical comfort zone. 

Slipped Disc's leadership of the race to the bottom with the unwavering support of the classical industry suggests that music blogging as a positive activity is well and truly dead. But Lukas' comment gives me hope that I am wrong. Here are the musicians he commended for keeping musical adventurousness alive. If one person is swayed, or inspired, or changed by this post, music blogging is still worthwhile.


American composer and pianist Michael Hersch


Hungarian composer and pianist Márton Illés


Spanish composer Francisco Coll 


Clarinetist, composer, and conductor Jörg Widmann


Brazillian composer Caio Facó 

And yes, I know that all Lukas Fierz's nominated musicians are male. But industry insiders will know that a female thread links them. Further nominations of contemporary musical adventurers - female and male - are welcome via comments.

Comments

JMW said…
All these estimable are unknown to me except for Jorg Widmann, who is quite an interesting figure. Coincidentally, I recently stumbled upon a performance he gave of Korngold's brilliant but difficult Symphonic Serenade for string orchestra. It is a fascinating account indicative of the thoughtfulness and musicality of Widmann.
https://youtu.be/QALpGUhNCV0
2:36 pm
Jerome Langguth said…
Thank you as always for sharing this. After many years of reading your blog regularly, I have an overgrown shelf of probably over one hundred discs, classical and otherwise, I would likely not have encountered elsewhere.
11:20 am
Pliable said…
Thanks for that Jerome, it is appreciated.

'To run radio you must be like an old-fashioned publisher, a 1930s Gollancz or Faber and Faber, working on faith and idealism and wanting to share what you yourself love. All that you can do is to make - and publicise - the best and most passionately well-crafted programmes you can think of. Ratings have to be watched, but calmly and with a sense of proportion. You have to believe that if even one person is swayed, or inspired, or changed, or comforted, by a programme, then that programme has been worthwhile' ~ Libby Purves - https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/libby-purves-7/radio-a-true-love-story/9780340822425/
11:34 am
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