Kinda of OT: I can't believe I'm discussing Schoenberg...

["Anne M. Marble" <amarble@sff.net>]

On the rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup, a group dedicated
to writing SF & fantasy, somebody asked for examples of
music that sounded alien. Naturally, another poster
recommended Schoenberg. I helped out in the discussion by
pointing them to Amazon.com, where they could find short
samples.

Now, it has turned into a series of arguments about the
correct pronounciation of umlauts (and Sade), plus whether
or not 12-tone music can be enjoyed by "normal" listeners
(whatever that is), and so forth.

Also, one poster has argued that Schoenberg is considered a
composer who turned to 12-tone music because his non-12-tone
music was so mediocre. Does that argument hold water? Or
has he been brainwashed by his professors?

I pointed out that I quite enjoyed "Verlarte Nacht," and I
don't think it's mediocre. (I also pointed out that I'm no
judge of music as I enjoyed Glenn Gould's Brahms, although
many critics tell me I shouldn't. Hope he doesn't miss my
sarcastic point. <g>)

Some of the guy's arguments are really silly. For example,
"I've had professors state as much." and "I've seen books
and articles dismiss Schoenberg's early music as
unimportant."

Bah! Is that what people call an argument these days?! What
kind of musicians are we churning out of those schools?
Looks as if it's a good thing Glenn Gould didn't attend a
more "respectable" music school, even if some "experts" think he would have become a better musician for it.

OK, I'm off to finish up my post on Schoenberg. I'm no huge
fan of the guy, but I'm going to mention that even though
I'm supposedly one of those "normal" listeners, I enjoyed
hearing Glenn Gould play Schoenberg on the piano (solo and
in small groups).

I'm still not accustomed to hearing 12-tone music in
orchestral pieces -- but that doesn't mean that type of
music is bad. It's just very, very different. :->

OK, rambling over...