Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!unmvax!bbx!bbxsda!scott From: scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker) Newsgroups: comp.music Subject: Re: responsibility Keywords: Intonation systems, octaves, pianos, computers Message-ID: <334@bbxsda.UUCP> Date: 10 Nov 89 16:27:01 GMT References: <3068@husc6.harvard.edu> <1553@esquire.UUCP> <3111@husc6.harvard.edu> Reply-To: scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker) Organization: Basis International, Albuquerque, NM Lines: 36 In article <3111@husc6.harvard.edu> elkies@zariski.harvard.edu (Noam Elkies) writes: >New computer technology makes it easy to accomplish what in earlier >times would have required heroic efforts. Remember the responsibility >that comes with this power. >[some followup deleted] > ....the surface sound of synthesizer output >can be seductively appealing quite independently of musical >content, i.e. new age music > tempting the composer to accept what in another >medium (s)he would further improve/revise. [The same point >has been made in earlier times with, say, effective orchestration >instead of synthesizers---but I'm digressing from comp.music >issues...] You brought up some interesting things that, as usual, point out that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Some synthesizer textures are so wonderful I can listen to them all day without further refinement. But then, I can listen to a good flute or violin all day also. The game seems to be the same. Much classical music is written to show off the technical skills of the solo performer and does very little to "move the soul" (not that there is anything wrong with that). At other times, the symphony composer will fill out a weak theme with bombastic orchestra razzle-dazzle. It all has it's place but, as you say, we must be careful not to get too carried away with it. If it seems too easy - it probably was. -- Scott Amspoker Basis International, Albuquerque, NM (505) 345-5232 unmvax.cs.unm.edu!bbx!bbxsda!scott