Still a little bit fascinated with Steve Reich, but it's payed off, considering this
article I found.
Here's some observations from the composer, given during an interview.
I've bolded two standouts.
I left in the first section to lead into the important paragraph...
You be the judge.
Absolutely. [Sings] �There was one girl (�hallelujah� � it�s the same notes) who had a beautiful voice, and they loved to listen to her singing. And when they stopped singing, they said �more, more� and they applauded�. We know that, probably not even just in the officers club, but actually in the enlisted men, there were a lot of people who really knew music, they played and knew it themselves.
They enjoyed the singing of this Jewish prisoner and then probably gassed her.
Exactly. Ethics and aesthetics have nothing to do with each other. There�s a desire to think �I like composer X, so composer X has got to be a good guy� � no way! Might be, but there�s just no connection. It�s also the effectiveness of political art. Guernica is a towering masterpiece protesting civilian bombing. It�s survived as a painting but did it stop civilian bombing? Come on! Picasso�s not even a midget in the world of political action. It would have been better if Wagner had been shot to death � he really blew it as a human being. It might have averted a lot of bad things, because he did have a very powerful influence. But Wagner is, in my own estimation and in the opinion of many others, is a genius. His music is incredible. (By the way, Hindenburg�s third scene is called Niebelung�s Emblem and it basically takes on the Niebelung�s theme and makes a really old-style repeating pattern piece out of it: (sings) dun-da-dun dun-dun-dun). So I think those are things which are true and you just have to face that � it was possible for Nazis to be extremely cultured and extremely inhuman, and that is the nature of artistic excellence and moral excellence have no necessary connection whatsoever.
Whole article for context's sake: http://www.topology.org.au/articles/reich.htm
Posted by Kammer at July 16, 2003 03:40 PMthough i'd never presume to debate, nor even question...i yet might merely 'raise a wonder.'
it seems those who truly know their art cannot but help maintain an emotional attachment to it and its associates. i can't imagine there was not a single twinge of previously-unfelt guilt--yea, perhaps even fear and sorrow--when that albeit-jewish voice was finally silenced. and the sound of that final note probably thinned to a sour but unshakeable twang that haunted the ears of those music-lovers till they died.
it's true that beauty gets killed in spite of itself. as with poachers and bald eagles, it is usually due to a greater affection for something else. a poacher's keen eye may certainly note the grace of 'his' eagle's flight, but he loves something else more, so his conscience and trigger finger work to accommodate.
maybe we are all mercenaries and nazi musicians at heart, walking crematoriums, crooked deep down and bound like bullets to who knows where but for the grace of God.
Posted by: joydriven at July 17, 2003 01:38 AMThanks Joy. That's a good point and I agree. This was why I posted the article. It touches on alot of different ideas, both positive and negative, some gray.
Here's another one about Reich's creative process:
"one thing which stuck out to me was your statement from the 1969 Whitney Museum concert �obviously music should put all within listening range into a state of ecstasy�. Is that something you�d stand by today?
Oh yeah, either it�s happening or it�s not happening. Like with the piece I�ve been working on this morning � what�s the way I judge it? I ask �is it working�. Well what does that mean? That means you feel thrilled when you listen to it. If you don�t, you try to figure out what�s missing. That really doesn�t change; though the situation you find yourself in changes. A lot more is going on musically in my pieces than used to go on. There�s no such thing as progress, but there are changes."
Now the danger here is that I agree with him, but only because I came to similar conclusions myself about creativity. If I'm only inspired about what I already hold to, (reassuring myself that it's right, through the "permission" of a reknowned creative mind) how am I enriching myself? :P
I had not heard of Steve Reich prior to the exposure you've granted me. I listened to several pieces last night, including 'Pendulum Music,' which I found particularly fascinating (and quite the personal music appreciation victory since I was not annoyed).
Still thinking.
Posted by: joydriven at July 18, 2003 05:01 PMI wouldn't say it's the most accessible music on earth, and frankly, some his stuff is downright annoying. But of all the minimalists I'd say Reich, for me anyways, is the most interesting.
If you haven't already, try Six Pianos/Six Marimbas. I've found that piece to be nice.
Posted by: Kammer at July 18, 2003 11:40 PMyes, i'd tried it as well--and yes, nice. =)
Posted by: joydriven at July 19, 2003 12:46 AMPlease note: Comments will not appear immediately. Your comment will appear upon approval by the blog's editor. We had to implement this to decrease the amount of spam that our site receives. Please forgive the inconvenience. We are looking into other, friendlier options.