Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/10/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] OT - Has Art a future?
From: Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch>
Date: Thu, 03 Oct 2002 07:06:11 +0200
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20021002095352.00ae1008@earthlink.net>

Carl,

Thanks for the link, an interesting and though-provoking article indeed. 
He makes a lot of valid points. The one thing that troubles me is the 
implicit (or not so implicit) assumption that art must be difficult to 
be Art. I think that we tend to forget that many of the great classical 
composers were the pop musicians of their day, and most of the great 
pieces of music we know and love today were simple commission jobs for 
some prince or king or other rich supporter. Examples abound, like 
Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks. So I am not prepared to discard 
all of today's popular music as garbage that caters to the lowest common 
denominator. Much of it is, to be sure, just as much music was 200 years 
ago (as the author also points out). But I am firmly convinced that, for 
example, in 200 years Lennon/McCartney will be regarded as the greatest 
composers of the 20th century, and will be played and revered in a 
similar manner to the respect we accord Mozart today. Similarly with 
writing: I confess to never having had the patience to plow through a 
James Joyce novel, I prefer more accessible writers like Hemingway or 
Steinbeck. But does it mean that Joyce is "better" than Hemingway 
because he is more difficult to read? I think not.


Nathan


Carl Pultz wrote:
> Folks,
> 
> There is an article today on Salon that might interest a number of 
> readers here. Ostensibly about the present and future of classical 
> music, the author's argument has relevance to all creativity, and might 
> be particularly thought provoking for those of use who utilize this 
> democratic (ie. relatively easy, accessible) craft in the hope of 
> achieving Art.
> 
> http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2002/10/02/classical/print.html
> 
> Carl
> 
> -- 
> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
> 
> 


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Nathan Wajsman
Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland

e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch
mobile: +41 78 732 1430

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In reply to: Message from Carl Pultz <cpultz@earthlink.net> ([Leica] OT - Has Art a future?)