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At 1:04 PM -0500 2/21/01, Liebig, Steuart A. wrote:
>classical music for the most part doesn't harbor improvisation in
>any sort of free sense.
But looking back to when today's "classical" music was "new" music,
there was often a lot of improvisation within the common practice of
the day. Bach and Mozart are obvious examples of
composer/improvisers. Also, the written out cadenzas played by
today's classical soloists were originally an earlier performer's
improv.
>when improv does happen in "new" classical music; it is usually
>pretty tightly controlled by the composer (aleatoric section, etc. -
>- notice that they don't call it "improv"?). and in general, many
>composers look down on improv.
Cage being a notable example. His use of indeterminacy through
nontraditional graphic notation was often deliberately misinterpreted
by classical players as an excuse to horse around and play whatever
they felt like. This was quite against the composer's disciplined
approach. Interestingly, in Cage's later years, after working with a
number of equally disciplined performers who were also talented
improvisers (and who were respectful of Cage's music) the composer
began to accept the possibility of including improvisation in his
work. Sadly, he died soon after.
>rock/country/pop/funk/etc. music tends to be too song/word-oriented
>to really deal with improv on any *lengthy* basis. there have been
>many exceptions, but generally those engender a backlash that leads
>back to the 3-minute pop tunes. many songwriters are all about the
>song - - no noodling allowed!
Some of us challenged that constraint in the psychedelic '60s.
--
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Richard Zvonar, PhD zvonar@zvonar.com
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