Guess who said this?

Filed in Music Philosophy on October 05, 2009



Guess who said the two things below? (Yes, you can Google them but don't spoil the fun.)

"perhaps some will wonder at my undertaking to write about music...at a time when music has become almost an arbitrary matter, and composers will no longer be bound by laws and rules, but avoid the names of school and law as they would death itself . . ."

"I will not be deterred by the most passionate haters of study, nor by the depravity of the present time."

This sounds like a common criticism of the music of the Twentieth Century from the traditionalists both inside and outside the church.  And clearly, there was a lot of rule breaking during that century, accompanied by a shift in authority shifted from the composer to the performer.  And no doubt, there was a lot of depravity too.

But these quotes do not come from the Twentieth Century.  They go all the way back to a man named Johann Fux, a traditionalist during the late Baroque era (early 1700s).  Fux was an admirer of Palestrina, who composed during the 1500s, and he apparently thought that modern music was lawless and rogue.  I do not know who he was referring to for sure, but Bach was prominent at the time and the Baroque era was giving way to the Classical era (Mozart was about to be born).

It is amusing to me that the music that traditionalists today consider ideal (Baroque) was itself under attack from the traditionalists of its own day.  This trend has existed through the history of music.  Traditionalists have a history of rejecting innovation.  But eventually, the music they reject becomes the "new" traditional music.

This is why I have said many times that if we as traditionalists are going to reject music, we need to have a solid reason for it.  The attitude that music cannot be good because it is not what I am used to or does not follow my rules stifles healthy innovation.  And our music is better off because the traditionalists lost those battles centuries ago.

But that is not to say that traditionalists are fools.  For example, Johann Fux's writing is still used in universities today, and Bach was a traditionalist who was no slouch.  (He was considered old fashioned by his peers toward the end of his life.)

These are complicated issues.  I wish I had this figured out but I don't.  We probably need a balance of both traditionalists and progressives.




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Richard Wergzen
10/5/2009 8:10:08 PM

This is very insightful Greg. I don't know how you do your research, but thanks for the first quote especially. I will use it often.

I did not realize that Bach was considered out of date by his peers, but a little research showed me you are indeed correct. Very interesting

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Lane Johnson
10/5/2009 8:54:13 PM

Greg, I think it is clear where you come down on this. Do you have to be so political? I guess you think if you tell the truth gently, they will take it better?

We need people to stand up and tell the truth and you are a person who can really help fight the insanity from both extremes of the music wars. Just a thought:)

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Greg
10/5/2009 10:37:38 PM

Well Lane, I am not against traditionalists. I consider myself one. I am however, not a fan of the rabid traditionalists who seem to think Palestrina and Bach are God's chosen composers. I actually reject that position outright. I am not sure it is not idolatry.

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