[MD] Churning Point

[Ant McWatt]

Ant McWatt stated to Platt:

Regarding your point that music has not developed since Mozart’s time.  His
music as it appears today lacks the production values and the far greater
palette of sound that the Beatles, for instance, had for their disposal for 
Sgt.
Pepper’s or the White Album.

Platt asked February 14th:

Palette of sound? You mean electronic gimmickry?

Ant McWatt comments:

Platt,

I think we have what could be termed… a static-Dynamic difference of opinion 
here  :-)

Regarding my observation that the Beatles had a far greater palette of sound 
than Mozart, I wasn’t just referring to “electronic gimmickry” (which seems 
slightly derogatory) but rather all the classical Western instrumentation 
Mozart had available plus rock and roll instrumentation (such as the 
electric guitar) plus Indian instrumentation (such as the sitar) plus 
electronic instrumentation (such as tape loops, mellotron and, towards the 
end of their career, the synthesiser).  They also had an excellent 
classically trained producer (with an interest in the avant-garde) in the 
form of George Martin to realise their sound imagery, to arrange their 
material and to bounce ideas off.

Mozart was a great composer but he simply wasn’t involved in the electronic 
reproduction and manipulation of music as that was only developed after his 
lifetime.  His recorded music has to rely on the skills of recording 
engineers and producers who might take decisions on how to present his music 
that he would have vehemently disagreed with.  “God only knows” what 
liberties, producers and arrangers have taken with his work since his music 
began to be recorded.

On the other hand, I must admit Mozart’s bass playing puts Paul McCartney’s 
scraping to shame, his peace songs and surrealistic lyrics make Lennon’s 
songs sound like that they were written by a news reader and his singing 
makes Elvis sound like Bob Dylan after a rough night.  :-)

Best wishes,

Ant


.

_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN Search Toolbar now includes Desktop search! 
http://toolbar.msn.co.uk/