[MD] Churning Point

[Margaret Warren]

Isn't it possible that you or I or anyone of us on this
group would recognize an artistic/cultural transition from
the static to the dynamic if it hit us in the face?

but what exactly do you think our next big cultural leap 
is going to look/feel like?

Are you implying that art has nothing to do with a cultural
shift to the next dynamic level?

Wouldn't a shift happen one person at a time, one idea at a time?

Yesterday, some friends of mine and I were talking about traveling
and being a tourist and for example, deciding to see every Spanish
Mission in Texas and getting about 4 days into the trip and becoming
so jaded about Spanish Missions you just don't want to see another one,
but right at that time you see the most interesting thing at one of 
the missions - the one thing that really makes the entire trip -
So I remarked that this moment (the point at which after you become
jaded you then see something remarkable) as a moment of a transition
of some personally static level to a personally dynamic level. 

Most people considered J.S. Bach to be third rate during his 
lifetime, he was generally last on the list of musicians/composers
to call for a gig - does that mean that mean that the people
who lived around him at that time were absolutely ignorant
of quality? 

What about the fact that people rioted at Stravinsky's Rite of Spring
concert when it was first performed?

Isn't it possible that none of us are that perceptive as well. 
Maybe we're missing seeing something that is brilliant quality
because we really don't know what would mark a shift...

MM



-----Original Message-----
From: moq_discuss-bounces at moqtalk.org
[mailto:moq_discuss-bounces at moqtalk.org] On Behalf Of Platt Holden
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2006 5:38 AM
To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
Subject: Re: [MD] Churning Point


Hi Ant:

Yes, we indeed have a "static/Dynamic difference of opinion." As I've 
claimed before, no painting has surpassed in quality the depictions of 
animals in the caves of Lascaux, executed with a "palette" of what many 
today would call dirt. I would also claim that no painting has 
surpassed in quality the pencil drawings of Rembrandt, the black paint 
brush drawings of Picasso or the Zen ink paintings of Japanese masters. 
Along similar lines, I do not think Shakespeare's plays are any better 
today when accompanied by the production values of Hollywood than when 
played on a bare stage, or that the artistry of Segovia is any greater 
when accompanied by the London Philharmonic and then when playing 
alone. No, quality of art isn't dependent on its medium, nor can poor 
art be hidden by slick or spectacular "production values." Beauty 
transcends material considerations. Otherwise, it would not be found in 
a physicist's equations, or in a PhD thesis. :-).        

Best regards,
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

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