Today in class we listened to the Elliot Carter Brass Quintet performed by the American brass quintet. I just listened to the work a second time without the score to provide some of my reflections from less of a score reading background.
I still feel the work holds a deep psychological awareness on me as a musician, but after listening without the score, I also can see how the music can affect more than just the need to know what is going in and where instruments line up. I think Carter is highly successful at creating an all new understanding and performance of a brass quintet. The work really gets my attention, especially when the quodlibet sections end and the music switches to duo work. My ear is very consciously listening for the return to full quintet. Even though we listen to duo and trio work often, when knowing something is a quintet, I seem to want to hear the full group!
I think at times the work alienates the listener, almost making me feel like I'm on the outside and I don't get the joke or comments- not necessarily a bad thing, because it keeps me wanting more, but it definitely does not draw me in as a performer or listener.
The harmonies and melodies are not what we are used to, so it challenges the listener to try to create something familiar out of the mass of music put forth. How far can this harmonic language be pushed? Although the work sounds unorganized, i think it is highly organized. As a musician, I may be looking at the work with a microscope when I really need to get further away from it. The mathematic sense the work gives me may just be the sense of not being able to focus on the large picture intended.
The quintet is great, I'm glad we had the chance to discuss it!
I love atonal stuff, weird stuff, all that. But it IS hard to listen to when I'm trying to catch too many details. While there's a lot of mathematics and proportions involved in the melody and harmony of the piece, I appreciated the form of the individual sections: Duet Vs Trio in many combinations. It's a really simple thing to latch on to as a listener. just figure out who is doing what and think "Okay, this is what a trumpet duet arguing with a trombone, horn, and tuba would sound like".
ReplyDeleteI think it's way easier to listen to atonal music live. So much is lost in the recording process and there's so much more to that type of music than just the notes. Yeah, that's true of all music, but when there's no distinguishable melody and no familiar harmonic language to latch on to I think the listener at least needs to be able to feel the energy of the physical performer. Then they can lean back, let their mind wander, and soak it all in. Good post, dude.