An Open Question

Submitted by jsdubois015 on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 15:18

This is a thought that I would like to put out there and see what kind of responses it gets. I've been thinking about this for a little while and it more or less goes along with my last post. Is there any other art (literature, dance, etc.) that is analyzed to the extent that music is? I can't think of one. For example, we don't subject a novel to the same kind of rigorous and complicated analytical techniques that we do a piece a music. Yet, a novel by, say Victor Hugo, I would consider of the same artistic quality, depth and substance as a Beethoven symphony.

Complexity through Simplicity

Submitted by jsdubois015 on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 15:30

I'm not sure exactly when it happened, sometime during my undergraduate degree, but I more or less pulled a complete 180 in regards to my views of music theory. In the beginning, I loved it and studied as much of it as I could. I thought music theory and analysis to be a necessary part of musical understanding. Later, however, my approach became simpler and simpler. I started to shun most of the established "theories" and the grandiose, complicated analyses written by theorists, and turned to the simpler methods.

"Art Has No Limits"

Submitted by jsdubois015 on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 21:20

I was reminded today about a quote by Beethoven:

The true artist is not proud, he unfortunately sees that art has no limits; he feels darkly how far he is from the goal; and though he may be admired by others, he is sad not to have reached that point to which his better genius only appears as a distant, guiding sun.

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