Sunday, September 13, 2015

Modernists and Traditionalists

Just something to get you thinking:

  • Messiaen is a traditionalist masquerading as a modernist
  • Philip Glass (in his symphonies and concertos) is a modernist masquerading as a traditionalist

Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'enfant Jésus: XIX, Je dors, mais mon coeur veille:


Philip Glass: Symphony No. 9, Movement III:




Any other candidates?

3 comments:

Christine Lacroix said...

So I've been wondering why you said that the piece by Giovanni Sollima, Violoncelles Vibrez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgl6njyKe2w
was 'interesting' but went a bit to 'Phillip Glass' towards the end. I still don't understand after listening to his symphony 9 movement III??

Bryan Townsend said...

That was probably because towards the end the Sollima gets very repetitive. The rhythms are driving forward, but the harmony flattens out and gets less interesting.

Marc in Eugene said...

(Do you have the B and Robert Florczak videos where you want them?)