Greatest 12-Tone Piece of All Time

It's brilliance is only masked by it's simplicity.

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Music

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• 12
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[Akirilus]

@MrAlexGTV i think he was cleaning the piano with some toilet paper ...

[MrAlexGTV]

The high meaning of this is combined with the intention of the artist to protest againsts the increasing pace of life by playing slower combined with faster notes in a gesture of revolution, by not using his hands. Not only this, but the notes flow in an agonising, dramatic manner with little to no hinds of what is next. The ear has "memory but not eyes", a fact the artist masterfully uses to capture the imagination of the audience. This performance is of rare beauty, a true work of genius.

[BegoneJonah]

After hearing Penderecki's latest (tonal) pieces - and he was as avant-garde as they came - I have come to the conclusion that Schoenberg's twelve tone row system was an evolutionary dead end. Elliott Carter I haven't tackled yet. But I suspect there is still much which can be said with the tonal system.

[Aaronniee]

Better than Schönberg... xD

[AfroDeezeeYak]

@MaestroTJS I just haven't found anything I feel is worthwhile in newer tonal music. I do however, enjoy composers like Rautavaara, Hindemith, Bartok, Messiaean and of course: Stravinsky among a few other composers that are no longer with us (actually I think Rautavaara is still alive).

For me: it's not so much about simplicity, as it is about maintaining interest and general taste.

[MaestroTJS]

@AfroDeezeeYak I do have a question for you, though: why do you find you dislike modern tonal composers? I don't know of any atonalists that didn't like earlier, tonal music, yet mostly they heap scorn on new(er) tonal music. I understand that they probably think it's a regression or simplistic, etc., but to me there's a lot more to music than just the harmonic language, which is just one aspect of composition. Simpler approaches are not without precedent anyway (e.g., Classical after Baroque).

[MaestroTJS]

@AfroDeezeeYak You may be right; I guess I was hoping one day I'd have an epiphany and realize I was wrong or something. ;)

I think I liked the first chamber symphony more than the second ("Son of..."), but my favourite piece of his that I know is Fearful Symmetries. Not sure you would care for it, though. I'm not always sure how seriously he takes his art with the silly names he gives his pieces and some, well, dorky-sounding passages. Not that all great composers have been serious, mind you.

[AfroDeezeeYak]

@MaestroTJS Fair enough I guess. Also, as a whole: I wouldn't say I'm a fan of Adams. Having since made that comment, I have discovered a few things by him that I found to be tasteful (but by thoroughly exploring his output: it seems to me these were passing phases and explorations on his part) -his Chamber Symphony and Violin Concerto.

As for 'not getting it': at this point: already understanding many things, it is probably more a case of whether you find it worthwhile or not.

[MaestroTJS]

@AfroDeezeeYak When composers significantly change their style, they run the risk of alienating some/many of the people who loved their previous style. But generally, the longer a composer lives, the more opportunity they have to put out whatever they want, even crap on a page if they wish, and someone, somewhere will say, "hmm, maybe I don't understand this, but since it's from X, there must be something to it," while a brilliant work by someone unknown could get passed over by the same person.

[MaestroTJS]

@AfroDeezeeYak I listen to the music as part of my musical education (which is always ongoing). I'm waiting for the day someone can clearly articulate what it is I'm supposedly missing, but so far, I keep hearing the same rehashed and entirely unconvincing arguments.

By the way, it was you who said (on the Bartok video) that you "despised" Adams, Higdon, Lang, et.al..