Musical Terrorism

[laura-smithburg-byrne]

WOW, who knew such perverse vulgarity would be promoted at the World Harp Congress right along side world “class performers” ? I have always considered myself a very open-minded artist and I am very supportive of new music.

I have enormous respect for composers who write great compositions for my instrument. I have also played my share of nightmare compositions because it was my job to play the music that was put on my stand without (audible) complaint.

I do not find any artistic merit in the concept of “exploitation of a drug addicts’ agony” as a subject for a musical composition for the harp. At the very least it is outrageously bad taste bordering on sadism. In this case, one woman’s pain is another man’s pleasure-packaged as “art”. I have endured “musical terrorists” in the music business who are “lying pieces of sh*t” but I would never choose to perform such an offensive pile of “Bird Song” . I guess I am just an American harpist who prefers to play great compositions on my beautiful instrument with “honor.”

[tony-morosco]

“I don’t feel that the WHC is as obscure as you want to believe. It is

[laura-smithburg-byrne]

Tony, I agree with much of what you have said but I don’t think you entirely understood me. As a professional harpist and teacher, I have devoted my entire adult life to the fine art of harp playing and promoting the harp in a positive light. My opinion is artistic, not political. I only referenced myself as “American” as it seemed to be an issue in previous opinions expressed on this thread. Our country has problems as do other countries, problems are universal. I enjoy a healthy dialogue on issues of importance and I think we are mostly in agreement here.

I have been in the music business a long time and I have taught at universities for many years. I have performed a lot of “experimental compositions” and have a very open mind to art and music. I never said “art” had to be “pretty” and “entertaining” to be valid and comparing the “World Harp Congress” to a beauty pageant is insulting to me as a woman and an artist. “Art” can be “dark and disturbing” and I guess that it can be technically categorized as valid because it is a reflection of reality for the poor woman on the recording. My objection is to the exploitation of human suffering as a subject for compositional dissection and manipulation. If the subject had been a recording of a woman or a child being tortured would that be ok too?

The fact that his government gave him a grant is offensive to those who really do starve and sacrifice for their art. I am sure the composer will be thrilled that his music is a subject of discussion in the harp world, too bad no one is impressed with the depth of his art.

[tony-morosco]

Actually my post was meant to be a reply to Kathleen’s, not yours. I don’t know why it showed up as if it was to yours as I posted to reply to hers. She compared the WHC to a beauty pageant.

I agree that the use of the recording of the woman was exploitative. That is the only true objection I have to it. Having not heard it myself I can’t make any personal comments on its merits. Also several have made comments about the beauty of the instrument and art and I just wanted to make the point that beauty is not a necessary quality to make something art.

If this is art or not I can’t say personally having not heard it myself. But despite that the descriptions given here do make it sound like crap I really haven’t heard anything that would make it not art. Distateful perhaps but not outside of the realm of art.

[David Ice]

Ah, but there’s the rub…..when does something FINALLY fall outside of the definition of “art”?

[tony-morosco]

+++Ah, but there’s the rub…..when does something FINALLY fall outside of the definition of “art”?+++

That is a question that people have been asking for longer than any of us have been alive. There is no consensus. However I have long ago gotten past the point where I would say that something isn’t art because I don’t happen to like it.

+++ If it is crap or if it is definitely tasteless, even when the performing musicians tell me “this piece is s***,” then why

[Kathleen Elarte]

Hi Tony

I did not compare the WHC to a beauty pageant. I used it as an example of the pinnacle or zenith of what can be attained in a particular field such as the Olympics for athletes, the Miss World for beauty queens and the World Harp Congress for harpists.

[unknown-user]

Dear readers,

[tony-morosco]

+++You mis-read me.+++

Perhaps, but I don’t think so. That is why I said I didn’t see the comparison as valid. Not because they involve different things but because the scale, not the caliber, of the event was different.

You basically said that one of the problems with the performance was that it was a non-American finding fault with America and that doing so at such an important event was wrong. When I said that the event was hardly known you implied that it was more important than I realized and compared it’s importance to that of the Miss Universe or Olympics.

I got that.

My point is that while it may be of equal importance to those participating directly it is not of equal impact. That the performance of an Olympic athlete is going to be seen my millions of people, but the performance of a piece at the WHC is only going to be seen by a handful of people and so is not worth they bother of getting upset over.

600 in attendance is a great turn out for such an event, but in the grand scale it is only 600 people who attended,

[David Ice]

Hi Tony,

Believe it or not, I do agree with many things you say!

[steven-todd-miller]

David, that makes the most sense in this entire post and would potentially please everyone. 🙂 Ever consider running for president?

[laura-smithburg-byrne]

David, You are BRILLIANT! I believe you have found the solution.

However, the poor composer will be suffering for lack of the “shock-value response”.

I believe this would have been more important to him than applause!

(Ever hear the sound of one hand clapping?) ; o

[Kathleen Elarte]

David

I took the liberty of passing on your suggestion to the next organizer Elizabeth Volpe-Bligh and hopefully she will take your suggestion to fruition! Next WHC Congress will be in Vancouver, BC, Canada July 2011.

[tony-morosco]

David,

That is a brilliantly simple solution that I can’t see anyone having issues with. Bravo.

I think ultimately the issue isn’t the music itself but people being blind sided by something they weren’t expecting.

[unknown-user]

Perfect!

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