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Recently, I went to a concert, and got an idea.
At the concert, three pieces were played. The first was the Overture to Leonore No. 3, Op. 72b by Ludwig van Beethoven. I enjoyed it greatly. The second was Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. I did not enjoy it much - too atonal - but I would certainly not claim to criticize it. The third was Roman Festivals, by Ottorino Respighi. It was during this piece that I had my idea.
Roman Festivals is one of those pieces which I think had too many "toys". Toys is what I call them; them in this case being triangles, xylophones, tambourines, and other sundry devices which are occasionally employed by some of the moreoverenthusiastic inspired artists. Respighi did not stop there, however. He also showed an infuriating tendency to jump from one theme to another, with nary a transition to be heard. It was this final quality that inspired my idea.
That idea is: When you write a piece of music, write one piece of music! Not two, not ten, not one-third of one, but one!
This rule, if applied, would bring immeasurable happiness to my ears. No more would I turn on my radio, hear a fantastic piano introduction, hear the electric guitar leap in, fighting with the piano, bringing up the tension, building something unique and new ... and then sputter as this rising tide drops me in a wading pool of generic 'hard rock'. No more would I change the channel, hear ten seconds of quality chords, percussion, and lyrics ... and then hear the same ten seconds repeating itself with insignificant variations for the next five minutes.
No more. Instead, I would hear music.
At the concert, three pieces were played. The first was the Overture to Leonore No. 3, Op. 72b by Ludwig van Beethoven. I enjoyed it greatly. The second was Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. I did not enjoy it much - too atonal - but I would certainly not claim to criticize it. The third was Roman Festivals, by Ottorino Respighi. It was during this piece that I had my idea.
Roman Festivals is one of those pieces which I think had too many "toys". Toys is what I call them; them in this case being triangles, xylophones, tambourines, and other sundry devices which are occasionally employed by some of the more
That idea is: When you write a piece of music, write one piece of music! Not two, not ten, not one-third of one, but one!
This rule, if applied, would bring immeasurable happiness to my ears. No more would I turn on my radio, hear a fantastic piano introduction, hear the electric guitar leap in, fighting with the piano, bringing up the tension, building something unique and new ... and then sputter as this rising tide drops me in a wading pool of generic 'hard rock'. No more would I change the channel, hear ten seconds of quality chords, percussion, and lyrics ... and then hear the same ten seconds repeating itself with insignificant variations for the next five minutes.
No more. Instead, I would hear music.
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