They where dead links 

I can see why many listeners are flummoxed, but don't get in a kerfluffle about them. There are some basic "givens" you need to know in order to listen intelligently to serial works. But even so, the music is accessible on a very basic level, without any forethought. I think what is necessary is for the listener to "clear his mind" of habits and preconceptions about music. Not an easy task, even if you love music of all kinds.

The one word which I would use to best describe most serial music is: Sensuousness


Just like Renaissance music and late romantic impressionism, it's got that serene, almost sexual, exotic flavor that should be very apparent by the second listening of a piece.

It differs from composer to composer obviously (as for instance, Babbitt sounds nothing like Stockhausen or Boulez, who sound nothing like Wuorinen) but it is a common shared aesthetic thread.

Structure and form isn't hard to follow too (unless you want to break it down in the same way as Bach), contrast is the crux of all music, it should be no surprise that element gets exploited in serial music.


The thing that pissed me off all the time, whether it's online or at lectures; is how controversial Schoenberg is treated. He WAS and always will be a romantic composer, who happened to invent the 12 tone system and apply to his romantic music.

Schoenberg for instance, is elevator music compared to Stockhausen's (sometimes) polarizing, ambitious, extreme soundworlds 

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Uhh, ok.

Hey Rainbows, I saw you got temp banned from TC 

Quote from: ModernistAlien on May 12, 2017, 12:32:05 am

Quote from: nathanb on May 12, 2017, 12:12:29 am

I forget if we talked about it yet. Don't you also have the Dienstag DVD?

No I don't, I have a few scenes from it though. (I currently have half of Licht, well digitally in audio form)

I have all of the LICHT MP3's, but that was an especially strange experience - to witness a Stockhausen staging. I guess I never realized just how weird he could be before that.

Yes man, it's really surreal 

Quote from: ModernistAlien on May 15, 2017, 06:01:36 pm

Quote from: nathanb on May 15, 2017, 10:23:53 am

New Slowdive!

It's a great album. Do you like them?   

I have not listened to them much in about 4 years, but yes. Used to listen to the first two albums a lot. Probably more than I listened to My Bloody Valentine, or at least until THAT band returned and revitalized my interest.

Do you find it comparable to any of the other three albums in particular? Or to something else that I might know?

All this shoegaze revival... can we have a new Ride album then, maybe?

My Bloody Valentine is great, um..lets see.

So The new Slowdive is lacks that kind of I guess angst? or sort of late teenager kind of existential and personal/relationship drama. It's far more introspective and mature in that regard. Musically it's like an electrified Pygmalion. It's still got the soulful Souvlaki kind of distorted reverb stuff.

I admit I've never heard of Ride before  ....time to do my homework 

I definitely recommend the new Slowdive, at least once?

^^ That's a great collection Nathan! 

I haven't been listening to a lot of classical lately but these are some of the following things I've been listening to frequently:

Beethoven - Sonata 8 (don't know how it happened but I keep being drawn back to it for some reason)
Slowdive - (new) Selftitled album
Cowboy Junkies - Trinity Session
Peter, Paul and Mary - Album 1700
Neil Young - Harvest (and also), Harvest Moon
Foo Fighters - Colour and the shape
Sandy Denny - The north star grassman and the ravens
Schoenberg - Violin Concerto
Strapping Young Lad - City
Slayer - Season in the Abyss
Mozart - Piano concerto 27 (The second movement done if for me, I'm also clueless why)
Angelo Baladamenti - Mullholland Drive soundtrack
Varese - Deserts
Xenakis - Jonchaies, Dammerchein, Persephassa, Tetras and Pithoprakta https://youtu.be/nvH2KYYJg-o
Mr Bungle - Selftitled and California
Denis Smalley - Wind Chimes
Conlon Nancarrow - Studies for player piano
John Zorn - Radio, Spillane
Jenny Mcleod - Through The World (a songcycle I saw live)
Webern - Concerto for Nine instruments (even when I don't listen to classical music, I end up listening to this, lol)
Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at dusk

I forget if we talked about it yet. Don't you also have the Dienstag DVD?

No I don't, I have a few scenes from it though. (I currently have half of Licht, well digitally in audio form)