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Thus the new music has two extreme tendencies. On the one hand, it is emancipated expressiveness; on the other, there is electronic music whose material laws seem to preclude the subjective intervention of the composer, just as they preclude that of the interpreter. The fact that these extremes actually meet confirms the objective trend towards unity. In the final analysis it leads to the liquidation of the concept of new music. This is not because the new music is simply absorbed into a larger musica perennis, but because music in general will be absorbed into the new music. The latter brings to fulfilment the idea contained in all traditional music. It is for this reason that the new music is obsolete as a particular category; it is a suspect subheading. The concept has become irrelevant because by the side of the new music all other music production has become impossible. It has degenerated into kitsch. The distinction between new music and music in general becomes the distinction between good and bad music as such. + + + Amen! And with that we end our investigation of Adorno's Music and New Music from the book Quasi una Fantasia Essays on Modern Music as translated by Rodney Livingstone. + + + Music in general absorbed in the new music. Albert Ayler. Did Albert Ayler contribute to the way "jazz" is played today? Is the Ayler 'applet' present in that glossy magazine world of "jazz?" How about Bill Dixon? Here's a story. It's not a very well told story, but the point made is a significant one: Once upon a time back in the early 90's I somehow began corresponding with a trumpet player in the Mingus Big Band--the latter day one that performed every week at the Fez. Naturally I don't remember his name, nor do I remember the exact wording of the e-mail, but this (alleged) member of the Mingus Big Band said upon hearing Dixon's tone he entirely re-evaluated his tonal approach on the trumpet. Sadly, I didn't continue correspondence, as it would be interesting to follow up: how exactly the revelation of Bill Dixon (literally) played out in the Mingus Big Band context. I don't know that any of the 'nu-jazz' of the last, say, 20 years has given Dixon occasion to 'swerve' as it were. Yet Dixon's tonal concept is changing the way glossy-magazine jazz people play glossy magazine jazz. Who is absorbing who? + + + While I don't have any specific examples or offenders in mind, one's imagination need not be too heroic to hear what Adorno means about degeneration into kitsch. Music and New Music was written in 1960. Adorno was dead in 1969. (Obviously) a lot hasn't changed over the last 38 years--only intensified. We are at a place in our culture where we are 'post kitsch' (and by that I mean 'we' aren't going to let a little something like kitsch get in the way of getting product to market.) Joanna Newsom. How about that Joanna Newsom. (If Joanna Newsom wasn't on your 'list' this year, then did you really have a list at all?) What do you think Theodore Adorno would make of Joanna Newsom? What do you think Theodore Adorno would make of a culture that would lavish so much praise upon Joanna Newsom? I have not heard the recording--I've just seen the cover (some loaded imagery during this crusade thing we're doing) so I am asking. visit us on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/newtexture |
