Subject: Re: Dinosaurs and Job
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 16:41:12 +1100
From: Richard Kerr < 
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian

Theo Bekkers wrote:
> 
> Graeme Hunt < > wrote
> 
> > “Theo Bekkers”  < > wrote:
> 
> > >Mozart and McCartney both wrote ‘pop’ music (if it wasn’t ‘pop’ at the
> time
> > >of publication it would have died). McCartney wrote, and published, more
> > >than anyone in history. And made a lot more money from it.
> 
> > That demonstrates how society has degenerated. It no longer has any
> > real culture.
> 
> You’re serious, aren’t you? If the book or music was written less than
> 100-200 years ago it has no value? Could I point out that Vivaldi wrote off
> the cuff ‘pop’ music. His job was to provide a new piece of music to be
> performed at next weekend’s banquet/dinner/gathering. This he did every week
> for some years. He had no direct intent to write stuff that would be
> remembered and played in posterity. He was just earning that week’s pay. His
> ‘four seasons’ are today being played by major orchestras.
> I have four
> different recordings of it myself. There is little difference between what
> he did then and what ‘pop’ musicians do now. Some of it is not very good and
> doesn’t stand the test of time.

You can compare writing music with writing words. Pop 
songs are like newspaper articles, they are appealing 
but are limited in what they can really express. Mature 
musical works of art are like novels, in comparison to 
newspaper articles they are extremely complex and can 
display much more of the artist’s talent (or lack 
thereof).

Mediocre journalists cannot write great novels. Mediocre 
musicians can bang out good tunes, just as Vivaldi could, 
but Vivaldi could take the extra step and produce 
inspired works of art, such as “The Four Seasons” 
as well.

> Lennon’s ‘Imagine’

Lennon’s “Imagine” is a good tune - it 
betrays a bigotted worldview, judging by the standards 
of 1990’s multiculturalism, but it’s a good 
tune.

> and Floyd’s ‘Momentary Lapse of Reason’ are not one of those.

Floyd’s ‘Momentary Lapse of Reason’, 
along with a number of other modern classics such as 
Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” are, in my 
opinion, works of art at least in the same league as 
Vivaldi.

Mozart, however, was a genius almost without equal. 
He made whole new realms of musical expression 
possible and constructed almost unbelievable musical 
complexity with a lightness and transparency that only 
a few others could match. Perhaps Bach and ... well 
... just Bach really.

> There is a lot of good ‘pop’ that has
> stood the test of time. I listen to music I enjoy, new and old, not just
> because it has the status of age.

Fifty years is hardly “the test of time”. 
I wouldn’t like to bet on what old pop music we 
will be listening to in two hundred years, but people 
will still be laying Mozart. My favourite record of 
all time is Jethro Tull’s “Broadsword and 
the Beast”. Almost unknown and absolutely no 
prestige value at all.

-- 
Regards,

Richard Kerr