Every tone, rhythm, phrase, pattern in music creates a tendency. A moment of music, then, is an array of tendencies, usually at odds, competing for expression.
In nature, competing forces reconcile by articulating new features in space wherein both are expressed. Imagine the intertwining tendrils of a river delta, ever redirecting each other, or converging tectonic plates’ Himalayan compromise, or those trees sculpted by wind.
Composers are not obliged to imitate nature. We may ignore these tendencies, privilege some over others, or actively thwart them. But we can also listen to them and look for solutions that express them all. This kind of music is both sensitive to and generous with itself, like a fabric that cannot be lifted in one place without sharing that lift with every part. That is the ideal for music like Serenade.
Serenade
October 1, 2008Every tone, rhythm, phrase, pattern in music creates a tendency. A moment of music, then, is an array of tendencies, usually at odds, competing for expression.
In nature, competing forces reconcile by articulating new features in space wherein both are expressed. Imagine the intertwining tendrils of a river delta, ever redirecting each other, or converging tectonic plates’ Himalayan compromise, or those trees sculpted by wind.
Composers are not obliged to imitate nature. We may ignore these tendencies, privilege some over others, or actively thwart them. But we can also listen to them and look for solutions that express them all. This kind of music is both sensitive to and generous with itself, like a fabric that cannot be lifted in one place without sharing that lift with every part. That is the ideal for music like Serenade.