Posted on 11/29/2004 8:27:37 AM PST by MaineRepublic
bump
It's more polite to say that you don't respond to his music. I, on the other hand, was deeply impressed, both by the lovely and elegant fugue of his they played on the piano (written when he was eight), and the large symphonic piece they performed.
I didn't appreciate much classical music (especially modern) until I had a good music theory course in college. That was a revelation to me. Now I don't just listen to the Beatles or metalcore, or just Beethoven or Bach. I also listen to Ravel, Stravinsky, Scriabin, Varese, John Adams and Alan Hovhaness.
I am eager to hear what he composes when he grows up. They said he is not the kind of prodigy who appears once a generation. He's the kind of prodigy who hasn't appeared in 200 years.
Never watch that damned show, either..........but I DID watch this piece. The kid is simply amazing; just amazing. No other word for it.
Being a prodigy is helpful, but it does not mean that his compositions will be good. While Mozart was a prodigy, most great composers were not so gifted. They used hard work, re-writes, alcohol, prayer, and research to give the the world their beautiful gifts. Think Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Bach, Handel, Scubert, etc. etc.
Oh, OK, we understand now. Prodigy jealousy. Can't have the next young phenom stealing the old prodigy's spotlight can we?
Really, you would think a prodigy would be above this.
""Cute story, but frankly, his music is CRAP." Yeah? So what have you composed lately? How does it compare and how many people have ever described you as a prodigy? ;o) actually, composition is not my thing, but violin performance is. Many people described me as a prodigy when I performed the Bruch concerto with the Jacksonville Symphony at the age of 11. Many people also described similar praises when I won the State of Florida advanced violin competition at the age of 13 (beating out everyone up to the age of 18). IMO, the last great classical composer was Samuel Barber."
So....what you done since?
Wow, thanks for posting this!
Non Sequitur. One does not, for example, have to be an expert bagpiper in order to discern whether the pipes are being played well or badly ...
< Don't believe me? Here's a 10-minute radio show with his "9/11 tribute" composition, being performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony. >
Bump for later. I'm a skeptic, too. But then, I'm not a fan of 20th century clssical either...except for Copeland.
Your comments are so ridiculous (and irrationally harsh) that that they only deserve the comment that they're ridiculous.
Mozart didn't find much compositional success until he reached his mid-20's.
The fact that you do or do not like Mozart at age 10 is irrelevant, he was not in touch with the populace or the times. He did not resonate with then-popular conceptions of "good" music until much later.
As I implied earlier, Jay's now in the process of developing that same emotive breadth necessary for an artist to connect with his audience. No one would rationally expect a 12 year old kid to possess that sense, and no one would expect his intuitive musical skills to be "mature" and in synch with his audience.
I don't really understand your harsh rhetoric. It's kind of wierd.
LOL.
You have told us much about yourself and your musical tastes, very little about the music in question.
You are predisposed to NOT care for the music the 12 y/o composes ("Typical post-modernist classical noise"), presumably because you care more for, what, the Baroque offerings of Bach, the Classical era Mozart, or the Romantic era Beethoven? Not terribly surprising that you would find the more modern compositions not to your liking (which is entirely different from them being "crap").
I prefer early John Coltrane (e.g., with Monk) over the stuff that he did in the 60's. I wouldn't refer to that stuff as crap, though, just music I don't "get" or appreciate.
Forgive the rant, please.
I guess he won't have to audition for "American Idol" then : )
Cool story, and a reminder that real talent can still be appreciated in our cookie-cutter society.
" One does not, for example, have to be an expert bagpiper in order to discern whether the pipes are being played well or badly "
1st, You have to realise that just because you don't like something, doesn't mean it's without merit. There are those who dislike Mozart, Lizst, and yes, even Justin Timberlake has his detrators. Just because he can;t appreciate this kids music doesn't make it crap.
2nd, There is no way to play the bagpipes well. Playing them badly is the art!
There are a few possibilities.
I would be interested in hearing some of this young man's music.
I am a businessman with a BSBA, and I have long pondered what made Mozart tick. Now I wish I HAD seen this kid, just for comparison.
During the program it is referenced that he often writes severely complex pieces which "even" he cannot play. I would suggest to you that these pieces are dreck.
You may have noticed that almost all his pieces are "fugues", which suggest to me that someone led him to this format and this is basically all he can focus on. Not exactly exactly music.
Is he smart? Yes. Is he nice? Yes. Is he a genius, I don't know. Just seems like a musical prodigy.
So why don't we wait to see if he produces great music later. It's no favor to him to play up the prodigy bit. After all, at some point he stops being a prodigy.
Tom Lehrer of "Do the Vatican Rag" fame?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.