Allan Kozinn wrote the following as the first sentence of a recent review:
Trendy ensembles that play accessible, eclectic new music get most of the attention (and listeners) these days, but you have to admire groups like the New York New Music Ensemble for continuing to champion the more rigorous end of the contemporary repertory.
One assumes by “trendy ensembles” he’s talking about any number of ‘bandsembles’ in the indie / alt-classisphere. I’m pretty sure the word “trend” has been used to describe the current new music ‘movement,’ but I think it’s usually been utilized in the ‘this-is-the-way-music-is-moving-in-the-future’ kind of sense and not in the ‘fad’ kind of sense. That’s interesting. Is this whole thing we talk about so much these days just a fad? Will anything relevant, meaningful, and lasting emerge from this ‘trend’ or will the next generation of composers come up with something new to overthrow the ‘relevancy’ many are working overtime to achieve? Will music by composers who are deemed ‘uncompromising’ be the transcendent new music?
R u an ensemble that ‘champions’ music by ‘uncompromising’ and ‘thorny’ composers?
Is it trendy 2 play ‘accessible’ music?
Are new music ‘bandsembles’ that play ‘uncompromising’ music more authentic?
Since trends come and go, when will this ‘accessible’ trend end?
Should ‘alt-classical’ b referred 2 as fad-classical?
Will it ever b trendy 2 play ‘rigorous’ ‘uncompromising’ music?
Who is creating relevant ‘alt-classical’ music?
Can you be ‘uncompromising’ and still play at ‘LPR’?
Would ‘uncompromising’ composers prefer their music be played in ‘uncompromising’ venues instead of ‘mixed use’ ‘spaces’ that serve beer and wine and ‘tapas’?
What is an ‘uncompromising’ venue?
A dungeon?
An operating room?
A dominatrix basement?
Merkin Concert Hall?
Could Charles Wuorinen write an ‘alt-classical’ piece?
If u ‘remixed’ some Wuorinen would he ‘sue ur ass’?
