Most Ridiculous Plinker

[ahinton]

No - far too many octaves and common triads; it just won't do! Sorry.

Alistair, as you are keen for information on the reclusive Plinkovsky, perhaps you might be interested in this documentary on his teacher, Artur Mistek.

Thank you for this. I tried - I really did - to avoid typing in my response "shome mis(h)tek, surely?" but, as you will see, ultimately failed. I didn't hear this when it was originally broadcast, but the moment I heard mention of the name Eleanor Bron before it even began, the game had already been given away as a sort of "(grand)son of Piotr Zak". Ah, well.

That said, I'm confused about which Plinkovsky is which; Thal - surely the ultimate authority in such matters - has mentioned at various times both Alexander and Vladimir of that ilk...

Best,

Alisztair

[thalbergmad]

For the record, Vladimir Plinkovsky changed his name to Alexander in honour of his Scottish ancestors.

Thal

[ahinton]

For the record, Vladimir Plinkovsky changed his name to Alexander in honour of his Scottish ancestors.

Ah - thank you; I'd not realised that he's one and the same person, nor indeed that he had/has Scottish ancestors.

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

My vote would have to go to Cage's Etudes Australes

Brilliant. I have listened to these today at work. It was amusing looking at the bemused look on peoples faces.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

[g_s_223]

I'm not sure whether she is mad or a genius:

If it has lots of flats is it (not) atonal?...

[j_menz]

I'm not sure whether she is mad or a genius:

If you keep listening to her, you may well find yourself leaning heavily towards the latter. That was my experience - and I started with much the same question.

Lots of flats do not preclude atonality. I note kakethewolf asked earlier what atonality actually was, and no-one has dared an answer yet.

[perfect_pitch]

I'm not sure whether she is mad or a genius:

If it has lots of flats is it (not) atonal?...

Quite possibly the worst thing I have ever heard with the exception of the other video of the guy playing with his foot.

[kakeithewolf]

Though this isn't good, I do see what the person was aiming for with this, and it's somewhat interesting as a concept.

If you keep listening to her, you may well find yourself leaning heavily towards the latter. That was my experience - and I started with much the same question.

Lots of flats do not preclude atonality. I note kakethewolf asked earlier what atonality actually was, and no-one has dared an answer yet.

That's because no one can Handel the truth.

[j_menz]

That's because no one can Handel the truth.

Ignoring the pun (because I am beset by a rare fit of niceness  ), I suspect it is because many simply don't know, and those that do know how contentious and fraught the term is. 

Schoenberg, who most would regard as an exemplary example of an atonal composer, and who many would blame for the whole thing, rejected the term entirely as wrong headed.

[kakeithewolf]

Ignoring the pun (because I am beset by a rare fit of niceness  ), I suspect it is because many simply don't know, and those that do know how contentious and fraught the term is. 

Schoenberg, who most would regard as an exemplary example of an atonal composer, and who many would blame for the whole thing, rejected the term entirely as wrong headed.

Well, you must also consider that true atonality doesn't really exist.

[thalbergmad]

Well, you must also consider that true atonality doesn't really exist.

Perhaps, but Plinkism does.

Thal

[philolog]

Concerning atonality, would I be wrong to suggest that it would be easier to write a truly atonal piece for a single "melodic" line? It seems to me that the interaction of multiple strands would imply harmonies, even against the composer's wishes: Thirds, fifths, and other "pregnant" intervals. I suppose one could try to confine oneself to seconds, ninths, etc. That might work.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

For Thal, not that he will thank me:

from 8.08
The ridiculous unintentional plinker.

For comedy value, though clearly not atonal, and I didn't make it all the way to the end:

[ronde_des_sylphes]

A new talent on the scene:

I enjoyed it more than the Ustvolskaya

[kakeithewolf]

Concerning atonality, would I be wrong to suggest that it would be easier to write a truly atonal piece for a single "melodic" line? It seems to me that the interaction of multiple strands would imply harmonies, even against the composer's wishes: Thirds, fifths, and other "pregnant" intervals. I suppose one could try to confine oneself to seconds, ninths, etc. That might work.

Another approach is to write in many key signatures, but have none be consistently showing up. I took this route once when writing an etude, using 42 key signatures in about 6 minutes.