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Topic: Do you like atonal music? (Read 1720 times)

pianoguy711

Jr. Member
Posts: 69

Do you like atonal music?

on: January 17, 2015, 02:11:50 AM

If so, which pieces stand out for you?

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j_menz

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 10148

Re: Do you like atonal music?

Reply #1 on: January 17, 2015, 02:24:04 AM

"Atonal" is quite an imprecise term.

That said, there's a vast amount of music that may be so described, ranging from the very good through to the truly dreadful.

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"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility. There are so few of us left" -- Oscar Levant

thalbergmad

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 16743

Re: Do you like atonal music?

Reply #2 on: January 17, 2015, 03:58:32 PM

An ape could compose atonal music, but not in a billion years a classical sonata.

Atonal sucks.

Thal

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Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

ahinton

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 12149

Re: Do you like atonal music?

Reply #3 on: January 17, 2015, 04:02:18 PM

Quote from: thalbergmad on January 17, 2015, 03:58:32 PM

An ape could compose atonal music, but not in a billion years a classical sonata.

Atonal sucks.

As j_menz points out, "atonal" is an imprecise term and, speaking as someone who composes almost entirely tonally, atonality (insofar as it might be thought to exist - and it means different things to different people, hence j_menz's comment) is a part of an expressive vocabulary.

Vacuum cleaners suck (when they're working properly); apes neither compose atonally or "classically" nor operate vacuum cleaners.

Best,

Alistair

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Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive