Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Korea, a country with a bright musical future

Korea is one of the countries with more musical resources than most of the other countries.
In Korea there are many, meanwhile excellent classical musicians, there are Jazz musicians and a blossoming pop scene and  - there is Gugak (original korean music). Where else you could find so many music styles on such a small area? A musical paradise - you would say -  if all music styles would cooperate a lot. Unfortunately the reality is not like this. Still there are more reservations towards the others than interest. Many classical musicians have a low opinion about Gugak, I heard opinions like:
"Gugak is limited - it's all the same" or "Gugak is ethno music" or just "Gugak is garbage".
Gugak musicians are often very nationalistic and they regard classical music as the culture of the imperialistic west, and korean classical musicians just "ate too much butter".
The only thing which could make to forget all this fights is success outside of Korea. That's very inconsistent but fact. If you get appreciation in the US or Europe, no matter if it is classics, jazz or k-pop you will be automatically a star in Korea. Unfortunately there had been no Gugak musician yet who made it to a big star in the west. (about the reasons I wrote in the post "Realität")
It is time for a Gugak-star! This would be maybe the way to unite the korean music scene to one of the richest and most capable music culture in the world.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Nachtrag zur funktionierenden Musik

Leider geht es ja nicht ganz ohne Musikbetrieb, schliesslich braucht man ja die Aufträge und die kommen nun mal aus dem Betrieb. Aber wenn man das Glück hat, Einfluss auf die Besetzung nehmen zu können, dann kann dem Betrieb ein Schnippchen schlagen:
Man schreibt Solisten-Konzerte (und vermeidet Ensemble- oder Orchesterstücke). Das habe ich von einer befreundeten, sehr berühmten Komponistin gelernt, die jahrelang nur Solo-Konzerte schrieb. Ich habe sie nicht gefragt warum, sie ein Konzert nach dem anderen schrieb, aber ich bin sicher, dass sie auch diesen Aspekt mitgedacht hat: Man kann so das Problem der "drei Proben+GP" elegant umgehen! Solisten sind eben herausragende Musiker, die dazu noch unvergleichlich viel mehr üben. Ein Großteil der Musik wird vom Solisten getragen, der seinen Part wirklich gut beherrscht. Endlich kommt das spielerische, begeisternde Spiel in die Neue Musik!
Die Orchesterstimmen werden relativ einfach gehalten, damit es "funktioniert"...
So kann man mit dem Ergebnis zuweilen ganz zufrieden sein.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Kann Musik funktionieren?

Man hört es immer wieder von Musikern: das Stück xy "funktioniert".
Was heisst das konkret? Als allererstes ist leider die Proben- und Übezeit  gemeint, die ein zeitgenössisches Musikstück -  in der Regel ein Ensemble- oder Orchesterstück - benötigt, um es im gängigen Musikbetrieb mehr oder weniger gut auf die Bühne zu bringen. Das sind in üblicherweise eine Woche individuelles Üben (wobei natürlich keineswegs jeden Tag stundenlang für das eine Stück geübt wird) und die berühmten drei Proben + Generalprobe.
Der freischaffende oder auch nicht freischaffende Ensemble oder Orchestermusiker (kurz: alle) sieht sich bestenfalls vor der ersten Probe die Noten zum ersten mal an. Dann wird sich entweder beruhigt zurückgelehnt (es ist einfach, quasi Blattspielliteratur), oder ein paar Stellen werden schnell durchgefingert, damit man durchkommt, oder aber es bricht Panik aus: das Stück ist schwer und kann ganz und gar nicht vom Blatt gespielt werden und in einer Woche scheint es unmöglich auch nur den eigenen Part zu lernen.
Es folgen Wut und Ärger über den Komponisten, der dann zusammen mit den Kollegen und schlimmstenfalls mit dem Dirigenten im Einklang in der ersten Probe zur Empörung eines Mobs heranschwillen kann. Alles nur Schall und Rauch! - nachdem man es dem Komponisten (falls er anwesend sein sollte) so richtig heimgezahlt hat (alles unspielbar!) wird auch so ein Stück trotzdem innerhalb von drei Proben schliesslich funktionierend gemacht - sprich, es wird irgendwie über die Bühne gebracht.
Diese "drei Proben + GP" kommen wahrscheinlich aus der klassischen Musikpraxis. Das bedeutet, dass ein Stück alte Musik (das jeder beinahe auswendig kennt) auch drei Proben+GP bekommt -  genauso viel wie ein komplexes Stück der Neuen Musik bei der Uraufführung! Da braucht es einen nicht zu wundern, dass neue Musik selten so gut ankommt wie altbekannte klassische Musik: sie ist in der Regel einfach unvergleichlich viel schlechter gespielt. Und das begeisternde Spiel der Musiker ist es doch, was es letztendlich ausmacht. Trübe Aussichten für lebende Komponisten.

Was macht man nun als Komponist: schreibt man nur noch Musik die "funktioniert" oder traut man sich überhaupt noch etwas zu schreiben, was sowieso bei den drei Proben+GP unter die Räder kommt?
Für mich stellt sich aber zuerst die Frage, ob ein funktionierendes Stück denn nun gut gespielt wird?
Die Antwort ist leider: Relativ gesehen zumindest besser als ein nicht funktionierendes Stück, aber absolut gesehen trotzdem unvergleichlich viel schlechter als ein mittelmässig gespieltes klassisches Stück. Wie denn auch: das eine, neue Stück taucht für eine Woche im Leben des Musikers auf und verschwindet zumeist auf nimmerwiedersehen während die alte Musik einen das ganze Leben begleitet hat und es wahrscheinlich für den Rest des Lebens tun wird.

Also schere ich mich weiterhin einen Dreck darum, ob ein Stück funktionieren kann oder nicht, die Unterschiede bei der Aufführung bewegen sich ja ohnehin weit unterhalb dessen, was ich für wirklich gut halten würde. Man muss den Musikbetrieb meiden.





Ranking 3

You are totally unknown composer and almost nobody knows your music
✩ - bad for your bank account and bad for your psyche

You are a well known composer but actually very little people know your music
✩✩ - good for your bank account but frustrated in lonely moments

You are a unknown composer but quite a lot people know your music
✩✩✩ - bad for your bank account but probably a healthy psyche

You are a famous composer but actually the most of the people don't like your music
✩✩✩✩ - very good for you bank account but with potential for depressions

You are not an unknown composer and many people love your music
✩✩✩✩✩ - your bank account is maybe ok and you are probably happy

You are a world famous composer and many many people love ( I mean really love) your music
out of range - not existent yet


Monday, September 3, 2012

Universal-Musiker

Hand aufs Herz: wie viele Komponisten gibt es auf der Welt, die nur vom Komponieren leben können?
Nehmen wir mal jetzt die Film-, Werbe- und andere kommerzielle Komponisten aus.
Gemeint sind Komponisten, die einen vorrangig künstlerischen Anspruch haben. Davon leben bedeutet durch Auftragshonorare und Tantiemen. Es werden wirklich nicht viele auf der Welt sein.
Wovon leben dann also alle anderen Komponisten?
Ein beliebter sogenannter "Brotjob" ist der eines Kompositionslehrers, bevorzugterweise als Professor.
Als Dirigenten verdienen einige noch ein Zubrot.
Einige wenige spielen selber ein Instrument.

Ich selber verdiene mit einem Mix aus Komposition, Arrangieren, Spielen (Gitarre und Changgu), Dirigieren, Unterrichten, Organisieren von Konzerten, Programmieren und noch einiges mehr meinen Lebensunterhalt als freischaffender "Universal-Musiker".

An den Hochschulen könnte man durchaus etwas mehr auf das Leben eines Komponisten vorbereiten, denn mit Komponieren alleine wird man nicht (über)leben können. Die Kluft zwischen den Komponisten und Musikern (die Komponisten zählen interessanterweise nicht als Musiker) muss wieder verschwinden, ein Komponist muss wieder die Rolle einnehmen, die er eigentlich früher inne hatte: der erste Interpret seiner neuen Musik, der Experimentator, der Lehrer und Vermittler.
Ein besonderer Musiker unter Musikern.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Realität

... zu erkennen und zu akzeptieren gehört zu den wichtigsten Dingen in der Musik wie auch im sonstigen Leben.
Vorab einige unstrittige Tatsachen:
- die klassische Musik (und damit auch die Neue Musik) gehört zur westlichen Kultur
- klassische Musik ist weltweit verbreitet
- je reicher ein Land desto mehr klassische Musik leistet es sich, sei es durch staatlich Förderung oder durch privates Sponsoring. Ein Orchester oder ein Opernhaus kann und konnte sich noch nie selbst tragen

Was bedeutet das jetzt z.B. für nicht-europäische Musiker die sich in der klassischen Musikwelt bewegen? Fangen wir mal an mit den Komponisten. Hat sich schon mal jemand gefragt, warum es immerhin einen Tan Dun gibt, aber keinen weiteren chinesischen Komponisten seines Rangs? Oder nehmen wir Hosokawa, der auch alleine das japanische Aushängeschild darstellt (allerdings erst nachdem Takemitsu gestorben war). Für Korea stand Isang Yun und seit einigen Jahren, ebenfalls nach dem Tod von Yun, Unsuk Chin.
An "außereuropäischen" oder besser "außerwestlichen" Komponisten von Rang war es das schon fast. Die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von China, Japan und nun auch Korea spielt dabei sicher eine Rolle.
Nun scheint es fast so, als dass die westliche Welt sozusagen als Tribut für die weltweite Verbreitung ihrer Musik einigen Ländern einen (und nur einen!) Platz pro Land gewährt. Für alle anderen Komponisten aus China, Japan und Korea bedeutet das: Ende der Illusionen, die vorderen Plätze sind belegt. Man muss sich bestenfalls mit einem Mittelplatz zufrieden geben.

Bei Dirigenten ist das genauso: ein Seiji Osawa, ein Myung-Hyun Chung und neuerdings Gustavo Dudamel. Überhaupt kann man in der klassischen Musik nur als Dirigent (keine Frauen vorhanden), Sänger/in, Violinist/in Pianist/in oder vielleicht noch Cellist/in ein Weltstar werden. Alle anderen Instrumente taugen nicht für einen Weltstar. Das bedeutet wiederum noch schlechtere Karten für alle "aussereuropäischen" Instrumentalisten und Sänger. Niemals können sie den Olymp der klassischen Welt erklimmen, der ist längst und für alle Zeiten (zumindest solange die westliche Kultur die vorherrschende bleibt) belegt.
Sie müssen ihren Weg woanders suchen und das ist auch gut so. Denn um in der klassischen Musik aufzublühen, muss man sich auch dementsprechend assimilieren. Das wäre nun des Guten zuviel! Irgendwann muss auch mal Schluss sein. Lieber die Realität akzeptieren und man selbst bleiben.


Stiftung Warentest der Musik

Gütesiegel in der Musik wären Preise, Aufführungen von renommierten Orchestern, Ensembles und Solisten an berühmten Orten und Festivals. Hat man eines dieser Gütesiegel erhalten, so - oh Wunder - öffnen sich Türen, von den man gar nicht gewusst hat, dass es sie überhaupt gibt. Man ist in Champions League der Musik! Das hat viele Vorteile: andere Festivals, Orchester, Ensembles und renommierte Solisten spielen plötzlich ungeprüft deine Werke und je länger diese Liste wird desto selbstverständlicher wird das alles - ein sogenannter Selbstläufer. Für drei bis vier, vielleicht fünf Jahre segelt man voll im Wind und im Himmel des Musikbetriebs! (danach allerdings verpufft das zumeist als wäre nie etwas gewesen)

Der Schönheitsfehler des Ganzen ist aber: wie kommt man zu einem Gütesiegel?
Dadurch,
dass man gute Musik schreibt? - äusserst unwahrscheinlich bis ausgeschlossen
dass die Musik beim normalen Publikum gut ankommt? - äusserst unwahrscheinlich
dass die eigene Musik von den Interpreten gemocht wird? - unwahrscheinlich
dass ein wichtiger Mensch im Publikum sitzt und deine Musik gut findet? - wahrscheinlich
dass man viele wichtige Menschen gut kennt? - wahrscheinlicher
dass man ein Protegé  eines berühmten Lehrers ist? - noch wahrscheinlicher
dass man die beiden letzten Bedingungen erfüllt und darüberhinaus prächtig über seine Musik reden kann? - fast sicher

Damit wäre dann eigentlich alles gesagt.



Monday, August 27, 2012

Idiome

Die Vermeidung von charakteristischen Klängen eines Instruments, die zu einer bestimmten Musik zugehörig scheinen, ist heute fast ein ungeschriebenes Gesetz bei den Komponisten mitteleuropäischer Prägung. Es herrscht geradezu eine panische Angst, sich auf "idiomatisches" Spiel von Instrumenten einzulassen, da man sonst gleich als "musikantisch" abgewertet oder - bei z.B bei asiatischen Instrumenten - sogar der national gefärbten Musik verdächtigt wird. Bei der gleichzeitigen Abwesenheit von musikalisch charakteristischen  Merkmalen wie Motiven, Melodien oder Rhythmen, die ja schon längst dem Vermeidungswunsch zum Opfer gefallen sind, wundert es nicht, dass eine gewisse Grautendenz in der Neuen Musik zu verzeichnen ist.
Es hat aber kaum einer bemerkt: die angeblich idiomfreie, nicht national- oder regionalbezogene Neue Musik ist die idiomatischste Musik überhaupt geworden, das was sie vermeiden wollte ist durch Vermeidung so charakteristisch geworden, dass es von einem bestimmten Winkel gehört wird, so stereotyp ähnlich klingt wie keine andere Musik der Welt. Eine fatale Entwicklung, die ausweglos erscheint. Die Geräuschtechnik der Neuen Musik wie das Kratzen, Schaben, Reiben, Klopfen etc. klingt auf Instrumenten jedweder Kultur nun mal ähnlich, ebenso hat das überschreiten einer gewissen Komplexität hat einen Gesamt-Klangeindruck zur Folge, der von der überwiegenden Mehrheit der Menschen als ähnlich empfunden wird.

Das bewusste idiomatische Spielen von Instrumenten scheint mir ein Ausweg zu sein, denn das Spielen ist lebendig und macht Spass, im Spiel entdeckt man Neues, das Haptische regt alle anderen Sinne mit an und beim Musik Spielen drückt man im idealen Fall das aus, was man dieser Welt musikalisch zu sagen hat. Wendet euch den Instrumenten zu und nicht ab. Sie werden es euch danken.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Is western music the "best" music?

Western music (classical music, jazz pop, rock etc) is obviously the dominating music in the world. Of course western music is also influenced by other music cultures but it remains western music since harmony is the base of all this kind of music. Western music is the real "world music" - the so-called world music is in truth local music. Is it so because western music is so much better than the music of other cultures like Asia or Africa? Or is more a question of power and - what else - money? Every dominating country is exporting also their culture, language and of course also music. I am curious what happens if the dominating cultures are not USA and Europe anymore. Do we get another dominating music?

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Korean music (Gugak) is threatened

The development of Gugak was unnaturally interrupted by the japanese occupation in the first half of the 20th century. What remained after the liberation was further decimated under several dictatorships and the influence of the western culture. Music that survived all this tortures is the status quo of the repertoire of Gugak and that is really small compared to western music.  Korea is a small country with limited possibilities for concerts and korean musicians told me that it is almost  impossible to live as freelance musician of Gukak.
A few stars are playing or singing the same pieces over and over again - no chance to get in for the younger generation. Playing always the same pieces destroys that music -  a perfect thing degenerates. Gugak needs more (good!) music in the tradition of Gugak. Not western new music and please no "fusion". Gukak needs a wider market, Gugak has to come out of Korea.
That is the only chance that the original music will survive.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Writing the music you would like to listen to

If a composer would be satisfied with the existing music he wouldn't be a composer anymore. A composer is searching all the time for music which is not existing yet - of course you don't want to write a piece which is already existing (usually in a version you not even could dream to write it). The easiest way to find a music which hasn't been written before is to search in parts of music which are located as far as possible from the "normal" music or also outside of the music. Although almost every experiment is already done, this seems to be still the method of many composers.
I gave up searching in this direction a long time ago. My only criterion is: I want to write a music which I really like to listen to - I want to be in love with that music for a while. And I am searching in the areas surrounding me, the nearer the better, and trying  to find something which was probably used millions of times but not in the sense I am using it. That works not every time but sometimes.
That is hopefully a chance to get contact to the audience again because - since I am a human - other humans could enjoy what I enjoyed. Get out of the Ghettos!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Protection shield complexity

Complexity in music is often a protection against attacks and critics. It is a perfect shield:
you are able to explain your music like a scientific work with impressing facts and formulas. (nothing from that is audible though). If somebody dislike this music or is just clueless, this person has simply not understood your music and is just not on your level.
The academic circles are satisfied.
If you write a simple and clear peace everybody could attack you: nothing is hided, everything is open and scholars could easily destroy that kind of music with a few words.
Nowadays it is not curious at all to write music which is atonal, complex, experimental etc. - it is safe and comfortable. It is inside the circles where this kind of music is expected. It is the opposite of innovation, it is just keeping the status quo. It is conservative.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Can you learn to compose music?

The answer is:

- No, if you expect a really unique piece of music full of phantasy and surprising ideas, a music which seems to have no model. Musical phantasy and ideas you have to have, you can't learn it, The feeling for the tones you are putting together must be already inside you - you have to activate though. Also a sense for the form of music is given and not really learnable. Of course you have to study a lot and write many many pieces, try out several music styles before you will be able to write a piece I am talking about.

- Yes, since many music of nowadays is learned. Even people without any or poor phantasy are able to write "music" if you use prefabricated or proven methods. You can learn everywhere techniques (composition systems, algorithms, computers aided composition etc. or develop your own system in a similar mode) and copy extended playing techniques (without ever touching  that instrument). If you are not lazy, you can write a fascinating looking score of new music which could sound also not bad. But it could be that there is not a bit of music inside it and nobody will notice that - just another piece among many. Who cares.


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The museum classical music

In the times of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms etc. it was normal that the newest music is the most interesting music - the audience thought that as well as the players and of course the composers. Old music wasn't performed at all until Mendelssohn began to reanimate the music of Bach (this day shall be cursed). To hear the music of their times was so natural like listening nowadays to the newest pop songs.
What went wrong that 95 % of the classical music is the music of composers died a long time ago? It's the largest museum in the world, there is a lot of dust everywhere and all orchestras and conductors are oppupied to do the dusting. Who is guilty? The audience who likes to hear the well known music played by X or Y more or less faster, cleaner or whatever (but of course with faithfulness to the original, that is sacred!) or the program directors, conductors, players who like to fulfill wishes of the audience? Or the composers who refuse to write music which could be liked by many people? Which is so difficult to play and also to listen to it that all involved people abandon this music?
Anyway,  I seldom go to a concert with non contemporary music and if this happens coincidental I miss the most important thing listening to music: the energy and spirit of a human living in the same times like me. Everything else is like visiting a cemetery. Or a just a museum.

Monday, February 20, 2012

True Korean Music

Korean shaman music is an etermal source of inspiration for me. Listen to authentic korean music for a while:

KIM Sohee, "Guǔm" (김소희, 구음)

For me as a korean born and grew up in Germany shaman music is one the things which are authentic "Korean". Listen to the voice of the female pansori master KIM Sohee on the recording, She is improvising over a complex shaman rhythm-cycle of the percussion group. The Changgu is playing unbelievable variations over this uneven rhythm - this is Korean rhythm feeling! Nowhere in the world you can find something similar. It's the sound of nature with deep soul. Eternal.


Saturday, February 18, 2012

Ranking 2

A music heard for the first time is

- touching, fascinating and enjoyable
and gets even better the more often you are listening to ✩✩✩✩✩

- fascinating, but demanding
and gets better the more often you are listening to ✩✩✩✩

- demanding
but gets clearer the more often you are listening to ✩✩✩

- unpleasent
but gets interesting in a some sense the more you are listening to ✩✩

- pleasant
but gets flatter and cheap the more often you are listening to ✩

- boring
and it's still boring the more often you are listening to (out of range)

- like a torture
and you won't listen to it again (far out of range)






Friday, February 17, 2012

Keith Jarret is so outstanding because

he is really unique. You can recognize his piano sound among thousands of recordings. He is one the last piano players breathing life into the piano. Unique voices like Whitney Houston, Freddy Mercury or Maria Callas - you can recognize them immediately, you can hear the soul of this singers, with all their strength and also weakness. My old teacher Carlo Domeniconi has a guitar tone which I never heard by another guitarist. Who is really interested in a perfect thing? The things we love are not perfect at all. We can admire a perfection but never love it.
Personalities are vanishing and the younger generation of musicians are hiding themselves behind a perfection, which leaves no room for individuality. The violin sound of Isaac Stern was really characteristic - if you want to distinguish Hilary Hahn from, let's say Janine Janson, that's really not so easy. The faster and cleaner the playing is, the more you may be fascinated by the virtuosity but you will not be moved anymore. Hearing the music of one of those personalities I mentioned was or is really a different story. By the way, the most perfect and fast player is e.g a computer software or another music machine. Completely soul free. Guaranteed.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Ranking 1

A music sounds
-  virtuous, demanding and complex - and is easy to play ✩✩✩✩✩
-  simple and easy - and is easy to play ✩✩✩✩
-  virtuous, demanding and complex - and is difficult to play ✩✩✩
-  simple and easy - and is difficult to play ✩
-  awkward - and is difficult to play (out of range)
-  stupid - and is in effect impossible to play (far out of range)

For every piece a new composition system...

and to be a beginner for every piece - that is an attitude of many composers considering themselves as avant-garde. That is of course commendable since this approach avoids to write similar pieces all over again. It must be also very exhausting to begin every time a piece from zero. (of course this is only the half of the truth: to change every time the parameters is not a complete new beginning. There are much more fixed habits in our way of working as we are aware)
There is one decisive disadvantage of this behavior: you will never reach a masterful level in your works since you tried it only once. After a while you may see what you could have done better but this knowledge is unfortunately useless since you are already using another system with completely other problems. I believe that every masterwork in music history stood at the end of a long row of pieces using similar techniques - developing, refining and perfecting these techniques. A composer has to practice as well - like a player - to be really good. How many pieces Bach has written before he could write something amazing like the Chaconne from the violin suites? Let's practice more.

Composing for the own instrument...

...and performing it - that should be one the most natural things - and it was natural for the classic music until ~100 years ago. It is natural for most other music genre like jazz, rock or folk music. It is healthy to perform the music you have written, you will learn what is possible to transfer to the listener and what is just theory. If you start your composition outside the instruments, e.g with a tone generating system like tone rows or mathematical formulas, the result may look amazing on the paper - but it will be for sure very difficult and uncomfortable to play - not to saw impossible, that is the big disadvantage of composition systems. To avoid the so-called idiomatic writing for an instrument leads to music which is really painful to perform (and mostly also to listen to). Music which is not fun to play will disappear. The performers decide what will be played. The programs of the most piano recitals of today consists of the music written by composers who performed as well: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Ravel...
It is worth to perform your own music.

Monday, February 13, 2012

The roots of the music...

...are located inside ourselves. Our vocal chords had been probably the first instrument. Our breath is the source of singing and all wind instruments. Our pulse is the source of rhythm and our hands are the tools for plucking, striking, bowing the instruments.
What does that mean concerning the music we are composing? For me it means that music has to respect  some basic things:

- nearness to the voice and breathing
- pulsation, at least partially
- organic movements of the fingers and hands

If a music fulfills these basics it could be a good music.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

The myth about perfect pitch - a cleanup

In german language perfect pitch is called "absolute hearing" - that shows better the wrong legend about the perfect pitch. If something is absolute it has to be fixed forever, like the number pi=3,14159etc. or the speed of light. The tone A is changing constantly, in the times of Bach it was a half-tone lower. The orchestras are tuning higher and higher, nowadays up  to 445hz. If there is no absolute A there is also no "absolute hearing".
Perfect pitch is special kind of memory - you can remember pitches (you heard before, mostly on piano) - that's all. It has nothing to do with musicality, to the contrary: a perfect pitch could prevent one from hearing musically, means to hear tones in relation towards each other, not only the information "pitch" of single tones.
A perfect pitch is of course very useful for e.g. conductors (recognizing quickly wrong notes) or singers (finding the right pitch) and if a real musicians has by random a perfect pitch, he is a lucky person.
But to judge somebody because of his perfect pitch (or better relative pitch) is really wrong and dangerous: the entrance examinations of music academies are showing the tendency to rise the grade of difficulty of the ear training examination which is leading to wrong selections of the students, especially in Korea. Almost exclusively students with perfect pitch can pass the examinations for composition - musically highly talented  young students have no chance to get in the university - that's a tragedy. I hope that all this young musicians find nevertheless their way.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The simpler the instrument the more human is needed

I am fascinated by instruments like the  korean instruments Daegǔm (bamboo flute) or Piri (double reed) which are really built simple and close to the nature. Even the best best Piris are really cheap - not more than 100 Euros I would guess. Normal ones are about 30 Euro!  Compared to the crazy prizes of western string instruments (even the strings are more expensive than a whole Piri) thats really nothing. Almost everybody could learn Piri, regarding the instrument prize. To learn Violin you have be born in a rich family...but this is another story.
The Daegǔm is one piece of bamboo that you of course have to choose well. Drill some wholes in it - that's it basically (I am exaggerating of course). Try to get a tone out of it - nothing comes out! A very difficult instrument, also physically. Or the Piri: also a (smaller) piece of bamboo with wholes and a double reed you stick on the top end of the tube. Blow inside and - nothing. After several attempts you may get the first queeek out it. The tone is very flexible and you have to adjust the pitch with your lips. Everything the instrument does not have by itself the player has to add with his body thus the human is a big part of the instrument. In a world full of high-tech, computers and smart-phones, these instrument are like from another world. Music is our connection to the nature. We are a part of the nature. We should not forget this.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The time of the piano is gone

...since long time ago. The emperor of the western music dies away slowly but surely. The last important piano work - Ligeti's Piano Etudes - most of them have been written more than 20 years ago with a strong focus on rhythm - the piano has become a percussion instrument. Again the lack of the harmony system in contemporary music took away the most important task of the piano: playing harmonies.
The piano can play almost everything fast and perfectly but the tone itself is rigid and cannot be changed after sounding - that's the weakest part of the piano and it will lead the piano to  meaninglessness.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Why do we hear music?

My answer would be: I want to be delighted, moved, touched, fascinated. I don't want to think consciously, I want to forget the reality and want also have fun - not necessarily entertained but enjoyed hearing fascinating sounds and getting energy.
Music where I have to put more energy in to listen to it as I get is for me soon boring and annoying. Music is energy flowing from the musician to the listener who gives it back if he or she is delighted, moved, touched - it is a non verbal communication about all things we can't express with words or other resources.
Music is part of an ancient instinct of the human being hence indispensable for us.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Dominante - Tonika

Spannung - Entspannung, quasi die Energiequelle der westlichen Musik seit hunderten von Jahren ist auch heute die beherrschende musikalische Kraft  - ein Großteil der Musik auf dem Planeten bedient sich immer noch des harmonischen Systems.
Für zeitgenössische Komponisten ist das schon lange kein Thema mehr:
ausgelaugt, abgenutzt, alles schon gesagt damit - um nur ein paar Urteile darüber wiederzugeben. Dem stimme ich auch soweit zu, nur meine Abneigung zum harmonischen System ist eher persönlicher Art: mir ist die harmonische Welt eigentlich immer fremd geblieben - sie liegt mir einfach nicht im Blut - sie will nicht in meinen Körper kommen. Die einzige Frage ist dabei nur noch: Was ist an sie Stelle vom Dominant-Tonika-Prinzip getreten? Jede Musik (wenn man es nicht explizit vermeiden will) verwendet ein mehr oder weniger ausgeprägtes System, mittels Spannung - Entspannung ein Musikstück in Bewegung zu halten und größere Formen zu ermöglichen. Ein solches Prinzip ist eigentlich Bedingung für gute Musik.

Die koreanische Musik basiert auf einem sehr vielfältigen Rhythmussystem, den Changdan.
Die Changdans bauen auf viele Art und Weisen Spannung auf und entspannen sich wieder meist auf dem ersten Schlag. Dieses rhythmische System liegt mir im Blut. Meiner Musik liegt immer ein (von mir selbst gewebtes) rhythmisches System zu Grunde - mein persönliches Spannung - Entspannungsprinzip. Die Musik braucht so etwas - sonst ist man als Zuhörer verloren.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Westliche Instrumente sind für harmonisches Spiel optimiert...

...und kaum ein zeitgenössischer Komponist verwendet mehr die Dur-Moll-Harmonik. Ist das tragisch?  - Der perfektionierte, saubere Klang, die genaue Intonation, der lückenlose chromatische Umfang - alles das langweilt die Komponisten anscheinend seit langer Zeit und es wird alles dafür getan, dass der Ton wieder unsauber, gebrochen und geräuschhaft wird - klar, denn ohne Harmonie sind diese Instrumente ihrer Bestimmung beraubt und wirken verloren. Wer wird wohl einlenken? Werden die Komponisten wieder harmonisch schreiben oder werden die Instrumente wieder "primitiver" ( = inhomogener, reicher an Klangfarben, mehr Modulationsfähigkeiten am Ton an sich) werden? - Es wird spannend in den nächsten 50 Jahren.

Three things to become a famous composer

1. A teacher or/and supporter, who opens the right doors for you
2. Study (to get a brilliant technique, for a longer career)
3. Not a too strong will

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Was ist "traditionelle" Musik?

(mal auf deutsch, ist doch einfacher für mich)
Der Begriff traditionelle Musik (geprägt durch die westlichen Länder), ist eine stillschweigende Diskriminierung. Niemand würde in Europa oder in den USA auf die Idee kommen Bach, Beethoven oder Brahms als traditionelle Musik zu bezeichnen, was es aber wäre, wenn man die gleichen Kriterien anwendet. Mit traditioneller Musik schert man alles über einen Kamm, was eben nicht westliche Musik ist, sein es nun Volksmusik, Zeremonienmusik, rituelle Musik oder klassische Musik des jeweiligen Landes, "Außereuropäische Musik" entlarvt die Gedanken schon mehr. Wenn China eines Tages die beherrschende Weltmacht sein wird, dann könnte westliche klassische Musik als "Außerchinesische Musik" bezeichnet werden. Da fühlt man sich gleich - na eben - diskriminiert. Macht und Geld spielen eine große Rolle bei der Bewertung von Musik - wie leider bei allem. Zum Glück ist die Wahrheit nicht davon betroffen.

Why new music has seldom a chance...

...against old music in when it is played in the same concert? It is no secret that many new music pieces are boring but even if it is a fantastic piece  - a classical piece or a so-called traditional (more about that in the next post) piece of music will have in 98% of the cases more effect.
The reason is again very simple: they are played much much better. The old pieces have been practiced 100 times more and longer, are memorized and well shaped including the smallest details. New music is usually read from the score and has been practiced enough to come through the piece without big accidents. (and then you have to be glad)
If an old masterpiece got played bad - you know that it was played bad (and the piece remains a masterpiece), if an unknown new piece is played bad the audience thinks that the piece is bad - that's life of a contemporary composer.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Woven music

There are no composers in old korean music. The master-players got their pieces from their masters and they handed it over to their students. Every generation changed the music smoothly and added some new parts. They call it "to wove a piece". That means, that on a Sanjo (a solo music form for korean instruments) had been working a lot of people and the roots are reaching back several hundred years. A Sanjo is extraordinarily difficult, but the fingers are moving organically - it's perfectly woven music for the certain instrument  and no uncomfortable or even impossible things are in it - if you practice enough.
Many pieces in new music you can practice your whole life and it won't get comfortable - then it is something wrong with that music. For sure not woven music...

Is a composer not a musician?

Many - almost all - great composers have been also good performers. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, Bartok - just to mention the very famous ones.
Nowadays you are either a composer or a musician - both together is suspicious: either you are a good composer but not a good performer or vice versa - so the prejudice of many people.
Why are 99% of the pieces played - let's say piano recitals - from composers who had been also pianists? - First of all it's great music, but more and more important is that you can enjoy playing this pieces - it's fun! It's pianistic and the movements of the hands are organic. That means not necessarily that they are easy and simple pieces, no - most of them are extremely difficult - but if your fingers get used to that it starts to be joy.
If a piece is not pianistic, guitaristic, xy-ic, then it will be not played very often and probably never after 100 years. Composers: touch the instruments again!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Why you can't find fast pieces in new music...

...in middle-european style? The answer is really simple: for fast music you need a recognizable puls - a beat, to say it easier and new music with roots in Darmstadt negates a steady beat. Puls, beat, groove - rhythmic elements are considered as primitive and associated with so-called U-Musik (entertaining music) or folk-music - both lower music in the ears of a classic avant-garde composer. To abandon rhythmic pulsation is like disabling oneself - a big part of the music is not possible without pulsation and thus no fast  and delighting music.


Three things you need to be composer

1. Phantasy
2. Study
3. A strong will

Why atonal music sounds all similar...

...in a certain sense?
Composers who wants to avoid tonality or fundamental tones are using since over 100 years the same technique of using all 12 tones - not necessarily with 12-tone technique but trying to reach a chromatic total in their music with several other techniques. The result is that all this pieces are using the same chromatic scale - it's like composing every piece in C-Major...

Friday, January 27, 2012

Smart instruments

The instrument family which really developed well are the western string-instruments. A lot of modernization like the longer strings (out of metal instead of catgut) with more tension or the straight-concav bow increased the volume of the instruments to be able to play e.g. concertos with orchestras. However the most important thing was never touched and will be never touched:

The fretless fingerboard.

This fingerboard makes it so difficult to learn the as instruments and intonation is THE topic for the string players. This difficulty  - or lets say weakness (again a stupid instrument?) - is the strength of the violin family: it is possible to play every scale also in every non tempered tuning you could imagine, you can make all kind of glissandos, portamentos, vibratos you like to. The string instruments are the the instruments with the widest range of sound colors. These Instruments are a good example for successful modernization and should be a model fort instrument development.

...stupid instruments?


I will add some other thoughts to this topic: Some years ago, we had a concert with a piece for Daegǔm, Recorder, Harpsichord and Changgu. The recorder player suddenly said during a rehearsal: I feel a little bit stupid with my recorder, compared to the Daegǔm...Of course a recorder is another "historic" instrument but still much more modernized than Daegǔm. And of course another type of flute. The sound quality of a single tone of a Daegǔm is indeed really astonishing different - so rich - like the beauty of the nature. I thought the same thing as the recorder player and it was funny and honest that she expressed her feelings.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Are non western instruments stupid?



Hello, everybody

I would like to start a new blog about musical thoughts and about making music.
I will write in english or sometimes in korean.

am a Korean-German composer living in Berlin and my space, since I was born, is in-between cultures. My way to music was long and full of detours, but always characterized by the clash of cultures—the question "Where is my homeland?" never got answered. What happened to me during a tour with my ensemble IIIZ+ was this: At the airport in Narita/Tokyo and everywhere in Japan everybody spoke to me in Japanese (I can't speak Japanese); in Taiwan everybody spoke Chinese to me (I can't speak Chinese either). Back home at the airport in Berlin, people spoke in English to me (I am a native German speaker). Not to have a homeland is probably the main source of energy for my music. The last two years I worked on a 80-minutes piece for Korean Orchestra and with a lot of Korean soloists called "Part of Nature". I love Korean music and I loved the work on that piece. I learned many new things - it was like a second study - but among them one thing: I view Korean music differently than many "authentic" Koreans regard their music and instruments. I really like the original, archaic, non-modernized Korean instruments—the sound color is unique and still very close to the voice and the original playing techniques are highly developed. But I felt and heard it also said directly that a lot of Korean musicians feel ashamed about their instruments compared to western instruments. That made me very sad. I would like to discuss that question:

Is a Korean instrument (or any other non-western musician) a primitive and limited instrument compared to the western instruments?

국악 악기들은 원적인, 부족한 악기들인가 - 서양아기들 하고 비교하면?