Describing Music

We were discuss Schoenberg's Pierott at dinner tonight, and how one of my friend's was attempting to describe the music to someone with no musical knowledge. I was curious as to what others have to say about this. How can you describe 'tonality', 'modality', 'atonality' or even 'microtonality' to someone with no musical education. Maybe, you can help me describe what I do to my country music loving parents.

Thanks,

Steven Kallstrom

Steven!
Why would you want to ruin it for them. It seems the more terms we
use and employ, the harder it is to just experience the pure poetry of
sound.

Steven Kallstrom wrote:

> We were discuss Schoenberg's Pierott at dinner tonight, and how
> one of my friend's was attempting to describe the music to someone
> with no musical knowledge. I was curious as to what others have to
> say about this. How can you describe 'tonality', 'modality',
> 'atonality' or even 'microtonality' to someone with no musical
> education. Maybe, you can help me describe what I do to my country
> music loving parents. Thanks, Steven Kallstrom
>
>
>

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

--- In tuning@y..., "Steven Kallstrom" <skallstr@s...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_21001.html#21001

> We were discuss Schoenberg's Pierott at dinner tonight, and
> how one of my friend's was attempting to describe the music to
> someone with no musical knowledge. I was curious as to what
> others have to say about this. How can you describe 'tonality',
> 'modality', 'atonality' or even 'microtonality' to someone with
> no musical education. Maybe, you can help me describe what I
> do to my country music loving parents.

And you didn't even *mention* _sprechstimme_...

-monz

--- In tuning@y..., "monz" <MONZ@J...> wrote:
>
> --- In tuning@y..., "Steven Kallstrom" <skallstr@s...> wrote:
>
> /tuning/topicId_21001.html#21001
>
> > We were discuss Schoenberg's Pierott at dinner tonight, and
> > how one of my friend's was attempting to describe the music to
> > someone with no musical knowledge. I was curious as to what
> > others have to say about this. How can you describe 'tonality',
> > 'modality', 'atonality' or even 'microtonality' to someone with
> > no musical education. Maybe, you can help me describe what I
> > do to my country music loving parents.
>
> And you didn't even *mention* _sprechstimme_... >>>>>>

.........................

Hi Monz, How can you describe any creative, ecstatic experience? If
you even attempt to do, it will not make any sense, except, perhaps,
by way of tolerant and mild amusement, to anyone who has not had such
experience himself. But, if your audience DID have such experience,
he will not only follow what is going on, but also realize that he is
on the right track himself.

The Indian Rishi-s wrote millions of verses to tell us about their
realization of Self, and God, only, after all that, to exclaim "neti,
neti" [not this, not this] to warn us about what Self is NOT.

Perhaps that may be the only way to describe music, too.

Haresh.

--- In tuning@y..., "Haresh BAKSHI" <hareshbakshi@h...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_21001.html#21070

> Hi Monz, How can you describe any creative, ecstatic experience?
> If you even attempt to do, it will not make any sense, except,
> perhaps, by way of tolerant and mild amusement, to anyone who
> has not had such experience himself. But, if your audience DID
> have such experience, he will not only follow what is going on,
> but also realize that he is on the right track himself.
>
> The Indian Rishi-s wrote millions of verses to tell us about
> their realization of Self, and God, only, after all that, to
> exclaim "neti, neti" [not this, not this] to warn us about what
> Self is NOT.
>
> Perhaps that may be the only way to describe music, too.

Very interesting that all this is coming up in connection with
a piece by Schoenberg, because he spent pages upon pages saying
that the feelings a composer puts into his pieces can only be
expressed in music, and never adequately in words.

-monz