This Month's Quotation, October 2003

Mikkelborg is not the only composer been caught in this alleged dilemma. Here follows a translation from a note in an article by me:

"19. Bent Lorentzen, "Orgelmusik I", Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 1986/87: "The reason why so many composers experimented with notation in the sixties and seventies is no doubt a wish to find a notation which is more like the original idea than traditional notes can be. One might think that musicians did not feel good about music writing which is often horribly pedantic". The aim of the composer with this article was, however, to justify revisions in the form of traditionally notated version of works which had originially been published in graphic notation for pragmatic reasons, since he believed they were more popular with musicians! (There was a full debate resulting from this confession - among other things, one musician was very much in favor of the graphic versions). Palle Mikkelborg: "I realise that I feel like beeing more philosophic than, well, all these notes...." - "But, then why not give the bigband some messages or designs and leave the rest being up to the musicians theirselves?" - "Yes, in fact I thought about that. (...) But unfortunately, I do not believe in it." (Valdemar Lønsted: "Dette er ikke en koncert" ["This is not a concert"]. Interview with the musician and composer Palle Mikkelborg, P2Musik nr. 1, January 2000.). Mathias Spahlinger seems to be caught in a similar dilemma, as it clearly appears from the interview with Wolfgang Stryi, "Die fortgeschritteneste Entwicklung", MusikTexte 86/87, November 2000."

Those who can read German can see the note and the entire article here !

Previous quotations ... * Carl Bergstrøm-Nielsen's Favourite Litterature and own Writings (CBNs yndlingslæsning og egne skrifter, delvist også på DANSK.) * Besonders für Deutsche... (revidiert: 21. Juli 2003).

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