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From: greg@olivej.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.music.classical
Subject: Re: A real musical elitist
Message-ID: <202@olivej.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 20-Aug-84 12:17:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: olivej.202
Posted: Mon Aug 20 12:17:24 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Aug-84 05:29:30 EDT
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Organization: Olivetti ATC, Cupertino, Ca
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How one reacts to Babbit's assertions will depend, among other
things, on whether he views music as an art or a science.  If
music is viewed purely as a science, then the argument that it
has, in line with mathematics, physics, etc. evolved to an 
advanced state where the layman is out of line in thinking he
should be able to grasp it is plausible.  If it is viewed as
an art with communication of an idea as a goal, this doesn't
make sense.

What I find offensive is the idea that, with regard to
contemporary music, the only valid alternatives are to like
it and praise it or else be silent and presume that if you
didn't like it, it can only be because you're too ignorant.
It's rather like the pope declaring himself infallible.

This is actually just a variant of the same snobbishness
and elitism that have caused people to avoid "classical"
music in general.  There are enough people who will
succumb to this kind of intimidation and will ignore their
own perceptions and feelings if they don't agree with what
they've been told they're supposed to perceive and feel.
These are the types you see sleeping at the symphony or
opera but will turn their noses up at anyone who criticizes
it as being boring.  They've long accepted the fact that
great music bores them and have gone on to assume that
therefore any music that bores them must be great.


	- Greg Paley