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SCV's show was an epic musical fail.


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Here is a recent short online essay I found interesting: Making a Better Music List. It's one professional music critic (in the San Francisco area) responding to another (in New York) about the most memorable classical music written in the past 50 years. The genesis of both commentaries is a remark by yet another writer that no good classical music has been written since Schoenberg's Transfigured Night in 1899. One of the respondents puts together a list that eschews minimalism and specifically says that John Adams and Philip Glass write music that puts people to sleep. The other respondent loves those two composers but admits that he doesn't think highly of Transfigured Night. Who's right? Who's wrong? No amount of theorizing will tell you!

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What's this?  Unrecognizable or nonexistent melody?  How DARE they?  

-- Drum corps fans since about 2000

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1 hour ago, SWriverstone said:

It left me cold and feeling completely flat.

I can't speak to the detailed musical analysis, but I do get where you are coming from with this line. For whatever reason the last two SCV shows have not been able to fully engage me, where I did really like the Spark of Invention and Force of Nature ones that preceded them. There is nothing that can be directly faulted with the overall designs and this year the execution was certainly off the charts but.....my attention wandered in both of them about 1/3 in. 

Perhaps it is the high technicality of them? Gaines/Koter were known for that with the Cavaliers shows as well, and they are mostly remembered as being visually stunning, but not really "get to the heart" programs. 

Or just a matter of personal taste. I was a total mushy sap for the Carpenters' music in Blue Stars, and I'm sure many would roll their eyes at that!

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I think a lot of us are just glad to see SCV finally win another one. And did you HEAR THAT MELLO SUSTAIN?  Perhaps you turn up your nose at such things as a highly trained musician with BM from Juilliard. Me, I'm just a cretin. I like things that make my pulse go up. Like THAT MELLO SUSTAIN DID YOU HEAR THAT ?!?!?!!!!

Edited by HockeyDad
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27 minutes ago, Cappybara said:

Definitely wouldn't call it a musical fail, but it is probably the 2nd most sterile sounding show in the top 12 this year (with Phantom Regiment being the 1st)

So it's the 2nd most sterile sounding show but the top of your listed favorite shows of 2018?  (with Phantom Regiment being the 1st sterile show and your 5th favorite)

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2 hours ago, SWriverstone said:

. The first criterion for great music is that—on the first listen—it moves you. If it doesn't, then it could easily be argued the music has failed.

Scott

 Surely your studies at Julliard have introduced you to countless examples throughout history where Great Music by acknowledged great Music Composers and where  the musical composition's first  public performance was received with negative, and in some cases hostile,  reactions from both audience goers as well as the so called esteemed Music Critics at the time. Those reactions were, I suppose " emotional ". But we have countless examples as well where Great Music initially drew virtually no emotional reaction from audiences/ Critics at 1st performance more than mostly a collective yawn at the time...... at best.  I don't have to list them here do I Scott ?

 One of the current acknowledged Great Speeches in all of History's Western Civilization received a very tepid, unemotional, golf clap from the audience present at the time of the Speech. The speech giver remarked to his Wife afterwards what a failure his speech was after he delivered it. We can go back and read what the Press thought of it too... including the NY Times. They concluded it was " bland " and " unemotional " as a matter of fact. Go read the national press reviews at the time if unsure,. Today however, that Gettysburg Address by President Abraham Lincoln on that Hallowed Ground is considered by many today to be one of the most inspiring, most eloquent, most emotional, most captivating ,speeches ever made by any one.

Edited by BRASSO
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8 minutes ago, Nespy said:

So it's the 2nd most sterile sounding show but the top of your listed favorite shows of 2018?  (with Phantom Regiment being the 1st sterile show and your 5th favorite)

Phantom appears on my list regardless of their show, they are my favorite corps. 

SCV is on my list because I appreciated the technical brilliance and flow of the show despite the sterility of the music

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