Friday 19 March 2010

Is there a conspiracy behind modern music?

I'm writing a little more upon my earlier theme of music, after a discussion with someone who has devoted his life to preserving British music.

It is becoming clearer to me that modern atonal music is something of a "conspiracy". Apparently, those who write traditional music never get jobs at music colleges. The BBC will not play their music. New works at the Proms are all cardboard toilet rolls, explosions, bangs, whining noises (like planes crashing) and chaos, leaving those who want to give us works of emotion and harmony, penniless, out on a limb. No wonder many give up.

Since 1900, traditional, tonal music has been unwanted by the music "hierarchy" (surely a mixture of know- it-all secular music critics for broadsheets and dead souls). Secularist D H Lawrence wrote something shocking just after the turn of the 20th century in which he rejoiced (in his dark, satanic way) at hearing a piece of modern atonal music e.g. Shoenberg: "At last", he said, "Christian music has ended".

I would love to identify an organised, ideological "plot" (surely funded by some secret secular political party) to destroy the reviving and purifying power of classical music which is built on the traditional tonal scale and on harmony. It would make a great film : only Rachmaninov defies this conspiracy, through the power of great romantic chords but others are cunningly "silenced by the men in black". "Classic FM" alone comes to the rescue....

Film music (for the masses) carries forward the fine tradition and also popular musicals. But refined modern souls need classical music - harmony - which responds to their age of wonders. They are deprived of their birthright by this apparent conspiracy of ugliness, (which accompanies the arch-atheist Freud), this denial of the soul and refinement. But, of course, man has a soul. Nowhere is it more apparent than the Easter Passions of JS Bach. 

The lesson is: if you have to endure some modern music in a programme of other music, never clap. Even better:  heckle in the middle. You will surely not spoil the sound.

Oh, and turn off Radio Three (during its modernist programmes or complain).

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