Music students learn more than music - they learn of life and self-worth.
You are a valuable person in the lives of your students. "Don't under-estimate
the importance of your work or the responsibility that your job demands; enjoy
it"
There will always be debate on the nature of "goodness" or "badness" in
music, even by those who hold the viewpoint that good or bad is determined by
personal likes and preferences, which is not true, for standards exist by which
quality in music may be determined objectively. Nor should there be confusion
about the quality of music as opposed to the quality of its performance. Even
superior performances cannot invest "bad" music with "good" qualities; on the
other hand, good music can survive bad performances.
What then are some of the elusive factors that determine the presence of
quality in music?
Rhythmic vitality
Good music has a rhythmic vitality that is missing in bad music. Each measure and phrase unfolds in perfect rhythmic unity and response with the one just concluded. Rhythmic vitality, the life force of good music, is established at once, dominates the entire musical structure and continues to influence the listener long after sound has faded into silence.
In their extended works, knowledgeable composers are given to slackening
rhythmic tension from time to time. This relaxation is designed according to
sound aesthetic principles and never negates the basic surge and feeling of
rhythmic vitality. The composer will not resort to a "padding out" of measures
to induce length and proportion; every note is an integral part of the rhythmic
structure.
Genuine originality
Genuine originality and rhythmic vitality cannot be separated in the creative process. Yet even the best composers find it necessary to borrow something from the past, even those revolutionaries who seek only a point of departure. For example, Bach was influenced by the tremendous creativity displayed by the contrapuntists who preceded him. Beethoven mirrored both Haydn and Mozart in his earlier works. And Wagner was a Beethoven broadened beyond the confines of the concert hall to the expansive domain of the stage.
There are, however, two things that make quality evident in the early works
of the masters: (a) they sum up the best of what has gone before, and (b) they
provide a point of departure for a break with tradition, paving the way for
daring ideas and concepts. With few exceptions, master composers become
completely themselves in middle and later life — highly creative, superbly
original and ruggedly individualistic. Ironically, the independent character of
good music often proves a stumbling block in the way of its ready acceptance by
both professional musicians and the general public.
Melody
The elements in melody that make for quality and originality are intangible and difficult to pinpoint. Good melody has enough novelty to give it charm, but not so much that it cannot be memorized easily. There is economy and logic in the use of melodic materials. The climax note is never cheapened by the addition of false climaxes. The melodic interval relationships balance with the harmonic structure. There are enough sequences of rhythmic patterns to bind the whole in rhythmic unity.
And there is genuine inspiration, which can always be recognized, but never emulated, save by those who have the gift for writing melody. It is inspiration that gives warmth, expressivity and meaning to melody. Said Schubert about the
haunting melody that opens the great G-minor symphony of Mozart, "Listen closely
— and you will hear the fluttering of angel's wings."
Harmony
The combination of notes (chords) that the human ear can enjoy — or even tolerate — varies greatly from one musical age to another. What is wholly acceptable to one generation may become trite and archaic to the next. Dissonances that modern audiences find difficult to comprehend may become crystal clear to listeners of the future. The rules of harmony change from time to time, just as do those for the grammar of spoken language.
The chief attribute of good harmony is that it is consistent and suitable to the style or idiom being used by the composer. When the harmony of a piece is a mishmash of styles and idioms, it cannot be good. Given enough time, fair-minded listeners will discover rules and laws to govern harmonic usage in even the most dissonant modern music, making it clearer and easier to understand by future generations.
Craftsmanship
Craftsmanship is concomitant with quality. Rhythm, melody, harmony and timbre take on meaning and expressivity only when combined and placed in context. When a craftsman well grounded in the principles of solid musicianship does this, good music is likely to result. But the display of craftsmanship must not be obvious or it will get in the way of the creation itself. If creative inspiration is absent, so is quality, and even the most elaborate display of craftsmanship is meaningless. Which leads us to:
The test of time
When both performers and listeners demand that a piece of music be repeated again and again, it has passed the test of time. The decisions that place tried-and-true works in the permanent repertory involve countless thousands of listeners as well as performers.
There remains, however, a considerable body of new music about which informed
listeners are "not so sure" and are reluctant to render quick judgment. Its
quality cannot be determined until both musicians and the general public have
had access to repeated hearings of it. Eventually, both must be of one mind
about it, either for placing it in the standard repertory — or relegating it to
oblivion.
Dr. James Neilson served a lengthy tenure as Leblanc's educational
director during the 1960s and '70s. The above has been condensed from a
publication he authored during that period, titled What Is Quality in
Music?
You are a valuable person in the lives of your students. "Don't under-estimate
the importance of your work or the responsibility that your job demands; enjoy
it"
There will always be debate on the nature of "goodness" or "badness" in
music, even by those who hold the viewpoint that good or bad is determined by
personal likes and preferences, which is not true, for standards exist by which
quality in music may be determined objectively. Nor should there be confusion
about the quality of music as opposed to the quality of its performance. Even
superior performances cannot invest "bad" music with "good" qualities; on the
other hand, good music can survive bad performances.
What then are some of the elusive factors that determine the presence of
quality in music?
Rhythmic vitality
Good music has a rhythmic vitality that is missing in bad music. Each measure and phrase unfolds in perfect rhythmic unity and response with the one just concluded. Rhythmic vitality, the life force of good music, is established at once, dominates the entire musical structure and continues to influence the listener long after sound has faded into silence.
In their extended works, knowledgeable composers are given to slackening
rhythmic tension from time to time. This relaxation is designed according to
sound aesthetic principles and never negates the basic surge and feeling of
rhythmic vitality. The composer will not resort to a "padding out" of measures
to induce length and proportion; every note is an integral part of the rhythmic
structure.
Genuine originality
Genuine originality and rhythmic vitality cannot be separated in the creative process. Yet even the best composers find it necessary to borrow something from the past, even those revolutionaries who seek only a point of departure. For example, Bach was influenced by the tremendous creativity displayed by the contrapuntists who preceded him. Beethoven mirrored both Haydn and Mozart in his earlier works. And Wagner was a Beethoven broadened beyond the confines of the concert hall to the expansive domain of the stage.
There are, however, two things that make quality evident in the early works
of the masters: (a) they sum up the best of what has gone before, and (b) they
provide a point of departure for a break with tradition, paving the way for
daring ideas and concepts. With few exceptions, master composers become
completely themselves in middle and later life — highly creative, superbly
original and ruggedly individualistic. Ironically, the independent character of
good music often proves a stumbling block in the way of its ready acceptance by
both professional musicians and the general public.
Melody
The elements in melody that make for quality and originality are intangible and difficult to pinpoint. Good melody has enough novelty to give it charm, but not so much that it cannot be memorized easily. There is economy and logic in the use of melodic materials. The climax note is never cheapened by the addition of false climaxes. The melodic interval relationships balance with the harmonic structure. There are enough sequences of rhythmic patterns to bind the whole in rhythmic unity.
And there is genuine inspiration, which can always be recognized, but never emulated, save by those who have the gift for writing melody. It is inspiration that gives warmth, expressivity and meaning to melody. Said Schubert about the
haunting melody that opens the great G-minor symphony of Mozart, "Listen closely
— and you will hear the fluttering of angel's wings."
Harmony
The combination of notes (chords) that the human ear can enjoy — or even tolerate — varies greatly from one musical age to another. What is wholly acceptable to one generation may become trite and archaic to the next. Dissonances that modern audiences find difficult to comprehend may become crystal clear to listeners of the future. The rules of harmony change from time to time, just as do those for the grammar of spoken language.
The chief attribute of good harmony is that it is consistent and suitable to the style or idiom being used by the composer. When the harmony of a piece is a mishmash of styles and idioms, it cannot be good. Given enough time, fair-minded listeners will discover rules and laws to govern harmonic usage in even the most dissonant modern music, making it clearer and easier to understand by future generations.
Craftsmanship
Craftsmanship is concomitant with quality. Rhythm, melody, harmony and timbre take on meaning and expressivity only when combined and placed in context. When a craftsman well grounded in the principles of solid musicianship does this, good music is likely to result. But the display of craftsmanship must not be obvious or it will get in the way of the creation itself. If creative inspiration is absent, so is quality, and even the most elaborate display of craftsmanship is meaningless. Which leads us to:
The test of time
When both performers and listeners demand that a piece of music be repeated again and again, it has passed the test of time. The decisions that place tried-and-true works in the permanent repertory involve countless thousands of listeners as well as performers.
There remains, however, a considerable body of new music about which informed
listeners are "not so sure" and are reluctant to render quick judgment. Its
quality cannot be determined until both musicians and the general public have
had access to repeated hearings of it. Eventually, both must be of one mind
about it, either for placing it in the standard repertory — or relegating it to
oblivion.
Dr. James Neilson served a lengthy tenure as Leblanc's educational
director during the 1960s and '70s. The above has been condensed from a
publication he authored during that period, titled What Is Quality in
Music?
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