The sweet one

One genre of music we call: “classical”.
Dating from the 1700’s and 1800’s.
Played by pianists and symphonic orchestras.
We know names of composers like Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Grieg, Verdi, Chopin and Mahler.
Not to forget Strauss and Wagner.

All these composers were able to write down the music they were hearing in their head.
On paper with a pen.
Therefore we can still listen and hear the music they wrote.

At the time, there was no way to tape the music they wrote.
No recording devices.
Like the gramophone.
Or a tape recorder.

But they had developed ways to give precise instructions how their music should be played.
With a margin of interpretation for the conductor and musician.

This is why we are in a situation that we can listen to, for example, piano music by Frederic Chopin.
But we don’t really know if Frederic Chopin agrees to the way his music is being played.

But Frederic Chopin is at the cemetery of Pere Lachaise in Paris and has no more saying anyway.

Nowadays we have a completely different situation.
Take a classical modern song like “Good vibrations” by the Beach Boys.
This music is made using all the possibilities of the recording techniques.
Therefore “Good vibrations” stands by itself.
Somebody else could perform it also, but it will never be the same.
That doesn’t matter because we have “Good vibrations” well recorded and we can hear it by radio, TV, iPod and CD.

This fact has a consequence for, let’s say, a century from now.

When we want to hear music from 100 years ago, we hear nothing.
The closest we can come is to play it ourselves based on written notes left behind.

But when people living 100 years from now, in 2109, want to hear music of our days, they can actually hear it.
And any effort on their behalves to play it themselves will always be a poor imitation.

Now, alert fervent and loyal blog readers may stand up, raise their hands and when getting the floor, say: “But this also goes for pictures and films!!!”

This is a very good remark.
We do have paintings and drawings of the time before photography and film started to document life.
But those paintings and drawings were interpretations.
No true documentation of the reality of those days.

We don’t know that much about the past.
Because it was not so well documented.

But in 100 years, not only can they hear “Good vibrations”, but also they can see in detail how we were living.
What will they think of us seeing the images of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: the slaughtering and butchering of people and animals going on these days?

Good for us that next year the photo book “The most beautiful people in the world” will be published.
So in 100 years they also see another side of us: the sweet one.








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