I got this reply. Interesting...

Two days ago, I wrote some thoughts about contemporary music and I shared a video of an extraordinary performance by Canadian singer and conductor Barbara Hannigan.

As usual, I got a few replies, and I´d like to comment on one of them which was insightful and that I´d like to give an opinion about.

Mr. Arthur Clyde from Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA) told me this:

Dear Mr. Constantini,

I am a professional musician and am always trying to find my way through "contemporary" music. I am old enough to have become inured (fortunately or unfortunately) to the music of popular culture. So, putting that aside, I wanted to see what might be happening in the "academic" world of music that connects. I have to agree that Barbara Hannigan presents all the elements of an exciting performance. But what is missing for us (my wife and I watched and listened) is anything that feeds the soul. (Brahms and Bach have been dead for a long time but still feed the soul). The other aspect is that there must have been a story line, but the words of the story were obscured. We left semi-entertained but not feeling like the experience engaged us. Thank you for your wonderful notes. Please don't be offended by this reaction, just being honest. Keep being you. Art.

Well, firstly, I´d like to say that I always appreciate all the feedback I get, and although I can´t always reply (or even read) all of them, I sometimes get some insightful feedback like this one which is interesting to think about.

I remember a discussion my former piano teacher had with a colleague during a break at the conservatory. His words stuck with me forever and illuminated a feeling I had been cultivating inside but couldn´t manage to conceptualize, let alone verbalize into words.

They were discussing a particular work of art (I unfortunately don´t remember which one) that wasn´t particularly beautiful or enjoyable to look at. His colleague, a pianist himself and head of the Master of Music department of the Conservatory, argued that there was little to be taken from this work.

My teacher argued that although this could be true on a superficial level, it is not just beauty or pleasant feelings that motivate us to take action.

Often, it is quite the contrary. Beauty, pleasantness, coziness… those are all allies of inaction that might make a person enjoy a particular moment, or behold a particular thing or event.

It is the ugliness, the chaos, the absurd, even the disgusting that makes us want to strive for better. This must be represented in art, or we will be doomed to a world of satisfying the superficial desires of people rather than challenging their minds and making them grow.

In other words, art is not supposed to be pretty or even enjoyable. Maybe Lucian Freud (the painter) had a point when he said that “the task of the artist is to make the human being uncomfortable”.

I don´t mean to say that all ugliness for ugliness sake is valuable. This is only to be judged by the eyes of the beholder. And in many respects, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Clyde´s comment.

Then again, some of my favorite works of music can be considered “ugly” in many respects. And certainly wouldn´t be possible to comprehend them without listening to them repeatedly and having some background info on them, or at least some context.

But I find them to be gems.

Tomorrow I´ll give you a list of my favorite “ugly” music works. Not today, just in case so that I don´t spoil your pleasant Sunday :)

Have a great day.

Claudio.

P.D. Just so you know, whenever I quote a person who has written to me, I always ask for permission to publish his message and name, so don´t be afraid to write, I will never publish anything without your permission ;)