Re: What is beautiful?
- From: bpnjensen <bpnjensen@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:37:44 -0700
On Jul 19, 8:14 am, sechumlib <sechum...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 2007-07-19 09:45:03 -0400, sbring <sven.br...@xxxxxxxx> said:
2004 there was a long thread named "The most beutiful piece of music".
Posters made more than 250 suggestions. There were some, but very few
comments on the concept "beautiful" itself.
I would be very interested to know if some of you find it possible to
either define the concept or in some way explain what in a piece of
music makes it beautiful to you.
I thought it was a stupid thread to begin with. Asking stuff about
"most beautiful" shows, in my opinion, a lack of any perception or
understanding of music and a desire to oversimplify everything.
Perhaps so, but the NEW thread is much more thoughtful even on its
surface, and does not try to simplify or categorize anything. It is
just as valid, IMO, as subjective opinions about, say, which
performance is better than another. It also opens the door for people
to really carefully consider or discuss the concept, rather than just
make another goofy list.
So with that ~ and noting that beauty is subjective ~ and that I am
not that good at jotitng down my thoughts in an unscientific way ~
Being more a Type A than a Type B personality, and liking things that
stir me up a bit and fire my imagination rather than relax me, I find
beauty in human endeavour and nature when it gets my emotional juices
flowing. Great expanses of wilderness that draw me in, magnificent
skyscrapers that complement rather than insult the sky, sounds that
bring about an emotional response - to me, these are beautiful. In
music, this means not necessarily rambunctious music or necessarily
strongly lyrical - although I frequently love these things - but music
that will give me emotional energy or support. This can also mean
quiet but intense music, strong chord progressions, or even gentle but
definite tunes weaving into one another. They needn't be happy - they
can be sad or angry or expressive of grief or frustration - as long as
they provide an outlet for the emotion to flow.
I this regard, I guess I personally find more beauty in music from
about the year 1800 onward, as opposed to Mozart or earlier music
(although much of that music also stirs me, in different ways).
Perhaps more maturity will bring greater ability to see different
kinds of beauty in these earlier forms, but for me, the more recent
music resonates more strongly in terms of emotional content and
release and thus, beauty.
In terms of genres, I perceive the most beauty in large scale
orchestral works and things like string quartets and etc., although
large-scale solo piano music is on the rise for me. I find beauty in
completeness, having so little closure in my own life with my own
endeavors. I find great satisfaction in conclusions of any kind, even
as I enjoy the journey. Some conclusions are better than others, of
course, but that's another topic maybe.
Just my fairly silly $0.02 worth.
Bruce Jensen
.
- References:
- What is beautiful?
- From: sbring
- Re: What is beautiful?
- From: sechumlib
- What is beautiful?
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