How the hell did they do it?

lejockey · Post by **lejockey** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:59 am

I am curious to find out what peoples opinions are on the way music is written these days compared to a few hundred years ago. Composers like Mozart, Beethoven etc, all they had was a piano and a piece of manuscript paper, yet they managed to write the most beautifuly complex pieces of music for an entire orchestra. Do you think the advent of synthesis and sequencing has 'dumbed down' music at all, do you think any of the producers today would be able to create the same magic these old guys did with just a pen paper and piano? There are so many people writing music these days.

feel free to debate

Del · Post by **Del** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:25 am

Wow, a broad subject. But a good one none the less..

I too find it amazing, as you say, that these guys were doing those type of things so long ago and Beethoven (not the dog) being deaf is mind boggling if you ask me, lol

camus · Post by **camus** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:38 am

does jazzmen or rockers need computers to compose? the hell no , i think it answers the question.

any of the producers today would be able to create the same magic these old guys did with just a pen paper and piano?

Great composers have an orchestra at their disposition and are multi instrumentists. they have a hardcore musical education too and are very talented. that's why they were able to do what they've done...

computer is a tool , and an instrument too... having a guitar wont make you a great guitarist unless youve got practice and talent. it is the same thing with computer music. you can't do great melodies if you don't have a musical background , you can't do banging tunes if you cant feel what will make people shake those asses.

lejockey · Post by **lejockey** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:47 am

camus wrote:does jazzmen or rockers need computers to compose? the hell no , i think it answers the question.

Great composers have an orchestra at their disposition and are multi instrumentists. they have a hardcore musical education too and are very talented. that's why they were able to do what they've done...

computer is a tool , and an instrument too... having a guitar wont make you a great guitarist unless youve got practice and talent. it is the same thing with computer music. you can't do great melodies if you don't have a musical background , you can't do banging tunes if you cant feel what will make people shake those asses.

I agree with you in parts about the instrumental training, and the computer being an isntrument. But jazzmen and rockers are often playing such short pieces in comparison, and they have there instrument and people around them when practising. beethoven didnt have an orchestar with him when composing, ok he had one he could try ideas out on every now and then when it was done, but the harmonic complexities and level of skill that went into writing the music was so insanely high. I often wonder if we dont rush music these days.

camus · Post by **camus** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:53 am

beethoven didnt have an orchestar with him when composing

he had at least a bunch of students with whom he could play along.

But jazzmen and rockers are often playing such short pieces in comparison

i do not agree. of course there is a lot of improvisation but it take huge skills to do so.
now listen OST like lord of the ring or , star wars , aren't they great compositions? did the man that wrote star wars score had a computer to help him back in the days?

lejockey · Post by **lejockey** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:29 am

My friend worked on the score for the lord of the rings films, was in actual fact written by lots of people not one person, and they are all amazing musicians. I agree that jazz musicians and instrumentalists all have lots of skill. I just cannot fathom how anyone could write a symphony with pen paper piano and a few instrumentalists. Thought in the head, written onto paper, then played by students. I just feel maybe music is made too quickly these days. There are only a handful of musicians per generation that will stand the test of time and still be listend too 150-200 years in the future. Who would you think they are from our generation? Aphex maybe? Not sure. Just have a lot of respect for the poeple writing music all those years ago.

jaylun · Post by **jaylun** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:03 am

Are you comparing electronic music with Classical music ?
Electronic music has a lot of variety and the tones can vary far from the original.
Classical music is pure and back then they had no synthesizer to tweak the sound.
Also back then all of them had a wide musical education and there weren't many written music out there.. They were one of the first ones..
Today's music has a lot in common imo compared to what has been written many years ago, but the sound is different.
If you compare classical artists of today, They also have very original compositions, but they don't get as much atention compared to beethoven or mozart.
some of today's classical music also contains electronica

Kiani · Post by **Kiani** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:49 am

lejockey wrote:My friend worked on the score for the lord of the rings films, was in actual fact written by lots of people not one person, and they are all amazing musicians. I agree that jazz musicians and instrumentalists all have lots of skill. I just cannot fathom how anyone could write a symphony with pen paper piano and a few instrumentalists. Thought in the head, written onto paper, then played by students. I just feel maybe music is made too quickly these days. There are only a handful of musicians per generation that will stand the test of time and still be listend too 150-200 years in the future. Who would you think they are from our generation? Aphex maybe? Not sure. Just have a lot of respect for the poeple writing music all those years ago.

Aphex

?

I think you're really overestimating his fame. He's maybe known by 0.001% of the global population...

I think people like Madonna or Michael Jackson will be remembered for some decades, but I don't think they will last for centuries. society changes, everything used to be slower in terms of evolution of sound. 200 years ago there was room for artists with a vision to change the musical landscape for the coming 50 years or so, and especially the classical musicians profiled themselves as the only relevant one, that's why we only know the elite classical musicians. There will have been many good gypsy musicians and troubadours with maybe even more talent, but they were not remembered because they were not part of the high society. That's what probably will happen with all music from this generation. It will be forgotten, because the modern scene doesn't want to remember.