-68r-ol {rolJ <>1 pesn oll,tt sresoduror uclr pue sretured put steod aqt erp ereq \ q8uru.reel Jme tpr{r!\ ;e.req Surop I rut tpq \ :repuo,r\ pue punore )ool I dlqrlr.Laur pur ,rq8rlepqtr.tt ruoplas q8noqr

"ptprr ep;eE-tue,te palltt eq ot pesn teq,tt pualte ueuo op I

'trlEru lsEI ]r pau-ro3red osonurl Jaqtoue u?qt asJo,{\ }rq r ro Jeltaqlrq E ((?l?uos lq8qtrootrq,, aql uuog-red 1r,u. tq8ruor osontJrl eruos Jeqleq,{\ eJBr o} IlrlspJEq s(ll 'seop oq,{\ auodue ,n,t.ou>l l(uop 1 pue 'a-toru.{ue stJaruol IElrssEIl o1 oB .re,tau 1

'araq ur8uo slr peq )ooq slqt jo pua aq] reou pa,{anrns lrLrds crlta;ra ,,(;,r,rau aq1'Sur8urLqdn leftsnur ltaq] Jo yed anrler-u.to; e ]t palaptsuof oqm pue ,slossaffns laq]pue salleag aq1 Jo f rsnLu aql ol Surualst; dn a,nal3 oq,u ,a8ueqo eas stll],o autl aq] ]euroq ]4.{ }ou ro uaJplrqf oJo^ oLlM sresoduot uo lredur rrlsryrils len}ua^a slr se^^ lrsnluUafuof ;o ,(tolsrq (uorlcnpord lo) a^tJealr aql ul lsolu paJalleu a8ueqc stql alaLlM',{lrpor,uuor payodur ';eur8leru }eqmauos e uaaq s,{em;e peq ftsnur leftsself alaq^'efueLuy ur ,(;;erradsa 'sulaped uorldunsuoc lefrsntr; ur a8ueqr luaueuutad e 3ur1ler,u'auo 3ur1se; e pue-llam se suorlelsa;ruer-u u8ruaq ssal peq leql ]llrds e-sarlxts aq],ro lurds uprJelrjor.llnerlue pue uerjpirle8a aql Jo ]afeJ e se^\ ]l 'r(;snouas 1r anbrlric uanapue ',{;snouos suetttsnrrr letlloutrrol Jo )ro^ aq} a)p} o} )lo; palnllnf io; /alqeuotqseJ

uana 'aJqeldaofp arrrefaq ]r aLUr] lsrU aq] Jol 'slsrlerias pa;]unL8srp ^

a, e Jo leql ueq] uor]-ra,rap anrldnlsrp ,{;;er1ualod pue snouos olou qlnLU p prp }r se Suurdsur ,f rsnLu lelrssplfjo ]eq] ur se frsnur re;ndod;o,{rolsrq aq} ur qtnu os }ou-}uana paqsralem e paapurse/\^ (,,uorse^ur LlstluB// aq] se aLutl aq] le o] pallajol z(1apr,,rn) uealo all] ssol)e Luolj spueq)roJ Jalllolo sauas aloq^ e,{q pa,r,ro;;o1 ,sal}ea8 aqlJo oluereadde aqltnB .a8uana; srq3ur1e1 se,rn aq

^ oN ('snonut^ alolu aq] '8urq],(ue;r ,aLe tapeJ aqt q8noqt ,;1e le palor-us

ra^au oLlM asoql ueq] lrparl arou-r 1o3 3ur1or,us lrnb oq,m asoq] ]eLl] palqu_rn.r8 r_uaioX'lVgV 'd aosl s)uel ]stutapoul aq] luorJ uot]fo]op s,SlaqqroS a8toag Suru.racuo3)'urelHB r.uolj uouaLuouaqd dod ruau e o] spualxo lr auof la^^ aq] purqaq saqlaas (Luaioda)rl supDrsnu //antlenJasuor// uo uMop po)lool peq qttLl^^) ]uaLuqstlqelso ]stulapout-frllapefe aql lsure8e ]uaLuiuasar alqeraprsuol 'LUroJ pasuapuor ur a;aq uanr8 arerd,(dunr8 aq] qlr.M raarer srq;o qselds 1sa33rq aq] apeu ,sauerp paqsr;qnd qsue8 srqio1 snorrolou pue s8uos pe a11uo8 srLl lo; u^ ou) ;;am.rasodr-uoc e ,(-€(.61) ualo1 paN

uorlJaJoc

Z9L

]ue seJdeq] puB 'lsBd ]uef,e)f eql

]NINIUVd

490 The Recent Past, and the Present

these thingsl well, perhaps what I'm doing here is a duty, keeping an ear on myprofession so as to justify the joys of resentment) to steal an idei or rwo, or just toshow charity toward some friend on the program. But I learn less and less. Meanwhilethe absent artists are home playing records; they are reacting again, finally, to some-thing they no longer find at concerts.

Reacting to whatf ro The Beades, of course-The Beatles, whose arrival hasproved one of the healthiest events in music since 1950, a fact which no one sensitivecan fail to perceive to some degree. By healthy I mean alive and inspired-two adjectiveslong out of use. By music I include not only the general areas of jazz, bui thoseexpressions subsumed in the categories of chamber, opera, symphonic: in short, allmusic. And by sensitive I understand not the cultivated listening ability of eliteMusic Lovers so much as instinctive judgment. (There aye st:,ll people who exclaim:"what's a nice musician like you putting us on abour The Beatles foif ,, They are thesame ones who at this late date take theater more seriously than movies and go tosymphony concerts because pop insults their intelligence) unaware that the situati,cn isnow precisely reversed. )

My approach is that of what once was termed the long-hair composer, somewhatdisillusioned, nourished at the conservatory yet exposed all his life (as is any American,of necessity) to jazz. M)'colleagues and I have been happily torn from a long antisepticnap by the energy of rock, principally as embodied in The Beatles. Naturally I'v. g.o*rtcurious about this energy. What are its origins) \44rat need does it fillf \Mhy should TheBeades-who seem to be the best of a good thing, who in fact are far superior to all theother groups who pretend to copy them, most ofwhich are nevertheless American andperpetuating what once was an essentially American thing-why should The Beatleshave erupted from Literpoolf Could it be true, as the jazz critic Nat Hentoffsuggests,that they "turned millions ofAmerican adolescents on to what had been here hurting allthe time, but the young here never did want it ralv so they absorbed it through-theBritish filter"f Do The Beatles hurt indeedf And are they really so newf Does theirattraction, be it pain or pleasure, stem from their words-or even from what's calledtheir sound.-or quite plainly from their tunesl

The once thriving Art of Song, dormant since the War, is restirring in all corners ofthe world-which is not the same world that put it to bed. As a result, when Song reallybecomes wide awake again (the sleep has been nourishing), its composition andinterpretation will be of a quite different order and for a quite differeni public. Theartful tradition of great song has been transferred from elite domains to The Beatles andtheir offshoots who represent-as any n6n-5pecialized intellectual will tell you-thefinest communicable music of our time. unlike their ,,grandparents," all theie groupswrite most of their own material, thus combining the traditions of t2th-centurytroubadours, 16th-century madrigalists and l8th-century musical artisans who werealways composer-performers-in short, combining all sung expression (except opera)as it was before the 20th century. Curiously, it is not through the suave innovations ofour sophisticated composers that music is regaining health, but from the old-fashionedlung exercises ofgangs ofkids.

That the best of these gangs should have come from England is unimportant; theycould have come from Arkansas. It seems to me that their attraction has little to do with"what had been here hurting," but on the contrary with enjoyment. No sooner does aculture critic like Susan Sontag fin "one Culture and the New Sensibility,,, an essay of

1,1

diarthInccCIall

rhRisP,

e\torr-l*d

m(ea(ratda'thcmeInUturh]=Beru.h,GeroncrertUfrmer

drirsolemlyearBeaan'alori-einnccolllmak

stlmstim

sB :r pue ,ue 3o e.rntral elqrrsep e sr qtPaq 'paaput Jt-lralletut elll roJ uolltlnulllspue Jo uoElpeJ cllleell eql sI lueptrJp lsou sll ]e pue 'dpoq aqr ';o3 uotlelnruqspue Jo uolrrear ellteJrl eqr sr .{qrpaq }soru s}I le rISnuI (-l 8lq e s(arJq pue) JI

'sseuqse.r; snollraJul ut q}L{\ puelq ureq} Suqttupue ,troDeJ}seqr-ro ,dpoleu ,uqilq"r ']trrod,ratunor '^[uotu-ruq Jo sernep aAI]E JOSUOf

lsouj eq] Sursn ur ,sr }rq1-sluatroduor ateJEdsrp s(llsnlu JO uollufulun-luefouulefuaq-]ualosur,{latnlosqe rreq} ur (tuapr rroql ruo{ 'asrnorSo 'uetp .rcqto) saleutEuo

lueruelrrxs eql .lurujrlrlxs {lEq rqSno.rq ,{ldturs "uau

Sutqtou pcppE a^(.{cq1 :cz.'(putot Surtse.rarut 1ou a.r,,{eqt d1p;ntlnlls arurs 'des ol eJour qlntu l(usl aJJqI 'selwJfl

eqJ [q pe;raptraStra dl,reep ]sour s.rr:eddr erSptsou qrnS 1c3t uleuel t.rerye'.{e,udut -rea,(

rad le8 a.^tr op safuar.radxa Suqp;qt .,(ueru ,roq :erSlttsou uI utql ssau,4^eu uI pelpoqu?ssel suees ./!\ou paau I rrq a .peeu I tEq.{\ o} dpro-8ugre,4^ puP Sutgts-ualsl I os,(tr8urop sr esle aLIo ou esneleq JeJq o] lue,\\ I teq.tr asodtuol 1) uoUe'rrdsur 8ur'r'r'rp

ieqr .&rssetau eurtsud ulo{ eJo{u s8uuds uoqrsodruor u,u.o dtu .{tpol se lsn{'Jequleur

]uergtu8rs ]solrl (sapEeg oql sl eq qlns ry.Jelseur uJepou E sI eq '8uog 'euers a;n]-Erurur reqlJo ]nfl .sruJoJ snorlEds eJolu q1r,4A. slEep aq'.re,ta3r

"ttoq traes aq ol suleuleJ

11 ..&r.ror.redns tII ]nq ,serl ,brpurSuo s(dauuEJfw InEd lEql uoDEAotIuI uI ]ou sI ]I 'seuo

8uor.,u.3o prelsur scfror{J tq8r; Strnleu ur lnq'c,rne,tr.rap Surag lou LII aII }.usaop snILIeD'lerpel{tpt eqt tou rncl saldoS.re8 aqr Surde 'uogelrage q}r.u Ua.ued slellr rleql seeleq^\.se;nllruts pr1os plnq .{1pnsn .{aq} ssaule,rnleu qtr,lrr lre.tled sal}P3g JqI esnPra{.(rrd eqr ur rsool s{Eerq IIeq IIE alrq.{\ sseluoEolu sput}s .ro 'erualts roDn o} ,(1p:r.rers.{q

sare.rlS eqs) aruep req slfrpeJluol usuo frsnlrr s(LLIEtle.ID €q]-IEW sE ue^a '(seunlJo tsepuelq aq] o] peuolul *aJII aql ur ,{tq y,, suedo rtqr '[rreod Surqsn;r eq]) llsnru""qt

,r.rr"3*-o8 uago spro,\\ (sepeag eql 'snrueD Jo Lroruolslc eql trlo4 sllnseJ dpoletu.,oi.redng'tualnoa'utteunq)S'tp;a,teluolq :8uos3o se.re lea.r8 uro4 sJesodulor ''(q esoqtqri^ ,ridorot-(irrsselt dpeerp ere ((poo6 utt8e,ltro51,, ..'e11aqrr1q,, ..'eurqsuns '{tppooD, ,,'eteq,urlte,Le pu€ eJeql 'e.r411,,) e8tluer"red a8-re1 u sI lsaq eql put-saunl elqe'I

-ouraur sseqlJo lseq aql .elqsrorusur sr sunqF earq] ]sEI rreql uro{ sSuos aqr3o qree:luetsrsuor SI sseuJetleq Jleql (luulJodrut erotu l>1un[ sr (a-raq,u,rlro,r.a $urq1fue'te ]sotu3{rT) uoQrrJdruot rreq}Jo tsoru tpq} ^,(ts ot ^,(sra sr }I irorredns sepeafl aql e"ru dq11

'(rq8ner se..tr (..{lITIqIsLIes ,treu eql,,uraJeq,l& uecls3ar-rq teqt) sJeed JAgJo urnurrxr{u e sJJnpua uotle-leua8 e 'depot st 'uaq,ttuale

-uorleJauaS tre.tr8 ,{ut urqtr.r,t eAIoAe ol lsel eql osp st ]t'dlpruolsrq dole,tap ol

suorsserdxe ccssalesn,, s.uwrrJo ]sel eql ,(1tro lon sE,\\ frsnur lnq :le,,rrJueJ slqr lleJ luelxeue o] a^rq rp"rrp lsBd rql ur slJE raqto 1y'e.rnsea1d3() [E,t\aue] e'\uauua,t t .,{ltlgpcds'p1o put lltsllre tnq (A\eu lou lurrSolorlos roqllau sI uleql roJ peau rno 'q1ST pue srq8ry

1r',tl) e)H paeu lerrSololros,t\eLI e Suqig Jleql lnoqe soIuIqI ropu1 cqlJo sluIEIr esoqlgo atrds ul ''c'l'poo3 er,deq] s,\\ou{ euo,fua,ta q8noql ue'ta poo8 eJE sepeeg eql

'lrsnLu sn{} e)II .,teql reqr 'ere;8stp }noqtl,,!\'lturpe ol peA\ollE

eft slPn]lellelul put 'dtllqrsucs (.plo, pee-r) ,tteu 3q1 o1 rlopDue a're '(aql :uorssa'rdxa

snorderuor'dlpritr-t* (seltteg aql Jo alol 'tre,t 3ql sI ury dlerns lng 'sr ptraqa'rduorot luorteteptsuol Jleql tou sI e>lIT o-r ieuo saop 'zelnog (.aIIL' ].useop euo 'peepul'trgo Suopi ,t1ryoq aqt ':xsntu p Fu7t11 aqt ete;8ruep oq,lt pue-uorltsoduol uI ueq]uouergrrsn[ q{8 ul eurr} erour puads daqr esne]eq sne111d5n5-s.resodtuor e}elnfluE.,(lsnonrdsnsgo peaJq ? o1 st.t\ uoISn[P JeI{ 'ele}s Sur.tlo;8 drlpqtsuas ,,aeu,, Jeq JeAo]sIp

e,{\ ueq} .,,ainsee1d3o ll\arl uJrp JeqleJ e se>let,{lrTrqrsues,{\aLI Jtl},, ttqt ureldxa [9961

167 uoDr$rcl

492 The Recent Past, and the Present

I believe, The Beatles exemplify this feature, then we have reached (strange though it mayseem as coincidence with our planet's final years) a new and golden renaissance of song.

Ned Rorem, "The Music of The Beatles," Nen, Tork Repien, of Boohs, 18 January 1968. Reprinted inElizabeth Thomson and David Gutman (eds.), The Lennon Cotnpanion (New York: Schirmer Books,l9BB),99-I09.

163

MinimalismSo taken for granted was the extremism of the postwar avant-garde that advancedcomposers began to worry about impending dead ends. "How can you make a

revolution,,, Charles Wuorinen asked an interviewer (thinking perhaps of Cage),

"when the revolution before last has already said that anything goes?" That was in1962. By the end of the decade, the answer was clear: "No, it doesn't!" Many of themost self-consciously innovative composers who came into prominence during thatdecade had begun experimenting with a new kind of radicalism: radically reducedmeans. Because of that reduction, and because of its reliance on a great deal of (near)

repetition of small units, the trend became known (after a comparable tendency in thevisual arts) as minimalism. But that term, originally intended (like impressionism oreven baroque) as pejorative, has never sat well with the makers of the music, and thereare aspects of their products-extravagant length being one-that definitely contra-dict the convenient label. The way they have talked about it suggests that "pattern andprocess// might better describe their music. At least the second term in the proposedphrase was explicitly embraced by steve Reich (1936J, one of the movement'spioneers, in the title of one of his most characteristic statements of principle. Themain principle was that the process informing the music's unfolding (unlike theprinciples informing serial or aleatoric music) should be wholly available to percep-tion. It would be a mistake, however, to regard minimalism, or pattern-and-processmusic, as a break with the postwar avant-garde rather than a part of it. lts crucial pointof likeness with earlier avant-garde attitudes (and even with earlier rsrns like neoprim-itivism and neoclassicism, both associated with Stravinsky) was its unequivocallyembraced impersonalism, its lack of interest-ringingly declared in Reich's finalsentence-in human psychology or subjectivity. Still and all, the trend was distinctive,and highly significant in that it was the first American classical style to exert a strongtechnical and structural influence on the music of European composers.

Music as a Cradual ProcessI do not mean the process of composition but rather pieces of music that are, literally,processes.

The distinctive thing about musical processes is that they determine all the note-to-note (sound-to-sound) details and the overall form simultaneously. (Think of a roundor infinite canon.)

I am interested in perceptible processes. I want to be able to hear the processhappening throughout the sounding music.

Tgradu

P

pn

pl

.{the mrb)'itse

IIsuggesthem

trthrougbeautilhall. r-j

Itelectro

r\Iof corrcontroimateri:all that

Iolprocessperforndetermway. TlSimilarlbetn'eerthe peri

Jandon't ktogethehappeni

Thrthe cardprocess.sonal, uincludeto listenand so c

List,extends