MORTEN LAURIDSEN - Advice to Young Composers

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Classical Chops interviews composer Morten Lauridsen who gives advice for young composers.

[@tarnishchris]

Wow, I had to watch this clip and few times due to being distracted by the comments.

[@desteddyeggroll]

What was the piece that played at the end?

[@anataria]

I think you guys' discussion is too narrow-minded u should respect more about people's perspective, it's your right to 'discuss' about particular things, about what is music, what is composer, blah blah etc. Although i'm not the composer's fan too, BUT i respect his advice, his attitude, and i agree with him, The world HAS changed, Beethoven stays through the passage of time, for 200 years but if you live long enough, for next 1000 years there will be THOUSAND of who, immortalized, as beethoven

[@noolva]

People who aren't snobs who think music needs theory. Unless the specific goal of your music is to make it as complex as possible and interesting for people who 'understand' it (which Lauridsen might claim he does but doesn't, you could be right at that), the only way to measure the 'goodness' of music is by how people feel by listening to it. Ever heard Afrojack? Terrible, but people go nuts at concerts and genuinely love the music, that's all that counts.

[@AJtheGuitarist38]

Organman, do you even listen to a single thing that comes out of Lauridsen's mouth? I think Beethoven is a superior composer to him (and basically everybody else), but I have to say that Lauridsen knows what he's talking about here.

[@noolva]

If you think evolution of musical style stopped a few decades ago you're clearly stuck in an old style and way of thinking. Most modern music is made in ways unthinkable twenty years ago. More focus is on sounddesign, dynamics and production vs chords, a melody or other 'old' musical ideas. IMO, the most important thing to do with music is to listen to it, feel something. Not dissect it or study it, though that very well can be interesting. Feeling is natural, technical ideas are man-made.

[@organman52]

Again, those people who 'go nuts' have no clue about anything regarding musical organization, ORIGINALITY, and the evolution of musical style - which, by the way, came to a conclusion a few decades ago. But you will have none of that either.

[@organman52]

People? Which people? The ones who understand the structure of the music of the master composers and have written books and dissertations on the subject? Or people whose only connection with anything is visceral? Gee, let me think about this for a while.

[@organman52]

And that includes Mr. Lauridsen. I also challenge Mr. Lauridsen to write cadenzas to Mozart piano concertos. I am not a composer [nor is anyone who is alive today], but my cadenzas to M's concertos have been performed in seven countries. But you - or anyone on this thread - will have none of that.

[@avadakedavra9500]

organman52 This is by far the silliest comment I’ve ever read. No one alive today is a composer? So are you telling me that John Williams, Philip Glass, Ennio Morricone, etc. are not composers. Where on Earth do you get your ideas from?!

[@organman52]

And wherein lies the originality? If you are comparing that which is 'composed' today with the master composers of the last 700 years, then you need serious instruction. But you will never seek that because you are convinced that Morten Lauridsen is a genius who creates beautiful music out of nothing. The very fact that he had to rely on a group of 4 pitches testifies to his complete lack of originality. And as I see, the four pitches themselves are contrived - NOT taken from Ravel.

[@organman52]

Do you think the master composers needed 'theory?' Absurd. Only those of us who wish to UNDERSTAND the music of the masters need to address the issue of 'theory.' Music theory is not theoretical at all. In fact, it is the worst possible name that can be applied to the study of musical organization, structure and analysis. That said, I challenge ANYONE on this planet to discover the things that I have discovered in such masterpieces as Schubert's B flat major sonata.

[@organman52]

There you go - denigrate Beethoven to advance your support for this non-composer lauridsen. Tell me, oh enlightened one, what percentage of Beethoven's output do you consider garbage? I would add that mr. lauridsen actually knows he is a fraud. All of today's 'composers' do.

[@organman52]

I am outraged that tens of thousands of individuals today consider themselves 'composers.' BEETHOVEN WAS A COMPOSER. MORTEN LAURIDSEN IS NOT. For him - or anyone - to include himself in this category is pretentious and audacious. And it is an assault on REAL music.Angry? You bet.

[@avadakedavra9500]

organman52 You are an idiot! I don’t care how long you taught music of where you taught it, you clearly have no knowledge in composition. Being a composer myself, Morten Lauridsen is truly an inspiration to me and for you to degrade his master is work is simply disgusting. You should be ashamed!

[@organman52]

One cannot BECOME a master composer. One is BORN a master composer. Mr. Lauridsen - you are a pop composer with an extremely limited palette. Stop promoting yourself as a descendant of Bach and Beethoven. But you won't.