Rusty Banks

Note: All posters welcome, but this is aimed at a music appreciation class I teach. We’d love to hear from composers besides me, though. If this is the only topic you see posted, go to:

http://sequenza21.com/banks.html

Well, we are done with the post-debussy portion of our Music and Culture class, and learning the ways of Mozart, Beethoven, and sonata form. I’ve heard a variety of feelings expressed about this:

A. “I’m glad we’re finally studying the stuff I like (Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert).”

B. “I’m sad we’re done with the stuff I like (Reich, Cage, Andriessen).”

C. “I’m glad we started with new music, because I would have zoned out from the start if we started with this old stuff.”

D. “I wish we would have gone in chronological order rather than reverse. To end with Baroque music is a downer.”

E. “I wish we could have studied Bernstien more.”

So what do you think? Reverse chronological order, or no? Sonata form or prepared piano? Programmatic music or samples of speech?

Of course, I’d never settle for an “or” where we can have an “and.”