Having made the journey from the (relatively) straightforward major triad to the tonal saturation of the twelve-note chord.

From

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to

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perhaps we can summon up enough courage to wonder about the future of ‘art’ music.

The jeremiads about ever decreasing audiences and the consequent financial problems of the music industry notwithstanding, there are many exciting things happening out there. Computers have opened the gates to all sorts of creativity and study. Here, for instance, is the list of the research projects currently being undertaken in IRCAM (the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) in Paris:

Acoustic and Cognitive Spaces
Perception and Sound Design
Sound Analysis-Synthesis
Sound Systems and Signals: Audio/Acoustics, InstruMents
Musical Representations
Analysis of Musical Practices
Sound Music Movement Interaction

Contemporary music can often be challenging but, in an age of passive listening, surely it must be both stimulating and therapeutic to get in on the action once in while (even if it’s only to be driven to speechless fury). It’s all part of The Art of Listening.

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