Sunday 24 January 2021

Notation and Musical Symbols



I have been writing concertos, chamber orchestra and for solo instruments with no musical symbols (musical traffic symbols). The strange thing is free jazz, I have become the focus of criticism even for those who make abstract music and compose using graphic notation. I think they are not aware of what they are producing with free jazz or abstract music. You will both produce this type of music and restrict the free expression you produce with medieval musical symbols! This is a pointless approach. 

The root of the problem is to perpetuate the usual without thinking about it and being aware of what it is doing. 

For example, what is wanted to be done with abstract music? Expressing a topic, emotion or thought using sounds without being dependent on free expression and notes. Standard playing techniques and articulations are not used for this. For example, playing by hitting the strings of the piano, hitting the strings with the arshet of the violin, or hitting the board with the bow. Quickly pulling the strings; Many non-standard new techniques are used, such as blowing into it.

There is another purpose of producing music with this method. That is to contribute to the free expression ability of musicians. In spite of this, while defending that musicians contribute to the development of their power of free expression and express the issue freely; On the other hand, what is it, if not absurd, to use musical symbols that express the strict medieval conception of notation?

I do not use musical symbols in my own notations and musical vocalizations, and I continue to not use musical symbols in order not to restrict the free expression skills of the musicians who are or will perform my works.

Understood or not understood by those who consider themselves the directors of the music world; I do not care. My goal is clear and understandable. Still, there is one thing that upsets me. It is because musicians who have been trained for years have difficulty understanding my purpose and demand that I add musical symbols to my compositions. I compare it to slaves, who have been given democratic freedom of expression, to protest and shout that we want a monarchy.

I guess if they had criticized painters like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Franz Kline and Salvador Dali for not obeying similar traffic signs of classical painting; presumably they would curse critics.

The composer is not a holy person or a saint.  The works of a composer are not scriptures. It should be freely interpreted by musicians. -Avni Erbey

* I would like to leave a funny example. I like the music of Penderecki however I think he has no idea what he did about his notation. The graphic notation already explains the play he thinks. Why musical traffic symbols are there? Let the orchestra and/or maestro discuss and decide how they want to express!





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