Members mikelpanky Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 What would you say the defining 5 or 6 pieces of the electronic/synthesized music world are? Things a la Jan Hammer, Jean Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk? A few pieces of (instrumental) synth music that truly give a taste of what it's all about? I may have to chance to perform and lecture on the world of electronic music to the music department of my school (primarily classical musicians who scoff at synths and think MIDI is just a way to write music in Sibelius easier ) next semester. It would be a big opportunity, and I need to choose the pieces now so I can present the program to the department head, yadda yadda. So basically, top five. Go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members piano39 Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 I'd give a nod to some of the classics: One of the Carlos's Switched on Bach series, or Tomita's "Snowflakes are Dancing" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikelpanky Posted November 6, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Oh yeah, I was definitely going to a S-O B piece to get them warmed up to the idea haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Timelord Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 The Planets by Tomita should be considered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yoozer Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Jarre's Oxygene/Equinoxe (take your pick). Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind also features quite a number of synths. Art Of Noise would work too (though that's more collage/sampling). Add SOB and Kraftwerk and you'll have lots of stuff covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ghostpaw Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 I can't see a music department with contempt for synths gaining any appreciation by hearing Tomita's Planets or Carlos' S.O.B. Both pieces are beautiful to many of us and hideous to purists. Based on what you've said your audience isn't going to be receptive to it. Not everyone hears what we hear in them. Most of us have been ignorantly lectured at some time about how Bach would be rolling in his grave if he heard what some people have done with his music. If it were me I'd go with a less familiar Jan Hammer piece that doesn't cement most people's idea of 80's synth pop (I love it too) since they'll be listening for it to hate it, maybe a Herbie Hancock song (avoiding Rockit) and/or Stevie Wonder, maybe Edgar Winter if you think it fits, maybe parts of Kraftwerk's stuff like Ruckzuck and so on. Especially if you can find a flute player up for the task. Jean Michel Jarre would be awesome. It is hard to fathom a music department with contempt for such a prevalent and versitile instrument. It would be hard to find music in the last few decades without a synth somewhere in it. You sure you really want to work closely with these knuckleheads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikelpanky Posted November 6, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 I can't see a music department with contempt for synths gaining any appreciation by hearing Tomita's Planets or Carlos' S.O.B. Both pieces are beautiful to many of us and hideous to purists. Based on what you've said your audience isn't going to be receptive to it. Not everyone hears what we hear in them. Most of us have been ignorantly lectured at some time about how Bach would be rolling in his grave if he heard what some people have done with his music. If it were me I'd go with a less familiar Jan Hammer piece that doesn't cement most people's idea of 80's synth pop (I love it too) since they'll be listening for it to hate it, maybe a Herbie Hancock song (avoiding Rockit) and/or Stevie Wonder, maybe Edgar Winter if you think it fits, maybe parts of Kraftwerk's stuff like Ruckzuck and so on. Especially if you can find a flute player up for the task. Jean Michel Jarre would be awesome.It is hard to fathom a music department with contempt for such a prevalent and versitile instrument. It would be hard to find music in the last few decades without a synth somewhere in it. You sure you really want to work closely with these knuckleheads? Well, to being with, there's not exactly a contempt. These are the same people I go party with on weekends and they can't get enough Top 40 dance hits. So, not a contempt, but a lack of understanding and respect for the instrument. They see it merely as a toy for pop producers, and not in the true light that it should be seen. I'm not trying to make them love the instrument as if they hate it, but respect it as if they don't understand it fully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 In broad categories, I think there are three types of synth examples that show synths as something other than sources of sounds for pop producers and dance stuff... whether you want to demonstrate them all, I don't know, that depends on what you're trying to do... but I think they would be(a) synthesizer versions of classical pieces a la Switched on Bach and some Tomita stuff(b) new original compositions that use nothing but (or at least primarily) synthesizers a la Synergy and Kraftwerk (and a lot of more esoteric stuff)© new music that relies on synthesizer but is combined with more traditional rock or jazz instrumentation/approaches a la some ELP and Weather Report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ghostpaw Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Well, to being with, there's not exactly a contempt. These are the same people I go party with on weekends and they can't get enough Top 40 dance hits. So, not a contempt, but a lack of understanding and respect for the instrument. They see it merely as a toy for pop producers, and not in the true light that it should be seen. I'm not trying to make them love the instrument as if they hate it, but respect it as if they don't understand it fully. Understood. The description, "musicians who scoff at synths and think MIDI is just a way to write music in Sibelius easier" while you worked to persuade them of the program's value had me thinking of them as a group of closed minded elitists. Either way, I'd still be reluctant to use traditionally orchestral pieces in that case. It is like playing rearranged covers of Beatles songs to hardcore Beatles fans. Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, and so on would be better bets. I wish you success either way. Sounds like a real opportunity here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikelpanky Posted November 6, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Understood. The description, "musicians who scoff at synths and think MIDI is just a way to write music in Sibelius easier" while you worked to persuade them of the program's value had me thinking of them as a group of closed minded elitists.Either way, I'd still be reluctant to use traditionally orchestral pieces in that case. It is like playing rearranged covers of Beatles songs to hardcore Beatles fans. Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, and so on would be better bets. I wish you success either way. Sounds like a real opportunity here. Thank you, sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Meatball Fulton Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Rather than playing Carlos or Tomita you might consider pieces written by composers in the "classical" space who worked with synthesizers: Milton Babbit (using the RCA MkII), David Borden (also performed under the name Mother Mallard). Plus pre-synth tape/musique concrete stuff like Edgar Varese's Po Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Timelord Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 What about considering Lynda Kavina's "Concert Per Theremin", live in italy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 13ghostsofscoobydoo Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Agree with the Carlos sentiments, as well as Stevie Wonder. Also consider Jean Jacques-Perrey and more recently AIR. Harp on the influence these have had on modern music over the last 40+ years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Synthaholic Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Don't forget Yellow Magic Orchestra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DawdlePuss Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 A good piece that might really hit home with a music department is "Ecstatic Waters" composed by Steven Bryant. It is a for symphonic band and electronics (using Ableton Live). I feel something like this might help you bridge the gap between acoustic and electronic with the students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Well, to being with, there's not exactly a contempt. These are the same people I go party with on weekends and they can't get enough Top 40 dance hits. So, not a contempt, but a lack of understanding and respect for the instrument. They see it merely as a toy for pop producers, and not in the true light that it should be seen. I'm not trying to make them love the instrument as if they hate it, but respect it as if they don't understand it fully. I like synths as tools; approximations of a wide variety of musical contexts/situations, all at your fingertips. Wonderful. I tend to agree with your faculty though. Obviously you can get all the rhythms and notes in spot free but synths can only crudely emulate the nuance required of interpretation and usually not in real time. Compound this with [the possible timbres are too lo res for the legit pallette] and I'd say there's nothing to achieve there but an amicable treaty. I have little to venture regarding your program other than If there is no material that achieves the divine organic qualities that legit guys crave, just lay it out like it is. Are you faculty there? If not, honesty might be worth a future gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikelpanky Posted November 6, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 and I'd say there's nothing to achieve there but an amicable treaty. I have little to venture regarding your program other than If there is no material that achieves the divine organic qualities that legit guys crave, just lay it out like it is. Are you faculty there? If not, honesty might be worth a future gig. I'm afraid I don't quite understand anything you're trying to say. I'm not trying to present the synthesizer as a viable way to emulate real instruments, but to bring into light that it is an instrument in it's own right, achieving new and different timbres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Pop Corn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 ...So, not a contempt, but a lack of understanding and respect for the instrument. They see it merely as a toy for pop producers, and not in the true light that it should be seen. I'm not trying to make them love the instrument as if they hate it, but respect it as if they don't understand it fully. I was offering my take on the biased legit view. Given that part of the equation, synths might as well be toys. That IS the light. Unless you can come up with material that achieves the vast musical powers of classical music - and in this regard I don't know of any, there'll be no changing their opinion.IMO If winning them over is the goal; unlikely.Just make the best case for synths you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ghostpaw Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 Pop Corn! Good idea! Show them this. It can't fail to win their hearts! [video=youtube;A2iIdHD60JA] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundwave106 Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 In broad categories, I think there are three types of synth examples that show synths as something other than sources of sounds for pop producers and dance stuff... This reminds me of the "get your synth out of my rock and roll / heavy metal" attitude of older times, that these days seems so laughable. The minimalists were probably the most well known "serious" composer that used synthesizers as a tool. Meaning Phillip Glass, of course, as well as Terry Riley, but also lesser known artists like David Borden / Mother Mallard as mentioned above. A certain subset of the avant garde scene is also fairly keen on synthesizers (especially if you include computers), if you want to get esoteric I can name plenty of examples. Less esoteric, it might be good to introduce concepts like Brian Eno's ambient music that may be outside the classical realm, but are more heady than pop. Film composers regularly combine synths and orchestral music all the time, following the "Crimson Tide" action film model. I'm not sure whether one wants to demonstrate an a combined score (like say ) or an all synthetic one (the aforementioned Crimson Tide) or whether film scores are too "pop" for what you want. You could, of course, show Bohuslav Martinu's Fantasia for Theremin, Oboe, String Quartet and Piano, and just mention that back in older times, *some* serious composers weren't afraid of newfangled electronic tools. (Edit: Throw in as well... oh, I almost forgot, John Adams' "Doctor Atomic" has a fair bit of synth in the opera version, largely Absynth. Pity the silly libretto though...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 Other than what's been said, I think Moroder's "The Chase" and Vangelis "Blade Runner" excerpts would be good to showcase emotion-driven music made by synths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Re-Member Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 Personally, I'd blast Daniel Miller's "Warm Leatherette" as loud as possible and tell the music scholars to go ***k themselves. End of lecture, class dismissed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stickman393 Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 No love for Tangerine Dream? Kraftwerk ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikelpanky Posted November 7, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 Another thing I'd like to include is a "traditional" piece that is composed for synthesizer. But not weirdo noise pieces, either. Something that was composed, but for synth. I've heard of a number of pieces written for Synclavier, but not sure what. MOST pieces I've found originally composed for synth are generally BS noise or music concrete stuff, so I'm not even making a very convincing argument to myself, in that respect >_> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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