Music and Society
Music and Society Elie Siegmeister (1938) Symbolic footnotes and headings added by Arun; Numeric endnotes are Siegmeister’s. ACKNOWLEDGMENT: For much prevails with regard to music, which is still consid- that may be of value in the follow- ered as largely a vague, intangible experience, unre- ing I wish to express my gratitude lated to all other experiences, whose chief function to four musicians: Henry Cowell, is to entertain, uplift, provide subjective emotional Hanns Eisler, the late Jacob Schae- satisfaction to each individual in his own way. Is a fer, and especially to Charles Seeger, piece of music pleasing? Is it good or bad music? whose learning is both brilliant and These, it is felt, are the only important questions. catholic. But who is to determine what is good and what Further thanks are due to Herbert is bad music, and furthermore, the question arises, Haufreucht, Josephine Metcalf and “Good for what?” To some the music of Stravin- Figure 1: Daniel Schwartz for their painstak- sky (or Shostakovich or Schoenberg or Gershwin) is ing reading and criticism of the manuscript; to Helen Schechter stimulating, vivid, challenging, good because it re- for her generous assistance in preparing the copy, and above flects the forces of contemporary life; to others it is all to my wife for her invaluable criticisms, comments and discordant, ugly and depressing. Some of the Negro suggestions. — Elie Siegmeister* Songs of Protest† have been received with tremen- dous enthusiasm by certain audiences, as good be- cause they express the deepest feelings of an op- The Status of Music in the 1930s pressed people; others no doubt find them harsh and bitter, bad music for the same reason.
[Show full text]