Tag Archives: Liszt

Organic music, whatzat?

I ‘ve always been a big fan of organic music and this is what I’m trying in my own pieces.

How to define that? First thing is keeping the compositional process out of schemes, at least beeing conscient of the schemes. That is not to say that every rules should be avoided. This involve many aspects, form, harmony and, I think the most important melodic genesis. We find that in L. van Beethoven especially wihtin his lates works. The organic aspect of melody or just short themes contributes to make the piece alive. We have an whole family entity of motives either rhytmic or melodic and they are related to each others. We could listen to the opus 111 played by Gieseking playing it in a lively way. He recorded on EMI.

Here the example is played by W. Backhaus, You may go to around 16 min where the variations are very fluid…

That is also what Franz Liszt discovered on his later works, exception being b minor sonata and first Mephisto waltz which were earlier ones. The later period when Liszt literally take the clothes of his music has also beeing said “senile” period. I dont look at it this way. I admire the power that Liszt can get out of a very few notes or chords. The power of simplicity! Here the Lugubre gondola:

I’m not making an exhaustive list but just a few mentions, Miles Davis, the late seventies of Genesis and many mores. You are welcome to add in the comments.

So in all, the organic aspect of music is what makes it stand alive compared to so many schematics and steriles pieces in all sort of repertoire in any period  of music history. This is not reserved to any genre and may be found in any styles!