Comments on: 2007 Pulitzer Prize and finalists to be announced at 3:00 pm http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/ The Contemporary Classical Music Community Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:38:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anthony Cornicello http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4895 Anthony Cornicello Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:31:32 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4895 Yeah, I was wondering about that opera thing myself. Wasn't Rorem's "Our Town" premiered last year? I did think that Reich was going to (finally) get it, but I haven't heard the "Daniel" piece. I'm a little bothered about the idea that they went out and nominated Ornette themselves. I've heard stories of members of the committee contacting the eventual winner, asking him to send <i>something</i>, anything in. It seems that this was to be his year, whether he wanted it to be or not. The piece for which he won was an insignificant work. There are parallels with the Ornette thing, although I don't think this is an insignificant album. Heck, it's got two bass players, and neither sounds superfluous! Yet, I'd be okay with the 'lifetime achievement' award - where they honor someone for their entire output, not one specific work. Yeah, I was wondering about that opera thing myself. Wasn’t Rorem’s “Our Town” premiered last year? I did think that Reich was going to (finally) get it, but I haven’t heard the “Daniel” piece.

I’m a little bothered about the idea that they went out and nominated Ornette themselves. I’ve heard stories of members of the committee contacting the eventual winner, asking him to send something, anything in. It seems that this was to be his year, whether he wanted it to be or not. The piece for which he won was an insignificant work. There are parallels with the Ornette thing, although I don’t think this is an insignificant album. Heck, it’s got two bass players, and neither sounds superfluous!

Yet, I’d be okay with the ‘lifetime achievement’ award – where they honor someone for their entire output, not one specific work.

]]> By: Lisa http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4890 Lisa Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:10:10 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4890 Truth is I find it is fascinating how successful the jazz PR machine has been. In a frighteningly racist country they have done amazing work squeezing into ruling class institutions. Of course this kind of recognition is long overdue but I wonder if letting jazz in and keeping the rest out has something to do with our abominable past and present - a kind of affirmative action. I am in no way taking a position on that but lets be clear about what it is. Has there been any media or scholarship on this angle? Or maybe it is just a signal that the best jazz has no other place anymore in the US. Truth is I find it is fascinating how successful the jazz PR machine has been. In a frighteningly racist country they have done amazing work squeezing into ruling class institutions. Of course this kind of recognition is long overdue but I wonder if letting jazz in and keeping the rest out has something to do with our abominable past and present – a kind of affirmative action. I am in no way taking a position on that but lets be clear about what it is.

Has there been any media or scholarship on this angle?

Or maybe it is just a signal that the best jazz has no other place anymore in the US.

]]> By: lawrencedillon http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4882 lawrencedillon Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:07:44 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4882 Getting nominated truly doesn't mean anything -- but being a finalist may be very meaningful: presumably, the jury couldn't choose a winner that wasn't first chosen as a finalist. Getting nominated truly doesn’t mean anything — but being a finalist may be very meaningful: presumably, the jury couldn’t choose a winner that wasn’t first chosen as a finalist.

]]> By: jeff harrington http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4880 jeff harrington Wed, 18 Apr 2007 19:43:40 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4880 Haha... good point. People just take music way too seriously I guess... The Grendel thing was weird though. Not what I would imagine getting nominated. Not that getting nominated means anything now! ;) Haha… good point. People just take music way too seriously I guess…

The Grendel thing was weird though. Not what I would imagine getting nominated. Not that getting nominated means anything now! ;)

]]> By: lawrencedillon http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4874 lawrencedillon Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:38:59 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4874 Hey Jeff, if the music world is getting weird these days -- I'd love to know when it wasn't weird. Hey Jeff, if the music world is getting weird these days — I’d love to know when it wasn’t weird.

]]> By: Tom Myron http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4871 Tom Myron Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:37:51 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4871 <i>"Does anyone else find it interesting — considering all the major new operas that premiered last year — that Grendel was a finalist?"</i> Yeah, I do (and I don't.) “Does anyone else find it interesting — considering all the major new operas that premiered last year — that Grendel was a finalist?”

Yeah, I do (and I don’t.)

]]> By: lawrencedillon http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4863 lawrencedillon Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:48:12 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4863 Does anyone else find it interesting -- considering all the major new operas that premiered last year -- that Grendel was a finalist? Does anyone else find it interesting — considering all the major new operas that premiered last year — that Grendel was a finalist?

]]> By: jeff harrington http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4862 jeff harrington Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:48:03 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4862 Turns out - if the story is true - Ornette wasn't even nominated. Now that, is just a little weird - not the he wasn't nominated - but that the committee would take it upon itself to go buy a CD and then give the dude a prize. http://www.therestisnoise.com/2007/04/live_from_new_y.html The music world is getting just a little weird these days - so many agendae and good music is what is getting lost - as the powerful assert themselves into systems designed for quality - not for the assertion of musico-political power. The watering down effect itself is getting watered down! Turns out – if the story is true – Ornette wasn’t even nominated. Now that, is just a little weird – not the he wasn’t nominated – but that the committee would take it upon itself to go buy a CD and then give the dude a prize.

http://www.therestisnoise.com/2007/04/live_from_new_y.html

The music world is getting just a little weird these days – so many agendae and good music is what is getting lost – as the powerful assert themselves into systems designed for quality – not for the assertion of musico-political power. The watering down effect itself is getting watered down!

]]> By: T.D. Lake http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4847 T.D. Lake Wed, 18 Apr 2007 04:35:46 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4847 I can't agree more with Anthony C's judgment of the choice of Ornette. If you listen to Shape of Jazz to Come, it's not greatly dissonant, it's melodic, and it sounds like jazz, except that there's no chordal instrument, and people acted like the guy was pissing on stage. His later work is furiously dissonant and obtuse, and I think a little bombastic, but the guy is a true great in the jazz world. What would have been better, and this never happens... recognize the guy when he's doing his best work, and then recognize someone else in 2007 that's doing their best work. Instead, they beat the guy with clubs for thirty years, give him a prize for an album that's sub par, and then the guy who is pushing the envelope on music, whether jazz or classical, is being beaten with clubs for the next twenty years just like they did to Ornette. As far as the thing with Coltrane, people really ought to be ashamed. The guy languished in the dungeon for most of his career and got scathing reviews, they wait till the guy is dead and write paeans to A Love Supreme in Time Magazine and give him posthumous rewards. I can’t agree more with Anthony C’s judgment of the choice of Ornette. If you listen to Shape of Jazz to Come, it’s not greatly dissonant, it’s melodic, and it sounds like jazz, except that there’s no chordal instrument, and people acted like the guy was pissing on stage. His later work is furiously dissonant and obtuse, and I think a little bombastic, but the guy is a true great in the jazz world. What would have been better, and this never happens… recognize the guy when he’s doing his best work, and then recognize someone else in 2007 that’s doing their best work.

Instead, they beat the guy with clubs for thirty years, give him a prize for an album that’s sub par, and then the guy who is pushing the envelope on music, whether jazz or classical, is being beaten with clubs for the next twenty years just like they did to Ornette.

As far as the thing with Coltrane, people really ought to be ashamed. The guy languished in the dungeon for most of his career and got scathing reviews, they wait till the guy is dead and write paeans to A Love Supreme in Time Magazine and give him posthumous rewards.

]]> By: Anthony Cornicello http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/2007-pulitzer-prize-and-finalists-to-be-announced-at-300-pm/comment-page-1/#comment-4818 Anthony Cornicello Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:58:11 +0000 http://www.sequenza21.com/index.php/383#comment-4818 Good for Ornette! I'm glad he won one of these. It's nice to see someone getting these sort of accolades after years of hearing either stony silence or taunts. Good for Ornette! I’m glad he won one of these.

It’s nice to see someone getting these sort of accolades after years of hearing either stony silence or taunts.

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