The Choral Contrarians

Latest Episodes:

Unheard Music Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

Richard and Eric discuss Umberto Eco's short essay ("On unread books") about Pierre Bayard's book entitled "How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read," which expounds upon the concept of unread literature. We as humans, will obviously not be able to read all that we wish we could, and perhaps in the end, it is good that we don't have time to read (or listen to) everything we would like. Can our common categorizations, understanding of archetypes, and appeals to authority help us understand and speak about artistic material we have never read (or heard)? These concepts have fascinating extrapolations into the world of music, as Richard and Eric speak upon the curious notion of "unheard" music.
Eco, E. (2017). On unread books. Chronicles of a Liquid Society (pp. 246-248). New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Bayard, P. (2009). How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read. Bloomsbury. USA.
'Readings and Writings' is taken from a letter by Franz Schubert (1797-1828) describing his financial situation to his brother Ferdinand in November, 1812.

Wet Sand and the Post-Convention Down Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

Eric flies solo for this episode to discuss the phenomena of feeling down after attending the recent National ACDA Convention, though the feeling is most certainly shared by those in many professional fields. How do we cope when we return to our normal lives after experiencing a mountaintop experience? Eric offers a simple image that may prompt some small action and relief.
'musica obscura' examines Erik Satie’s (1866-1925) strange work, “Messe des pauvres.”
'Readings and Writings' is taken from an article composed by Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1954) entitled "The Relationship to the Text" in which he discusses the homogeneous nature of the music-text relationship.

LIVE from the ACDA National Convention, Kansas City. Feat. Dr. Albert Pinsonneault Mar 03, 2019

Show notes

Richard and Eric are together (finally), and LIVE from Tribe Street Kitchen in downtown Kansas City. They are joined by choral artist Dr. Albert Pinsonneault from Northwestern University and the Madison Choral Project.
The three discuss a variety of topics (some serious ...but mostly not so serious) surrounding the American Choral Directors Association's 2019 National Convention. Also included is a mailbag question about influential short choral works.

Saturation: Secondhand Music and the Primary Experience Feb 22, 2019

Show notes

Richard and Eric discuss the positive and potential negative ramifications of music saturation, which is becoming increasingly evident in modern society. Does this saturation impact how we make ideological choices when it comes to music making and how does the concept of a ‘primary experience’ shield us from the potential harmful effects of music saturation?
McCormick, N. (2009, April 8). Is there too much music? The Telegraph.
Rouse, M. (2014, July 16). The Dangers of Secondhand Music. New Music Box.
Thomas, T.T. (2013, March 24). The Human Condition: Information Saturation. Politics and Economics (Blog).
'Readings and Writings' is an excerpt of an article written for “The Sackbut” by composer, Frederic Delius (1862-1934) in 1920. He railed against trends that were as relevant then as they continue to be today.

Meaning(full) Feb 08, 2019

Show notes

Using two recent articles by David Brooks (New York Times opinion columnist and cultural commentator) as a jumping off point, Richard and Eric begin discussing the intersection and entanglement of ‘meaning’ and ‘emotion.’ How do these two concepts interact broadly as well as more intimately within a choral rehearsal and performance setting? Does one influence the other? How do we engage these concepts as artists and musicians?
Brooks, D. (2019, January 3). The Morality of Selfism. The New York Times, p. A19.
Brooks, D. (2015, January 5). The Problem with Meaning. The New York Times, p. A23.
'musica obscura' highlights Richard Wagner’s edition of Palestrina’s “Stabat Mater.”
'Readings and Writings' is taken from a letter written by famed violinist Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) about his friend Johannes Brahms, who was visiting his home in 1854.

The "Antifragile" Choir Jan 25, 2019

Show notes

In this first discussion, Richard and Eric examine "antifragility" (a concept developed by essayist and scholar, Nassim Taleb), and its relevance within a choral context. Can the metaphors and terms used by Taleb regarding antifragility's usefulness in the fields of risk analysis, engineering, economics, and biology create new ways of thinking about a myriad of issues in the choral ensemble?
Taleb, N. N. (2012). Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder. New York: Random House.
'musica obscura' highlights Johannes Brahms' 13 Canons, Op. 113
'Readings and Writings' is taken from a criticism penned by Johann Adolph Scheibe (1708-1776) about his teacher.

An Introduction Jan 16, 2019

Show notes

In their first podcast, Richard and Eric introduce themselves, detail how they met, and delve into some general concepts that the Choral Contrarians podcast will pursue.
Readings and Writings cover two short letters sent between Elgar and Strauss in 1922.

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