David Byrne,
one of my biggest musical influences, reflects on Die Soldaten in NYC and 20th Century Art Music in General.
“This is elitism of a different sort. If one can’t be fêted by the handful of patrons at the Met, then one can be just as elite by cultivating an audience equally rarified in the completely opposite direction. Extreme ugliness and unpleasantness becomes the mirror image of extreme luxury and beauty.”
…
“As classical music followed this bizarre, perverted road for some half of the 20th century, the audiences left in droves. I hope the composers were pleased, because it seems they got what they wanted in that respect. Their compositional ideas live, and even thrive in movies; but as a form of music and music-theater, they simply died — rumbling and roaring all the way.”
In many ways I agree with David B. — but I still love a lot of the music, after I learn it. But what about the audience?
I grew up when this kind of music was already in decline, so I wasn’t indoctrinated into it as so many music students were. I still can’t figure out why it happened — why did the fringe become the center? Why is the emotional expression of this music so primitive, when it’s “processes” are trying to be so complex (which they really aren’t, compared to, say, Bach or Bartok)?