The Challenges of Modernist Music

Celebrated pianist and writer Charles Rosen, author of the acclaimed The Classical Style and frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books, has been a staunch advocate of new music for many years. Some examples of his conviction put into practice include the premiere of Elliott Carter’s Double Concerto and the first performance of Boulez’s Eclats/Multiples, conducted by the composer. Relating avantgarde music to other art forms that endeavor to defy conventionality, and providing live musical illustrations from the piano, Rosen’s talk will assess the impact of contemporary music in the 21 st century. His discussion explores issues such as the role played by public and private institutions in the dissemination of these artistic currents; the responsibility of education in keeping the arts alive (especially "highbrow" forms of artistic expression); the divide between commercial popular music and the concert experience; the role of technology and mass media; and the increasing difficulty of art’s accessibility from the 18 th century until today, and especially the formal challenges of complex modern music for the listener.
The lecture will be followed by a conversation with Daniel J. Wakin, from the Culture Department of The New York Times. Audience questions will be welcomed in the last segment of the event