Challenge for People Who Say Writing New Music is Easy
General
Write an original non-tonal work for orchestra
in an attempt to demonstrate that education
and skill are not required in writing new music.
Rules
The work must be in a non-tonal style, with
tonality only allowed to be used in a
postmodern sense or satirically/ironically.
Accepted styles include:
o Expressionism
See Webern
o Partial serialism
See Messiaen
o Polystylist modernism
See Ives
o Postmodernism
See Schnittke
o Electro-acoustic
See Stockausen
o New Finnish style
See Saariaho
o Soviet Modernism
See Gubaidulina
o Late/new jazz
See Turnage
o New complexity
See Ferneyhough
Accepted unique composer styles include
Abrahamsen, Ads, Berio, Boulez, Carter,
Davies, Feldman, Henze, Johnston,
Oliveiros, Partch, Zorn, etc.
All musical gestures, phrases, and concepts
must have meaning and must carry
objective expression (see Bernsteins 1973
Norton Lectures at Harvard).
All unconventional notation must have a
purpose and should be carefully explained
at the beginning of the score.
Tapes and live electronics are acceptable
and preferable, but not entirely necessary.
Use your artistic thinking to judge if it
would be appropriate.
Musts
The instrumentation must be for at least
the following forces:
o 3fl, 3ob, 3cl, 3bsn
o 4hn, 3tpt, 2ttbn, 1btbn, 1tba
o 4perc, 2 different keyboard
instruments
o 2hp, standard string distributions
o Standard doublings apply
Choir(s) may be used.
Saxophone(s) may be used.
Electronic instruments (theremin, ondes
Martenot, synthesizers, amplified objects,
etc.) may be used.
This may not be a concerto but occasional
obliggato passages are accepted.
This may not be a staged work, nor an
oratorio, but occasional vocal solos are
accepted.
The composition must be at least 20
minutes in length, with a two-hour limit.
The score must use a mixture of
conventional and unconventional notation
the latter of which must be explained.
There must be some sort of overarching
link throughout the whole work; it cannot
be static gestures unless an artistic
intelligent reason can be provided.
Key signatures may not be used except in
the case of polystylist passages.
All material, excluding references, must be
original.
Programme notes are necessary, as are
performance instructions.
Music in the vein of mid-20th century
experimental works are not accepted as
meaning and structure can be faked by the
composer and may have totally different
audience interpretations.
There must be at least one point of non-
tonal improvisation.
Music must be electronically-engraved.