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August 22, 2013 12:49 PM Subscribe
Morten Lauridsen - How to write a song
Your efforts may or may not result in Dirait-On.
Your efforts may or may not result in Dirait-On.
I have fond memories of singing Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" with the concert choir in high school. My voice was in an odd, wide-range place at the time, so I would help out the basses with the low-D at the climax and then rejoin the tenors at the D above middle C when it quieted down. If only I could pull that off now…
Lauridsen really does like those Iadd9 chords tho. They're in everything.
posted by pmdboi at 1:15 PM on August 22, 2013
Lauridsen really does like those Iadd9 chords tho. They're in everything.
posted by pmdboi at 1:15 PM on August 22, 2013
Jesus - there really is nothing on YouTube that won't be griped about in the comments.
posted by Pecinpah at 1:33 PM on August 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Pecinpah at 1:33 PM on August 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
This is middlebrow, middle of the road stuff. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not some kind of artistic pinnacle that should be above criticism, is it? The main gripers in those comments are pretty cogent, it seems to me.
posted by rodii at 2:14 PM on August 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by rodii at 2:14 PM on August 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Morten Lauridsen may be John Rutter-ish middle of the road, but what the hell -- it's lovely. I've been on an "En une seule fleur" kick lately, and I'm sure my dog is sick of me looking deeply into his eyes, shaking my head wistfully, and singing "Mais tu n'as pas pensé ailleurs".
posted by ariel_caliban at 2:22 PM on August 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ariel_caliban at 2:22 PM on August 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Six or seven years ago I saw the Los Angeles Master Chorale do a concert which was largely Lauridsen pieces, including a premiere (with the composer in attendance). The choir is fabulous, the acoustics (Overture Hall, Madison, WI) were phenomenal, and the first Lauridsen piece staggered me with its beauty.
And then as I listened to the rest of the concert I realized...they're ALL. THE. SAME. PIECE. Everything he's ever written is all exactly the same. Same chords, same types of climaxes and denouements, sometimes even the same melodic phrases, so totally obvious once you've sung one piece and heard more, that you have to wonder how he's pulling the wool over the eyes of choirs who buy/sing lots of his stuff.
I've since sung "O Magnum Mysterium" and I think it's really lovely; it's all you need to know of Lauridsen if you ask me, not because it's the best, but because it's one of the more popular ones among choirs the general public is likely to hear (Christmas prayer and all that). All the rest is similar enough that you don't really need to hear it.
posted by gillyflower at 2:25 PM on August 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
And then as I listened to the rest of the concert I realized...they're ALL. THE. SAME. PIECE. Everything he's ever written is all exactly the same. Same chords, same types of climaxes and denouements, sometimes even the same melodic phrases, so totally obvious once you've sung one piece and heard more, that you have to wonder how he's pulling the wool over the eyes of choirs who buy/sing lots of his stuff.
I've since sung "O Magnum Mysterium" and I think it's really lovely; it's all you need to know of Lauridsen if you ask me, not because it's the best, but because it's one of the more popular ones among choirs the general public is likely to hear (Christmas prayer and all that). All the rest is similar enough that you don't really need to hear it.
posted by gillyflower at 2:25 PM on August 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
Just lovely. I love how he describes his process, how talks about it as "design", as a constructed and considered thing that requires thoughtfulness, synthesis, and a little playfulness. To paraphrase from the video: "focus on the idea...what are the elements...how do I tie it into the history [of the medium]?..learning, technique, an understanding of history and of craft".
I hope this helps anybody who still might be laboring under the notion that musical composition is some sort of 'genius activity' that only a blessed few can do. The genius of it is in the point of view, the craft of intent (to borrow a phrase).
posted by Doleful Creature at 2:26 PM on August 22, 2013
I hope this helps anybody who still might be laboring under the notion that musical composition is some sort of 'genius activity' that only a blessed few can do. The genius of it is in the point of view, the craft of intent (to borrow a phrase).
posted by Doleful Creature at 2:26 PM on August 22, 2013
I hope this helps anybody who still might be laboring under the notion that musical composition is some sort of 'genius activity' that only a blessed few can do.
No, obviously any dude off the street can write the same choral music over...and over...and over...
posted by gillyflower at 2:29 PM on August 22, 2013
No, obviously any dude off the street can write the same choral music over...and over...and over...
posted by gillyflower at 2:29 PM on August 22, 2013
Lauridsen really does like those Iadd9 chords tho. They're in everything.
They're like the MSG of choral music.
posted by Doleful Creature at 2:32 PM on August 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
They're like the MSG of choral music.
posted by Doleful Creature at 2:32 PM on August 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
To clarify, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this music--it's lovely. I just don't get the idea that there's something wrong with people being critical in Youtube comments (of all places).
posted by rodii at 2:47 PM on August 22, 2013
posted by rodii at 2:47 PM on August 22, 2013
Just lovely. I love how he describes his process, how talks about it as "design", as a constructed and considered thing that requires thoughtfulness, synthesis, and a little playfulness. To paraphrase from the video: "focus on the idea...what are the elements...how do I tie it into the history [of the medium]?..learning, technique, an understanding of history and of craft".
I hope this helps anybody who still might be laboring under the notion that musical composition is some sort of 'genius activity' that only a blessed few can do. The genius of it is in the point of view, the craft of intent (to borrow a phrase).
This is the thing I'm trying to drill into my head after too long spent buying into the notion that it has to be all innate talent and soul searching and inspiration out of the ether to be legitimate (which, I mean, it's plain as day that this is a dumb notion, but it's a pervasive idea that you know is wrong but you feel is right). It's kind of the curse of a certain strain of the "self taught" that I fell into (as in: taught myself the style but not the substance) to not recognize that the good stuff you write is really just accidentally hitting on time-tested techniques, not some bolt from the blue that you have to try and draw down again each time. A big part of it's the subconscious defensive ego of the self taught. I mean, I just make music for my own amusement with no real ambition for it and barely ever let anyone hear it, but even that gets serious enough that I spent too long frustrated and struggling and hitting creative blocks, and now I'm finally making myself learn basic music theory and it's an immense help to know that no, using the rules is not "cheating", that's how it's done. Howard Goodall's "How Music Works" series was a huge help recently in kickstarting my motivation to get better at the fundamentals.
posted by jason_steakums at 2:48 PM on August 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I hope this helps anybody who still might be laboring under the notion that musical composition is some sort of 'genius activity' that only a blessed few can do. The genius of it is in the point of view, the craft of intent (to borrow a phrase).
This is the thing I'm trying to drill into my head after too long spent buying into the notion that it has to be all innate talent and soul searching and inspiration out of the ether to be legitimate (which, I mean, it's plain as day that this is a dumb notion, but it's a pervasive idea that you know is wrong but you feel is right). It's kind of the curse of a certain strain of the "self taught" that I fell into (as in: taught myself the style but not the substance) to not recognize that the good stuff you write is really just accidentally hitting on time-tested techniques, not some bolt from the blue that you have to try and draw down again each time. A big part of it's the subconscious defensive ego of the self taught. I mean, I just make music for my own amusement with no real ambition for it and barely ever let anyone hear it, but even that gets serious enough that I spent too long frustrated and struggling and hitting creative blocks, and now I'm finally making myself learn basic music theory and it's an immense help to know that no, using the rules is not "cheating", that's how it's done. Howard Goodall's "How Music Works" series was a huge help recently in kickstarting my motivation to get better at the fundamentals.
posted by jason_steakums at 2:48 PM on August 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
it's an immense help to know that no, using the rules is not "cheating", that's how it's done.
Along similar lines, I found that Kirby Ferguson's Everything is a Remix series really helped me drop some long-held biases about creativity in general.
On the idea the Lauridsen is a bit one-note (heh) and middlebrow: eh, I suppose so? This particular posting (and video) doesn't seem to be claiming that he's some Titan of Ye Musicks or whatever. It's also fruitless to declare a living person as the 'greatest ever' of anything. It's too soon. So I guess I both agree with and disagree with the contention: on the one hand, sure he's not *that* great and a lot of his stuff does sound the same but on the other hand I hardly think he's to blame for lazy choir directors buying his stuff all the time.
For the record I have never personally sung a Lauridsen piece in High School, College, or any other choir I've been in so maybe I just don't see the saturation that others have mentioned.
posted by Doleful Creature at 3:03 PM on August 22, 2013
Along similar lines, I found that Kirby Ferguson's Everything is a Remix series really helped me drop some long-held biases about creativity in general.
On the idea the Lauridsen is a bit one-note (heh) and middlebrow: eh, I suppose so? This particular posting (and video) doesn't seem to be claiming that he's some Titan of Ye Musicks or whatever. It's also fruitless to declare a living person as the 'greatest ever' of anything. It's too soon. So I guess I both agree with and disagree with the contention: on the one hand, sure he's not *that* great and a lot of his stuff does sound the same but on the other hand I hardly think he's to blame for lazy choir directors buying his stuff all the time.
For the record I have never personally sung a Lauridsen piece in High School, College, or any other choir I've been in so maybe I just don't see the saturation that others have mentioned.
posted by Doleful Creature at 3:03 PM on August 22, 2013
It's not the same aesthetic reaction as I have to Thomas Kinkade, but it's not far off. I can certainly see someone doing a very similar video to this as a compositional guide for that genre of painting.
posted by Devonian at 3:37 PM on August 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Devonian at 3:37 PM on August 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
My college choir premiered Les Chansons de Roses as the highlight of an all-Lauridsen concert in 1993; our choir director being a colleague of, and good friends with Mr. Lauridsen. If I recall, our school's Madrigals performed the Madrigali, the Chamber choir performed the Midwinter Songs (my favorite), and the Chansons des Roses was performed by the combined Concert Choir. It was... so challenging. We had french diction workshops, extra sectional rehearsals, and no matter how hard we worked, we always ended off-key. I heard later our choir director was embarrassed by our performance, though it was still recorded and sold as a triumph.
I haven't thought about this in a long time, thanks!
posted by ApathyGirl at 3:46 PM on August 22, 2013
I haven't thought about this in a long time, thanks!
posted by ApathyGirl at 3:46 PM on August 22, 2013
I was a music director at radio stations for over a decade. We would get hundreds of promotion copies (free) records every week from the record companies. Part of my job was to audition them and maybe select a few for occasional airplay.
I learned to listen for "the hook." Was there something melodic and just the right kind of sound that would go right into your head and kind of have you humming along with it? Songs tended to have that, or not.
This seems to be what this explication is all about...the hook.
posted by CrowGoat at 3:54 PM on August 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
I learned to listen for "the hook." Was there something melodic and just the right kind of sound that would go right into your head and kind of have you humming along with it? Songs tended to have that, or not.
This seems to be what this explication is all about...the hook.
posted by CrowGoat at 3:54 PM on August 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
> This seems to be what this explication is all about...the hook.
In anything longer than a 2.5 minute pop single I always hope for something that's miraculously all-hook. Just to mention one guy out of the many who can do this, Mozart is pretty much all hook.
posted by jfuller at 7:18 AM on August 23, 2013
In anything longer than a 2.5 minute pop single I always hope for something that's miraculously all-hook. Just to mention one guy out of the many who can do this, Mozart is pretty much all hook.
posted by jfuller at 7:18 AM on August 23, 2013
It's not the same aesthetic reaction as I have to Thomas Kinkade, but it's not far off.
*shrugs* I pretty much think of it like pop music. He's certainly not the most challenging composer, but he does a thing and he does it well. So yeah, I'm not really embarrassed to listen to Mauridsen or the pleasure I get from it. Not saying this to you specifically, but there is a certain tinge of anti-popularism to some of his loudest critics.
I liked this video because I like the song and I've never seen him speak before. He reminded me of some of my dad's daffy professor friends.
posted by Think_Long at 9:23 AM on August 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
*shrugs* I pretty much think of it like pop music. He's certainly not the most challenging composer, but he does a thing and he does it well. So yeah, I'm not really embarrassed to listen to Mauridsen or the pleasure I get from it. Not saying this to you specifically, but there is a certain tinge of anti-popularism to some of his loudest critics.
I liked this video because I like the song and I've never seen him speak before. He reminded me of some of my dad's daffy professor friends.
posted by Think_Long at 9:23 AM on August 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
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I have often thought that I should make up a little party game of "Let's Write A Lauridsen Song." Ain't no party like a drunk choir party.
posted by Madamina at 1:12 PM on August 22, 2013 [2 favorites]