October 10, 2006

These kids today

I am astonished at the foolish music written in these times. It is false and wrong and no longer does anyone pay attention to what our beloved old masters wrote about composition. It certainly must be a remarkably elevated art when a pile of consonances are thrown together any which way.

I remain faithful to the pure old composition and pure rules. I have often walked out of the church since I could no longer listen to that mountain yodelling. I hope this worthless modern coinage will fall into disuse and that new coins will be forged according to the fine old stamp and standard.

Samuel Scheidt, writing to Heinrich Baryphonus,
January 26, 1651

(From Volume 51 of The German Library. Ach! Du Kinder gehen von meinem Rasen weg!)

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