[rec.music.gaffa] Ambiguous music

Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (10/09/89)

Really-From: motcid!marble!meadley@uunet.UU.NET (A. Meadley)

Here follows a quote from Robert John Godfrey, of The Enid,
which I think is of great relevance to Doug and IED's recent
discussions.

"Ambiguity is the great instrument which the composer has at
his disposal. Ambiguity stirs people's hearts and is capable
of kindling the flame which enlightens our inner selves. Music
at its best is a spiritual language which communicates directly
with the soul. It bypasses all other languages, races, creeds 
and opinions. One thing which humanity can reasonably expect 
to share with life elsewhere in the universe is music."


Ant in Chicago.

Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (10/11/89)

Really-From: Doug Alan <nessus@athena.mit.edu>

Yes, ambiguity can be a truly wonderful artistic tool.  It allows one
work to mean many things.  This is one of the reasons why I think that
it is often worthwhile to discuss interpretations of art even if the
artist says they intended something else.  The artist may very well
have had one specific interpretation in mind when they created the
work, but they may have also made it somewhat ambiguous so that the
emotion in the work can stretch onto the framework in other people's
minds.

|>oug