In classical music, listeners tend to identify most with strong "main themes" or significant melodies. The fame of Beethoven's symphonies tends to result from its highly memorable themes, for instance, as opposed to its structural genius or overall character; Beethoven's 9th would have far less significance to our fickle modern culture without the monumental theme of the "Ode to Joy" while Beethoven's 5th symphony is almost entirely characterized by casual listeners by it's famed "motive X."
A favorite piece of mine throughout this last week has been Felix Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor. However, this piece has not been without its frustrations. The first movement opens with what I consider to be the most magnificent melody that Mendelssohn ever wrote, and quickly evolves into a grand portrayal of that theme that stands alongside the grand themes of the first movements of Beethoven's 7th, Brahms' 4th, or Liszt's Faust Symphony. However, the problem arises for the casual listener when this theme literally never returns in such grandiose form. Its rhythmic pattern is utilized throughout the movement as a vessel for new melodies, just as Beethoven utilizes "motive X" in different melodic forms throughout the 5th symphony, and its melodic form even returns nine minutes into the concerto, but only in a subdued, almost taunting manner. This leaves the attentive listener craving the initial moments of the concerto, but, ultimately, after repeated listens, seeking out scraps of personal meaning and appreciation in the seemingly insignificant recapitulations of the theme.
While at first I boldly claimed to Matt that not allowing the theme to return in fullest form was a mistake on Mendelssohn's part, repeated listens have taught me otherwise. After all, perhaps Mendelssohn intended to taunt listeners, and he certainly did so successfully, as I have been returning to this concerto more than any other classical piece this week, not only yearning for the significant theme but also craving more from the concerto. As a result of further listening, as usual, I have ultimately gotten more from Mendelssohn's work, and perhaps this would not have been the case had Mendelssohn put the theme on display in a heavily repeated manner as one might expect from a Mozart symphony.
In contrast to Mendelssohn's violin concerto, we have the work of the modern ambient artist The Caretaker, particularly his most recent output which utilizes the heavy repetition of samples from Schubert's legendary Winterreise. The Caretaker processes these samples through various effects to create a sublime atmosphere. Whereas some artists choose to follow Mendelssohn's path, he actually takes significant themes, sometimes even fragments of singular themes, and composes entire songs solely using the repetition of these themes, thus capitalizing on the average listener's addiction to significant themes. There is no development, only a singular memorable theme in each song, and yet I must say that this equally unorthodox style works just as well as that of Mendelssohn.
Together the works of The Caretaker alongside Mendelssohn's violin concerto have taught me that music can gain value from straying from the standard of cyclical songwriting which relies on the re-use of themes in moderation. Now if listeners can apply these standards of expectation to grandiose yet unorthodox works like those of Gustav Mahler and Anton Bruckner, perhaps these listeners are in for a real treat.
