“The present day composers refuse to die. They have realised the necessity of banding together and fighting for the right of each individual to secure a fair and free presentation of his work.”
These are words that were included in the manifesto of the International Composers’ Guild, founded 1921 by Edgar Varese with the aim of safeguarding a future for modern composers in supporting performance outlets of their work.
They are words that were also uttered by Frank Zappa, who happened to be a great fan of Varese's work; and who was inspired to pursue a musical path after hearing 'Ionisation'
Whilst Varese may have had the best of intentions and Zappa may have made the remark in context, I take it to have a defiant tone: it is the struggle - against the odds perhaps - that the individual creator/artists faces in getting their work out there into the world - to be met with a response of some sort - whether to good or bad effect or worse... indifference.
That might seem a bit 'rich' now - talking of struggle when the internet allows us to disseminate our work in seconds; although the struggle now is in being heard against a cacophony of noise that is the world all vying for the attention of everyone else in a sort of Andy Warhol nightmare vision in which we are all granted our fifteen minutes of 'fame'.
Well, the 'struggle' also refuses to die with reference to the above.
There cannot be anything worse for the arts and creativity generally than to live in a world that is 'sanctioned' in some way. There is no greater threat to the status quo than the creators and the intellectuals. Say no more!
Where once sanction was provided by the Church, royal Patronage, the rich and the powerful, that has now been replaced by the Corporate world; yet another force to reckon with. This is not what the artistic/creative world needs!
Still...one mustn't grumble!
