Alma goes all Viennese...

[Alan Howe]

Comments?
https://www.almadeutscher.com/carnegie

[Gareth Vaughan]

I'm tired of pastiche, however well constructed. This young lady is suffering from over exposure IMHO. It does not bode well, especially if she starts to believe her own publicity.

[FBerwald]

I agree with Gareth but lets wait and see when and if she produces more mature and solid classical compositions. At present all her works fall into the light classical spectrum which is not a bad thing...

[dhibbard]

it is interesting.. the European siren.. it is a fun video.

[regriba]

I agree that there is nothing wrong with Alma composing in a light vein. Didn't some of us at least get hooked on classical music to begin with because of the tunes?

However, this blogpost suggests it may not only be innocent love of a specific style:

https://blogs.nmz.de/badblog/2019/12/11/dealing-with-guy-deutscher/

I don't know Mortiz Eggert so I can't say how trustworthy he is, but judging from a brief search he does have a pretty secure position in the German music establishment. That of course doesn't prevent him from being opinionated.

Still, in a sad way this reminds me of the story of Rued Langgaard. A domineering father forces his brilliant offspring to compose in a certain way which he believes to be "the only true way". In Langgaard's case it certainly resulted in a lot of misery, but he also did go on to write mature compositions.

I think it's fine if Alma Deutscher goes on composing in the way she does now if that's what she wants, but less so if it is the result of some doctrine.

[FBerwald]

I must add, the Siren Sounds waltz is charming.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Sadly, Moritz Eggert's article has the ring of truth about it and reveals Guy Deutscher as the intolerant (and I must say rather stupid) monster here - the real danger to his daughter - not Herr Eggert. It explains much of what I had suspected and confirms the uneasiness I had always felt about the "Alma adoration".

[Mark Thomas]

As you say, Gareth. Herr Eggert has clearly been the subject of a campaign of harassment by Deutscher senior, but it is a shame that he gave vent to such angry sarcasm at the end of his article, even if the urge to do so appears to be entirely justified.

[matesic]

Don't people love to talk and butt their heads? Unfortunately when they insist on carrying on their petty feuds on the internet we're all invited to join in the melee, and of course many do. Both parties should have realised that every word they publish inflicts further damage on Alma.

[Alan Howe]

I rather liked the music - in a 'light' sort of way, of course.

[FBerwald]

I had the same impression.

[Alan Howe]

And now she's 'viennesing' Beethoven...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR3T9OjoxSM

Just to cheer us all up...

[Gareth Vaughan]

Very pretty, very anodyne.

[Alan Howe]

Exactly. Pretty, but pretty anonymous. Instantly forgettable.

[Gareth Vaughan]

If you want to hear someone who writes music of real character in a neo-Romantic yet individual style, listen to anything by Corentin Boissier on YouTube - he knocks Alma's pallid pastches of "beautiful music" into a cocked hat. Please let us waste no more time on this over-indulged and, in my opinion, insufferable young lady.