Alma goes all Viennese...

[Alan Howe]

You're right, of course.

What Alma needs is to be cut free - to experience the real world instead of the sheltered, make-believe existence which she evidently inhabits. I have no argument with her wanting to write beautiful music in an ugly world, but there have to be real clouds in the sunniest skies, otherwise all we have is suffocating blandness. After all, she's now 15...

[FBerwald]

I second Alan. Lets concentrate on other composers who write music in the romantic medium. For instance what about Schmidt-Kowalski. I'd love to hear his unrecorded symphonies and concertos.

[eschiss1]

In his case, as with several others who might be mentioned, no longer present tense.
(I will not help, however. This exercise of finding composers who wrote in the style current in one specific area of place mostly in central Europe, and 100-150 years ago!, while interesting as a purely intellectual matter of trying to keep within the boundary conditions of "not getting this forum pissed off", is something I find extremely distasteful.

Let composers write as they will using the techniques they acquire, rather than insisting that Schumann compose in the style of middle JS Bach, or Mozart in the manner of the late Renaissance (again, that 100-150 year gap.) If that means we (not the forum, but the much much more general "we" - I have no intention of bringing them up again) get Feldman and Holmboe as well as Schmidt-Kowalski, well, then so we do!

[Alan Howe]

...and with that..................

[TerraEpon]

I second Alan. Lets concentrate on other composers who write music in the romantic medium. For instance what about Schmidt-Kowalski. I'd love to hear his unrecorded symphonies and concertos.

Not sure I understand this statement. Ok so other composers need more love fine, but what's wrong with noticing what she's done looking beyond any hype trains? Either you enjoy it or don't but you're effectively saying here "she's bad because she's popular" which is...a most annoying attitude.

I enjoyed the piece and if she keeps writing more like it, I wouldn't complain.

[FBerwald]

I mentioned Schmidt-Kowalski only as an alternate point of discussion (withing the remit of this forum!) as this topic is slightly turning into "bashing" territory (as with a previous topic reg. the same composer... ) If this young woman wants to write in any style she wants she should, but at present beyond the initial charm of her music there isn't much there beneath it which isn't a bad thing. But she's a young composer... who knows which road she will take. And even if she chooses to continue composing in her current style I won't complain either. I did mention I found the waltz charming.   - Every composer MUST write what he/she wants to.

[Ilja]

I second Alan. Lets concentrate on other composers who write music in the romantic medium. For instance what about Schmidt-Kowalski. I'd love to hear his unrecorded symphonies and concertos.

Not sure I understand this statement. Ok so other composers need more love fine, but what's wrong with noticing what she's done looking beyond any hype trains? Either you enjoy it or don't but you're effectively saying here "she's bad because she's popular" which is...a most annoying attitude.

I enjoyed the piece and if she keeps writing more like it, I wouldn't complain.

It's not "she's bad because she's popular" (which in honesty I rather doubt she is by recorded music standards). It's more of a "we're doubtful because of doubtful practices going on in the hype around a child". No one is doubting her talent (let alone calling her "bad") even if it yet has to produce something truly remarkable and individual. But with almost every child prodigy case, there appear to be shady goings-on in the background.
About the music, I would complain if she continued in her present style because it's a bit of a dead end to me, and much too close to pastiche for my liking. The main reason why I'm such a Schmidt-Kowalski fan is that although he is writing using a late romantic palette, you would never be able to mistake one of his works for a nineteenth-century composition - it's very much of its time, if looking backward. And - hugely important - it shows that there is artistic potential in continuing to use that palette. I trust that in future, Deutscher will find her own voice more than is currently the case. If not, what is the point of going on?

[Alan Howe]

Spot-on, Ilja. Thanks!

[Gareth Vaughan]

I agree wholeheartedly. Sorry if my earlier comments were rather grumpy but Ilja expresses and explains my feelings and fears precisely. (Plus the fact that I don't care to be lectured on the aesthetics of music by a cosseted 15 year-old, irrespective of how talented she is. Once she has matured and found her own voice I shall be more than happy to entertain her opinions.)

[Alan Howe]

Yes, it's one thing to be 8, gifted and cosseted, but to be exactly the same at 15 is a bit worrying. Now she comes across as 'preachy', self-satisfied and conceited.

[Alan Howe]

Here's her Ludwig Waltz No.2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvx4vB8Y-hI

Oh dear...

[Gareth Vaughan]

How sickening! This will be a great embarrassment to her in later life - or it should be. The Ludwig Waltz itself, however, is charming in a milk-and-water way.

[Alan Howe]

I absolutely loathed it. Too clever, not to say precious (in the wrong way) by half.

[TerraEpon]

What's sickening is the two comments above me. I'm absolutely boggled by the animosity here. 'In the style of' arrangements are a pretty common thing, so if that's you're beef I guess you hate Peter Schickele too?
I mean no it's hardly the best thing in the world but I fail to see how it could even warrant such a response.
It's certainly enjoyable enough I'd listen to it again.

[eschiss1]

Schickele has his -own- style apart from his pastiche and humorous music published under a pseudonym (several very funny concerts of which I've attended - (my friends can call me Œd... !...)) - and I fail to see the comparison at all.