Very unusual etude based on Learning To Live

[Magikernandy]

I seldom hear pieces that catch my attention on youtube these days.

Today I actually saw a video that really stands out from most guitarvideos.

Itīs a counterpoint etude with themes from Learning To Live. Itīs performed by a guitarist called John Huldt (He didnīt write it though)

So many surprises and twists in the melodies, I donīt think I have heard anything like it actually.

What do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQzHjw3siv0

[Orbert]

I only got through the first minute and had to stop.  No feeling, no dynamics.  I know it's an etude, but you can still play an etude like a human, not like a machine.  It was about as interesting as listening to a programmed synthesizer.

[Magikernandy]

I only got through the first minute and had to stop.  No feeling, no dynamics.  I know it's an etude, but you can still play an etude like a human, not like a machine.  It was about as interesting as listening to a programmed synthesizer.

The piece changes a lot after apr. a minute.

A wild guess is that you dislike many difficult  instrumental sections for guitar including some DT songs. 

[Orbert]

You would be wrong.  I like most of DT's instrumentals.  I've never subscribed to the opinion that their technical proficiency overshadows their emotional depth.  In the context of the songs, I'm usually fine with them, and see no disconnect between admiring their technique and the fact that they often seem to come out of nowhere and make the songs unnecessarily long.  It's DT.  It's what they do.

What I heard in that etude was some clever arranging without a particular regard to the resulting harmonies.  Some of it was just bad, it was just counterpoint for the sake of counterpoint.  Again, it's an etude (literally a "study") so perhaps the idea was to be experimental.

I've give it another shot.

[Orbert]

I'm sorry, but that just isn't my thing.  I gave it a full listen and tried to open my mind.  It did make an interesting change around the minute mark, but never gave up on its atonality.  It sounded like two guys playing in different keys with no idea that the parts they were playing were supposed to complement each other.  Every once in a while, it would fall into a classic harmony, but I believe that that was unintentional, not meant as a resolution.  There did not seem to be a point to the piece other than to experiment with counterpoint, but to me the whole idea with counterpoint is to interweave melodies, not just literally play notes in counterpoint to each other.

I have no problem with atonal music with a grounding in twelve tones, but two atonal parts in counterpoint is almost an oxymoron.  It just sounds like a clashing of notes with no actual theme or melody.

[Magikernandy]

What I heard in that etude was some clever arranging without a particular regard to the resulting harmonies.

Thatīs actually what I like about it. It getīs too boring otherwise these days. 

[Tiko]

I have to agree with Orbert. As a musician and composer I'm inclined to expect music to have some emotion and to sound good at the same time. A clever arrangement nonetheless, just not for me.

[Magikernandy]

I have to agree with Orbert. As a musician and composer I'm inclined to expect music to have some emotion and to sound good at the same time. A clever arrangement nonetheless, just not for me.

The guitarist could have played it in a way that was more emotional and musical no doubt about that.

Itīs a bit like a scherzo etude that would work best as an encore for a guitarduo I guess.

[hefdaddy42]

It was interesting as a technical exercise, but nothing that captivated me or filled me with joy in any way.

[Elite]

It was interesting as a technical exercise, but nothing that captivated me or filled me with joy in any way.

This. And the way the guitarist just sits there with a completely blank stare doesn't help. Absolutely boring to listen to.