Music is an essential part of human history, with different styles present in different societies throughout different eras. Some pieces of music are mind-bogglingly difficult to play, some evoke strong emotions, and some are just background noise. However, new ideas are constantly developing, which leads to the composition of some odd pieces in the modern era. Here are a couple of these interesting works.
Poème symphonique for 100 metronomes by Gÿorgy Ligeti
A metronome is a device that ticks at a steady rhythm, usually used by people learning to play something at the proper speed. This piece is meant to be performed by ten players in charge of ten mechanical metronomes each. The piece ends when all of the metronomes stop ticking.
4’33” by John Cage
This piece was a statement against the generic canned music that played continuously in the city background, a brief moment to restore silence, and the demonstration that the frame in which a work is presented can change the perception of it. The performer sits in the concert hall for four minutes and 33 seconds of the three-movement composition.
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