Listening education(Letto 20 volte)

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Zoltan Kodaly believed that a child's musical education begins in the womb. While this statement may hold true in places where music is synonymous with culture, the same cannot be said for the city of Iglesias. For some time now, various cultural associations have been working hard to organise high-quality musical events, but with only one result: adult audience and almost always the same people.

Nevertheless, those who administer the city always have as their main objective the creation of cultural spaces, without giving the slightest thought to the fact that the container serves little purpose if there is no content. And the most important content is represented precisely by young people.

Attending a classical music concert, whether chamber or symphonic, requires the listener to be able to observe and identify the internal structure of a piece of music.

All this requires training the ear from an early age; only then can we speak of conscious contact with music.

Many people and (unfortunately) several teachers are convinced that knowing how to play an instrument means having achieved complete musical maturity; this is not exactly the case, and the proof comes from those who attend music schools, instrumental and choral groups: they have a great love for the seven notes, but rarely attend concerts.

Music associations should be required to encourage young people to attend concerts by providing adequate guidance on listening, using trained musicians who can highlight the salient moments of the music programme. Initially, those preparing to listen need to know where and how a theme, phrase or meaningful expression begins and ends; by explaining everything with concrete examples (energy content, closing moments, decisive chords, repeated sounds, sudden breaks, cadential endings, etc.), the stage of awareness will be reached without risking disorienting those who know nothing about what they are listening to and how specialised it is. Furthermore, the annoying problem of inappropriate applause would be solved.

At this point, those who are not interested in structural listening would object; whether it is a quartet, a soloist or an orchestra playing, it does not matter; the important thing is to sit down, perhaps in the front row, then return home boasting about having spent an evening that was different from the usual; it should be noted that among these people there is always someone who stands up at the end of the concert shouting “BRAVO! ENCORE!”.”

Musicologist Silvano Sansuini writes: «The ability to “enjoy” music is undoubtedly greater if the theatre is first-class, if the evening is important, if your hand caresses the velvet of an armchair rather than the bench in the gallery, if the lady next to you intoxicates you with her jewellery and perfume. It can happen. (Sansuini continues) that the same page broadcast on the radio is no longer recognised.»

Sansuini's writing makes us understand that learning to listen is an essential skill that should not be underestimated. It is therefore necessary for young people to increase their musical culture through serious and constant attendance at concerts. Understanding a musical performance, whether instrumental, vocal, ancient, classical or modern, is equivalent to the ability to adopt rational approaches and organise one's thoughts. Listening from this perspective will not be a waste of time or a blurred memory, but will have conveyed qualities of appreciation, value judgement and awareness.

 

 

Mariano Garau