The idea that has been most impactful, interesting and consistently relevant throughout this semester has been the degree to which French musicians of this time really were in the business of invention; always trying to find new ways to set themselves apart from the Germans and to reinvigorate their own music. From the very beginning of the semester, our discussions about Cocteau set the stage for another few months worth of readings that would only reinforce this idea. From the use of ancient music to the use of modern popular music, from the use of exotic and primitivist evocations of other countries, to the use of everyday occurrences right at home, it became very clear that the French musical culture of this time really was focused on progress, novelty and serious and competitive musical material (well, except for Satie, maybe).
I saw this trend in my own writing as well. Serge Koussevitzky and his concert series was dedicated to the performance of new music. On one hand, Serge Koussevitzky was a Russian, and likely out of touch to some degree with the Parisian goals. On the other, perhaps his famous business skills proved to be right again as he established a concert series for new music in a setting where the people were hungry for new sounds. Honegger’s success with Pacific 231 shows another side: the public received it with wild popularity, even though it was conceptually very different from their usual fare. Again, the Parisian’s were ready to accept just about anything during this era.
This takeaway is still relevant today, as many modern musical styles cross-pollinate and breed new varieties. Every genre is somehow participating in the desire to find something special about it/ to use another type of music to reinvigorate their own.