Monday, April 7, 2014

Musical Accuracy

Accuracy in music is relative.  People who define music as CDs would probably deem accurate any performance that sounded as much like a CD as possible.  For others, those who favor spontaneity, accuracy would be much harder to pin down.

And that is the point.  If music is defined as made with an infinitely variable acoustical mix to be perceived by the infinitely variable human brain, then accuracy is ephemeral, therefore even more to be treasured because, by definition, it cannot be repeated.

I can recall certain flavors experienced once that I will never again taste: the sauce on the quenelles de brochet in a particularly lovely neighborhood restaurant in the 1ere arrondissement, summer of 1959.