"But in the end, music is ultimately an aural art, pure and simple"
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Leo Ornstein's statement that "music is ultimately an acoustic art, pure and easy" highlights the basic nature of music as essentially intrinsic to the sense of hearing. This perspective highlights the essence of music as being distinctly auditory, stressing its direct engagement with the listener's ears and emotional reactions, rather than through intellectual or visual means.
To start with, Ornstein's assertion strips music down to its core function: to be heard. This idea places emphasis on noise as the primary component of music, capturing the raw and immediate connection between the music and its audience. Unlike other art forms that might rely predominantly on visual or intellectual usage, music goes beyond linguistic and cultural barriers through its intrinsic auditory nature, thus evoking feelings, memories, and moods simply through noise.
Additionally, using the words "pure and easy" suggests a return to the fundamentals of music appreciation. In an age where music can sometimes be overcomplicated by theoretical analysis or technological improvements, Ornstein's statement is a suggestion of its simplicity and pureness. It's a call to value music by itself terms, as an experience to be felt and heard directly, without unnecessary problems or expectations. This can also serve as a suggestion of the human element of music, which marries natural noises with human creativity to create a wide spectrum of psychological experiences.
Ornstein's view also challenges us to think about music's function beyond a simple background noise or home entertainment. By acknowledging its purity and simplicity, listeners are welcomed to engage with music more mindfully and purposefully, admiring its appeal and complexity through the singular act of listening. This point of view lines up with the idea that music's biggest power lies not in its technical elements or theoretical underpinnings but in its ability to interact and evoke feeling in the listener. In sum, Ornstein's quote is an evocative reminder that at its heart, music is an unparalleled expression of human creativity conveyed through the ageless medium of noise.
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