1967
Max Neuhaus, Music(s), 1967

For the past several hundred years, music has confined itself to one form of presentation - literally and figuratively the proscenium situation. This form evolved form social and practical circumstances which existed a long time ago. These circumstances are very much different now, but music seems hardly to have noticed.

The idea of moving music out of the concert hall and into public space is, I feel, a very important direction at this time.

One obvious way to realize the idea is to transport the music of the concert to the public space, and in some cases this works very well.

Far too often though, the results of removing this kind of music from the aesthetic and acoustic context for which it was conceived are serious compromises in the sound and repertoire performed.

Rather than trying to fit these forms into situations where they have basic conflicts, it seems a more positive direction to look at the unique acoustic and use characteristics of these spaces, use them, and make new kinds of music which work there.

Max Neuhaus 1967