Commercial VS NonCommercial Creative Commons [WAS: Re: [linux-audio-user] more odd music]

[Randy Kramer]

On Monday 04 April 2005 12:20 am, Michal Seta wrote:
> > MarC <marc_contrib at ramonvinyes.es>:
> > How did Bach do it?
>
> I think the question to ask is: did Bach own his music?
> What was the attitude towards music ownership in the Baroque era,
> anyways?  I am not quite sure, although recently I started looking at
> these issues, but all I know is that a very common practice in those
> days was to copy other composers' scores in order to learn the craft,
> quote other composers, use similar compositional techniques/vocabulary
> as the masters, quote folk song, plainsong, etc.
>
> It has been proven that many of the compositions that were attributed
> to Bach, are not his, in fact.  The famous Anna Magdalen Notebook
> contains pieces that are now known to be not of his but simply
> included in the collection which served as an 'instructional' book for
> keyboard playing.
>
> Also, for over 20 years Bach 'composed' weekly music for the church he
> was employed by.  Not all of his music survived but it is also known
> that he has 'recycled' his own music for that purpose.
>
> Did Bach actually pondered the idea of ownership of his own music?
> I doubt it, since he make his pupils copy his scores.

Interesting stuff! (above)

> However, the following has ot be taken into consideration, of course:
> > Coming up with something like G-C-E7 is a complex process, sure ;) Hell,
> > make it Bbmaj9-Gm7-F/C-C-D/C. But do you really intend to say this is
> > yours? That you invented this, put it into the world, out of the blue?
> > Isolated from everything you've ever heard or experienced in your life?
> > Originality someone? What is that?

The following is way OT, and having written it, I'm debating whether to send 
it, trash it, or just stick it somewhere in my own "files" for further 
"cogitation".  As you may have guessed ;-) (especially if you're reading 
this), I succumbed to temptation and pressed send.

<troll/thinking out loud>
Have you ever thought about how land ownership started? (e.g., starting from 
the nomadic lifestyle in prehistoric times)  And how it's maintained?  (Not 
really seeking an answer / discussion.)  I think about it sometimes, and have 
to ask: was it a good thing that the concept of ownership (of land) started?   
Add to that the specialization of labor.   

Where would we be without them?  I really don't know, possibly a much smaller 
(world) population, possibly more "idyllic" lifestyle, but less advanced 
science, medicine, etc.?  I haven't reconciled these things in my own mind.  

When the concept of ownership prevents me from doing things that I want to do 
(obtain music, medical care, etc. at less than the "prevailing" cost, I 
resent how we got to this state.  When I think that I might not be alive, or 
have, for example, computer technology except for things that may be 
partially the result of the concept of ownership and/or specialization of 
labor, I tend to consider them a good thing.  

But, if I wasn't alive (i.e., had never been born), I don't think I'd resent 
anything. ;-)  And, whatever conclusion I come to about whether  ownership  / 
specialization of labor in the past has been a good thing or not does not 
prove that they are still a good thing / the way forward.
</troll/thinking out loud>

Randy Kramer

> I totally agree!
> I'm thinking, sometimes, that people are really trying hard to protect
> their work with 'intellectual property' labels in fear that someone
> else will use their ideas in a much more creative ways.  Which has
> happened, of course, and history is our witness.