(up front nit, this should go into Arts & Letters forum)
I like some of the modernist stuff. Some Bartok, there's actually quite a bit of Hindemith that I like. But you're right, it's gone crazy. It's the same thing in Jazz. The thing is that there's this strong feeling that everything's already been done before, and they want to blaze new ground, so artists in general go down the path of doing the "new" and "experimental".
Part of that is the type of person who's attracted to the music. Blues doesn't really have that problem (though it does with the authenticity of it, that's another topic). "Rock" is so fluid and such a catch-all phrase but the music has evolved a lot. There's also room under the rock umbrella for expression like thrash metal or industrial music which isn't especially pleasing or melodic, but there's room for it. There's some magic point between the insipid popular crap and the atonal bullshit that's the sweet spot. But classical and jazz haven't really picked up the energy that allows other styles to get away with the atonality.
I like some of the modernist stuff. Some Bartok, there's actually quite a bit of Hindemith that I like. But you're right, it's gone crazy. It's the same thing in Jazz. The thing is that there's this strong feeling that everything's already been done before, and they want to blaze new ground, so artists in general go down the path of doing the "new" and "experimental".
Part of that is the type of person who's attracted to the music. Blues doesn't really have that problem (though it does with the authenticity of it, that's another topic). "Rock" is so fluid and such a catch-all phrase but the music has evolved a lot. There's also room under the rock umbrella for expression like thrash metal or industrial music which isn't especially pleasing or melodic, but there's room for it. There's some magic point between the insipid popular crap and the atonal bullshit that's the sweet spot. But classical and jazz haven't really picked up the energy that allows other styles to get away with the atonality.