School of rock: B is for boredom

From the frustration of youth to the longeurs of later life, boredom can kick us into action or be celebrated for its own sake. Stifle that yawn and amble into the theatre of musical tedium.Pre-historyThe music of boredom has its roots in Paris, where ennui has always been a slightly more romantic prospect than the B-word. Erik Satie's musique d'ameublement (furniture music) are some of the first pieces composed explicitly as background music, consisting of repeated fragments designed to mask in...

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