Classical Music-Is it dead or what?

[Sam Slater]

That's him. He doesn't post much these days.

[KJ]

Arvo Part was still composing at least until a couple of years ago (maybe still is?)
John Tavener is another
Gorecki is modern vintage too but may be gone now?

[myson]

My philosophy (spelling???) is simple (to me at least).

There's no such thing as bad music (there is, of course, music played/performed badly). It's a matter of personal likes and dislikes.

Part of my philosophy is also that anyone who doesn't listen to/appreciate the entire spectrum of music is missing out on one hell of a lot.

Myson

[Pervert]

Gorecki's Sad Songs is a very moving work.

[bobbyreb]

gorecki is great, have Tavener's protecting vale , but as yet haven't given it a listen.

[Guilbert]

>Classical Music-Is it dead or what?

Your question indicates you think that "classical music" is one single entity.

Its not, it is made up of hundreds of different types of music, by many different composers, made over hundreds of years.

Think how much "pop" music has changed over just 60 years, from early rock and roll, through pop, soul, new romantic, punk and so on.

Well "classical" music has changed just as much (maybe more).

The people that wrote it, how they got paid, who they wrote it for, what they wrote about, how long the pieces lasted, what instruments they used, has all changed over the last 500 years.

Purcell was a "classical" composer (late 1600s) but his music was very different from say composers like Vivaldi, Mozart, and Haydn (all 1700s).

Beethoven (early 1800s) really turned music on its head, and it was considered the work of a madman at the time, yet we consider it fairly "normal" nowdays.

Beethoven opened the door to composers trying almost anything, and in the years that followed people like Mahler (late 1800s) and Richard Strauss (early 1900s) wrote "deep" music with messages.

In fairly modern times Stravinksy's music (1900s) was booed off stage for being so strange, and yet again, we consider it fairly normal today.

What we now loosely call "classical" music is not one single style of music, it is a whole collection of music ranging over 500 years.

Mozart would probably be horrified by a piece of music by say Stravinky, in the same way Elvis Presley may not be able to understand say Rap music.

It is wrong for anyone to say "I dont like classical music" in the same way it is wrong to say "I dont like books".

If you dont like one style of classical music (say Mozart) then try Beethoven or Mahler, or Stravinksy, or one of hundreds of other composers. There is bound to be a composer or a style you like.

[one eyed jack]

I think the golden age of music where film scores are concerned is morphing into the next level by not being so self indulgent due to time constraints. I imagine a 15 minute opus is going t be a lot more complicated than a 5 minute one.

That aside I do feel even the greatest of composers from film and classical draw on inspiration from the old masters.

For instance did you know Star Wars was influenced by The Flight Of The Bumblebee? ( I cant remember the composers name on that one)

I have to disagree with Deuce though, I 've listened to many film scores by the greatest of them all (in my humble opinion like Jerry Goldsmith whose music is more ften more impressive then the film he has done it for, giving the mvoie a depth and understanding than the film deserved in some cases. Thing is I think John Williams has done a lot less than Jery Goldsmith in output and is often overlooked because of Williams success with Lucasfiulm projects Indiana Jones and Star Wars (oh and Spielberg projects).

Some might say less is more but credit where its due, Goldsmith has never done a shoddy soundtrack that Ive heard and he has proved to be very versatile from full on orchestral scores, conducting and composing to keyboard scores.

Having said that there are some impressive new compsers carrying the trch for the old guard.

[DavidS]

I think Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov(1844-1908) composed the Flight of the Bumblebee,

[laralatex]

But classical music used to be an outlet for emotions 100's of years ago. As you couldn't going shagging around after the local disco and pull with a bottle of tenants extra, then musicians put pen to paper and let the music do the talking. Mozart, albinoni.....and also Elgar are amazing.

Amadeus is a brilliant DVD which shows insde Mozarts mind....pure genius!

[one eyed jack]

Thanks for that David. Youare spot on I just couldnt remeber who it was.