[Opinion] How does Classical Music differ from other Genres of Music?

This post is a response to @yonah's post entitled "Why is classical music so GREAT?".

For the longest time, my viewpoints and musical tastes have evolved. I can remember as a young child, riding in my father (@remlaps)'s red truck, listening to country music. Likewise, my mother played U2 in the car around the same time. So. . . for a while, I loved to listen to songs such as I Saw the Light and Vertigo. From third grade to about the beginning of 8th, I was obsessed with Billy Joel, and soft rock [piano] artists from Elton John to Ray Charles. Then, towards January of last year, I dipped a toe in Classical Music when I changed Piano teachers from a lady who lives down the street from me to my church organist. I remember last year, my 70 song playlist (about 68 Billy Joel songs) saw the introduction of 3 classical pieces: Rondo a Capriccio, Ode to Joy (From the Dead Poet's Society), and Piano Sonata no. 8 Movement 2, all of which are by Beethoven. Over the Summer, I was given the extraordinary opportunity to study with a virtuoso who has worked with the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was at that point that I dove into the deep end. I hold no regrets about my decisions to study a classical repertoire. The more I learn, the further I end up away from the music I used to love. Anyway, I recently read @yonah's post where she talks about the difference between Classical music and other Genres. I felt she had a lot of good points, and wanted to add a few of my own.

My beliefs are that Classical Music is a tool that the composer uses to display their will (what they're thinking) on the audience. There is not much room for interpretation because the composer writes using strictly the emotions he feels. Now, there is a certain interpreted aspect added by the performer, and another aspect of interpretation in how the audience perceives the piece. But, overall, the piece affects the listener as the composer intends.

Here's a scene from Immortal Beloved where Beethoven explains music to Anton Schindler.

@Yonah said that you listen to other genres based on the emotions you feel. I disagree, sometimes I listen to happy music when I'm sad, and sad music when I'm happy. I feel the difference is that in modern music (not classical), the composer gives a guide, and the performer and audience do most of the interpretation (draw their own conclusions). In this case, a composer might be sad, and write sad music, but the audience member is happy, and interprets it as more happy than sad. For example, listen to this song:

Read this when your done making your first impression:

At first glance, this piece sounds like a hit piece on short people based on your interpretation of the lyrics. Newman actually wrote this song as a joke, kind of busting society for making assumptions on people based simply on characteristics. Now listen to it again, it doesn't sound as much like a hit piece, and more as a light and playful joke.

Now, listen to this piece of classical music, and comment the emotion you feel Mussorgsky is portraying:

Don't read this before commenting the emotion:

I get a sense of fear when listening to this. It is dark. Was your emotion similar to mine? Want another example? Listen to this piece by Giuseppe Verdi, and comment your thoughts on the emotions behind it. This is from a requiem, so listen to the same portion of text from the Fauré requiem. Comment what emotion you hear.

Don't read this until you've listened:

From Verdi, I get a hellish sense, while with Fauré, I get more of a sense of peace yet sadness. Did our views match?

I will say that I think why people listen to music has evolved over time. In the time of Bach, music was something that the upper class would listen to and admire for the skill behind making it. I think as the enlightenment took effect, music evolved into something all of society used for entertainment, and the spotlight turned away from the music, and more towards the performance of the music. Of course, this was a gradual process. Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Wagner had to have skill to experience the success they had. Nowadays, I think music is mainly used for entertainment still, but overly so, and as an accompaniment to another skill. For instance, now artists can lip sync and get away with it because people care more about the choreography than the music. I also think that as time has progressed, lyrics have become more of a favorite for society than music (Not much instrumental music is listened to by a majority of society unless it is a soundtrack for some other form of entertainment).

Anyway, that's my thought on the matter. Please, comment your beliefs below, I'd love to compare our views. Make sure to check back later!

Also remember to check for: My weekly 7 post, As Well As My Composer Birthday Posts
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