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As a general music lover I found this article very interesting and informative.
Certainly, with all the technology and wide availability of digital storage at disposal today, I would really like to know which, if any, of the contemporary music will be listened to, or taken in consideration, in 500 years time.
I also wonder how much and what music will survive through the centuries. What will be the representative artist? And style? Would it be based on the most record sales, the most popular?
Thanks, it is easy to forget that Western historical music covers over 400 years worth of music. Tastes and Styles changed dramatically and not every part of it will speak to everyone!
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Exceptional piece of work!! I do enjoy classical composers from all the eras, although, like you, I have my favorites. I know the purists rave about the talent and technical / mathematical precision of Bach and Mozart, but the Romantics do it for me. Chopin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Sibelius, J. Strauss. To me their melodies are much richer and more appealing than that of the earlier composers. (To me, a lot of Bach's work especially is kind of jittery and nervous. Sacrilege I know.)
And by the time you get to the Impressionists ... OMG!! Ravel wrote some of the most sensual music on the planet! And Debussy ... he's just beyond words. (Like "impressionist" itself suggests!) Art that is different every time you hear it.
I'll have to brush up on my Baroque period composers, maybe, since you seem so taken with them -- to better get where you're coming from. I know a few, of course, but not all that many.
Just don't get into opera, ok? I mean the music is great. Srsly it is. Those howling voices ... not so much.
Sometimes, I feel that the impression that the wider audience has of some of the composers (such as Bach and Mozart) come via the older "traditional" performances of their works. There is a good deal of compositional talent behind both those composers, but Bach has the most emotionally moving music in some of his arias and cantatas, whilst Mozart is just full of devilish wit! The Early Music revival of these composers, with a conscious realisation of their intentions for performance goes a long way to taking these composers out of their stuffy boxes!
I understand about the Bach seeming jittery, there is often a lot going on, especially in the instrumental works, but some of the slow movements and the arias are divine! (Check the 2nd movement of the a minor violin concerto, if you get a good performance of it!)
Anyway, I'm considering putting up the occasional post of lesser known composers. It's always good to remind people that there are better things than Mozart, Beethoven and Bach!
I'm with you on the opera though, Romantic opera is really not my thing. Although, Baroque and Classical opera, performed in a stylistically appropriate manner (those howling voices are a 20th century development that is best forgotten...) are really quite amazing! Especially the French Baroque operas of Rameau!
Glad you enjoy the later Romantic and Impressionist composers! To tell the truth, it has been some time since I've heard much of that repertoire, as I'm a specialist in the earlier Baroque and Classical fields..... Maybe, it is time to rekindle my interest!
Totally agree, except I also adore Bach and Mozart too. I didn't even know any of Sibelius's music until a few weeks ago, when a friend gave me a ticket for a Sibelius concert that she couldn't attend. It was incredible.
Thanks for resteem, it was a post that I started drafting a couple of weeks ago, and it slowly grew as I added more bits to it! I will probably do better detailed ones later, there was just too much to cover!
I know the drill. Hard to limit yourself when there is so much to tell and teach. I like your examples - Stockhausen was so much better than Pierre Boulez' serialism. That would have put people off, helicopters on the other hand!
Absolutely magnificent. Being a musician and somewhat a musicologist myself, I can definitely appreciate the explanations provided here; I took a music appreciation course in college, actually, and some of the examples you provided took me right back there; polyphony, for instance. If you want further back from the renaissance, Sister Hildegard of Bingin is a great place to start; somehow, some of her beautiful works remain. And don't forget the masses ...
Thanks, but what about the monochord? ;-)
I personally like going back further, to medieval music and plainchant, though, as you mention, I'm not sure how much of it was written down.
Stockhausen's Helicopter Quartet made me smile; listened to it as a teenager - random selection from the local music library.
Further back is way beyond my area of expertise! But yes, we also run into the problem of lack of documentation. There is notation but no real clues on performance.
That is so helpful! Firstly to know that the correct term to encompass all of it is Historical music, and then to see how the different eras tie in together. I'm sure I would find examples I like from all eras, but from dipping in here I would currently say - I like Renaissance and Baroque best, and from then on like it less and less, till I wouldn't like much at all in 20th century historic music. @enchantedspirit mentioned the impressionists like Ravel and Debussy. Where would they fit in, because I think I might like them?
And I'm fascinated to know how opera ties in with all of this too. Voice really is my thing, and although I love some music that doesn't have voice, voice makes it better for me. The first one, with the gorgeous interplay of the voices, was what I liked best in the Renaissance section. I know I only like some opera, but have no idea which type! Maybe one day I'll have to give you a list of some arias I like and see what you think.
The Impressionists belong to the 20th century, but being only able to have 4 choices made it pretty hard to represent everyone! Definitely, they are in my preferred end of the more modern era. I will be going back and doing more detail in each era, this was a whirlwind overview that made it hard to pick out any details.
Opera is completely tired in with this. Although, again I have a preference for the earlier time periods. Monteverdi Orfeo is considered the first real opera. But the secular operas in that period are very very closely linked to the sacred oratorio and other forms.
In addition, there is still a conflict of performance style (the stereotypical screaming giant vibrato version of the Opera singer) that clouds what people think of opera.
As a child & teenager, I certainly thought Dad's opera was a bunch of ghastly caterwauling. But then later, I began to identify specific arias that I liked a lot. I don't have a massive playlist (yet) but have started looking and find I have things from all periods. I was listening to a couple by Handel last night - Dove Sei & Ombra Mai Fu - sung by Andreas Scholl. OMG, that man's voice is such an exquisite instrument.
this was very informative! Also, it's nice how you explained the musical sheet part, otherwise I would not really have known where to look there. X3 But as I read where you pointed, I found it to be enlightening, kinda like "ooohh, he's right. so that's how it is." I actually kinda do like the classical music (by this post's definition), it is the earlier ones that I am not so familiar with. Overall, I really learned a lot from this post. :3
Thanks in happy you found it useful, and that you found some eras of earlier music that appeals to you! Some of those embellishments could quite crazy at times, and there is evidence that some people would find it too much at times, that the performer would just destroy the music and atmosphere in an attempt to add their mark!
This is a brilliant post. I love listening to "classical" music on the radio, and trying to work out what era music that I'm unfamiliar with comes from. It might be interesting to make an analogy with books. I tend to read non-fiction, and I only rarely read modern fiction. I think it's because a while ago I read quite a few modern fiction books that I just found a bit dull. However I do like reading "the classics". I think this is not just because I enjoy history, but because the best books are the ones that stay popular throughout the centuries. There were bad books in the old days too, but they've been forgotten about. The good books from the contemporary era will also have staying power - I'm just too lazy to trawl through all the dross!
I think the same can be said for "classical" music - the best stuff sticks around for hundreds of years and the rubbish is forgotten about.
I think I would take you up on that last point. Definitely there is a lot that survived that is great (and some trash), but a lot of the stuff that got forgotten is also potentially good and a victim of circumstance. Music scores were not as widespread as books and so wars (especially modern ones) took their toll on many libraries in Europe.
Also, partly it was due to the 'in the moment' nature of music. You can read a book several decades later, where as to hear a piece of music years later there is much more effort needed by a great number of people to have that chance, and if anything, the concert organisers (both historical and contemporary) were notoriously conservative in their programming. Also, the idea of listening to music from the past was only a recent phenomenon that only began from Mendelssohn.
You're right - some excellent material gets forgotten. Vivaldi was almost forgotten. I've always loved history, and I find that old music by artists like Palestrina can make you feel transported back in time. Although that fantastic music by Valente, whom I'd never heard of, sounded quite modern!
I find that classic novels can transport me to an earlier time and place too.
I guess people do think that Elton John and the Bee Gees wrote classical music. But it's supposed to be Classic Rock, lol. Shoot, some stations that claim Classic Rock will bust out Imagine Dragons. Classic these days just means cool or really good. :)
I do like your favorite choice of the times. One of my few learned pieces on piano is JS Bach Prelude in C Major. The progression of chords is nothing short of spectactular.
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Hi @bengy,
Thank you for your high quality contribution to Steem's classical music community. I enjoyed reading it, and have bookmarked the link so I can work my way through the youtube embeds.
I know you already saw this, but for future readers' benefit, I wanted to leave a comment to note that your post has been shared by the Steemit's Best Classical Music Facebook page and included in our roundup issue, Steemit's Best Classical Music Roundup [Issue #34]. You and the other featured authors will receive a share of that post's rewards.
As a general music lover I found this article very interesting and informative.
Certainly, with all the technology and wide availability of digital storage at disposal today, I would really like to know which, if any, of the contemporary music will be listened to, or taken in consideration, in 500 years time.
Thanks for reading!
I also wonder how much and what music will survive through the centuries. What will be the representative artist? And style? Would it be based on the most record sales, the most popular?
Indeed.... Maybe in our next lives we'll find out.... ;p
Ha, I'm hoping to get a few centuries under my belt!
Omg wow! This is a lot! I like classical music but I haven't thought of the era and such. Haha.
Thanks, it is easy to forget that Western historical music covers over 400 years worth of music. Tastes and Styles changed dramatically and not every part of it will speak to everyone!
Resteemed, your post will appear in the next curation with a SBD share for you!
Your post has been supported and upvoted from the Classical Music community on Steemit as it appears to be of interest to our community. You can find details about us below.
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Exceptional piece of work!! I do enjoy classical composers from all the eras, although, like you, I have my favorites. I know the purists rave about the talent and technical / mathematical precision of Bach and Mozart, but the Romantics do it for me. Chopin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Sibelius, J. Strauss. To me their melodies are much richer and more appealing than that of the earlier composers. (To me, a lot of Bach's work especially is kind of jittery and nervous. Sacrilege I know.)
And by the time you get to the Impressionists ... OMG!! Ravel wrote some of the most sensual music on the planet! And Debussy ... he's just beyond words. (Like "impressionist" itself suggests!) Art that is different every time you hear it.
I'll have to brush up on my Baroque period composers, maybe, since you seem so taken with them -- to better get where you're coming from. I know a few, of course, but not all that many.
Just don't get into opera, ok? I mean the music is great. Srsly it is. Those howling voices ... not so much.
Sometimes, I feel that the impression that the wider audience has of some of the composers (such as Bach and Mozart) come via the older "traditional" performances of their works. There is a good deal of compositional talent behind both those composers, but Bach has the most emotionally moving music in some of his arias and cantatas, whilst Mozart is just full of devilish wit! The Early Music revival of these composers, with a conscious realisation of their intentions for performance goes a long way to taking these composers out of their stuffy boxes!
I understand about the Bach seeming jittery, there is often a lot going on, especially in the instrumental works, but some of the slow movements and the arias are divine! (Check the 2nd movement of the a minor violin concerto, if you get a good performance of it!)
Anyway, I'm considering putting up the occasional post of lesser known composers. It's always good to remind people that there are better things than Mozart, Beethoven and Bach!
I'm with you on the opera though, Romantic opera is really not my thing. Although, Baroque and Classical opera, performed in a stylistically appropriate manner (those howling voices are a 20th century development that is best forgotten...) are really quite amazing! Especially the French Baroque operas of Rameau!
Glad you enjoy the later Romantic and Impressionist composers! To tell the truth, it has been some time since I've heard much of that repertoire, as I'm a specialist in the earlier Baroque and Classical fields..... Maybe, it is time to rekindle my interest!
Totally agree, except I also adore Bach and Mozart too. I didn't even know any of Sibelius's music until a few weeks ago, when a friend gave me a ticket for a Sibelius concert that she couldn't attend. It was incredible.
Damn that was an ambitious post. I will reshare!
Thanks for resteem, it was a post that I started drafting a couple of weeks ago, and it slowly grew as I added more bits to it! I will probably do better detailed ones later, there was just too much to cover!
I know the drill. Hard to limit yourself when there is so much to tell and teach. I like your examples - Stockhausen was so much better than Pierre Boulez' serialism. That would have put people off, helicopters on the other hand!
Absolutely magnificent. Being a musician and somewhat a musicologist myself, I can definitely appreciate the explanations provided here; I took a music appreciation course in college, actually, and some of the examples you provided took me right back there; polyphony, for instance. If you want further back from the renaissance, Sister Hildegard of Bingin is a great place to start; somehow, some of her beautiful works remain. And don't forget the masses ...
Yes, her works are great! It was pretty hard to limit myself to only 4 choices to represent each period. I will need to do more detailed posts later!
Thanks, but what about the monochord? ;-)
I personally like going back further, to medieval music and plainchant, though, as you mention, I'm not sure how much of it was written down.
Stockhausen's Helicopter Quartet made me smile; listened to it as a teenager - random selection from the local music library.
Further back is way beyond my area of expertise! But yes, we also run into the problem of lack of documentation. There is notation but no real clues on performance.
wow great info and it kept me reading and looking at the videos. well done.
Reminded me of this video I saw the other day.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
That is so helpful! Firstly to know that the correct term to encompass all of it is Historical music, and then to see how the different eras tie in together. I'm sure I would find examples I like from all eras, but from dipping in here I would currently say - I like Renaissance and Baroque best, and from then on like it less and less, till I wouldn't like much at all in 20th century historic music. @enchantedspirit mentioned the impressionists like Ravel and Debussy. Where would they fit in, because I think I might like them?
And I'm fascinated to know how opera ties in with all of this too. Voice really is my thing, and although I love some music that doesn't have voice, voice makes it better for me. The first one, with the gorgeous interplay of the voices, was what I liked best in the Renaissance section. I know I only like some opera, but have no idea which type! Maybe one day I'll have to give you a list of some arias I like and see what you think.
Thank you!
The Impressionists belong to the 20th century, but being only able to have 4 choices made it pretty hard to represent everyone! Definitely, they are in my preferred end of the more modern era. I will be going back and doing more detail in each era, this was a whirlwind overview that made it hard to pick out any details.
Opera is completely tired in with this. Although, again I have a preference for the earlier time periods. Monteverdi Orfeo is considered the first real opera. But the secular operas in that period are very very closely linked to the sacred oratorio and other forms.
In addition, there is still a conflict of performance style (the stereotypical screaming giant vibrato version of the Opera singer) that clouds what people think of opera.
As a child & teenager, I certainly thought Dad's opera was a bunch of ghastly caterwauling. But then later, I began to identify specific arias that I liked a lot. I don't have a massive playlist (yet) but have started looking and find I have things from all periods. I was listening to a couple by Handel last night - Dove Sei & Ombra Mai Fu - sung by Andreas Scholl. OMG, that man's voice is such an exquisite instrument.
Omygosh there is so much here! Kudos to you for bringing musical knowledge to the platform. 💖
Haha, yes. I think next time I really need to keep in a bit more of a digestible chunk!
this was very informative! Also, it's nice how you explained the musical sheet part, otherwise I would not really have known where to look there. X3 But as I read where you pointed, I found it to be enlightening, kinda like "ooohh, he's right. so that's how it is." I actually kinda do like the classical music (by this post's definition), it is the earlier ones that I am not so familiar with. Overall, I really learned a lot from this post. :3
Thanks in happy you found it useful, and that you found some eras of earlier music that appeals to you! Some of those embellishments could quite crazy at times, and there is evidence that some people would find it too much at times, that the performer would just destroy the music and atmosphere in an attempt to add their mark!
This is a brilliant post. I love listening to "classical" music on the radio, and trying to work out what era music that I'm unfamiliar with comes from. It might be interesting to make an analogy with books. I tend to read non-fiction, and I only rarely read modern fiction. I think it's because a while ago I read quite a few modern fiction books that I just found a bit dull. However I do like reading "the classics". I think this is not just because I enjoy history, but because the best books are the ones that stay popular throughout the centuries. There were bad books in the old days too, but they've been forgotten about. The good books from the contemporary era will also have staying power - I'm just too lazy to trawl through all the dross!
I think the same can be said for "classical" music - the best stuff sticks around for hundreds of years and the rubbish is forgotten about.
I think I would take you up on that last point. Definitely there is a lot that survived that is great (and some trash), but a lot of the stuff that got forgotten is also potentially good and a victim of circumstance. Music scores were not as widespread as books and so wars (especially modern ones) took their toll on many libraries in Europe.
Also, partly it was due to the 'in the moment' nature of music. You can read a book several decades later, where as to hear a piece of music years later there is much more effort needed by a great number of people to have that chance, and if anything, the concert organisers (both historical and contemporary) were notoriously conservative in their programming. Also, the idea of listening to music from the past was only a recent phenomenon that only began from Mendelssohn.
You're right - some excellent material gets forgotten. Vivaldi was almost forgotten. I've always loved history, and I find that old music by artists like Palestrina can make you feel transported back in time. Although that fantastic music by Valente, whom I'd never heard of, sounded quite modern!
I find that classic novels can transport me to an earlier time and place too.
I guess people do think that Elton John and the Bee Gees wrote classical music. But it's supposed to be Classic Rock, lol. Shoot, some stations that claim Classic Rock will bust out Imagine Dragons. Classic these days just means cool or really good. :)
I do like your favorite choice of the times. One of my few learned pieces on piano is JS Bach Prelude in C Major. The progression of chords is nothing short of spectactular.
Ah yes, a classic piece that one! Harmony was king at that time!
i am follow and upvote
upvote to you @bengy
Congratulations! Your post has been selected as a daily Steemit truffle! It is listed on rank 1 of all contributions awarded today. You can find the TOP DAILY TRUFFLE PICKS HERE.
I upvoted your contribution because to my mind your post is at least 46 SBD worth and should receive 242 votes. It's now up to the lovely Steemit community to make this come true.
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TrufflePig, an Artificial Intelligence Bot that helps minnows and content curators using Machine Learning. If you are curious how I select content, you can find an explanation here!Have a nice day and sincerely yours,
TrufflePigThanks @trufflepig, but I fear it is too late to stop this post sinking to depths of the Steemit ocean!
This post was shared in the Curation Collective Discord community for curators, and upvoted and resteemed by the @c-squared community account after manual review.