foxwolfen


The experiment was to determine if the worlds most beautiful music performed by the greatest artist on the planet would still be considered such if taken out of context. 

Another thing that always gets me het up about 'Classical' music purists, is that what they call 'Classical' music is largely a minority sub-genre that's been the preserve of the upper social echelons of Western civilization (an oxymoron?) mostly dating post 1600, it has only been a readily accessable to all social classes as genre for about 50 years longer than the Beatles.  There's some good stuff in there for sure but the commonly held assumption that the 'Worlds most beautiful music' comes from that minority classification is pretty wild.

Much of it is indulgent, contrived, grandiose and many other factors that make it off putting as a musical form to many.  It's not surprising that people going about their daily business are not interested, much of that music was never intended for them.  Populist culture has a social or devotional root to it that what we call 'Classical' music largely does not.

Popular music forms are still derived from a 'Folk' tradition where often mundane subject material is expressed in a way that the many feel an affinity to and can connect with.  The 'worlds most beautiful music' therefore will change from individual and also with the mood of that individual hour by hour.

It might be worthwhile for these people, rather than to impose their criteria of what the Worlds most beautiful music is, or should be, and experiment to find that which has the most deeply universal appeal to the widest range of individual human experience. 

You can't blame the audience if you go down like a fart in a spacesuit if you turn up at a gig with the wrong material and/or are unable to attract interest to what you are doing.  As a performer it's your job to give them something that is appealing that they didn't have until you came along.

It's a good subject though and one that has always fascinated me and likely all of us.  Why music makes people, laugh, cry, dance, think or sing, and what are the ingredients required to make that happen?

backwoods


So what do you think of opera JonBouy? 

People who cannot access the beauty of classical music always deride it. Same goes for jazz too.

Where did I deride any form?

I love me some classical music and have a good collection, along with many World forms, medeival chants, native cultural music, archives of traditional folk tunes from around Europe but specializing around the British Isles, you name it I probably have examples of it.

I was referring to the fact that many over-emphasise the 'importance' of their favourite forms.  Which is indeed a fact.  What is also true is that given the context of music over the ages across the world, what we know as 'Classical' music is simply a pretty small specialist subset of the whole ball of wax.

People that can access the beauty of Classical often are mistaken in thinking that it has the most significance.  There's a very common elitism that seems to accompany it which is likely related to its origins.

I do generally dislike opera because it is too literal, I like my drama to be acted out in a play or implied in a musical form.  I don't particularly like the two mashed up.  I've certainly enjoyed watching some operatic performances, but I'm not a fan by any means.

backwoods


People that can access the beauty of Classical often are mistaken in thinking that it has the most significance.  There's a very common elitism that seems to accompany it which is likely related to its origins. 




In your humble opinion. 


B.S.  IMHO

There ya go...

Some of 'em even go on a vendetta over it.

Actually, if you read the whole article, Bell was in no way 'along the lines of: "I just don't understand why you do not recognize my greatness"'. Quite the contrary, he was rather humble about the whole thing.

The key to this experiment was indeed "context". I also posit that regular folk can indeed recognize the complexity of the music and the skill shown in playing it, regardless of actual "appreciation" or "enjoyment" of the piece. Perhaps it is the recognition of that complexity, that sophistication, which set, and continues to set, classical music "above" popular forms of music.

I think it would be interesting to extend the experiment and have a normal busker play the same pieces (if they even could) in the same context.

foxwolfen




The key to this experiment was indeed "context". I also posit that regular folk can indeed recognize the complexity of the music and the skill shown in playing it, regardless of actual "appreciation" or "enjoyment" of the piece.

I agree with this 100%

Perhaps it is the recognition of that complexity, that sophistication, which set, and continues to set, classical music "above" popular forms of music.

This is like saying 'Yes' were 'above' the Sex Pistols, some will agree, while others with equally good reason wont.   I liked both at one point.

I think it would be interesting to extend the experiment and have a normal busker play the same pieces (if they even could) in the same context.

This is an interesting one because there are many types of virtuoso's outside of the classical sphere that will make your hair curl and leave most conservertiore trained classical players gasping for air and I ain't talkin' about 'shredders' particularly although I wouldn't exclude one or two of those either.   The full extent of human achievement is simply that, true genius is not limted to genre.  Musical genius has and continues to appear all over the globe in a myriad of equally valid forms of musical expression aside from our very own 'Western classics'.

The classics too like any other genre contains it's fair share of turkeys, people are reluctant to call some of those out though for fear of coming over as a 'philistine', but sure there's a ton of indulgent, unfeeling, pompous, over-worked crap among 'em.

Many people just on hearing the sound of a symphonic orchestra playing will start talking in hushed tones because there is some pre-conception that what they are about to perform is likely to be more 'worthy' even if they are set to play Abba's greatest hits. (Which indeed are also classics)

craigb

Jonbouy

Much of the Coffee House Band music is indulgent, contrived, grandiose and many other factors that make it off putting as a musical form to many poor sods.  It's not surprising that people and other primates going about their daily business are not interested, much of that music was never intended for them.  Elitist culture has a anti-social or deviational root to it that what we call Assparapus music largely does not.

CHB'ed.

Zactly.

jamesg1213


I wonder if the reactions would have differed if he'd played something like this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on8TxDLRoNc

Some them classical buffs would even tell you our Dunc there can't play properly.  I mean like 'properly'.

I was thinking more or less the same thing Shad. Something like 'Farewell to Uist' might appeal to people on a more 'primal' level..a lot of people won't know what or where Uist is, but they'll pick up on the mood. Many of us share a common ancestry, and these type of tunes evoke something ancient that we just 'feel' in our bones. It also has some degree of repetition, which gives people time to catch the tune, even if they're rushing by.