Richard Taruskin: The Demise Of Classical Music

In my first ballet lessons the teacher taught me that all music has a different quality and that a dancer’s job is to live up to the quality of the music. Music is an integral part of dance; often the dance and the music are inseparable. Classical music has been playing throughout my life since the age of three, as it is predominantly used in ballet. Johann Pachelbel and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky are two of my favorite composers, specifically Pachelbel’s canon and Tchaikovsky’s composition of Sleeping Beauty. I love the purity and intricacy of classical music and love dancing to compositions that implement different string instruments.

Introduction Roger’s and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is arguably one of the most well known films that many can admit to watching at least once in their lifetime. People all around the world have found this musical inspiring, as it documents growth and hope amidst the horrors of World War II. This incredibly well written film is based on the story of the Von Trapp family who escaped Austria when the Nazis invaded it during the war. Part of what made this movie so interesting on so many different accounts was the music that accompanied the vivid and exciting scenes. Without music, many could agree that our world would be a sad, quiet, dull and depressing place.

Did people listen in the 18th century by William Weber is an article that analyses the 18th century musical listening habits and etiquettes from an objective point of view. Weber in his writing states that the historians and musicologists have unjustly and harshly criticized the 18th century musical audience for not properly listening to as well as not absorbing the music. However, he illustrates that their harsh views are because of the comparison they made between the 18th century listening habits to that of the completely different and idealized 19th century etiquettes. Therefore, Weber states that in order to be able to properly view the 18th century audience, one need to change the perspective from the current classical music listening

1940’s Music The second world war was a turbulous time for the united states with lots of men being drafted away to the war in Europe. At home things were changing drastically with all the men away women began to take over jobs like manufacturing and office jobs alike. Hardships during this time included Rations that were imposed by the government and life at home became hard with that and the thought of a wife losing her husband plagued the minds of those at home. with world war II going on a lot of the musicians were drafted into the army to fight against the Nazis’, So music for a while was at a standstill in america.

In the Victorian Age, music was a prominent form of entertainment for all families. Whether it was making their own music, sitting around singing songs together, or having dances, music was a very important part of the Victorian Era. Although there were differences in social and economic classes, everyone knew how to have fun in their own ways. Music in the mid 1800s has shaped the way that music is made today as well with new techniques being discovered. With this being said, music in the Victorian Era has inspired much of our music today, has become a very important form of entertainment, and has been used in many dances and parties.

that “The coming into being of the notion of the ‘author’ constitutes the privileged moment of individualization in the history of ideas (157). Appropriation of a work then, may perhaps be rooted in a system of property that allows an impossible notion of authorship to exist. This notion is impossible because an idea, any idea, is not original or owned. If the “newness” of music is based on influence from the past, influence that constantly enters our thoughts through the radio, music we hear at social events, etc, how are we to craft anything

Music helps people communicate how they feel when they just can't find the words to say it. It gives people a way to express who they are inside through many different forms. Music can be found throughout history. In this report I am going to discuss different musical periods in history with two artists or composers works representing that period.

”2 Music has the potential to embody emotion so raw that its Midas’s touch does not discriminate. As the first note rings through the air, barriers are torn down as a ubiquitous feeling of unity rises. The creation of Carnegie Hall models this concept impeccably as

Did people listen in the 18th century by William Weber is an article that analyses the 18th century musical listening habits and etiquettes from an objective point of view. Weber in his writing states that the historians and musicologists have unjustly and harshly criticized the 18th century musical audience for not properly listening to as well as not absorbing the music. However, he illustrates that their harsh views are because of the comparison they made between the 18th century listening habits to that of the completely different and idealized 19th century etiquettes. Therefore, Weber states that in order to be able to properly view the 18th century audience, one need to change the perspective from the current classical music listening

In life, there are thousands of things vying for people’s attention. With all of these distractions, many people miss out on art, music, and many other aspects of culture. Though they are vastly different, Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” and Gene Weingarten’s “Pearls before Breakfast”, both address what we miss when we rush through life. “Pearls before Breakfast” is the story of Joshua Bell, a famous musician who assisted in a social experiment by the Washington Post. On a cold January morning, at the L’Enfant Plaza, Bell played classical pieces for nearly an hour.

Prior to this, I have never attended a classical concert. I actually had no clue as to what to expect because I could not find a review for UH concerts. The Jazz Orchestra performed in the Moores Opera House on a stage setting similar to that of my middle school band. The band instruments were tiered on the risers while the other performers were simply beside the risers. There were a few noticeable differences such as, the microphones set in the center for soloists, and a marker hanging from above to mark the center of the stage.

Modern Era The Modern Era is the time period in musical development that began around the turn of the 20th century in which great changes in compositional techniques and styles took place. This era challenged and reinterpreted old styles of music, making it a time of great innovation. Although homophonic textures were used, they were used with less importance and the most dominant texture of the Modern era was contrapuntal texture.

Even though Johannes Brahms is well-known as a master of the symphonic genre, he composed only four symphonies in his lifetime. His four symphonies are not only decisive works to the history of the symphony, but also the essential repertoire for concert and recording. In particular, one of Johannes Brahms’ symphonies, Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 is renowned one and also enjoyed listening to the audience frequently and simultaneously, this is an enigmatic and problematic work. In 1995, German musicologist, Reinhold Brinkmann published the new book for his research regarding the Brahms’ second symphony with Harvard University Press.

There are several theories that regard where and when the music originated. The historiographers pointed out that there are different periods of music with each period having its own characteristics, its composers, its instruments, its rhythm and significance to the existing music today. The first three periods; Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque are expounded in this essay. The periods span through different times albeit some overlapped one another. The essay also focuses on the common factor that triggered the existence of the music periods and its impacts on each period.

That is the beauty of classical music, it would not extinct between generations, it would continue being passed on. I am the future and I hold responsibility to contribute to the community in the area of classical music making. The Earth is constantly moving, and so are we, the younger generation as we are chasing our dreams and finding the passion for what we love. And these dreams will morph into reality.