Whither Classical Music?
I recently went to my favourite CD shop -- well isn't that saying something in itself? They have reduced their footprint by 30% and are trying to develop a healthy online business. But much more than that is going on with the content that they are offering: classical music and jazz. The fancy recordings of classical music are becoming less frequent and increasingly restricted to musicians and repertoire that enjoy popularity. This means less is getting recorded. The "bestselling" stuff is largely what one might call incidental music, music that is listened to while doing something else. I wonder if this is actually the way most music is being treated? We have our headphones on everywhere and yet we are almost always doing something else, as I am doing now. I'm blogging.
And I go to the symphony reasonably regularly. In Toronto, valiant efforts are being made to engage a younger audience and I think it is laudable that this includes lowering prices on tickets in order to put more ears in the hall.
More than that needs to change, however. The narrative needs to be different. As with many things in the culture classical music has been part of a religion of aspiration -- becoming more humane, civilized, drinking of the cup of deeper musical thoughts etc.
In the last couple of generations in the west there has been a great levelling of society (in some respects). Classical music may be seen simply to be speaking to another time and place. The fact that it presents musical possibility that is so rich and diverse may escape people because the "grammar" of the experience is still relatively Victorian.
Certainly in a world of interactivity, classical music needs urgently to find more engaging ways. Even Europe is struggling despite the fact that this music is so much more strongly rooted in its culture, history, and lives of its nation states.
Time was that even popular music told a story . . . and not so long ago. The protest songs of the '60's gave a narrative that resonated with people. People who like country music still have this thread quite strongly - a direct relationship with human experiences and emotions that have immediate corollaries in people's lives.
A deep experience of music is more like a good wine with dinner than slugging a flavourless beer. Better to listen deeply a little than to let it become elevator music or simple relaxation. The best of classical music takes us through a broad swath of human emotions and leaves us more put together. But we need that little time and space to listen, to be undivided, if only for a short time.
And it is wide field. There are composers I still don't get or even just don't like, but I have learned from many when I didn't expect to and I have come to know those that resonate and I deeply appreciate the craft of those who put themselves inside the music and have the courage to expose themselves as aural poets.
I will make some entries that focus on pieces I have come to consider to be rich contributions in my own life in the hope that others may find the clues to the depth and riches of this great gift of music that we have (ironically) so available to us now.
And I go to the symphony reasonably regularly. In Toronto, valiant efforts are being made to engage a younger audience and I think it is laudable that this includes lowering prices on tickets in order to put more ears in the hall.
More than that needs to change, however. The narrative needs to be different. As with many things in the culture classical music has been part of a religion of aspiration -- becoming more humane, civilized, drinking of the cup of deeper musical thoughts etc.
In the last couple of generations in the west there has been a great levelling of society (in some respects). Classical music may be seen simply to be speaking to another time and place. The fact that it presents musical possibility that is so rich and diverse may escape people because the "grammar" of the experience is still relatively Victorian.
Certainly in a world of interactivity, classical music needs urgently to find more engaging ways. Even Europe is struggling despite the fact that this music is so much more strongly rooted in its culture, history, and lives of its nation states.
Time was that even popular music told a story . . . and not so long ago. The protest songs of the '60's gave a narrative that resonated with people. People who like country music still have this thread quite strongly - a direct relationship with human experiences and emotions that have immediate corollaries in people's lives.
A deep experience of music is more like a good wine with dinner than slugging a flavourless beer. Better to listen deeply a little than to let it become elevator music or simple relaxation. The best of classical music takes us through a broad swath of human emotions and leaves us more put together. But we need that little time and space to listen, to be undivided, if only for a short time. And it is wide field. There are composers I still don't get or even just don't like, but I have learned from many when I didn't expect to and I have come to know those that resonate and I deeply appreciate the craft of those who put themselves inside the music and have the courage to expose themselves as aural poets.
I will make some entries that focus on pieces I have come to consider to be rich contributions in my own life in the hope that others may find the clues to the depth and riches of this great gift of music that we have (ironically) so available to us now.
