Classical music - is it too sophisticated for this era?

[The Conez Imperium]

In today fast society, it is too difficult to enjoy classical music. Discuss. Why is it too classical music to difficult? Because society is too fast. I can't sit down and enjoy a 1 hour long concert in a world were adds are manufactured to grab our attention for 3 minutes. So how can I expect other people to do the same.

I've struck out my original text to enhance clarity.

The question I pose to you is that, do you listen to classical music? Not a once in a while listen to Moonlight sonata but a serious attempt?

If so, why did you listen to classical music?

To those who don't listen to classical music, then I would like to advance a pointed theory. That classical music takes too much time to listen to and therefore enjoy in todays society. Todays society has had no prior experience with classical music. Modern society is now more faced paced than ever before where previous forms of entertainment/news are condensed into shorter time frames in order to attract our attention. I don't make the argument, classical music is too intelligent or difficult for the masses as that is disproved by history but that classical music is simply too difficult to be enjoyed in this era. A large number of classical songs are longer than pop songs of today. In fact, the best pieces that classical music has to offer, piano concertos/piano sonatas/quartets often take more than 20m.

So, is classical music simply too difficult to be widely enjoyed and listened to by today society?

Also as a third question. What is your honest perception towards classical music and the people who listen to it? As someone who loves classical music I am interested to hear what people who have non-classical music backgrounds say.

Note: I understand that classical music is just a collection of musical eras like romantic, baroque, classical.

[Immoren]

A large number of classical songs are longer than pop songs of today.

What sort of music you reckon most of people listened to when classical music classics were composed?
I'd harass that "Ye Olde Pop Musike" wouldn't be too far of an descriptor.
I'd guess that one of the reasons why classical music is better spread these days than in the past is that music is not confined to the music halls anymore, due to advances in recording and communications technologies.

[Ifreann]

So, is classical music simply too difficult to be widely enjoyed and listened to by today society?

No, and you may wish to note that it rather smacks of smug elitism to suggest that your preferred genre of music is just too complex for the masses today to enjoy.

[The Grande Republic 0f Arcadia]

The question I pose to you is that, do you listen to classical music? Not a once in a while listen to Moonlight sonata but a serious attempt?

If so, why did you listen to classical music?

To those who don't listen to classical music, then I would like to advance a pointed theory. That classical music is too nuanced, developed and different to appreciate it in modern society that has not prior experience with classical music. Modern society is now more faced paced than ever before where previous forms of entertainment/news are condensed into shorter time frames in order to attract our attention. I don't make the argument, classical music is too intelligent or difficult for the masses as that is disproved by history but that classical music is simply too difficult to be enjoyed in this era. A large number of classical songs are longer than pop songs of today. In fact, the best pieces that classical music has to offer, piano concertos/piano sonatas/quartets often take more than 20m.

So, is classical music simply too difficult to be widely enjoyed and listened to by today society?

Also as a third question. What is your honest perception towards classical music and the people who listen to it? As someone who loves classical music I am interested to hear what people who have non-classical music backgrounds say.

Note: I understand that classical music is just a collection of musical eras like romantic, baroque, classical.

you do know that peoples tastes change right?

[Wine-loving Chimps]

The question I pose to you is that, do you listen to classical music? Not a once in a while listen to Moonlight sonata but a serious attempt?

I listen to 4 seasons sometimes when cooking. Does that count?

In all honesty though I listen to to classical music regularly.

So, is classical music simply too difficult to be widely enjoyed and listened to by today society?

Because when the classical music was written, the only way it was going to be listened to was by an audience who had paid to spend an evening watching musicians play, or by a congregation of faithful listening to it in a church. They'd have been damn upset if the tune was only 4 minutes long and featured the words "my anaconda don't want some unless you got buns hun".

Nowadays most music is listened to by radio while commuting to and from work.

[The 19th Century]

Dear Conez Imperium,

Let me see if I understand your position correctly: Our social views are all ignorant and primitive because we're just not enlightened like modern people, but somehow as soon as the discussion turns to music instead of politics or social norms, we're oh-so-much smarter and more sophisticated than anyone alive today?

I'm afraid the logic escapes me.

I am, nonetheless, your humble and obedient servant,
The 19th Century

[Ifreann]

The question I pose to you is that, do you listen to classical music? Not a once in a while listen to Moonlight sonata but a serious attempt?

I listen to 4 seasons sometimes when cooking. Does that count?

In all honesty though I listen to to classical music regularly.

So, is classical music simply too difficult to be widely enjoyed and listened to by today society?

Because when the classical music was written, the only way it was going to be listened to was by an audience who had paid to spend an evening watching musicians play, or by a congregation of faithful listening to it in a church. They'd have been damn upset if the tune was only 4 minutes long and featured the words "my anaconda don't want some unless you got buns hun".

Nowadays most music is listened to by radio while commuting to and from work.

Is it? I wouldn't have thought so.

[The 19th Century]

I listen to 4 seasons sometimes when cooking. Does that count?

In all honesty though I listen to to classical music regularly.



Because when the classical music was written, the only way it was going to be listened to was by an audience who had paid to spend an evening watching musicians play, or by a congregation of faithful listening to it in a church. They'd have been damn upset if the tune was only 4 minutes long and featured the words "my anaconda don't want some unless you got buns hun".

Nowadays most music is listened to by radio while commuting to and from work.

Is it? I wouldn't have thought so.

I wouldn't have thought so either.

[Greed and Death]

Its just too boring.

This era with electronic entertainment has become an era of now.

[Old Tyrannia]

I'm not sure if it constitutes an abuse of my modly powers, but I edited out the typo in the thread title because it was driving me crazy.

As for the OT, I must confess that while I listen to and enjoy classical music, I don't tend to listen to it casually around the house the way I listen to more contemporary music. I enjoy going to classical concerts, and if I'm in the right mood I can just sit down and devoted my full attention to listening to one of my favourite pieces. Generally though, if I have my earphones in, it's not classical music I'm listening to. I think orchestral music is best appreciated live. I do think that the OP might have a point when they say that classical music pieces tend to be quite long and modern audiences have a short attention span, thanks to the constant bombardment of small snippets of information we're faced with in everyday life through modern technology. A lot of people also have a sort of reverse-snobbery towards classical music, dismissing it as something people only listen to because they want to seem more erudite or sophisticated, a perception the OP seems happy to contribute to.

On the other hand, classical music has never really been a "mainstream" attraction; folk songs and music hall tunes would have been the 19th and 18th century equivalents of modern pop music, and much more familiar to the average working-class person of those times. Today many people, and not just the elite, still listen to and enjoy classical music. Many more come into contact with it in their daily lives without fully realising it; most people would recognise Beethoven's 9th symphony or Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending even if they couldn't necessarily name the piece. There are many ways to enjoy and experience classical music. That said, I think it would be good to encourage the younger generation to take more of an interest in classical and orchestral music, be it by encouraging them to take up an instrument or simply taking them to a concert once in a while.

[The 19th Century]

Its just too boring.

This era with electronic entertainment has become an era of now.

There is plenty of boring music being produced today, and there is music from the distant past that is catchy and fun. "Classical" is usually used to refer to only certain styles of traditional music, usually the more formal ones, while the more pop styles are marketed under other names like "folk."

There's a local hip hop station on the radio that makes me feel as if my ears are being assaulted with some weapon of psychological warfare intended to bore me to death, so I don't think that modern electronic entertainment is inherently more interesting than older styles.

[Internationalist Bastard]

*sigh* You made me do this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxXl4oS9wss

[Sunstruck]

I think people just prefer lyrics these days. You can't sing along to Qi on the piano.
Edit: Qi may not be considered as classical but it is the one instrumental song I know of off the top of my head, forgive me.

[Khadgar]

It's important to remember when discussing older music, only the good stuff has survived to reach us, and not all of it.

[Ostroeuropa]

There's an entire radio station devoted to it in the UK and its one of the most popular. Probably other countries too.

[Dumb Ideologies]

I hope the OP likes prog rock and metal or I'm going to have to tut at their unwillingness to accept complexity and musical sophistication.

[Sunstruck]

I hope the OP likes prog rock and metal or I'm going to have to tut at their unwillingness to accept complexity and musical sophistication.

If this is not sarcastic, I will second that.

[Imperium Sidhicum]

I'm well-acquainted with the classics and fancy to call myself a cultured man, though classics certainly aren't my first pick when it comes to music.

Back in the day, classical music was written mainly for an audience of aristocrats who had all the time in the world to listen and appreciate the finesse and tiniest nuances. Common folk who were busy working for most of the day would thus have to suffice with shorter and less refined popular music that we know as "folk" today. Likewise, famous composers with wealthy sponsors could afford to spend months refining their works, while ordinary musicians just played what they could to make a living.

It is still the case with academic music versus pop music today. Academic music is not written for profit like pop music, nor is it meant for the same audiences.

[Old Tyrannia]

I think people just prefer lyrics these days. You can't sing along to Qi on the piano.
Edit: Qi may not be considered as classical but it is the one instrumental song I know of off the top of my head, forgive me.

Not all classical music is instrumental. Admittedly unless you're a classically trained singer it's often hard to "sing along" to the vocals, but classical music often does have lyrics. Personally, I generally prefer it when it does.

[Kaidou]

Most people probablydon't consider Mozart's Leck Mich im Arsch "sophisticated" by any definition of that word.

I picked up piano when I was 4 or 5, and I'm playing pieces like Pathétique now; from what I can tell, most people are able to appreciate classical at least at a superficial level, given that the piece is interesting enough.

Ergo, Pathétique, Turandot, and Verdi's Requiem are kinda popular, whereas Gaspard de la Nuit isn't. That's just from my experience, though.

On a side note, if anybody here has the stamina, I highly recommend that you listen to all four operas in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen back to back. It takes a bit of acquired taste, but it's definitely worth a shot (even though you need to sacrifice 17 hours of your day, somehow). I know, I'm a classical nut.

[Kaidou]

I think people just prefer lyrics these days. You can't sing along to Qi on the piano.
Edit: Qi may not be considered as classical but it is the one instrumental song I know of off the top of my head, forgive me.

Not all classical music is instrumental. Admittedly unless you're a classically trained singer it's often hard to "sing along" to the vocals, but classical music often does have lyrics. Personally, I generally prefer it when it does.

O! dolci baci, o languide carezze,
mentr'io fremente le belle forme disciogliea dai veli!
Svanì per sempre il sogno mio d'amore.
L'ora è fuggita,
e muoio disperato!
E muoio disperato!
E non ho amato
mai tanto la vita,
tanto la vita!

Sadly, I'm a baritone, so I can't hit the highest notes in any of the famous tenor arias.

[The 4th Multiverse]

I agree. The less educated, in my experience tend not to listen to classical music and prefer to listen to music about sex, drugs and other things like that. Unless you've been brought up with classical music, or are more educated, then you're probably less likely to listen to it. However, that's just my experience.

[Siburria]

It's not a matter of sophistication, just a matter of people growing up with different genres of music. That's going to effect their taste in music.

[Ifreann]

I hope the OP likes prog rock and metal or I'm going to have to tut at their unwillingness to accept complexity and musical sophistication.

---

I think people just prefer lyrics these days. You can't sing along to Qi on the piano.
Edit: Qi may not be considered as classical but it is the one instrumental song I know of off the top of my head, forgive me.

Not all classical music is instrumental. Admittedly unless you're a classically trained singer it's often hard to "sing along" to the vocals, but classical music often does have lyrics. Personally, I generally prefer it when it does.

Lyrics in godless foreign languages, though.

---

I agree. The less educated, in my experience tend not to listen to classical music and prefer to listen to music about sex, drugs and other things like that. Unless you've been brought up with classical music, or are more educated, then you're probably less likely to listen to it. However, that's just my experience.

Most people probablydon't consider Mozart's Leck Mich im Arsch "sophisticated" by any definition of that word.

[Cannot think of a name]

First things first, there's this. Seems self congratulatory to link to the AQ post, but it cuts out a bunch of off topic responding to some other music snob.

To reiterate what's in there, your music tastes are arbitrary. You may have put effort into exploring music and developing those tastes, but the path you rambled down is not empirical. So quit being so smug about it.

This is to say people aren't into 'classical' music because it's simply not the path they went down. There is music in their tastes that...wait for it...you don't understand. "What? I listen to shit with 100 parts and four movements that lasts as long as a movie, I understand EEEEEEEVERYTHING!" No you don't. You just don't. Not in the way an aficionado of that form does. Their music tastes went down a different path.

Lets also allow for the people who don't give a shit. It is a perfectly valid way to interact with music. They aren't less or unsophisticated or any other smug ass bullshit, they are people who expend their energies in different directions who use music at best as a distraction. T'ain't nuthin' wrong with that.

Because here's the thing: Music isn't a stunt show. You don't get points for difficulty.

Let me relate a story about Art Blakey told to me once by Terrance Blanchard. Blanchard was...it occurs to me I actually kind of forgot which young trumpet player it was...this doesn't matter...anyway, Blanchard was part of the legendary Jazz Messengers and as part of the brand new generation of college educated jazz performers wanted to show off his chops. So they'd come to Blakey with these super complicated intricate charts. Blakey would get a few bars in and then stop them saying, "Wait wait wait, what is all this? Look, anyone can write a song no one can play. It takes talent to write something people want to hear."

If you link complex music or music that is difficult to do, that's fine. I will whip the dick out on the table and we can measure up if you want about how intricate or technical our music tastes are, but like any dick measuring contest it is a meaningless gesture that makes us both look like assholes.

Music's first and biggest value lies directly in what it does to your butt. Anything else is the decoration you hang on it.