Thank you! A good explanation of this important problem! Also, I have been told that part of the reason why classical music is so gentle to begin with is because it was made for the enjoyment of sedentary nobles in their little rooms, not a rowdy public in large halls today. Is this also relevant? While in terms of the sophistication of its content, classical music is some of the best in existence (it's practically the only thing i listen to), i also can't help feeling that if classical composers lived today they'd probably use more drumbeats and things, because subtlety aside, sometimes complicated rhythms can sound better against a steady(ish) beat. Indeed, my evidence for this is that when the old composers wrote symphonies (for large orchestras, which would NOT fit in small rooms), they'd use drums. Presumably for the large room. Since everything is played in large concert halls today, it seems reasonable to think that a lot of the chamber music and solos that we know today might have been better off with some percussion instrument, for today's environment (although that would be too NOISY back in the day, in a small room in a castle). Is any of my rambling true? Also, one other thing that I have noticed. The melodies (they're long) and the developments (they're complicated) in classical music are a lot more intellectually developed than those in other music might be (although the rhythms are usually pretty basic). A concerto contains enough musical information to fill, well, 20 minutes. Far longer than your modern pop song. And with contrapuntal music, it's common to have four distinct lines of musical development happening in tandem. Isn't it the case, that this degree of complexity is simply too much for most uneducated people to grasp? (Really, if we took some of the greatest classical educations and wiped their memories of their educations, I think even they would be confused by classical music.) Trying to understand classical music at first listen (especially if the interpretation is subpar,) is often like being a 9th grader trying to understand a college lecture without preparation.
Sorry I'm just seeing this comment! It's interesting, drums in small ensembles are often used for dance, or at least in a context where the music was for entertainment primarily. Concerning what you say about classical music complexity...it is certainly true that the vast majority of people (even musicians with trained ears) can't identify at first (or even 2nd or 3rd) hearing all the details of the complete music tapestry. But I got to believe that even if one is not aware of all the elements consciously (every stitch in the tapestry), one is still affected by the presence of all those elements. They add to a whole that the heart/mind responds to intuitively.
Thank you! A good explanation of this important problem! Also, I have been told that part of the reason why classical music is so gentle to begin with is because it was made for the enjoyment of sedentary nobles in their little rooms, not a rowdy public in large halls today. Is this also relevant? While in terms of the sophistication of its content, classical music is some of the best in existence (it's practically the only thing i listen to), i also can't help feeling that if classical composers lived today they'd probably use more drumbeats and things, because subtlety aside, sometimes complicated rhythms can sound better against a steady(ish) beat. Indeed, my evidence for this is that when the old composers wrote symphonies (for large orchestras, which would NOT fit in small rooms), they'd use drums. Presumably for the large room. Since everything is played in large concert halls today, it seems reasonable to think that a lot of the chamber music and solos that we know today might have been better off with some percussion instrument, for today's environment (although that would be too NOISY back in the day, in a small room in a castle).
Is any of my rambling true?
Also, one other thing that I have noticed. The melodies (they're long) and the developments (they're complicated) in classical music are a lot more intellectually developed than those in other music might be (although the rhythms are usually pretty basic). A concerto contains enough musical information to fill, well, 20 minutes. Far longer than your modern pop song. And with contrapuntal music, it's common to have four distinct lines of musical development happening in tandem. Isn't it the case, that this degree of complexity is simply too much for most uneducated people to grasp? (Really, if we took some of the greatest classical educations and wiped their memories of their educations, I think even they would be confused by classical music.) Trying to understand classical music at first listen (especially if the interpretation is subpar,) is often like being a 9th grader trying to understand a college lecture without preparation.
Sorry I'm just seeing this comment!
It's interesting, drums in small ensembles are often used for dance, or at least in a context where the music was for entertainment primarily.
Concerning what you say about classical music complexity...it is certainly true that the vast majority of people (even musicians with trained ears) can't identify at first (or even 2nd or 3rd) hearing all the details of the complete music tapestry. But I got to believe that even if one is not aware of all the elements consciously (every stitch in the tapestry), one is still affected by the presence of all those elements. They add to a whole that the heart/mind responds to intuitively.