Quote:
Originally Posted by gianluca
Alan, let me briefly comment on some of your points.
2) Yes, every music has a structure, but classical music often has a structure which is way more complex, refined and ingenious than the often simplistic and predictable song structures in pop music.
3) That point was meant to illustrate the ridiculous cultural status pop music enjoys today.
Apparently pop music has so much value to so many people in our culture, that we are even interested in the personal lives and opinions of pop artists even though they are often nitwits with little musical talent.
5) See my comment on the “complexity issue” below.
7) Classical music is not written anymore? I’m not talking about the classical style (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven) but about classical music in general, including contemporary classical music (e.g., Boulez, Carter ) which sure is classical music still being written today.
Now on to the “complexity issue” (as addressed by Nikolas, Niku and Alan). Nikolas asked the question: “since when should music be complicated to be worthy?” Let me make clear that I’m not saying music should be complex in order to be worthy. But I do believe that a certain degree of intellectual and emotional complexity At times I can really enjoy, say, a Schubert ländler, which is not particularly complicated. However, I am convinced that the greatest masterpieces in classical music (e.g., Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion, Beethoven’s 9th, Wagner’s Ring) all have a deep intellectual and emotional complexity which is absent in most, if not all pop music.
Finally I should stress that it’s not just the music itself that bothers me about pop music, it’s also the undeservedly huge cultural status pop music has acquired at the expense of classical music (which is thereby pushed into a “cultural ghetto”) that bothers me at least as much.
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Let me ask you this- Have you ever liked something just because it sounded good, like when you were young and didn't know much about music? Have you ever liked something because it had a nice tune like, say, An American in Paris by Gerswin?
I didn't think so. see, it doesn't hurt to like something because it challenges the mind a little, but music isn't written to be analyzed or critiqued, but it meant to be
heard. If all you can do is talk about how emotional a piece is, let me open a new door for you-
plenty of songs have emotion. Pop is not limited to Beyonce and High School Musical. It includes "I'm not that Girl" from Wicked, and other songs from broadway, which are stellar achievements. Let me suggest this to you; if you need confirmation that plenty of pop music is not bad, listen to the entire Wicked musical. It has plenty of pop style songs. Granted, these are better than most of them, they are still good, and are about reasonable things (not vulgar, like you said before). If you ask me, you are a snob. I hate to say it, but it's what you're telling us here, and I apologize, but it had to be said. I mean that in the nicest way; simply because you are.
On the other hand, I can see where you come from on this entire topic. I mentioned it before, I once hated pop music just as much as you. And then, I found that if you get someone who can
write music into the pop field, then you start getting some good pop songs.
I'm sorry if I've gone too far, but I feel that you needed to know.
Alan
