What Happened to Classical Music?

My answer to this would be it went and found it's home in the movies, TV, cable.

What you say? No way? I beg to differ. And, believe it or not, many pop, rock & roll and blues stars would probably agree. The discoveries in music over the centuries paved the way for modern music. The music of the Baroque period was like Casey Kasim's Top 40 in our own times. Remember a Verdi opera in the 1800's was no different to that audience than say the soap ALL MY  CHILDREN is to ours. Only we rarely sing now. For that we have musicals on a stage with real people. Is that so different?            

Most musicologists would define our music eras as:

1. Medieval 1150 - 1400
2. Renaissance 1400 - 1600
3. Baroque 1600 - 1750
4. Classical 1750 - 1830
5. Early Romantic 1830 - 1860
6. Late Romantic 1860 - 1920
7. 20th & 21 st Century 1920 until today.

However, I feel that this list isn't complete. There were other influences from South America, Ireland,
especially from Africa that first changed American music and then the worlds. New combinations of notes and syncopation made old boring sounds new and vibrant again. Some of America's greatest sound smiths listened to and then borrowed these rhythms and created much of our most treasured music of today.

As I was dealing with medical issues and insomnia the other night, I finally played classical music from my iPhone to my HomePod to put me to sleep. As I laid there I begin to note the number of pieces (I always put music on shuffle to mix things up) that appeared in movies. I can never, ever hear "The Beautiful Blue Danube" without seeing in minds eye the Pan American shuttle in its ballet to dock with the space station in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. In fact while set in the future, the movie came out in 1968, Kubrick used only classical music to define his story. AMADEUS tells the story of the rivalry between the Austrian Mozart and the Italian Salieri for the ear and patronage of the emperor of the Austria-Hungary Empire. The film is filled with snippets of music from them both and was a surprising hit. What's not to like about Mozart?

Kubrick was not alone. Though the haunting bars of ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA begin 2001, many other directors relied on classical music for their own movies most notable moments. This list includes THE SHINING another Kubrick movie that uses both Bartok and Berlioz to underscore the horror of that movie. What about THE KING'S SPEECH using Beethoven's 7th Symphony, RAGING BULL with Mascagni's opera Cavalleria rusticana, Disney's FANTASIA entirely classical music set to cartoons, THE BIG LEBOWSKI using Mussorgsky's "PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION," or PLATOON'S use of Adagio for String's, used so poignantly at both FDR and JFK's funerals.

Why is it that so many killers in the movies always have the time to listen to opera arias?  I think we are still writing classical music only we now call it the movie's "score." As Disney so clearly showed in his 1947 Masterpiece FANTASIA, classical music can and does tell a story. Movie and TV music today does as well.

I ask you to consider any of John Williams scores. He is one of the most prolific "classical" score writers of our times. All you need is the first few notes of the "Imperial March" to know this is STAR WARS. But variations of this theme and others play through the entire movie(s) telling it's story in the quietest moments, social moments, action moments. Turn off the sound and see if it continues to have the impact. Motion and music go hand in hand.

Just the first three notes of "Jaws" gives theatergoers goosebumps, or how about HARRY POTTER or INDIANA JONES or SUPERMAN? Did you know that William's even wrote the score for the pilot of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND? A whole bunch of Boomers can hum that one.             

As I pointed out, TV was also not immune. What about MISSION IMPOSSIBLE or Mancini's PETER GUN? Or his movies that included THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY', PINK PANTHER and CHARADE that all spawned #1 hits on the hit parade. Again, turn off the sound and the movie just doesn't have the impact it does with music.

Even Pop sounds made it to the movies. GREASE, THE GRADUATE, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, AMERICAN GRAFFITI, LOVE ACTUALLY as well as Bio pics of Queen and Elton John. The Beatles acknowledged their debt to classical music and several albums were created that attempted to tell a story.  Their movies A HARD DAYS NIGHT and YELLOW SUBMARINE were storylines told with music. Shouldn't we consider that opera?   

I just saw the new MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movie, Part 1. While I think it's an action movie looking for a plot I paid special attention to the music, blocking it at times. Try it. When you see a car chase, whether you know it or not it's the music that rev's you up. Try it. You will see.       

I urge you the next time you stumble on a classical music station not to quickly turn away. Remember if it wasn't for that music, those notes and bars, music as we know it would be very, VERY different.    

Thank you for reading my blog. I invite you to take the time to read earlier blogs where my emphasis is to explore the ways art and design affects our daily lives ... and always has. I share with you what inspires me with the hope that it will inspire you as well. Comments are always welcomed!

Be sure to check my ETSY store ... KrugsStudio.etsy.com. I am adding many new and exciting, collectible birdhouses and craft items. Many of the items talked about here will be for sale there!

Thank you for reading my blog. I invite you to take the time to read earlier blogs where my emphasis is to explore the ways art and design affects our daily lives ... and always has. I share with you what inspires me with the hope that it will inspire you as well. Comments are always welcomed!