On the continuation of classical music...

[allchopin]

in the 16th through 19th centuries (and even a little in 20th century) classical music has been produced and circulated.  But did that kind of style die away 50 years ago? Is it possible to still write classical music and it be enjoyed and accepted today as it was back then?
For instance, if i wrote a Nocturne persay, in the old style that Chopin used, would it be popular?  Or is it time for bigger and better things?  What other barrier besides time separates us from the great classicalists?

[Chad]

I think there will always be people like us who will still want to hear this kind of music.  People like Yo Yo Ma are around today and producing classical music.  I wouldnt worry about it too much, besides it doesnt really matter to me if anyone wants to hear me.  I like to play for me and if other people like it and want to hear it only makes it that much better.  

btw Chopin is by far my favorite too.  

[la_carrenio2003]

in the 16th through 19th centuries (and even a little in 20th century) classical music has been produced and circulated.  But did that kind of style die away 50 years ago? Is it possible to still write classical music and it be enjoyed and accepted today as it was back then?
For instance, if i wrote a Nocturne persay, in the old style that Chopin used, would it be popular?  Or is it time for bigger and better things?  What other barrier besides time separates us from the great classicalists?

Academic music didn't die at all, the festivals of contemporary music are always full of audience.Ithink now is even better than in the past because you don't have to be a prince and live in a palace for listening to the best music available. A composer of our time has the possibility of being listened by millions because of the video and audiorecords. And now  exists such a thing as copyright,so this composer will be paid as well. Maybe I didn't understand well, but I think you mean also that  if you composed something like a romantic nocturne, would it have success? It depends. You can write that way, and it  would be appreciated if it's written with quality and if restates the musical form, in this case the nocturne. Actually, that could  be a start in composing: you can even write a nocturne "a la  Chopin". But you live in the 20th century, you have listened  Prokofieff, Bartok, The Beatles, whatever happened since Chopin's death, so even if you intended to write exactly like then,you just couldn't, but that's the good thing: if the music is good will be interesting for someone to listen a 20th century nocturne"a-la-19th". So did the great 20th century composers: they composed sonatas, concerti, simphonies,preludes and fugues, they used the old music forms but filled them in with a new content. So, I think just time separates us from them.

[lc3606]

Interesting question.  Billy Joel has produced a classical CD and the music is published by Schirmer, "Fantasy Delusions" or similar.  But what I've noticed is that anyone critiquing his publication usually mentions that it is more of the same, with nothing new or innovative.  So are they saying that unless you are producing something not yet seen in the classical world, you will not be recognized as contributing anything significant?

[eddie92099]

And rightly so! Every composer must push the boundaries in order to be remembered, and every remembered composer has,
Ed

[bachopoven]

And producing something new is harder now, since most has already been created?

I also wonder why there hasn't been a great classical composer for many decades. My guess is anything produced now will be similar to something that already exists.

[eddie92099]

I can think of many great composers from the last decade, among them Thom Yorke  
Ed

[BoliverAllmon]

I believe that you can write classical style music and be successful. Take for example, there are certain guys who are always sought after to compose music for movies. Alot of the time the music is still classical.

boliver