I was wondering...

[drexo]

Well, I was just wondering about this today when I was at work. Every concert pianist is playing classical music... Great music, composed by someone who passed away 100+ years ago, but why don't they compose themselves, and play that for the audience?

I know, most people want to hear all the great pieces of Chopin, Liszt, etc. etc. etc, but I was wondering; where does it end? Of course, nowadays there are still a lot of composers, but nothing seems to "beat" the classical music. I don't know really how to explain it in proper English what I want to make clear...

It just facinates me, that most of the concerts pianists spend so many hours to play all the music wich was composed so many years ago.

[donjuan]

well, the main reason is that most of the good stuff was found long ago; the simple harmonies and melodies of Mozart or Beethoven were great just the way they were.  Anything of the same nature people would come up with nowadays will just sound like a cheap imitation.  Therefore, they have to keep coming up with new, strange, not-so-easily-likeable innovations in music, that generally lack the immortality of the past's great work.

I think it also has to do with living conditions; 19th century Europe was rich in historical battles and revolutions.  People were dying everywhere, and making love in the haystacks like there was no tomorrow etc.. (EDIT: ok, maybe a bit of an exaggeration, prometheus  )

but nowadays, we only have boring problems to worry about, like terrorists or global warming.  Who the ^%$ is going to compose a good piece of music about global warming??  Again, the fact of the matter is that the most interesting stories and historical events have passed by long ago.

For inspiration, we simply don't have the prolific masterpieces of Goethe or Victor Hugo nowadays; instead, we have petitions for gay rights and feminist movements!  phhhaaaaa!!!

From a musical point of view, the world is getting bored and constipated. I'd like to give it a BIG enema; let it exhaust it's non-renewable resources so we can go back to the horse-and-buggy days.  It would suck to live in this time, but I think the art and music will blossum once again.

[prometheus]

The public doesn't judge music fairly. They accept authority and that dictates them what is 'high art'.

There is no room for a new Mozart of Beethoven. Really, who wants to see them dethroned by a 'normal person'. My literature teacher always said that it was so wonderful that no one knows who Shakespeare was. Same goes for Homer. People like this. They want these legends, these titans. Not a strange kid from China writing even greater music.

Just look at the concert programs. They perform the same music over and over again. Apperently most of the people that visit classical music concerts want to get the status assosiated with it. I mean when you are a rich 50+ married couple you want to spend your money in a way you think that fits your status. You don't want to have to spend lots of time and energy on getting to now all this kind of music. Let alone find and judge new composers.

[prometheus]

Wow. That are two very different views. Let me add that I strongly disagree with Donjuan. A piece that is very similar to Beethoven's 9th but that was not written by the great Beethoven himself, is just as good as the 'real one' from a musical point of view.

Second, I do not believe in the romantism and nostalgia expressed.

[steve jones]

Great music is still being composed, just look at composers like Thomas Newman. This guy writes some of the most amazing music for film, quite often it far transcends the picture itself!

Musicians, composers etc have to move forward and this is whats happening right now. Classical pianists are more like historians than they are creative musicians.

This is not a critisism, just an observation!

SJ

[Tash]

yeah they are still composing. i know that ian munro (pianist in the australia ensemble) composes his own stuff. in fact, the australia ensemble plays heaps of contemporary classical music. a lot of people can't handle some of contemporary classical music's bizarrities, thus don't listen to it. actually so does michael keiran-harvey (aussie pianist)- he plays heaps of contemporary aussie works, and a few of his own. man, if i was a pianist i'd go nuts with contemporary classical music woo

[allthumbs]

Great music is still being composed, just look at composers like Thomas Newman. This guy writes some of the most amazing music for film, quite often it far transcends the picture itself!

Yes! and look at John Williams and Star Wars. I can still remember the thrill sitting in the theatre with the opening shot of the gigantic ship coming into view on the screen and Williams' music playing. Awesome!

Classical pianists are more like historians than they are creative musicians.

This is not a critisism, just an observation!

SJ

Good observation and well put!


Cheers

allthumbs

[dinosaurtales]

I agree with you guys - there is lots of good music being written - but the format has changed from the private chamber and concert hall to the movie screen.  It's just a different genre. 

But I disagree with one thing.  If I wrote a piano sonata that was in a style like Mozarts, and was just as good (not that I could actually DO such a thing , mind you) - it would still be panned as a "copy", even though:

Mozart died before he thought of it, and if he had lived long enough to have thought of it, it would be considered brilliant, because it was MOZART.  Just another observation.