The term 'Classical Music' has frustrated me ever since I became a fan of the Music itself. As someone who got into the Music at around age 15 - I remember having a preconceived idea of what it was like, and what it meant.
This preconceived idea, over my years of falling in love with different Music over the years, would be shattered and rendered completely redundant every time.
I did a little research into how the term became a part of common vernacular and quite annoyingly I realized it's just something that 'stuck' because people were too lazy to think of something else.
The word 'Classical', when used referring to anything other than Music - means something very old. From this comes the commonly misinterpreted inference that Classical Music simply means 'Old Music' - which is glaringly ironic given the fact that 'Popular Music'(I wont even get started on my thoughts on that term
) and it's roots existed long before Classical Music ever did.
This 'illusion' is a part of commonly held public belief mostly because the popularity of pieces of Popular Music is much more transient and 'trend'-based.
It's always amusing when people comment on a piece of Popular Music that they love and say 'This will be the Classical Music of the future' - no it wont. A piece of 'Classical Music' is 'Classical' from the moment it's created, it doesn't become ' Classical' over time.
I could go on about the many misconceptions and erroneous ideas people have about what the Music is and isn't - but I'd be here a while. Most people wont give a sh*t about anything I'm writing here, and wont like the Music itself - but the reason I'm quite passionate about sharing these ideas with people is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of those who enjoy it, could potentially enjoy it, and even those who will never enjoy it - but appreciate and respect it from afar.
The real point of what I've tried to understand - and purpose of it - is to break down exactly what Classical Music is - define it - and upon discovery of that definition - rename it.
There have been quite a few other terms used instead of Classical - Art Music being the most common. I find it almost equally as ridiculous in it's passive implication that all other Music besides it isn't Art. 'Serious' Music is nearly as bad - and 'Erudite' Music or 'Legitimate' Music are condescending and silly.
After much consideration - it dawned on me that the simplest of answers was the best.
Written Music is the key to it all! The invention of Sheet Music was the Birth of 'Classical Music'.
The greatest analogy would be that or Architecture -
Before anyone had written plans and design of something they wanted to build, there was a limit to its complexity and scope, they had to build 'by eye' like a Musician played 'by ear'.
With the advantage of Architectural planning - one could design something far more elaborate, analogous to the development of Classical Music after the invention of Sheet Music - it could be constructed - laboured over, perfected, and more complex structures could be designed without the limitations of the human short term 'memory' - Music was no longer limited by RAM - it finally had a Hard Drive!
Music before sheet music was always limited by the capacity of 'aural memory'. People played and sung 'by ear' - and by doing so - there was a certain limit to the complexity and elaboration with which the Music could be distributed.
This was how Folk Music was distributed - and it also forms the basics behind the distribution of the majority of Popular Music - it can be retained easily by most people with a couple of listens.
Part of the reason behind the overwhelming and unifying popularity of Music in general is the varying degree of passiveness is can be consumed and enjoyed. It's the ultimate 'Multitasking' accompinament. A completely undivided attentive and focussed listening experience is relatively uncommon - and even it these cases - Popular Music can satiate the needs of the majority of peoples needs.
Classical Music is simply more demanding, and far less rewarding as a passive listening experience. Of course there are those people who enjoy using selected slow and quiet sections of Classical pieces as 'relaxing' background Music - but they are a case apart and are more Classical 'hearers' than Classical 'listeners'. In this regard, it's more like the Multitasking experience of the way most Popular Music is enjoyed.
Classical Music is for everyone, it's a rich Universe of it's own. It isn't a style, it isn't a genre - it is literally half of all Music.
For a piece of Music to qualify as Classical - it need only meet 2 criteria -
1 - It must be written. 2 - It must bear a form that isn't used in most Popular Music.
If you write down a piece of Jazz music - it IS Classical Music.
If you write down a piece of elaborate Progressive Rock - it IS Classical Music.
Those 2 examples provide the most obvious examples of the Recorded age utilizing recording audio to construct elaborate Musical creations - much like Sheet Music would, going beyond the limits of immediate aural memory. To use a computer term - they transfer their RAM to their HD and utilize the increased storage capacity.
Classical Music isn't BETTER than other Music, it's simply different.
For something to qualify as GOOD or BETTER, it must be connected in context to precisely what it is good FOR and better AT. Varying types of music are good for and better at pleasing various modes of listening and kinds of listeners. Classical Music is for people who enjoy Music that rewards attention, repeated listens, and a more immersive all-round experience.
It is crap for anyone who isn't inclined to enjoy Music in that way.
I've still not arrived at a conclusive alternative term for Classical Music - the best I can think of is Architectural Music, Planned Music, Elaborate Music, but they're all clunky and not very catchy. I'm still brainstorming and will hopefully find a name that fits, is descriptive, and has the potential to catch on in some small way.
Labels in Music are a natural phenomenon resulting for Mankinds need to simplify, categorise, and make sense of bigger pictures but they often lead to ignorance and misunderstandings. We can't do away with labels, but we can redefine them and choose new ones that better describe things, leading to less ignorance and more erudition - a quality that should hopefully bring more smiles and joy the the world
Topic: My definition of 'Classical Music'