what makes classical music classical

[Dikai]

sorry, doesn't seem to be anybody reading in the miscellaneous section
but i'm still puzzled
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have you guys ever thought of what do we call classical music??
it would seem to me that different kinds of genre of music are defined by the instruments present...
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weird example, a mozart symphony is naturally classical because the instruments include string/brass/wind sections and what not....
but now... the titantic / star war / star trek themes, when played with the same instruments, do we call them classical??  some would, some would not; as for me, i don't even know
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now, it would seem that if you have a drum set, bass, maybe a piano/sax and what not, the music becomes jazz...
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same goes to other genre of music
i.e. country, heavy metal, all have their particular instruments
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(note that musicals are excluded from this discussion)
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what exactly makes classical music classical then??  if not by the instruments
the composition time??  or how long gone are the composers (for 20th century composers, at least the more standard ones like katchatorian, prokofief, Hindemith, etc..)
please explain... i'm seriously very puzzled....

[chopinisque]

Yes, composition time, or rather composition period if that's your meaning...

Classical music is music composed during the classical period, which is roughly, 1750-1830 (?).  It is the period when composers started to use more varied dynamics in their songs, as opposed to the Barogue period in which all the instruments did not have much to offer in dynamics.  Most notable of them is the forte-piano, which replaced the harpsichord as the main keyboard instrument.  Violin length and playing methods also changed (ie. increased range).  They were also other changes like orchestra size, stylistic interpretations, concern with contrast and balance, form... et cetera...

People also use "classical music" to mean a particular tradition of music (the western-european styles of composition) or that which is not comtemporary music (anything between barogue and modern as long as it's not Britney Spears or Madonna).

Not being very accurate here... so i'm begging your pardon for any innacuracies...   

PS  From one who plays things like the Mephisto Waltz, you wouldn't expect a question like this...

[chuyerik]

Well, I also think that if one considers Chopin and Liszt as being classical music, then one could say that this music is called "classical" just because of the word itself - classic. They are classics. They have not died for centuries now, etc. That kind of thing.