Classical music has been around for a long time... A very long time - since about 6th Century AD, where the musical characteristics and instrumentation can still be traced in todays music.
Now, when I say 'classical music', you probably already have a vague idea of what I'm talking about. Classical music is so deeply rooted in Western arts and culture, you've most likely heard a piece from the genre before, even if you have no idea what it's called and couldn't name any sonic characteristics other than "there's no words!"
Have no fear, for in the following post I will give you a quick breakdown on the genre and cultural significance of classical music.
Please note that this breakdown is specifically about western classical music and does not discuss the characteristics of world classical music.
Maybe you've heard the following tracks before?
Those were from Mozart (Eine kleine Nachtmusik) and Beethoven (Symphony No. 5 in C Minor), two of the most recognisable names in classical music.
Now, it's important to know where the word classical comes from. The use of the term 'classics' generally refers to the Greco-Roman study of language, literature, philosophy, and history. Philosophy in particular was greatly studied by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as discussions around the idea of balance and beauty. Aristotle's views was that beauty is achieved through proportion, symmetry and harmony (Sartwell, 2016), and this is reflected in a lot of classical music, mostly through the different phrases within orchestra sections and how they work together as individual parts that make up a whole. The structure of an orchestra is in itself an expression of balance and proportion, with instruments being placed in relation to how loud they are and what the conductor needs to hear the most.
This dedication to structure and balance is also seen in the way that classical music is written as well, as this is a genre where it is the most common to find musicians who are trained in music theory, which is the study of the basic elements of music such as notation, key/time signatures, and rhythm (Scholes, 1983), and how they can be used to create new pieces of music.
This idea of music theory was also popularised by the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who was enchanted by music's relationship with mathematics and could subsequently devise a method of tuning that used an interval ratio of 3:2, which made it possible to play a scale that contained a perfect fifth. This method of tuning is still popular in today's classical scene.
As you can see, the very core of the genre of classical music is based around structure and harmony - not just in the musical sense, but in the way that each instrument knows their place within a hierarchal system, and where each player can work together to make one complete piece of music that can explore complex emotions and feelings.
The term 'classical music' can also be used to refer to a period between 1730-1820, where the many classical pieces composed during this time were known as 'art music', for their advanced theoretical and structural considerations that built on the theory discussed above (also known to many as 'serious music' 😆). This period was when classical music was at its most popular (classical's golden age, if you will), and was pioneered by names such as Ludwig Van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Joseph Haydn.
Classical Music in a Contemporary Time
With the birth of film came a new use for classical music - even in the times of silent films there would still be a house piano or organist who would play music while a film flashed through theatre screens. As time and technology have progressed, classical music has evolved and continues to be used in most (if not all) forms of media, particularly in film and games to support and propel the telling of a story in engaging and innovative ways.
(Game of Thrones, 2017)
(Josh Powell, 2012)
References:
Bain, R. (2002, September 24). A Web-based Multimedia Approach to the Harmonic Series: A Pythagorean tuning of the diatonic scale . Retrieved June 30, 2018, from South Carolina School of Music: http://in.music.sc.edu/fs/bain/atmi02/pst/index.html
eberlea. (2012, November 30). Sonata. Retrieved June 30, 2018, from eberlea.wordpress.com: https://eberlea.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/sonata/
Game of Thrones. (2017, June 27). Inside Game of Thrones: A Story in Score (HBO). Retrieved June 30, 2018, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSMO4pHe3HE
Ludwig Van Beethoven (1808). Symphony No. 5 in C Minor.
Powell, J. (2012, October 28). Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (Teen Comedy Trailer) HD. Retrieved June 30, 2018, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LADCeI28YQ
Sartwell, C. (2016). Beauty. Retrieved June 30, 2018, from Stanford Encylopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauty/#ClaCon
Scholes, P. (1983). The Oxford Companion to Music. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1789). Nachtmusik, Eine Kleine.
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