When I took up Music Appreciation during my college years, I had no regard whatsoever to classical music. During those times I was heavily into the music of
Duran Duran and
Spandau Ballet to even take notice of the compositions of
Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonio Vivaldi or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Before, it was like, "Classical? YUCK!"---I mean, what is there to listening to violins and pianoes---even an orchestra for that matter! However, after listening to Vivaldi's
"Four Seasons" did I come to realize the different experience of immersing yourself to the imagery of such pieces. It was like seeing without actually seeing, get my drift?
Anyway, most often than not people would regard classical music as an elitist art form and with this respect we cannot blame them, for classical music did thrive during the middle ages duing the time of kings and kingdoms. However, classical musicians like
Mozart and
Beethoven did not compose their works just for the enjoyment of the elite. Actually, people then had only two choices in terms of musical inclinations---church music or secular music---unlike today where there are so many musical styles that each classification is divided into other categories. Rock for instance has "heavy metal", "R and B", and "slow rock" just to mention a few. So now you know why there are so many award categories during the Grammy's!
During the 1700's these classical composers were the primary concert artists comparable to the following of
Michael Jackson. People would flock to places where they played. Even the burial of Beethoven would rival that of
John Lennon's! The thing is, the elitistic stigma of classical music prevailed together with its "deteriorating" following. But more than this, maybe the fact that calssical music is a purely instumental piece that people find it hard to understand unlike other musical forms which contains words to express the emotion they wants to convey. You look at the lyrics and you know what the song is all about. Nowadays, with the influx of music videos it's not just a matter of being heard---it's GRAPHIC as well! Hmmm...talk about spoon feeding!
Classical music is a purely listening peice where you see not with the eyes and understand without words---it's closing your eyes...let your imagination drift and allow the musical current take you places! Try listening to Vivaldi's "Spring" (from his symphony Four Seasons) and see yourself promenading in a park with the folowers in full blossom or be lulled to sleep by the goddess Venus as you listen to
Brahm's "Lullaby". Now, if you're the action guy,
Rossinni's "William Tell Overture"(remember the theme song of
"The Lone Ranger"?) and
Richard Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries" would be a perfect piece to listen to!
The thing is, all you need to possess is an active imagination and afterwhich let yourself be engulfed into musical ecstasy! To hell with social class! But then, in order for you to break this barrier you need to take the first step and TRY listening to it.
Tune in to 98.7 DzFE FM and enjoy the classics on radio!
