No, I'm not talking about the results of last night's U.S. election (which I could), but comments I just read over at the other Forum site.
Basically, a so-called music expert was comparing classical music by such composers as Mozart to modern pop music. Which is like comparing nursery rhymes to works by Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald.
When someone writes a modern pop work with the length, complexity and sheer brilliance of something like, say, Handel's Messiah, or one of Mozart's later symphonies, then I'll listen. Until then, to me, virtually all modern stuff is bubblegum fluff.
"Until then, to me, virtually all modern stuff is bubblegum fluff".
Sounds like what Ted Nugent called Taylor Swift.
I haven't seen the post your talking about yet, but it reminds me of a controversy long ago. I vaguely recall something about some famous composer or someone who during the 1960s was making similar comparisons between classical music and Beatles compositions -- At the time he received a lot of negative blowback about his observations.
I can certainly can see comparisons between some Beatle songs and classical music.
Artisan Radio mentioned 'length' in comparing types of music. And typically classical music is very lengthy, which leaves less time for commercial breaks for radio programmers.
And in any category of music, some composers are better trained than others, some are more talented than others, and to a certain degree luck plays a role in whether a piece becomes accepted by audiences.
It might be universally true that music affects emotions... it makes a person feel happy, good, sad, bad. Thus listeners gravitate toward the emotional stimulant of preference. I myself like sad music.
Some music is 'over-the-head' of certain listeners. People who like Tchaikovsky might be put off by Alban Berg.
The same is true in literature. Emmanuel Kant is very dense and difficult to understand, whereas Albert Camus was on the best seller list because he was easy to understand. Both wrote philosophy books.
The Beatles are compared to classical composers because the Beatles were well trained in music, meanwhile some musicians are self-taught.
Radio stations are like restaurants. They put together a 'menu' that appeals to 'tastes'. There are fast food stations and steak house stations.
The Beatles are compared to classical composers because the Beatles were well trained in music, meanwhile some musicians are self-taught.
Are you insinuating the Beatles weren't self taught?
@RichardPowers I am caught in the spotlight. I do not truly know how The Beatles learned to compose music. All I have to go on is a faded memory of someone saying that the Beatles had a better mastery of music principles than most other musical stars. Granted, my recollection now is only a blurred paraphrasing of whatever it was I heard.
I am not going to look it up on Wikipedia, but maybe I'll ask Meta-AI.
The Beatles....
https://medium.com/the-beatles-faq/why-did-the-beatles-never-learn-how-to-read-or-write-music-87da36b87973
Like most rock groups they had natural musical inclination and learned by ear, played by ear and wrote all their songs by ear. People with a natural ear for music can hear a song, know the chords, hear the structure, and just play it from listening. Even the classical composers didn't need a book to tell them what to do. They created what they did, they wrote the book.
@RichardPowers Here's what Meta-AI had to say:
"The Beatles' Musical Training
John Lennon
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No formal music training: Lennon's musical education came from listening to and imitating American rock 'n' roll artists.
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Taught himself to play: Lennon learned to play the banjo and then the guitar.
Paul McCartney
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Piano lessons: McCartney took piano lessons from age 11 to 14.
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Trumpet lessons: He also learned trumpet and played in a school band.
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Self-taught: McCartney taught himself guitar and bass.
George Harrison
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Formal guitar lessons: Harrison took formal guitar lessons for several years.
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Influenced by rockabilly: He was heavily influenced by rockabilly guitarists.
Ringo Starr
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No formal training: Starr's drumming skills were self-taught.
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Influenced by jazz: Starr cited jazz drummers as influences.
Shared Influences
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Skiffle music: The Beatles were influenced by skiffle music, a British folk-rock genre.
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Rock 'n' roll: American rock 'n' roll artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley shaped their sound.