Quote:
Originally Posted by Petronius
Colleagues; ...
Rather than get on his case, after all he said that he really didn't know, I'll get on the case of the public school system for not exposing the students to music through an appreciation class.
|
I think Lebrecht has it rightly covered. You might want to find out a bit more about him.
https://slippedisc.com/
You and Tony do have a point about the lack of exposure through the educational system. From a post I wrote elsewhere in response to the following quote:
Quote:
|
Also, unless you or your parents grew up playing in an orchestra, discovering and appreciating classical from a few centuries back will be a more advanced step as you won't be exposed to it otherwise.
|
Sadly, this is probably true. My grandfather played oboe and clarinet in Europe before coming to the States. My parents had no musical inclination - but they were smart enough to find out if any of his ability filtered through. I started piano lessons at 7 - my parents idea - then clarinet in 5th grade.
Schools at the elementary and middle level offer fewer and fewer opportunites for starting with an instrument - if they haven't cut programs entirely. Nowadays US schools sadly have a different agenda for their money This was/is a source of exposure to classical music that has dwindled. High Schools and University still have band and orchestra, but not so much introduction.
Many state universities continue to offer Musicology graduate studies as well as some schools in the UK and Canada. Musicology doesn't intersect much with audiophilery, but there seem to be folks who play music or know someone who plays music who have a home stereo.
Also, classical is very expensive at the orchestral level, both to maintain an orchestra and facilities as well as attend. It takes a great conductor or performer to really generate interest - look what Bernstein did for Mahler.
I'll add - a fair amount of early to mid-20th C compositions failed to embrace resolution the way Classical and Romantic does. Atonality has limited appeal in a mass market. (Our parent's generation?) Dare I say we who seek resolution out of dissonance are Men of the West. (Sounds like Tolkien.) - a dying breed.
For example, Bartók’s modernist approach emphasizes motoric irregular rhythms, counterpoint, accents and stresses with lots of dynamic contrast. These operate inside dissonant nucleic themes that offer little sense of journey, destination or narrative. (Trentemöller? ...maybe some)
The meaning of many of his works always seems just around the corner, just out of reach. A final 'breathing out', an exhale never happens.