# Misunderstanding and Bias with Classical Period music



## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

Sometimes unpopular opinions already encompass what everyone already believes, there's just a stigma around saying it. It's always been healthy to secretly believe true things even if no one seems to, it's both a hallmark of normal intelligence, and others may actually be thinking all along what you have been. In any case, there's definitely been a huge bias in regards to radio music and album sales due to the Big 3. People want to gravitate towards exploring these styles more, because they're so profound, sometimes not getting in touch with later music until later on in their life, and this is not so prominent in this community however we know some of those people clearly. And the radio and albums play various trends from the Classical and Baroque periods that the average and even investigative might not realize is purposefully light music, suited for that medium as well as vestiges still in the popular mindset, music to fit a background atmosphere, to relax in one's chair to, or read the news to. Most of us being curious know about this music however, as we explore a variety of things, and are naturally drawn to the contemporary period overall with its hundreds of composers, and some also drawn to the romantic period with its dozens of main composers because they're still young in exploring. It's no doubt why the modern period is so popular in polls, followed by the romantic, not of course why the fathers of these periods, the Big 3, are also considered the most-suited pursuits of them all. However, when one thinks of Classical, there are two possible terms to approach. The music itself, and the Classical period or era. But for me, a representative of this curious and studious forum, this problem has already been reconciled, in my head, and whether it's never reconciled by others or whether it takes our language a while to appreciate this universal decision, is no matter for me to believing what simply seems true, to most of us. What I'm referring to is the Classical period and the Early Classical period. I believe it to be true that the majority of great classical music is already in the Classical period, a time stretching from around 1800 - 1900 by evolving the language used to express the big differences now in art and music. I believe the genre defines the era it's currently in, not the other way around, and this era is where most of our genre occurred. Classical music, classical _era, _the era of Classical music--and when people refer to the fathers of this era, the 3 influential closers are in the era of _Early Classical _music, together shaping the end of this era to a degree but continuing a big new renaissance described as romantic with varieties of other associations. Music written after the year 1900 I think is Late Classical, and after 2000 is Modern Classical. I generally don't favor people accidentally falling into traps of listening to only Early Classical Music CDs during their most suggestive phase, and we've fallen into this same group with hits and techniques that have outstayed their welcome, when that's not what I nor most of us now understand as Classical at its real roots. The era of Classical encompasses it_ all_, the weavings of Schubert, the peaks of Mahler, to the essays of Shostakovich and Schnittke, they can just be thought of as Early, Predominant, Late, and now the Modern era of our same traditions. There's a stigma here, but when one is stuck on stereotypes, I'll gladly tell them the truth by saying "You know this is just Early Classical" and when stuck in a dentist office, "You know the majority of real Classical music is more modern than this." Sometimes it's best to just cut the fat and represent our period of traditions to everyone.


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## That Guy Mick (May 31, 2020)

When the landlord charges too much, then one seeks solace in music, complaint, and spirits. No one gives the landlord due credit.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Quite a bit of popular 19th and early 20th century is also "purposefully light music", e.g. Slavic or Hungarian Dances/Rhapsodies, Grieg suites, Carnaval des animaux, Tchaikovsky ballet suites, Rhapsody in Blue...
I fail to see the point (and a few paragraphs would make the text wall more reader-friendly).


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

I'm not intending much with my point of view above, but for expressing my findings. In my opinion, your definition of light music doesn't have a lot to do with the context of oversaturation and indoctrination of society at large to light listening as "Classical music" because of its artificial aesthetic similarity to the Big 3. Sure there will be music easier to digest in any genre, but real Classical era compositions like Slavic/Hungarian dances, Rhapsody in Blue, Ballet suites, although easy to digest, are not light classical. Nor visa versa. As for this music everyone hears on the radio and waiting rooms, that no one in their right mind actually listens to when they buy, it should be forgotten remnants by now, of these Earlier classical eras. And thoroughly appreciated certainly, sparingly by we who first acknowledge the full classical era and its evolutions. If an album under the classical section entitles itself "Baroque hits" or "EZ listening", it must be required to also come with a disclaimer label that reads "Early classical." From there do what you want with it.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

Ethereality said:


> I'm not intending much with my point of view above, but for expressing my own pov. In my opinion, your definition of light music doesn't have a lot to do with the context of oversaturation and indoctrination of society and large to light listening as "Classical music" because of its artificial aesthetic similarity to the Big 3. Sure there will be music easier to digest in any genre, but real Classical era compositions like Slavic/Hungarian Rhapsody in Blue, Ballet suites, are not light classical.


Hard to follow your OP Ethereality.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

"early classical" as a cover for about 200 years of baroque and "viennese classical" music is misleading and not the common terminology. And while there are some sampler-friendly "light" pieces there are also lots of pieces from Monteverdi to Mozart that are not light at all but every bit as serious, complex and demanding as e.g. typical mid-late 19th century music.
I don't think there is a problem here except that it is better to confront people with a broader range of music of the last 400 or more years or with better "samples" from certain periods, instead of sticking to some particularly popular pieces (like 4 seasons or Peer Gynt suite) that can hardly be good representatives of these periods because there is would also be a St. Johns Passion and Otello or Tristan around.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

Kreisler jr said:


> And while there are some sampler-friendly "light" pieces there are also lots of pieces from Monteverdi to Mozart that are not light at all but every bit as serious, complex and demanding as e.g. typical mid-late 19th century music.


No doubt. But tossing early music that doesn't resemble radio classical into a wider public definition of "Early classical" is not much of a problem for their intended context. I'm talking about consumer labels and categorical names most people understand. If you have a problem with my opinion about the real main Classical era of the musical arts, that we all secretly acknowledge is the classical era of the whole of music (or any Classical synonym: art music era) then at least come forth with some real defense. I can't tell if the AI have invaded TC yet with certain posts, (I'm joking with you) but whether to actually take reasoning like this seriously or acknowledge it as half-baked copypasta. I respect it as your opinion as well as many here's, although I may have to disagree if there's no substantial thought behind it.


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## That Guy Mick (May 31, 2020)

Ethereality said:


> No doubt. But tossing early music that doesn't resemble radio classical into a wider public definition of "Early classical" is not much of a problem for their intended context. I'm talking about consumer labels and categorical names most people understand. If you have a problem with my opinion about the real main Classical era of the musical arts, that we all secretly acknowledge is the classical era of the whole of music, at least come forth with some real defense. I can't tell if the AI have invaded TC yet with certain posts, (I'm joking with you) but whether to actually take reasoning like this seriously or acknowledge it as half-baked copypasta. I respect it as your opinion as well as many here's, although I may have to disagree if there's no substantial thought behind it.


It is difficult when one is misunderstood. A two-way street in this instance.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

That Guy Mick said:


> It is difficult when one is misunderstood. A two-way street in this instance.


↓


That Guy Mick said:


> When the landlord charges too much, then one seeks solace in music, complaint, and spirits. No one gives the landlord due credit.


If this thread becomes actually serious, I commission you to write haikus all throughout it, although it may be several decades from now that people automatically start calling it all classical period music as it cements itself into popular classicism. As you can see I don't really care, in fact I didn't know why I made this thread.


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## That Guy Mick (May 31, 2020)

Ethereality said:


> ↓
> 
> 
> If this thread becomes actually serious, I commission you to write haikus all throughout it, although it may be several decades from now that people automatically start calling it all classical period music as it cements itself into popular classicism. As you can see I don't really care, in fact I didn't know why I made this thread.


Excessive rent charges are very serious.What is haikus's e-mail address. I would love to correspond about landlord classicism.


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