
Nationalist Anthems: Remembering a time when composers mattered more - tintinnabula
https://theamericanscholar.org/nationalist-anthems/#.Xf-Shi2ZNQL
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natechols
I spend much of my free time either playing or listening to classical music,
so I'm very familiar with articles like this... and every time I read them, my
mind translates the author's lament to "remember the good old days when
cultural relevance and value was determined exclusively by upper-class middle-
aged white people?" I make no apologies for being a cultural reactionary, but
I question whether "the wider culture" \- as opposed to the educated white
elites writing for national media outlets - cared any more for Shostakovich in
1942 than they do today, or why indeed they should care in the first place.

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telesilla
What an incredibly short-sighted article, I have so many points of rebuttal
I'll offer just two:

\- Firstly, millions of people can now listen to brilliantly-performed
classical music and no- or low-cost. As compared to the few who could afford
the luxury of the concert hall or wait for the radio to play such music.

\- Secondly, the idea of the lone, genius composer is obsolete. Conservatory-
style composition classes focus on teaching classical harmony at first, later
expanding into modern concepts and compositional devices. This may seem to
lead to the image of a Beethoven-esque composer, writing notes and conducting
ensembles and orchestras, but the reality is that the composer of the 21st
century is more of a collaborative structural-architect who grapples with
technology as much as with harmony, melody and timbre: designing instructions
and working closely with performers who provide, in turn, virtuosity.

I grew up listening primarily "composed" period music for ensembles and
orchestras, and still have a great and profound love for it, but I have an
increasing admiration for modern composers and musicians who have embraced all
the aesthetics of their surroundings and the influences of their peers. Modern
composer/performers/musicians have enriched music for us in all styles of
music from pop to alternative to country. It's a wonderful time to be a
listener, and it doesn't require a Rachmaninoff concerto to be impressed
(though, we can still be impressed by Rachmaninoff..)

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sfgunn
Remember when people killed themselves en masse for the right song? Those were
the good old days...

