Classical Systems Introduction

Introduction

“Classical” is a loaded, yet ubiquitous word in musicology (and across diverse art forms such as dance, theatre, and architecture, with each discipline taking on a slightly differentiated and sometimes conflicting approach to the concept). “Classical” is, in essence, an undefinable term. It means multiple things, sometimes with embedded contradictions. We use it often and indiscriminately, shifting its meaning as we go. Colloquially, the term includes Western European Art Music that spans from Monteverdi through Wagner, the Common Practice Era. Anything written before Monteverdi is usually referred to as “Early Music.” Anything written after Wagner is more difficult to classify: it splits off into wild permutations, transgressions, and dialectics; it folds back in on itself, as “neo” movements have established themselves alongside short-lived and more durable avant garde experiments. We have, variously, referred to the post-Romantic era as “Music of the 20th Century,” “Contemporary Music,” “Music of the 21st Century,” or any number of distinct movements within, such as “Serialism,” “Aleatory,” or “Minimalism.” (To borrow from Alex Ross, “the rest [of the Western canon] is noise.”) Sometimes, those genres, too, are considered “classical.”

A quick survey of Spotify or Apple Music playlists that use the term “classical” will highlight Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Bach, perhaps Debussy and Rachmaninoff. Our icons are clear, and our associations are archetypal. Almost anywhere in the world with contemporary global media access, a mention of “classical music” will elicit dominant images of European courts, churches, and concert halls, upper class social contexts and elite social practices (a conclusion I derive from five years of raising this question with international high school students representing multiple countries, ethnicities, and musical foundations across six continents). In a global music context where cultures on every continent have assimilated connections between the term “classical” and the term “Western,” or more specifically, the space between the diamond that encompasses present-day Austria, Germany, Italy, and France, the question of a definition of “classical” is not just one of semantics. It is a question of patronage, of dominance, of belonging, and of conquest (both physical and existential). It is a question of the boundaries between tradition and innovation, between popular and elite, between authentic and derivative. It is, above all, a question of how we define “worth” or “value” in art, who creates those narratives, who controls them, and who benefits from them. Working through the complexity of this definition, and its implications, is at the center of this curriculum.

For students trained in the Western tradition, the inquiry offers profound openings, appreciation for complexity, and a rebalancing of assumptions. For students trained in the Western tradition who are not of European descent, it offers cultural validation and opportunities to connect with marginalized personal histories. For all students, it offers exposure to historically rich genres in practice today, supports their preservation, and expands aural consciousness and creative possibility. The inquiry can include exercises in reproduction, improvisation, composition, and innovation, as well as links to humanities, social sciences, and arts integration curricula. 

General Framing Questions

These questions are not necessarily intended to be answered explicitly or definitively, but should be referred to regularly to help craft an approach to a broader understanding of the term “classical.”

• Who draws the boundaries around a discipline or genre?

  • How does this support and/or limit our understanding of musical categories?

  • What conditions are required to define a genre as “classical”?

  • To what extent do power, privilege, patronage, and class impact the designation of an art form as “classical”?

• What is necessary to define a genre as distinct?

  • What is required for a genre to be defined specifically when its origins represent fusion or syncretism?

  • Do all genres originate from elements of fusion?

• What are the assumptions embedded in labels such as: 

  • Traditional, Popular, Classical, Folk, Elite, High Art, Art Music, etc.  

• What determines a sense of quality in a genre?

  • To what degree is quality universal?

  • To what degree is quality context-specific?