tilting the scale
Posted on 06. Aug, 2010 by Carrie in music
words > CARL PALMER
It’s safe to say that there is a divide between the contemporary worlds of classical music and popular music. That’s not to say they are necessarily in opposition to one another, it is simply the recognition that each present and cultivate their own aspects of music. Classical music has its own repertoire, its concert and recital halls, and its etiquette and traditions. Popular music also has its own genres, its own dive bars and arenas, and its own brand of etiquette and traditions. Ask 10 people at any orchestra concert or rock show if they want to be there and 9 out of 10 will probably say yes. The tenth person may just be on a date, but that’s their own fault.
In itself, the fact that both classical and popular music are successfully drawing in their respective fans is great. Each deserves to be successful, and each deserves to have a place in the larger musical landscape. The question becomes this: how much should they be commingling? How much should they cross over into one another? How many elements and influences should they share? To be sure, the presence of popular music and culture has begun to make an imprint on classical music. A significant chunk of the music that was written in the last century, going back to the likes of George Gershwin and Aaron Copland, up through John Cage, and into contemporary times has shown this influence. New ideas and themes are rapidly permeating modern composition in much the same way that they are rushing through popular music and the whole of postmodern culture. It may even be the case that sooner or later the lines of demarcation, which separate all of these genres, will fade away and we are left with an all-encompassing typology that ends musical distinctions once and for all.
There is really no way of knowing what the future of music will look like, but in the meantime let’s look to a principle of music theory which can be traced all the way back to the origins of musical composition: the play and tension between consonance and dissonance. In musical terminology, consonant tonal arrangements sound relatively smooth and stable, whereas dissonant tonal arrangements sound relatively rough and unstable. They are tightly balanced to create a current of ease and tension that maintains interest and draws the listener along to a larger end, and an analogous application of these ideas may help narrow the gap between classical and popular music. While each type has its own deserving and comfortable fan base, the question should be asked, why not stir the pot a little? Why not allow a little bit of tension into the system? If you have season tickets to the symphony, why not take the tie off and check out one of those rock & roll dive bars every once in a while? If everyone knows your name at that dive bar, why not put on a nice shirt and check out an orchestra concert? Why not be a little bit dissonant?
