9/13/2015

Themythofclassicalmusicsuperiority|Sandow

OsbertParsleysays
June18,2010at4:44pm

Imnotconvincedthatyouvedonejusticetotheargumentsofclassicalmusictraditionalists.
Surelyyourbookoughttoaddressthebestandmostsophisticatedpossiblearguments?I
haventreadthebooksbyJohnsonorKramer,butIreadFinebergsClassicalMusicWhy
Bother?andwaslessthanimpressedbythequalityofargumentation.

(RogerScruton,bytheway,islessantipopthanyoumakehimouttobeinhisaesthetics
book,heisextremelynegativeaboutmainstreamBritishpopgroupsofthatera,suchasOasis
andU2,buthisotherwriting,includinghisrecentbookUnderstandingMusic,revealshimtobe
anintelligentcommenteronotherformsofpopmusic.)

TheargumentforthespecialstatusofWesternclassicalmusicwouldrefertothethingsthat
makeitspecial(aliteratetraditionoftransmission,theprivilegingoflargescaleformsandlong
rangedevelopment),noneofwhichareashighlyprioritizedinpopmusic(electronic
transmission,generallysmallscaleforms)orworldfolkmusics(oraltransmission,usuallyeither
smallscaleformsorlongerstatic/sectionalforms).Suchmusicclearlymustbejudgedby
differentstandardsthanthatofpopmusicitllappealtodifferentpartofthebrain,andwillbe
usedindifferentsettingsindifferingtimesandplaces.

TheargumentwouldcontinuebypointingoutthatWesternclassicalmusicisnotonlya
uniquetradition,butitsalsothehistoricaltraditionofourculturemeaning,thecultureofNorth
AmericaandWesternEurope,thatalsogaveusourtraditionofpainting,creativewriting,
jurisprudence,andrepresentativedemocracy.Becausetodaysmodernclassicalmusicis
contiguouswiththattradition,itconnectsuswiththatpastaconnectionwhichisdesirable
becauseitmakesusawareoftheultimatefoundationsofourpoliticalandsocialorder.Pop
music,bycontrast,hasentirelydifferentaestheticaims.Youmightsaythatpopmusicisto
classicalmusicashypertextfictionistothetraditionalnovelanewformthatusesmany
elementsfromtheolderform,butisclearlydistinct,employingdifferentaestheticaimsand
differentmedia.Popandclassicalmusicareclearlycomplementaryforms,servingdifferent
purposes,butitsequallyclearthattheolderformhasagreaterhistoricalcachetanddeserves
aprivilegedstatus.
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9/13/2015

Themythofclassicalmusicsuperiority|Sandow

Ifputthisway,theargumentforWesternclassicalmusicdoesnotneedtoarguethatits
simplybetterthanotherstyles,whichisclearlymeaningless.Rather,itsafrankadmissionthat
therearedifferentkindsofmusicwithdifferentculturalroles,requiringdifferentkindsof
support.

ThisisanargumentIfindconvincing,andtomymindthisisthelineofargumenttowhichyoull
havetorespondifyourbookisgoingtobefullycomprehensive.

Yourlastpointisoneofthemainthesesofmybook.Butthenwhatwed
debateiswhattheculturalroleofvariousmusicsmightbe,andwhatkindof
supporttheymightdeserve.

Inmylastriff,youmighthavereadthatclassicalmusicshistoricalroleand
importanceishalfmydefinitionofclassicalmusic(theotherhalfbeingits
developmentalnature).Butthis,Ihopeyoullagree,isadoubleedgedsword.
ItcanbearguedasSusanMcClarydoes,forinstancethatclassical
musicofthepastcarrieswithinitattitudestowardswomen(forinstance)that
wevegottenpastinthecontemporaryworld.Andalsothatclassicalmusicin
thepastwasthemusicofcolonialism,andofphilosophyinwhichthemind
hadtoomuchdominanceoverthebody.

Allthesebalanceshavebeenredressedinrecentdecades,butclassical
musichasntplayedmuchpartinthat.Youcantalkallyouwantabout
classicalmusicconveyingthefineideasthatunderlyourcivilization,butstill
itstruethatmajorleaguebaseballhadblackplayersyearsbeforethe
MetropolitanOperahadblacksoloists.

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