Feature: Classical Composers & Modern Music
Recently, I have been perplexed by a simple anachronistic question: what kinds of music would some great classical composers take to today? Having a wide range of musical interest, ranging from the Kwassa Kwassa of Africa to the popular music of China, means that one eventually gets caught up in creation stories about music. Yes, we have all heard that the tradition of song comes from the beginning of humankind with the origin of sounds made by our Neanderthal brethren. These noises were modified till we came to the Enlightenment and the beginning of 300 years of top quality religious and secular music presenting the likes of J.S. Bach and Robert Schumann to the world. Both of these musicians represented distinct periods of music and had distinct styles. I felt that it would be interesting to see what their take on modern music would be, especially how it is made, to get a grasp of whether we have continued the lineage of music in a more or less expected fashion.
Johann Sebastian Bach, though he was not considered so at the time, was the North Star of the Baroque era of music, shining brighter and more prolifically than any other composer. Throughout his career, Bach was noted for being a virtuoso at the organ, for being very specific in the notation of his music—to make it clear to the performer how to maintain the authenticity of his work (though he was keen on improvisation)—and the longing to provide a close relationship between music and written text.
Based on these traits, Bach would have warmed to the newly resurgent story telling facet of music by bands like The Decemberists. The Oregon-based group has made it a point to intricately weave music around lyrics and vice versa, forming a rich tapestry of words, as if translated freely from an Icelandic Saga, within a very tight and diverse instrumental base. A great song to check out is “Burying Davy” from their new album Long Live the King. He would also appreciate the efforts of the more mellow math rock adherents along the vein of MuteMath. The complex yet consistent rhythms and melodic lines lined with subtle improvised creativity showcases the virtuosity of the band members for their instruments, which is something that Bach cared deeply about in composing his pieces for organ. This is brilliantly echoed in tracks like “Typical” and “Plan B” from their eponymous first album, or “Goodbye” and “Armistice” from their more recent release Armistice.
Robert Schumann was far less structured than his Baroque predecessor. Schumann was the sort of crazy rock star story from the Romantic period. Though he was easily one of the most prolific composers of his time, his life was plagued with injury, family betrayal, forlorn love, insanity and inherently fatal disease. Because of this, his music was as tumultuous. Schumann wrote his music with several keys and even genres of music playing forefront roles throughout the pieces. Even his more accessible music had dramatic tempo changes at the flick of a wrist and used some severe note clashes to convey tension in the emotion of a piece. It could be said that Schumann was often far before his time, almost to a fault.
Schumann, even today, would probably be lauded by Pitchfork as a 9 out of 10 musician merely based on his oddity, which would be held as genius. That being said, the German composer would probably be happy with the direction that artists like Friendly Fires are taking, especially in their recent album Pala. This can be seen clearly in the tracks “Show Me Lights” and “Live Those Days Tonight”. The album takes their normal electronic flair and adds a touch of tribal sounds and blending a very old eclectic sound with a very new, popular one. He would also appreciate the beauty with which Feist captures an inherent uncertainty in her music while still bringing it to at least one resolution in the course of a song. Though Schumann was definitely all over the place, he would take a rest to make a definite point and then continue on to the next hectic phrase. Listening to Feist is very calming, but this in itself is almost unnerving to a point where you’re never really put at ease, although this is amazing because her music is so hauntingly beautiful, especially on her newest release Metals. Great songs to hear for this include “Caught A Long Wind” and “Anti-Pioneer”.
This entire idea was spurned from watching Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and noting Beethoven’s response to the music he heard in the mall. That scene just sparked such an interesting thought that I couldn’t leave it untouched. Often, the best judge of what music one would listen to is the background process and what influences bands have. Therefore, it is important to examine how the giants of a very different time would view modern musical thought. With this insight, music can become more versatile in an industry that seems to already have everything. It could be a very exciting future for anyone walking campus with headphones deep in their ears.
