Music streaming apps such as Spotify and Apple Music gain traction due to their exhaustive catalogs of songs, from award-winning hits to obscure deep-cuts. Fans of just about any type of music can access a world of recordings they love from a device they can carry anywhere. The instant availability of familiar songs can turn some listeners away from anything outside their comfort zones, but music platforms often respond by encouraging users to explore new genres.
One type of music that falls into the “exploring” category in most high schoolers’ streaming accounts is classical. According to a 2018 survey of US listeners, 22% of people aged 16-19 reported enjoying instrumental music (which includes many classical and jazz works), and only 15% reported enjoying soundtracks (such as film scores).
So, where should an adventurous high school listener start with this complex, imposing style of music? Classical music is really a collection of diverse subgenres, and sampling each one allows people to decide which type most resonates with them.
Early Classical music (1600s) is called Baroque. In this time period, composers experimented with “forms” of music, combining simple melodies in complex, varied fashions. An example of this is the canon, where a single sequence of notes is repeated, each time changed in a slightly different way.
The most prominent Baroque composer is Johann Sebastian Bach. Most people would recognize some of his music; his piece Toccata and Fugue is the subject of a popular Internet meme. A beginning Bach listener might enjoy the following pieces:
- Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue (a swift, energetic piano solo)
- Little Harmonic Labyrinth (a short but extremely complex organ piece)
In the 1700s, music transitioned to the Classical era. Although the style shares a name with its larger umbrella genre, the term in this context refers only to a specific time period. Composers of this genre began to recognize music for its own sake instead of only writing for entertainment or religion, and this led to longer, more complicated forms of music, most notably the symphony.
Notable symphonists (composers of symphonies) during the Classical period include Haydn (nicknamed “the father of the symphony”), Mozart, and a young Beethoven. Beginner-friendly Classical symphonies might include:
- Symphony No. 40 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (a symphony filled with catchy melodies)
- Symphony No. 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven (known as the “Heroic” symphony for its triumphant start and finish)
After Beethoven’s death, composers felt they could no longer advance the Classical genre— it had grown as large, long, and loud as its rules could permit. Therefore, a school of Beethoven-loving composers decided to establish a new genre: Romantic. Boasting massive orchestras, deafening volumes, emotional roller coasters, and showy soloists, Romantic music pushes the absolute limits of what musicians are capable of playing.
Romantic composers dominated the mid- to late 1800s; among the most prominent are Brahms, Bruckner, Liszt, and a young Mahler. As a free-flowing, personal, emotional genre, many teenage listeners might find it most appealing. A typical introduction to the Romantic era might include pieces such as:
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt (a showy piano piece)
- Symphony No. 1 by Gustav Mahler (a work that cycles through tons of emotions… Jumpscare warning!)
In the musical world, Mahler’s death had a similar impact to that of Beethoven— composers realized that Romantic music couldn’t continue forever. At some point, the emotional power of the genre became cliché, and musicians began to express themselves through alternate methods.
Thus emerged 20th Century classical music, which seeks not to push the boundaries of rules (as Romantic music does) but to break them entirely, establishing new forms and trends that sound strange yet appealing. This is a hard genre to enjoy with zero experience, but once a listener has sampled other eras of music, they might find interest in:
- Rhapsody in Blue by George Gerschwin (a piece with heavy Jazz influences)
- Piano Concerto in G Major by Maurice Ravel (a lighthearted piece with impressive piano passages)
While the extensive repertoire of classical music is not common knowledge among the average highschooler, lots of classical music is subtly (and not so subtly) ingrained in pop culture.
Of course, when thinking about classical music it is hard not to think of the famous Pachelbel’s Canon In D Major that is played at weddings galore. But when taking a closer look at this piece, we see a chord progression that has held the test of time. This prominent chord progression is I-V–vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V. It can be heard in well known pop songs such as Memories by Maroon 5, No Woman, No Cry by Bob Marley, Life Goes On by 2Pac, Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne, and so many others.
Movies are a perfect example of classical music’s influence. John Williams, a renowned composer is best known for his iconic film scores which include Star Wars, Jaws, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and E.T. It is evident when listening to these scores that Williams is well versed in classical titles because his writing is hugely similar to that of long gone composers.
For instance, the famous Jaws motif sounds almost identical to the opening of Dvorak’s Symphony No.9 “From the New World.” Additionally, Darth Vader’s Theme “Imperial March” from Star Wars clearly has direct influence from Gustav Holst’s “Mars the Bringer of War,” both of which evoke an ominous, powerful, and menacing feeling. He homages composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold in the iconic Main Theme from Star Wars which shares a strong resemblance to the Main Theme from the 1942 film Kings Row, composed by Korngold. Not only does classical music inspire original work, it also is used as a soundtrack to movies! The emotional depth of classical music makes it the perfect detail for a dramatic, lighthearted, or battle scene in any movie. When it comes to classical music’s influence on movies, the list goes on!
Classical music surrounds our everyday lives, whether that be in the theaters, at a public gathering, or in our favorite songs. Most people, whether they know it or not, are already well versed in the themes of classical music! So what better thing to do than take a closer look at the inspiration behind your favorite melodies?
