Submitted by Jonathan Miller on Wed, 11/14/2007 - 1:03am.
Okay, I have a question for you, based on my lifelong love of spirituals.
Are African-American spirituals "classical music"? If so, why? If not, why not?
And if some arrangements are more "classical" than others, how come?
I'm not asking about the political-correctness side of the question -- rather, more about the musical aspects.
This is not a trick question. I've got my own ideas about it (which I'll flesh out more next time), but I am more interested in what the rest of you think. The whole thing struck me as a little odd, so I thought I'd ask the community what it thinks and feels about this.
Let us hear from you.
Posted in
ChoralNet (not verified) | Wed, 11/14/2007 - 11:22am
Spirituals are folk songs. Properly speaking, spirituals are monophonic; anything with harmony is an arrangement of a spiritual. Arrangements can be in any style: gospel, jazz, classical, presumably even hip-hop.
When Mozart writes a symphony based on a folk tune, it's the symphony that's classical, not the folk song itself.
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»Plush | Thu, 11/15/2007 - 10:57am
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»Jacque Harper (not verified) | Thu, 11/15/2007 - 4:35pm
I struggle with this question when asked about the music the Chicago Bass Ensemble performs. "Is it classical?"
I have to respond, no, it's not. Most of what we play is written in the last 50 years: it's contemporary, or post-romantic, or modern ... but it's not from the classical era.
What they're asking is more like "what does it sound like? Is there a drum set? Are you improvising [another loaded word]? Do I have to wear a tie?"
My answer ("no, it's not classical, it is composed music: we're not improvising, we're playing what somebody else wrote, but it isn't dissonant 'avant-garde modern' music") proves that I am an over-educated stuffed shirt when it comes to musical questions!
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