Music at it's Best

For beginners, we all know that Beethoven's above statement is true. Below is a youtube clip worth watching. It's the very best of Dvorak's works. He's not as famous as Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Schubert, etc. but he was a very talented composer who brought a very unique style to the classical world. "New World Symphony", "Slavonic Dances", and even his section for "Serenade for Strings" are some of his best works. But enough about Dvorak, let's get to the meat of my little rant.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been wrapped up in different shades of Classical Music. Operas, ballets, symphonies, quartets at my grandfather’s home, you name it. But being raised with it, I appreciate it more than most people my age. I have been going to symphonies with my grandpa (who plays in the in the local Orchestra) since the age of nine. From that time to now, the amount of people who attend these shows has rapidly declined. Not only that, but the performances have also declined, reducing to only four shows per season where there were once six. Within these four shows, they have modernized the selection of music, drawing away from the original form of classical music, into something that might appeal more to people. But people in general are becoming less and less interested in classical music; especially in the younger generations.  But if the younger generations really thought about it, classical music is something to appreciate. It is the reason that we have so many genre's of music out there today. From rap to country to heavy metal, it's all based on the evolution of music, which starts with classical music. It’s something that I am very passionate about, as you can tell. A lot of people think classical music is "just for old people" but I believe that classical music is just like a book; there’s a genre and a song out there for everyone. Besides, even if it's for old people, classical music has been proven in studies to help Alzheimer's patients because of how it improves your memory. Not to mention that it can enhance your IQ, considering that when you're learning a new instrument, and how to read the music, you're learning the mathematical sequence of the music. It's something that should be appreciated and something that people should take more interest in. Here is a good website to check out to further prove my point on the benefits.

Speaking of appreciation, here's some quirky facts you might not have known about the all famous and talented composers (and yes, these are legitimate facts):

-Prior to Mozart, most composers had a benefactor of some kind. Mozart was the first to try to break away. He died a pauper although some think that was because he spent all the money he made to support a mistress. It would have been difficult for him to spend that much without knowing where it went. Mozart also would have his wife read the newspaper to him while he was transcribing music because he found that terminally boring.

-Beethoveen was the first truly successful composer. He broke away and didn't have a benefactor later becoming pretty rich. He sold a single piece to several different music companies at once and made money off of each one. This was before copyright laws so the rival companies would eventually steal his music anyway. It should be said that even that was pretty shady at the time.

-Tchaikovsky was in love with a nobleman's nephew. It caused a big scandal when it was made public. The common theory at the time was that he had the choice of being exiled in Siberia or killing himself. He chose the latter. The official cause of death in the Russian History was something along the lines of cholera (or some other highly contagious deadly gastric virus).

-Tchaikovsky suffered from many mental breakdowns and neuroses. He believed that his head would fall off, so when conducting an orchestra he would hold his chin with his left hand.

 

-After attending the first performance of Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro, the Emperor Joseph II's only comment was "Too many notes".

 

-Beethoven's fifth was the first symphony to include trombones.

 

 

 

Hope you were enlightened. Until the next rant,
-Most Honorable One.