Here's something you might be interested in.
I mentioned that Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto may have been forgotten if it had been written by a lesser composer. The point being, there is a ton of mediocre classical music.
It is tempting to consider every piece of classical music to be a master piece. Every composer has a grip of “B Side” compositions.
Beethoven was the master of the piano sonata and wrote 32 of them. I hope we’re all familiar with the Pathetique, Moonlight, and Appassionata--only 29 to go. Now many should have heard the Waldstein and Hammerklavier as well but it’s a little shocking when we think about it.
How many operas did Verdi write? 28. How many can we name? Of those we can name, which have we heard? Ever heard Puccini’s Edgar? How about Wagner’s Die Feen?
Then there are the composers who get no love. Sir Henry Bishop wrote over 100 operas. Georg Philipp Telemann wrote over 3,000 pieces of music. Ever heard any? Me either. How about the vilified Antonio Salieri from Amadeus?
Great music stands the test of time. Period. However, I’m not sold on how accurate the test of time is. If Rick Astley is still being played two days from now it will be too long. The test of time is not a formal test, after all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx9VH8P_i18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&ob=av2n
I mentioned that Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto may have been forgotten if it had been written by a lesser composer. The point being, there is a ton of mediocre classical music.
It is tempting to consider every piece of classical music to be a master piece. Every composer has a grip of “B Side” compositions.
Beethoven was the master of the piano sonata and wrote 32 of them. I hope we’re all familiar with the Pathetique, Moonlight, and Appassionata--only 29 to go. Now many should have heard the Waldstein and Hammerklavier as well but it’s a little shocking when we think about it.
How many operas did Verdi write? 28. How many can we name? Of those we can name, which have we heard? Ever heard Puccini’s Edgar? How about Wagner’s Die Feen?
Then there are the composers who get no love. Sir Henry Bishop wrote over 100 operas. Georg Philipp Telemann wrote over 3,000 pieces of music. Ever heard any? Me either. How about the vilified Antonio Salieri from Amadeus?
Great music stands the test of time. Period. However, I’m not sold on how accurate the test of time is. If Rick Astley is still being played two days from now it will be too long. The test of time is not a formal test, after all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx9VH8P_i18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&ob=av2n