Why doesn't classical music have lyrics? Why just instrumental?

Question

What if classical music had lyrics, would it change the beauty of the music?

Opera is not classica music. Tune in to any classical music radio station to hear what classical music sounds like, there's no lyrics to the original classical.

Anyone have the lyrics to (or know where I can get them) to Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Plus Tchaikovsky's Piano
Concerto No.1 or No. 3?

Beethoven's 9th Symphony is the King of symphony's. Schumann's Symphony No.3 - The Rhenish is the Queen of Symphonies. Did you know that?

Answer 1

All you have to do is listen to the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony or Handel's Messiah - two classical pieces that are played all the time on classical radio.

Truthfully, there probably was some separation for a long time of the mindset of using vocals with music - much of that music was originally composed for the church. Many of the Oratorios follow this trend.
Another fact was when composers wrote pieces for vocals, that meant bringing in a choir to sing along with the orchestra - not always easy. Early on most vocalists would be drowned out by a chamber ensemble, then especially with symphony.
Some composers admitted they didn't want to write for the human voice.
It really has only been since the 1960s that classical music stations cut back on programming opera and other vocal selections, at least in the U.S. - probably in part because most of the vocal music is not sung in English, and Americans tend to be xenophobic about other languages. You also had the development of Opera shows, which carry weekly performances of Opera companies.
Now, if you listen to the BBC or classical music in other countries, thats not the case, you hear plenty of vocal music.
By the way - Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Brahms - all giants of classical music - wrote many pieces that included vocal selections - and they didn't considered them any less skilled pieces - they simply added the voice as another instrument to perform their work.

By the way - many critics list Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as the greatest work of classical music. Definitely argued - but it shows you how highly thought of the piece is - with a vocal movement.

Answer 2

I'm always paying more attention to the music than the lyrics. A great song stands up even without the vocals. Sure there are great singers, but give me musicians that have good technique. When I go to clubs, I sit right up front watching these guys play. Blues, rock, jazz, and country instrumentals as long they have a melody. I don't really care for free form stuff though.

Answer 3

Zorro, your definition of classical music is in error. Classical music INCLUDES opera, oratorio, lieder, etc. You must be thinking about symphonic music only - orchestral - or even chamber music. Actually, there ARE a few orchestral pieces that include chorus - the most famous being Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

Thre are alos recordings of operatic music in which the SINGERS have been replaced with instruments - some people like it that way! It's a big planet, and has room for many ears.

Answer 4

As several other people have pointed out, many classical works do indeed have lyrics. I've noticed, however, that some classical stations tend to gravitate toward works without lyrics, except for special broadcasts of live or recently recorded live performances.

The local classical station in my area definitely favors instrumental works: orchestral, solo piano, solo guitar, etc. It also favors what are generally termed "war horses"... but that's another subject...

Answer 5

Opera is not classical music? This will be a huge disappointment to Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner......

Instrumental music (the stuff without lyrics) is complete without adding lyrics. There is lots of classical music that does have lyrics, as the responders above have pointed out. There's a lot of popular music that doesn't have lyrics too -- Lots of movie scores, jazz, new age stuff (you know, David Lanz, Yawnee and that sort of garbage) doesn't have lyrics either.

If it has lyrics, it's a song. If it doesn't, then it ain't.

.

Answer 6

A lot of classical music *does* have lyrics: operas, lieder (art songs), and so on. And no, it does not change the beauty of the music. In fact, the music enhances the meaning of the words.

BTW, the term 'classical' refers to music written mostly in the 18th century; 'romantic' period music is from the 19th century. However, 'classical' has come to refer to any music that is not currently popular, though it was the 'pop music' of its day. A lot of 20th century composers work in the classical style - John Williams, for one.

Answer 7

There's PLENTY of classical music with "lyrics." Yes, of course, opera IS classical music! Unless your definition of opera is the Who's "Tommy."

Someone here also said that "originally, classical music didn't have lyrics." That also REALLY depends on how you define classical music. The earliest ancestors of classical music was chant, after all...and the majority of music in the Renaissance was vocal, too.

Answer 8

Zorro, everyone I don't need to say much because everyone is basically pwning you.
But I would like to add this- Please don't tell everyone that Beethoven's ninth symphony is the king of all symphonies, and that Schumann's third symphony is the queen of all symphonies. That is all a matter of opinion, and personally, I disagree.

Answer 9

You are quite right. Originally classical music had no lyrics, no words at all.

Most of the words, for instance that chorus and solo singers in what we now know as Beethoven's 9th symphony, were added years later by the Marx Brothers, Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo, and Karl.

There will be those who have answered this question who will object to this fact, but I ask them, as I ask you, to identify another 9th symphony that has words. Dvorak? no. Vaughn-Williams? no. Schubert? no. Bruckner? nein. (that why its called his neinth symphony)

Clearly there is a pattern here. 9th symphonies do not have lyrics. Yet we are suppose to believe that Beethoven had to fill in the dull spots of his symphony with singing.

Why, that would be like sitting down to a nice scrambled
egg and adding something ridiculous to it like.. well I dunno... ham. its unthinkable.

Does this seem even remotely reasonable?

Beside, Beethoven couldn't have added words because he was deaf. So if he wanted to use words he would have used that large chorus and solo singers, but they would all be doing sign language.

Good question though. We are all here to help.

Answer 10

oh yes Zorro opera is classical music .... and most classical stations do broadcast operas .... try Saturday afternoon's Live from the Met, that has been around for over 60 years

Mamianka mellow ... LOL straight shooter, tell it like is, yes mellow (giggles uncontrollably) ... well maybe ;)