Misusing the word "Classical"?

Question

I've studied music and piano for about 14 years, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when people call.... say.. The Star Wars Theme "Classical." Only our retarded modern society could be dumb enough to categorize 500+ years of music into one genre.

Although I have to admit I generally refer to anything before the 1940's as "classical," simply because most people wouldn't have a clue what the "Baroque" or "Romantic" periods were.

So when someone asks you, "what kind of music do you like?" Does anyone have a better answer than "Classical?"

Actually I'm pretty lively at parties.....

Answer 1

I generally refer to "classical" music (or what the masses call classical music) as "art music". However, if I'm talking to someone who I know doesn't know much about music, I just say "classical", in order to save myself the trouble of having to explain what "art music" is.

Answer 2

Well, I'm sure you know that there is a difference between "Classical" and "classical" (the capital is the era of Haydn and Mozart) "classical" is just referring to this genre because it has been around much longer than any of the other popular songs. I think it is so amazing that music from the early Baroque era like Vivaldi's Four Seasons is widely recognized today and still considered a great piece of music which is much greater than any Popular genre song has/will ever achieve. Music is called classical because it will be around forever.

I do, however, agree that people grossly overuse the word "classical" and categorize anything that is played with strings into that genre. Another one that bothers me is the overuse of the word "song." Song really refers to "art song" or lieder, not every single piece of music!

(I'm fun at parties too, really!)

Answer 3

Classical is the most general term for the genre. This refers to instrumental music excluding jazz instruments and instruments used in new music (rock, pop). If you were speaking to a classical musician, he would understand classical to be the period from the mid 1700's up until 1802. After that we have the Romanticism thru the 19th century and the Modern period beginning shortly after the turn of the century.

Answer 4

Well, to me, 'Classical' means the traditionally classical composers, like Elgar, Mozart, Bach, etc.

Artists like Lesley Garrett or Bond, I term 'Modern Classical'.
And soundtrack work is 'Classically Inspired Themes'.

But that's just my way of doing it.


And I have to say, I'd be one of those people unsure which of the greats were Baroque, Romantic, or things like that!

Answer 5

To be fair, I prefer Baroque and Romantic over classical.

I also kinda dig the impressionistic ear, and the neo-classicists. Not to hip on Modern, post-modern, or minimalists.

Answer 6

All I have to say is AMEN!!!!!

:D

I prefer Romatic and Neoclassical music... basically anything from 1850-1960ish that is my favorite century + of music.

Answer 7

I'll bet you're real fun at parties. Lighten up.
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