Why does contemporary classical music spurn melody?

Ross also suggests that disharmonious major film and TV scores ("2001: A Space Odyssey," "Shutter Island," and the series "Lost") were not alienating to audiences. He reasons that because viewers didn't reject the films, they cannot actually be wired to loathe such dissonant music.

But the operative factor here is that viewers were engrossed in the visual stories, with the scores as mere afterthoughts, or supplements to the ima­gery and story line. Moviegoers aren't hearing film scores as isolated pieces of music – if they are even considering them at all.

Emotional vs. intellectual connections

While adherents of contemporary orchestral music and many musicians contend that the newer compositions challenge the intellect of listeners as well as the skill of performers, most listeners simply are not programmed to accept what sounds grating and unpleasant. Critics ignore the notion that, for most listeners, music elicits emotional rather than intellectual responses.

Dad liked to illustrate his antipathy toward new music by relating an anecdote. A former conductor of the Duluth orchestra had selected an all-Finnish program for a concert. "We played Sibelius, of course," Dad said, "and people wept. But we'd also commissioned something by a young Finnish composer. I'd say he got a polite, but reserved, reception. Then we played 'Finlandia' as an encore, and people cried and cheered."

A few years ago, appearing with Terry Gross on NPR's "Fresh Air," Paul McCartney was asked about his foray into classical music composition. Ms. Gross mentioned that recordings of those works sold well, but reviews had been harsh at worst and lukewarm at best. His response: "Well, Terry, I like melody."

Heedless of critics, audiences do, too. Familiar musical strains trigger memories and connections for everyone. Dissonant sounds, on the other hand, rarely become familiar, because without great effort, they cannot be embedded in our minds' ears.

A cadre of music critics, performers, and proponents, however, posit that repetition of the classical canon no longer engages them. Like elevator music, it doesn't stimulate and has become a frustrating bore.

Check out the Monitor's Music page

A solution may be for new composers to embrace, rather than scorn, melody. Certain modern composers – Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber come to mind – have often done so. Some of their works are frequently included in the repertoires of orchestras and chamber ensembles, and have rightly earned their way into the hearts – and ears – of listeners.

Certainly classical music isn't simply written or played to make us comfortable. It should challenge, inspire, and evoke. It just shouldn't sound like bus crashes.

Michael Fedo is an author and former college communications teacher.

Previous

1 | 2