On classical music

Classical music is in crisis. Those who should be promoting it seem embarrassed to do so; some universities are closing music departments; and Alexandra Wilson and Ian Pace fear that it is being sidelined because of concerns about elitism and its associations with colonialism.

The latter, however, puzzles me. Classical music can be seen not as the ally of imperialism and capitalism but as its antithesis. Marx himself regarded it as an example of free, unalienated labour. And in the 50s and 60s its devotees thought it a pure art form in contrast to commercialized and capitalistic pop music. Anthony Burgess (himself a composer as well as author) spoke for many when he said that pop songs were "foisted on [young people] by middle-aged entrepreneurs and exploiters who should know better."

Some of its supporters have also argued that classical music is democratic. Whereas a successful pop career often (but not always) requires the backing of a big record company, anyone can make their own classical music. In the liner notes to Bach Trios by Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer, Timo Andres writes of Bach's music:

That everyone has access to this trove - and can, with a little experience, will these same creations into being - is one of the most profoundly democratic facts I know of, and stands as a great equalizer in an unequal world.

Of course, it is not often seen this way. One reason for this is that state schools do not inculcate that experience, preferring to be mere ideological state apparatuses preparing us for the world of drudgery. It is for this reason that pop music, like classical (pdf), has a problem with its performers coming from a narrow demographic : as the Sutton Trust points out, pop stars are disproportionately privately educated, as it is private schools where are more likely to provide a musical education. The fault here, though, is not with the music but with our class-scarred society.

In this context, it shouldn't be surprising that many leftists have loved classical music. One of the most interesting of these was Lenin. You would expect him of all people to be alert to music being tainted by capitalism and imperialism. For him, however, the problem was the exact opposite - not that it was associated with a brutal system but rather that it was too humanizing. Here's Georg Lukacs:

Gorky recorded Lenin’s very characteristic words spoken after he listened to Beethoven’s Appassionata sonata: “I know the Appassionata inside out and yet I am willing to listen to it every day. It is wonderful, ethereal music. On hearing it I proudly, maybe somewhat naively, think: See! people are able to produce such marvels!” He then winked, laughed and added sadly: “I’m often unable to listen to music, it gets on my nerves, I would like to stroke my fellow beings and whisper sweet nothings in their ears for being able to produce such beautiful things in spite of the abominable hell they are living in. However, today one shouldn’t caress anybody - for people will only bite off your hand; strike, without pity, although theoretically we are against any kind of violence. Umph, it is, in fact, an infernally difficult task!”

Lenin's fears have of course since been refuted. The fact that Nazis murdered millions whilst listening to Schumann and Mozart showed that classical music does not humanize people. That was Burgess's point in having Alex listen to "Ludwig Van" whilst fantasizing about murder.

It's unsurprising, then, that fans of classical music are often racists, sexists and snobs, as evidenced in the risible Michael Henderson's objection to any northerners appearing on Radio 3. Such bigotry is merely highlighted by the tendency of some listeners to use it to press for their own moral superiority: "Look at ME emoting to this. Don't I have such sophisticated sensibilities?"

What we say of football, however, is also true of classical music: it has a racism problem because society has a racist problem.

It's in this context that we should interpret the claim that classical music is associated with colonialism. It could not be otherwise. Some of it, most famously Rule Brittania, is an outright celebration of that. Others are part of that mindset, such as Saint-Saens use of African rhythms or Bartok and Vaughan Williams's "cultural appropriation" of folk music. And of course, music was disproportionately written and performed by affluent white men simply because it was they who had disproprtionate access to time and opportunities.

But, but, but. When Marx said "the mode of production of material life conditions the general process of social, political and intellectual life" he did not add "except for the stuff you like." Yes, a lot of classical music arose from imperialist societies, but so too does modern music arise from neoliberal ones. Quite a bit of it celebrates hyper-individualized consumer capitalism; Beyonce advertising Lexus is perhaps not the worst example of this. If we're going to find Beethoven guilty by association with capitalism, we must also find Nicki Minaj so. Or, of course, we could just lighten up.

This does, not, however, mean we should "cancel" (ugh) it. As Edward Said noted in Culture and Imperialism (pdf), recognising that culture is "manifestly and unconcealedly a part" of the imperial process does not mean we should reject its artefacts. Instead, he said, appreciating the connections "actually and truly enhances our reading and understanding of them." You can both deplore imperialism and at the same time celebrate the greater achievements of western culture, as indeed C.L.R. James did. And we can do this whilst recognizing that these achievements are not confined to dead white men. The better talk of "decolonizing music" is merely about recognising that classical music does not have a monopoly of great music - which is surely obviously true.

Here, I'll make a personal point. I came to classical music late in life. I didn't hear it at home and school was a Gradgrindian ideological state apparatus relieved only by the incompetence that caused it to employ one or two inspirational teachers. Instead, I discovered it after I started playing the guitar, and when, to improve that playing, I learned music theory. For me, the gateways to classical music were Barrios and Villa-Lobos. This means that I don't associate the music with nostalgia, and am left cold by a lot of emoting about it: for me, music is a technical process.

It also means that I can't see a clear distinction between classical and non-classical music: I'm not sure there's an iron curtain between Max Richter and Low or Brian Eno, for example. Better men than I share this view: Chris Thile plays Bach sonatas alongside bluegrass and Richard Thompson has played Henry Purcell and Britney Spears on the same album.

Which is why I'm saying all this - because it is not often said anywhere else. There are perspectives on classical music which are neither white liberal guilt nor facile snobbery.

Comments

[Phil]

A - now departed - friend of mine was lucky enough to see a rocket launch at Baikonur. He said it made him feel immensely proud - of the human race. *We* did that, dammit!

Lenin: "On hearing [Bach] I proudly, maybe somewhat naively, think: See! people are able to produce such marvels!"

Capitalism isn't necessarily the enemy of rocketry, but it can certainly dispense with music. But music endures. Thanks for saying all this.

[Chris]

I prefer to veer away from this hyperbole and go with the simple old fashioned view.

There are two types of music; the stuff you like and the stuff you don't.

I always add, 'plus the stuff you haven't heard yet...'

[ltr]

Alexandra Wilson and Ian Pace fear that it is being sidelined because of concerns about elitism and its associations with colonialism.

Classical music, Western and Eastern, African and Latin American, is performed before excited, appreciative audiences all through China.

[Potterji]

There are only two types of music - good music and 80s music.

[Jan Wiklund]

This extreme compartmentalization of music seems to be an effect of the English class-ridden society. True, Pierre Bourdieu, who said that he could pin-point every cultural taste to a class-fraction, was a Frenchman but France in our days seems more relaxed. The small countryside town where I live (dominated by wine-production) has a musical tradition with every kind of music mixed into it. The municipal high school (which also teaches music) has an orchestra that among other things gives a New Year concert with all kinds of music. In the late April there is a Brass Festival, also with all kinds of music (provided that it is brass).

I think this kind of mixture of traditions is good. It could be even better, one could mix it within one piece of music. One of my best musical experiences the last couple of years was listening to Charlie Haden playing Ravel’s piano concert in B major. He started it straight, but he couldn’t avoid some jazz improvisations now and then. But that is perhaps what classical composers like Grieg and Dvořák did 140 years ago when they imported folk music into the classical tradition.

You said some people disagreed and thought it was harmful ”appropriation” when musicians from western countries incorporated for example African music into theirs. I think that is bunkum. When classical composers 140 years ago incorporated folk music into their music this was a boost for folk music. And when Paul Simon sang South African music it was a boost to South African music. When Astor Piazzolla played with Argentinian tango some Argentians protested, but his gambit made people interested in Argentinian tango. Music is made to mix and has always mixed, as Swedish folk music Grand Old Man Ale Möller said when somebody accused him for playing in a West African band. Only rigid disciplinarians can have anything against it.

[Jan Wiklund]

When I read through what I wrote above I am remembered of Brazilian musician and minister of culture Gilberto Gil who in both his capacities explicitely defended this attitude. He called it "cannibalization". And if he can, so can I....

[rsm]

If you try to reproduce music you like to listen to, does it become pretty obvious pretty quickly that there is an aspect to the music that transcends societal concerns about this and that, and society is revealed as trying to control one's thoughts even as one practices music, which is just so human, and part of why some of us try to escape into music, which easily survives outside of humans in birds, for example?

[Jan Wiklund]

In a way I can understand that embattled people may feel threatened when others play "their" music. But I think they are wrong. When white American people started to play and listen to black Americans' music this was a step towards citizens' rights. It made it more impossible to oppress black people.

I think one can generalize this. It is only when you think of other people as extremely "Other" that you can see them as enemies. This is one reason why vulnerable minorities shouldn't retreat behind fences towards the world but try to mix as much as possible into majorities.

Only majorities can defeat the present rentier capitalism.

[ltr]

"When white American people started to play and listen to black Americans' music this was a step towards citizens' rights. It made it more impossible to oppress black people."

Really fine insight about art generally:

https://twitter.com/thinking_panda/status/1644368570141507584

ShanghaiPanda @thinking_panda

President Xi told a story to President Macron:

Chinese ancient musicians Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi's friendship was strengthened by music. Boya played a piece of music that only Ziqi could understand, demonstrating that true friendship requires mutual understanding and appreciation.

11:56 AM · Apr 7, 2023

[rsm]

What does Xi think of Cui Jian, whose concert in Beijing just weeks before the Tiananmen Square incident I actually attended, observing CCP troops keeping people in their seats not letting them dance in the aisles?

《The musician visited the student protesters on Tiananmen Square during the ill-fated protests, giving a concert to support the hunger strikers 15 days before the government’s violent crackdown. He sang “Nothing to My Name,” and “A Piece of Red Cloth,” which he performed with a red blindfold over his eyes.

“Nothing to My Name,” originally a song whose character asks his sweetheart to love him even though he has nothing, became an anthem for the student protesters. The musician was refused permission to play major venues in Beijing for years afterwards, according to foreign media.》

[ltr]

What does Xi think...

[ Always but always, racial prejudice. Got to despise 1.4 billion people. ]