This article will discuss why classical music is better than rap music and present a historical analysis of the relation between the two genres. In doing so, the author will attempt to distinguish between musical expression and artistry, self-expression and social interaction, and form and function.
Classical music is an artistic expression
“Performative” and “artistic” are not adjectives that are often used about music. Classical music has long since been regarded as a form of aesthetic expression, but this was only gradually achieved by using serious compositional techniques.
By the 19th century, composers like Mozart and Brahms were no longer making noise. Their music was composed and performed with great subtlety and precision.
This is why critics and the public generally often viewed classical music as artistic and most heard of the genre as the music of reflection.
However, by the end of the 19th century, the public began to recognize that classical music’s ability to hold a listener’s attention was something they hadn’t seen before. It was a rare kind of music that could encourage someone to sit still and focus.
During the era of classical music, in which the growth of dance music, the mass media, the decline of religion, and the evolution of jazz would influence the listeners’ expectations of how music was performed, classical music was being developed as a means of reflecting and exhibiting our culture.
In the 21st century, classical music has an air of prestige it’s never had before. It’s regarded as the highest expression of music.
This is largely due to the “modernist” movement of the early 20th century. These composers’ focus was mainly musical expression, and their music aimed to “make people think.”
This unique time in musical history had a lasting effect on how we think about music and its artistic value.
Classical music has a long history
While rap has a long history, classical music has always been a well-known entity to both artists and the public. The music was performed centuries ago by world-famous musicians.
According to research, classical music has a more complex and varied history than rap music and more reliable history of being performed than the jazz and swing genres. By comparison, most rap music has a much shorter history than classical music.
As well as that, classical music has been a more constant and influential musical form throughout history than rap music has. Whereas most rap music was created just after World War II, some of the most popular classical musicians, such as Mozart, have a much older history.
Classical music has a great, powerful sound that is not composed in a light two-step or flute solo vocal-folk rock composed in hip hop guitars.
There is an amazing resonance that classical music has that many people are unaware of. In contrast to rap music, which has a great variety of instruments, heavy distortion, and use of technology, classical music is a much more quiet and subtle sound.
The range of instruments is also quite wide, and the sounds created by the instruments within a song are quite distinct, without blending. Many different scales are used in classical music.
Rap music uses prevalent scales and keys and also many popular, contemporary songs. Classical music is constructed of more complex scales and musical notes, creating a much more unique and pleasing sound.
Classical music uses a lot more repetition in its sounds and a wide range of instruments that use an array of different tones and harmonies.
Classical music uses lots of symbols
While many rap artists are very creative in their raps, they are typically less visually pleasing. The lyrics are often set to a heavy electronic beat, which is pretty much abstract.
As well as this, they usually only contain a few grammatical mistakes, whereas classical music uses more symbols. For example, the word “ice” in classical music might be used as a noun to refer to a piece of snow, and “ice cream” might refer to a favorite dessert.
Each symbol or word is significant in classical music. For example, the word “re” is used to separate words or syllables in different classical music forms.
It has the form of an “I” with a middle dot and two dots at the top, representing a middle voice and a sub-voice.
The different sounds classical music uses are also significant, as it has a big impact on the way the music sounds. There are many more sounds that classical music uses in its music than rap, and these sounds affect how the music sounds. Some examples of these sounds are:
- A plucked violin
- Swedish rowing-Kantor
- Japanese taiko drum
- Dolce Stil Novo
- Singing
- Space voice
Above, all these symbols and sounds are used in one single melody.
“It’s going to take some getting used to,” said one boy. “The rest of my family doesn’t listen to classical music, and it sounds so foreign to me.”
It can be difficult to understand rap music’s lyrics and meaning because it is very different from the more monotonous sounds of classical music.
Not just for people with good taste
If you have enjoyed rap music in the past, and even you have a fair degree of understanding of classical music, you may have to stretch your sense of what is good to appreciate classical music.
But, it is absolutely worth it to try. Classical music is intense and complex.
It will give you a much better appreciation of it than if you took your taste for rap music and applied it to classical music.
After all, rap music is not the only genre of music that contains complex music.
The same can be said of any other genre.
As it is just a thought, I do not doubt that if a few people are forced to listen to more classical music, their appreciation of rap music will rise dramatically.
It is completely worth it.
Therefore, I would recommend the following:
- Listen to classical music.
- Could you read about it?
- Keep your ears open.
If you do this, you will be on the path to having an even better appreciation of rap music than I have.