Musical Genres

Music. Fascinating both by it's diverse individual styles and the inevitable fusion of different genres which in turn have created other completely new and unique styles of music. Classical music is a perfect example. The earliest forms of classical music were composed in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and displayed a very complicated and sophisticated form of writing incorporating a wide range of instruments and used the principle of multi instrumentation which achieved a very full symphonic sound which in turn led to the creation of specially designed halls to facilitate the sound. The origins of the music were also diverse, many compositions having been written for the stage, composers such as 'Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky' who is responsible for the remarkable musical compositions of 'Swan Lake' and 'The Nutcracker' wrote his music for Ballet in a style which was not only captivating and enchanting, but also told a story. Tchaikovsky was not the only composer to do this, 'Richard Wagner' who was a composer of Opera's also wrote his music in a style that told a story. Wagner changed the concept of opera by viewing it as a 'total art work' He wanted the Conductor to control all the elements of the dramatic production and to put them to work in projecting the drama through the Music. In the same diversified way the composers of the time wrote for dances to be performed on the stage, others wrote for dances that were popular at the time, such as the waltz, in this instance Composers such as 'Josef Lanner' and 'Johann Strauss' gave the waltz a whole new life. With their compositions the waltz gained sophistication and superiority Along with a distinctly Viennese light-hearted spirit. But not all classical music composers wrote for the stage or even for dance. Some composed music for the things they felt were important. 'Johann Sebastian Bach' was amongst this group, he was a very religious man who composed for the church, primarily, he was a man of God, and often he would concentrate on the depth of his religion and put it back into his music, as an intense personal statement of faith. But where Bach wrote for the church composers such as 'George Fredric Handel' wrote for the general public he was a man of the world who loved to travel and who put this across in his music. Handel's compositions varied where some were simple others were a lot more vigorous. Another composer who's compositions were often very contradictory was 'Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart' who is probably one of the most popular composers of all time. Even in the Nineteenth century Mozart was one of the leading Classical composers and was a master at all genres of classical music, his music was often cheerful and disorderly, but yet he could write outstanding melodies that were simple and unpretentious, which contained an unforgettable, haunting beauty. His music was greatly influenced by 'Franz Joseph Hayden' who was one of the main influences which transformed the classical genre from little more than a divertimento of strings to music with an almost chamber music style but which gave all parts of the orchestra an equal role. His ideas not only influenced Mozart they also went on to influence 'Ludwig Van Beethoven' who's music is not only astonishing and remarkable but is still very popular. But for what ever influential reason these composers wrote, all their musical compositions often had significant similarities, as with all classical music they were written for an orchestra, mainly full and often symphony. Many composers of the classical genre wrote music with flexible rhythm, and the symphonies they wrote were full of complicated and complex key changes, modulations and movements. As classical music did not have lyrics the music needed to be a lot more complicated, so composers would give the music movement to make it more interesting, and although the compositions were often very repetitive they were performed in such a way that made it very pleasing to the ear, this was one of the expertise that Beethoven possessed. His symphonies were so powerful that they continued to be popular through to separate genres for example his 9th symphony was used in the play 'Clockwork Orange'. and his 5th symphony in the prisoner of war series 'Colditz' and in popular music in the song 'Roll over Beethoven' by Chuck Berry.

Roll over Beethoven is a classic example of 50's/60's Rock and Roll music. Rock and Roll music is unique in the fact that is probably the first musical genre formed exclusively around youth culture. The roots of which developed from blues music, jazz and various other influences, and pioneered by artists such as Bill Hailey and the Comets, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and on this side of the Atlantic, artists such as Cliff Richard, Marti Wilde, and Billy Fury. With such other influences as the likes of Lonnie Donegon blending American roots music with an English slant and developing the sound of skiffle. From these early beginnings the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling stones, and other groups drawing on influences from both sides of the Atlantic developed pop and rock music. Many people would consider 'The Beatles' the greatest pop stars of the 20th century not only because of their popularity and commercial success but also because of the incomparable impact their song writing and recording techniques had on the music industry. But they are not the only pop act of the time to have had such an impact on the music industry, the Bee Gees who are undeniably the most successful sibling act in the history of pop, are often described as the purveyors of cheesy pop and 70's glitter ball disco. Along with Abba, whose Eurovision success led them to become the most commercially successful group of the 70's who with their dense, multi-layered productions and perfectly matching lead vocals transformed themselves from Eurovision Euro-trash to cherished musicians. Then there were 'The Beach Boys' who will forever be associated with the sun, sea and surfin' lifestyle of California. But the band became much more than background music for the surf, and grew to be America's finest pop group, they soon became the one and only challenge to the Beatles success. This was because of the simplicity of their early hits. but simplicity was replaced in later work by anguish, loss of innocence and wistful harmonies. Their experimental approach, was highly influential. Even musical peers The Beatles were influenced by the astounding 'Pet Sounds' album, which continued to inspire groups for many generations to come. But even with Eurovision and surfing being the source of pop music at the time, no one could have predicted that a wonky eyed former mime artist from