Gen Z reviving Classical Music?

[vchimpanzee]

In the past and sometimes today many "live" Classical stations would play just movements or very short works during morning and afternoon drive time, but complete works at other times.

There was a letter to the editor in The Charlotte observer many years ago saying it was wrong to play just a movement and not the entire symphony. If you're going to do that, the letter said, you turn into the commercial for an album of favorite classical works.

 

[CTListener]

There was a letter to the editor in The Charlotte observer many years ago saying it was wrong to play just a movement and not the entire symphony. If you're going to do that, the letter said, you turn into the commercial for an album of favorite classical works.

In WCRB Boston's final few years as a commercial classical station, it played "Classical's Greatest Hits," a tight playlist of about 250 movements, overtures, excerpts from suites, etc. The classical purists objected, but the removal of longer, less familiar pieces from the playlist didn't seem to affect the ratings, although of course the numbers in the money demos were not available. In the end, classical music wound up on 99.5 when country WKLB moved to 102.5 and WCRB became a part of WGBH and went noncommercial.

 

[b-turner]

I often heard 'play the entire work' as intended to be performed out of respect for the composer. I wanted to hear the parts I liked instead. Commute times really require shorter selections.

WCRB's tight playlist, I understand, was quite successful as far as the format goes but it's back to the big split in classical listening. One group is the avid classical listener who knows the works, best arrangements and knowledge like the eras classical music, the atypical structure of a symphony and such. Then there is the casual listener that likely listens to commercial radio and wants to hear what they know or is appealing. A multi-movement work might run them off simply due to tempo changes. They likely don't know much about classical music.

 

[CTListener]

Here is the approach taken by Vermont Public Classical, whose Norwich affiliate, WNCH, is usually in the top 5 stations in the Hanover/Lebanon/White River Junction market. Entire works are usually played, and the hosts are all knowledgable, all but one of whom also performs classical or choral music.

10:09am 02/08/2023
Clarinet Quintet in f# Op. 10
COMPOSER:Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
ARTIST:Catalyst Quartet; Anthony McGill, clarinet
ALBUM:Uncovered, Vol. 1: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

10:38am 02/08/2023
Piano Concerto #2 in F Op. 102
COMPOSERmitri Shostakovich
ARTIST:Los Angeles Philharmonic; Yefim Bronfman, piano
CONDUCTOR:Esa-Pekka Salonen

11:00am 02/08/2023
Concerto in F
COMPOSER:Johann David Heinichen
ARTIST:Musica Antiqua Koln
CONDUCTOR:Reinhard Goebel

11:15am 02/08/2023
El Condor Pasa
COMPOSER:Jorge Morel
ARTIST:John Williams, guitar
ALBUM:Classic Williams: Romance of the Guitar

11:20am 02/08/2023
Symphony #4 in b
COMPOSER:Emilie Mayer
ARTIST:Neubrandenburg Philharmonie
CONDUCTOR:Stefan Malzew

12:02pm 02/08/2023
Idomeneo: Ballet Music K 366
COMPOSER:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
ARTIST:Musicians of the Louvre
CONDUCTOR:Marc Minkowski

12:15pm 02/08/2023
Suite for Flute & Piano
COMPOSERhilippe Gaubert
ARTIST:Fenwick Smith, flute; Sally Pinkas, piano
ALBUM:Gaubert: Complete Works for Flute - 1

12:30pm 02/08/2023
Symphony #1 in eb Op. 1
COMPOSER:Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
ARTIST:Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR:Neeme Jarvi

 

[Harvey_Dogg]

 

[kevtronics]

Morse Code is making a comeback with Gen Z, too:

Morse Code making a comeback! Kids as young as FIVE are learning it

EXCLUSIVE: Despite being created 180 years ago, Morse Code has been kept alive by radio enthusiasts - and now more young people are getting involved.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[drt]

What is described in the article sounds more like remixing classical music, ala Emerson Lake and Palmer, than performances of the works of Strauss and Telemann.

Yes, the “times are a’ hanging”; Classical music stations in the Tampa/Sarasota market, as well as Orlando and Symphony Hall on SXM are playing compositions by the Beatles, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Phillip Glass etc; I’m sure it’s their desire to capture listeners under age 60!

 

[Harvey_Dogg]

There are some really good musicians in Gen. Z recording many different styles. I'd guess that Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven are still popular. Easy listening versions of my generation's classic rock not so much.

 

[Harvey_Dogg]

 

[TomásEstefan]

There are some really good musicians in Gen. Z recording many different styles. I'd guess that Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven are still popular. Easy listening versions of my generation's classic rock not so much.

"Easy listening" versions of Top 40 and later classic rock music has never been popular except maybe in elevators, because those familiar with the origin of those tunes would rather listen to the original artists. This why many people of the so-called boomer gen would never go to see a group such as in Las Vegas that attempts to "re-create" the Beatles. Many of us in that gen remember very well what the Beatles looked like, sounded like, and we have every recording they ever made, and so we have a "reality" in our memories that we don't want "damaged" or changed by a so-called "re-creation". No offense to anyone but they belonged to "us" because we lived it, we were there !

 

[b-turner]

Our generation is different. Another post mentioned what happened. While my Dad was growing up, radio stations had their own musicians that played the big tunes of the day. It wasn't until the record companies allowed stations to play recordings that a song could be 'owned' by a certain artist. He told me he never cared who performed a song as long as he liked the song. He did have his favorite singers, though.

 

[TomásEstefan]

Our generation is different. Another post mentioned what happened. While my Dad was growing up, radio stations had their own musicians that played the big tunes of the day. It wasn't until the record companies allowed stations to play recordings that a song could be 'owned' by a certain artist. He told me he never cared who performed a song as long as he liked the song. He did have his favorite singers, though.

This was the WWII Generation, enjoying the "Great American Songbook" performed by wonderful artists who gave these tunes their own unique interpretation.

 

[Mikey Radio]

Many of us in that gen remember very well what the Beatles looked like, sounded like, and we have every recording they ever made, and so we have a "reality" in our memories that we don't want "damaged" or changed by a so-called "re-creation". No offense to anyone but they belonged to "us" because we lived it, we were there !

That's also why some of the Rat Pack tributes in Vegas didn't work particularly well or haven't played larger venues. First, few people under 55 or 60 years old care about or relate to the Rat Pack. Anyone older than that remembers them- and most of those tribute groups use 2nd or 3rd rate entertainers who don't look and/or sound like the real McCoy. Also, as one critic pointed out, it's not difficult for someone to come on stage and belt out a few Sinatra or Dean Martin or Sammy Davis tunes, but what made the true Rat Pack so special to those who remembered them was the spontaneity. That's difficult to recreate.

 

[Kemosabe]

… they are classical albeit "light classical" because they are so well known.

Are you suggesting that Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries" should be considered "light classical" because it is "so well known?"

1812 Overture is background music. Finale of Beethoven's 9th is background music. Carmina Burana is background music. I don't think so.

Agreed. You could add the following to that list:

Here is the approach taken by Vermont Public Classical, whose Norwich affiliate, WNCH, is usually in the top 5 stations in the Hanover/Lebanon/White River Junction market. Entire works are usually played, and the hosts are all knowledgable, all but one of whom also performs classical or choral music.

10:09am 02/08/2023
Clarinet Quintet in f# Op. 10
COMPOSER:Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
ARTIST:Catalyst Quartet; Anthony McGill, clarinet
ALBUM:Uncovered, Vol. 1: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

10:38am 02/08/2023
Piano Concerto #2 in F Op. 102
COMPOSERmitri Shostakovich
ARTIST:Los Angeles Philharmonic; Yefim Bronfman, piano
CONDUCTOR:Esa-Pekka Salonen

11:00am 02/08/2023
Concerto in F
COMPOSER:Johann David Heinichen
ARTIST:Musica Antiqua Koln
CONDUCTOR:Reinhard Goebel

11:15am 02/08/2023
El Condor Pasa
COMPOSER:Jorge Morel
ARTIST:John Williams, guitar
ALBUM:Classic Williams: Romance of the Guitar

11:20am 02/08/2023
Symphony #4 in b
COMPOSER:Emilie Mayer
ARTIST:Neubrandenburg Philharmonie
CONDUCTOR:Stefan Malzew

12:02pm 02/08/2023
Idomeneo: Ballet Music K 366
COMPOSER:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
ARTIST:Musicians of the Louvre
CONDUCTOR:Marc Minkowski

12:15pm 02/08/2023
Suite for Flute & Piano
COMPOSERhilippe Gaubert
ARTIST:Fenwick Smith, flute; Sally Pinkas, piano
ALBUM:Gaubert: Complete Works for Flute - 1

12:30pm 02/08/2023
Symphony #1 in eb Op. 1
COMPOSER:Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
ARTIST:Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR:Neeme Jarvi

Ah yes, good ol' mitri and hilippe.

 

[TomásEstefan]

Are you suggesting that Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries" should be considered "light classical" because it is "so well known?"

Agreed. You could add the following to that list:

Ah yes, good ol' mitri and hilippe.

No, I don't think anything by Richard Wagner is "light classical". The expression was meant to be just a generality...

 

[vchimpanzee]

"Easy listening" versions of Top 40 and later classic rock music has never been popular except maybe in elevators, because those familiar with the origin of those tunes would rather listen to the original artists.

In some cases I would rather hear the easy listening versions.

It's a different world in the Facebook group where members share my musical taste.

 

[cc333]

My view is that all forms of music have their place.

I like a little bit of many genres, including classical (I detest most modern mainstream pop and rap/hip hop, however).

In some cases I would rather hear the easy listening versions.

Same here. The various orchestras that specialized in the genre are particularly good at producing exquisitely good renditions of movie soundtracks and standards, and I find their versions tend to be better than the originals. The same also applies to softer top 40 songs, which the EL/BM orchestras sometimes made some decent renditions of.

However, when offered the choice between a Beatles song as rendered by, say, the 101 Strings Orchestra and a genuine recording of the song by The Beatles themselves, I'd absolutely prefer the latter. As nice as the EL version may be, nothing can beat the genuine article.

c