Is Classical Music considered to be inherently superior to all else?

What are we comparing here? Theoretical complexity? There are jazz pieces that are just as, if not more, theoretically complex as some classical composition. When any style of music is seen as superior, it's usually an indication that whoever makes that claim is someone who really can't escape their own rigid and narrow perspective.

There is no element in the classical style that cannot be found elsewhere. There is classical music that is base and simple as well as theoretically complex. The difference is that most classical music tenRAB to strictly adhere to the matrix of conventional music theory. There are obviously exceptions to this, but, to continue with what Jackhammer stated, throw on a Frank Zappa album and see if that doesn't defy all stereotypes of rock music being simplistic and repetitive.
 
why wouldn't it?

you could compare Iron Maiden to classical if you wanted to and IM could come out on top depending on the criteria of the comparison.

to consider one style of music superior to any other style is inane.
 
I don't know why everyone feels the need to mention jazz or prog to justify any other type of modern music.

The main riff to 1969 by The Stooges or the bassline to Waiting For An Alibi by Thin Lizzy just to name two examples are just as much a thing of beauty as anything any classical composer has ever composed.

If you don't think it is then it's just snobbery in my opinion.
 
So you have spent the last few days arguing about a genre that you don't share a huge affinity for and not bothered looking at the wealth of solid opinions and well written write ups eleswhere on the boarRAB?
 
yeah, obviously i do, considering i found your painfully self-evident and pretentious post hilarious. no shit its "specifically limited to the human perspective," so is everything else. you basically said "music is subjective," in this self-righteously wordy style you so often employ. thanks for the insight though, you're a real deep dude.
 
@ OP,

Music superiority is specifically limited to human perspective. So it follows that if a group of people consider a certain type of music to be superior, then to that group, it is.
This applies to every type of music.

The only way to determine what the majority of people consider "superior" is to look at statistics based on people's music opinions.
And if you want to give up the only thing that you're entitled to have that can't be fucked with (aka, your opinion/belief) and let someone else (aka the mass opinion) influence it, then go ahead.

But regarding music, the true answer resides in your own opinion. The moment you let someone else tell you what to think about something, that's when you're classified as a tool.
 
What about Fur Elise and Sugar Plum Fairy? Those're two classical music pieces that I like. Would they be considered as "complex" as normal classical music?
 
I agree with you on both points, Bret. I like the image of classical composers being the rock stars of their day, defying convention and shocking audiences.



Yes, I'll have to try out some Frank Zappa on my "classic-ophile" and see how he takes that. I'm trying to tempt him out of the classical genre. You are certainly right, SATCHMO, that there are pieces within any genre that defy stereotypes.
 
I'm not saying they're not.

I only mentioned Prog & Jazz because everybody else seemed to keep mentioning them as something that can compare to classical because of it's complexity or whatever.
I personally don't think you need to go to something as complex or technical as that to prove modern music is just as good as classical. The simplest of pop songs will do just as well.
 
Zappa's good, but not necessarily the best example to use considering what your friend likes. In my opinion, you'd be better off showing him something like Yes's Close to the Edge or Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick, but there are countless other examples that might work too.
 
Complexity in music is pointless unless there's something more behind it, though that's just my opinion. There are of course many who revel in overzealous technicality, but perhaps they just looking for something else in music besides emotional or lyrical satisfaction, such as stress relief, something to bang one's head to, etc.

And Urban, on a side note here -- people who look down on progressive rock, jazz, etc. and write it off as overwrought weirdness are just as "snobby" as the people whom they consider snobs. Folks tend to forget the fact that when albums within those genres are done right, the results may often be quite convoluted, but are nevertheless beautiful and possess just as much meaning from a lyrical perspective as anything The Fall or whatnot have recorded.
 
of course, you ignore the truth of what i was saying and resort to personal and baseless attacks... which just make you look like an even bigger idiot than before. nothing in this post really has any basis - nowhere did i say anything that suggests i don't understand other people. you're just defensive because i pointed out that your stupid, self-righteous post is just that. i'm just as qualified as any other person to make any judgement i want to.
 
No no no no no, You totally missed the point of what I was saying.

I gave those examples of those songs I find to be just as beautiful as anything ever written by anybody. My point was basically if you totally dismiss modern rock music LIKE those songs just because they're not classical you're an elitist snob.

If you listen to them & decide that they're not to your taste I have no problem with that at all.
 
Now is that John Williams the classical guitarist or John Williams the composer?
for future reference, please be more specific, I can't answer you until I know who the heck you are talking about.
 
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