(western) classical music discussion

[bennyboy]

Perhaps this is fodder for a separate thread, but there have been few regular participants here so I'll just float the idea.

Is it simply instrumentation that makes a piece of music 'classical'? In another thread somebody rightly made fun of the metal/classical connection. I've been critical in other threads of how the 'classically' trained street cred CV line is often overused and mostly untrue.

If not instrumentation, why isn't Rime of the Ancient Mariner considered classical? I'm in no way politicking here, just soliciting opinion.

For those unfamiliar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7zk4as9kzA

There is only one thing that can make a form truly classical: it is founded in the philosophical ideas and formal leanings of the Greeks.  You can see an alternating between Dionysian and Apollonian influences from the Middle Ages up to the early 20th century, and those in which the Apollonian was stronger can be considered classical.

The Rennaisance refers to a rebirth of Greek ideals.  Then the Baroque took over, with much more emphasis on passion, on secular expression and nature.  Then classical, and back to more rigid forms and generally a more conservative style.  And then. . . the Romantics, literally an expression of the passions of the Romans (as contrasted with the Greeks).


But this isn't what people mean when they say metal is rooted in classical music.  They are talking about a variety of techniques drawn from a variety the Western art periods:
-use of exotic scale modes (specifically the Phyrgian flat-2 and flat-7) (Renaissance)
-a high level of instrumental virtuosity (Baroque and Romantic)
-heavy use of repeated melodic forms as the artist moves through many keys (Classical/Romantic)
-solos over the 5th (i.e. the pedal tone that gives the long solos near the end of classical pieces) (Classical/Romantic)
-in some bands, an explicit borrowing or copying of forms used in classical music (All)
-in some bands, operatic tendencies: dark lyrics which tell a story-- sometimes taken from Revelations, poetry, etc. (Baroque/Classical)
-the worshipful attitude that almost all metal musicians have toward symphonic composers (All)
-a fascination with pagan and magical themes (Classical/Late Romantic)