What is Classical?

摘要

What is - or perhaps more critically - is not, Classical music? This question kept coming into my mind as I watched and listened to the 'Scott Walker Prom' this year. Traditionally, people who listen to Classical tend to refer instead to 'Serious' music and use the word 'Classical' to refer to music written in a particular style during a specific period in European history. In those terms, the word has quite a narrow definition. However, the term 'serious' brings its own problems given that many other kinds of music, for example jazz, can warrant the same description. We tend to regard the Proms as a 'Classical' music festival. There the word takes on a far wider - and more nebulous - meaning than the narrow usage of a specific sort of style. In some cases the stretch seems obvious, such as when excerpts from John Williams' film scores are included since these are orchestral in nature.