FMS-Blog : The Wildly Whimsical, Mostly Musical WebLog
Thursday, September 21, 2006
"Relaxing" Classical Music?
I find it a little bit frustrating to read article like the one I came across today on the website of The People's Media Company, entitled Classical Music: For Relaxation and Healing. Here are a few short extracts to give you an idea of its content :
You get the idea! What's frustrating about people writing about classical music in this fashion is that they're contributing to a stereotype suggesting that music of this genre only has value in as much as it is good background music for other activities. The fact is that not all 'classical' music promotes relaxation and stress-relief. On the contrary, composers of this style write to invigorate the senses, speaking through music directly to the most complex of human emotions, attempting to stir within their listeners something deep and profound. This is a world away from the music of lifts and maternity wards - it is usually not designed to encourage its audience to drift off to sleep but to engage them in a meaningful way.
I would suggest that those who write about classical music as something that is perfect for closing down the senses; switching off the aggravations of everyday life (and particularly when they cite W. A. Mozart as a specific example of someone who writes like this) that they really need to get themselves off to the local record store and pick up some random recordings of 'classical' music and listen intently to them, examining their own responses to these pieces : Orff's Carmina Burana, perhaps; a concerto or two by some of the virtuoso composers like Liszt, Rachmaninov or Tchaikovsky; big orchestral works by Shostakovich or Stravinsky; the Mozart Requiem or any number of his operatic works; the wonderfully colourful pianistic style of Claude Debussy or orchestration of Maurice Ravel; some German Lieder - perhaps a bit of the Schubert Wintereisse... read the lyrics and listen to how the voice weaves a melody around the piano accompaniment. It is nothing if not heartbreaking in places.
Then ask yourself : should we really be passing off this entire genre of music as nothing more than a little light background to do homework or eat dinner to?? Sure, it can sometimes be relaxing to listen to classical music, but then the same can be said of listening to SOME repertoire from most any genre.
...is there a way to reduce at least some of the stress that affects us? Thankfully there is, and it comes through the beauty of classical music. It can relieve anxiety and physical tension, lower blood pressure and calm your mind.
Mozart in particular can provide a calming experience for both mother and child during [pregnancy].
Try listening to classical music while you eat. The benefits are many, as studies have shown it causes people savor their food more so they eat less.
You get the idea! What's frustrating about people writing about classical music in this fashion is that they're contributing to a stereotype suggesting that music of this genre only has value in as much as it is good background music for other activities. The fact is that not all 'classical' music promotes relaxation and stress-relief. On the contrary, composers of this style write to invigorate the senses, speaking through music directly to the most complex of human emotions, attempting to stir within their listeners something deep and profound. This is a world away from the music of lifts and maternity wards - it is usually not designed to encourage its audience to drift off to sleep but to engage them in a meaningful way.
I would suggest that those who write about classical music as something that is perfect for closing down the senses; switching off the aggravations of everyday life (and particularly when they cite W. A. Mozart as a specific example of someone who writes like this) that they really need to get themselves off to the local record store and pick up some random recordings of 'classical' music and listen intently to them, examining their own responses to these pieces : Orff's Carmina Burana, perhaps; a concerto or two by some of the virtuoso composers like Liszt, Rachmaninov or Tchaikovsky; big orchestral works by Shostakovich or Stravinsky; the Mozart Requiem or any number of his operatic works; the wonderfully colourful pianistic style of Claude Debussy or orchestration of Maurice Ravel; some German Lieder - perhaps a bit of the Schubert Wintereisse... read the lyrics and listen to how the voice weaves a melody around the piano accompaniment. It is nothing if not heartbreaking in places.
Then ask yourself : should we really be passing off this entire genre of music as nothing more than a little light background to do homework or eat dinner to?? Sure, it can sometimes be relaxing to listen to classical music, but then the same can be said of listening to SOME repertoire from most any genre.
