At 00:03 29/12/2001 -0500, Jim Muth wrote:
Some will argue that great music *is* still being composed, and that it is only one's particular taste that makes them prefer older music, but if this is so, why do programs of older music consistently draw the largest audiences to classical concerts?
Why does older music sound harmonious and beautiful? Why does older music move us in a way nothing else can? And why does so much modern music sound discordant and even downright ugly, even to the point of annoyance? Is it because we ultra-moderns need a course in music appreciation, or is it because there is nothing in the music to appreciate? Is it because the world has cast aside the things of spirit that for so many centuries were the source of artistic inspiration?
Well, I'm not one to make such sweeping generalisations as "Why does older music move us in a way nothing else can", but I can think of two influences that could produce effects described: 1) Familiarity - the older music has had longer to be appreciated. 2) Natural Selection - crap older music hasn't survived as well as the good stuff. Morgan L. Owens "The climax of _Mishima_ still affected him like a grappling hook through the heart"