Exploring Music Essay

The current established 'canon' within orchestral music includes both composers such as Beethoven whose prestige has never been challenged, alongside others whose works were initially championed beyond their time and/or place of composition, such as Mahler and Shostakovich. Discuss this statement with reference to selected orchestral works by each of these composers, and if appropriate, works by their contemporaries. How have social, cultural and technological factors, in particular the rise of the recording industry, had an impact on these composers' relative popularity within the past fifty years?

The notion of the canon within western orchestral music gained cultural validity during the 18th century. During this period there was a social shift towards the acceptance of musics autonomy. Beethoven has been described as the pro-typical canonic composer of the European tradition[footnoteRef:1] an opinion that is still widely recognised. Beethovens compositional innovation, as the father of romanticism paved the way for composers such as Mahler and Shostakovich whose works initially caused controversy, and only in hindsight, through contextual understanding has an appreciation and understanding of their works existed. The western canon has been described as an ideological construct designed to reinforce and perpetuate a social hierarchy dominated by white men [footnoteRef:2] The musical canon has been defined by ethnomusicologists as a body of notated works, disregarding other mediums with which we consume classical music such as recordings and it this fact that has caused the decaoninzation of classical music. Unlike the canons that exist within literature and art, the classical music canon has been effected largely by technology and cultural consensus. Throughout the 20th century, historical events, influenced composers to a large extent, and this widely recognised culturally constructed idea of the musical canon dissipated largely. [1: https://www.academia.edu/241625/Musical_Canonization_and_Decanonization_in_the_Twentieth_Century_original_English_version_] [2: https://www.academia.edu/241625/Musical_Canonization_and_Decanonization_in_the_Twentieth_Century_original_English_version_]

Beethoven, Shosta and Mahlers works

The rise of the recording industry and the shift from the investment in music to the consuming nature of music has played a large role in the increasing popularity of Shostakovich, Mahler and Beethoven. The recording industry has increased the accessibility and allowed a larger audience to consume classical music. The unethical nature of the recording industry in the 21st century, has many concerned about the lasting nature of classical recording labels such as Sony and EMI. Despite the consuming nature of the recording industry it has played a large role in the increasing popularity of these composers. Throughout the 20th century, recordings served multiple purposes. For popular artists recordings provided income, however, many used recordings for promotional resources and prestige. [footnoteRef:3] Tom Service in the Guardian discusses whether the accessibility of music in the 21st Century, is largely suited to the culture of classical music. [3: http://businessofclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.au/2008/12/classical-music-after-cd.html]

All music was new music once. The way that we in a modern generation respond to the works of these esteemed composers is a direct reflection of our experience socially and technologically. With the modern age, many people have questioned the relevance of these composers. We consume these works and we are more aware of their position in the canon. The canon is merely a concept constructed like the literature canon. The innovative nature of Shostakovitch and Mahler has attracted audiences to The canon that exists within orchestral music has been influenced largely by the social, cultural and political factors of the times.