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Why do People Hate Classical Music?

Hello, I wonder why classical music is so unimportant and hardly ever mentioned, and hardly any young people go to concerts. Is it boring? I think pop music is not up to the level of classical music in interest or complexity. Thanks.

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    Classical music is as diverse as any other kind of music , I like jazz and classical but not all of it . It was once said there are only two kinds of music good and bad .

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  • It really just boils down to style. Some people like the bass-kicking pop of today and others enjoy the serene and eloquent nature of classical music. No one genre is better than the other; each genre has its own techniques, strengths, and weakness.

    I feel that modern pop music was made for commercial purposes--for the sake of making money and pleasing the public. On the other hand, I feel that classical music was meant to be the enhancement of one's appreciation and understanding of the fundamentals of music.

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    • Not all classical music is "serene." Every symphony composed in the 18th & 19th centuries has its loud, boisterous 1st and 4th movements. They all have slow movements that are serene, and many have 3rd movements that are "rollicking." Many symphonic works composed in the 19th center--tone poems, for instance--are quite dramatic.

      Classical music requires an audience that has musical knowledge, and that is willing to pay attention. European audiences tend to be more knowledgable about such music--especially music composed by their own countrymen--and, they attend concerts or listen to radio broadcasts regularly. Classical music is popular in Europe.

      It's just American young people that would rather be titillated by the latest loud, flashy, sound mess concocted by musical groups using sound technologies to enhance the product. Adults may follow suit, though they tend to cling to whatever popular group and style was popular when THEY were young.


  • My primary musical interest is opera and would like a discussion about member's favorite DVD & Blu-Ray releases.

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  • I don't think many of today's young have ever been exposed to classical music. It is difficult for me to believe that anyone listening to the simple Bach Prelude in C major or the choral of the 9th or any of the great themes from Carmen would remain totally indifferent. Also, music appreciation has long since been dropped from K-12 education.
    Today's "music" such as Rap is simply overly loud, hateful trash that typifies the thug mentality of many. Anything calming such as much of classical, is rejected in favor of lyrics talking of killing cops, blood, women as sex objects, etc. Long gone are the wonderful pop songs such as I've Got You Under My Skin, or Skylark. Sad, but true.

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  • Classical music does not travel well. You can't hold a conversation and at the same time enjoy classical music. It's more of a personal experience. Reproduction equipment dose not do classical music justice and few of us have easy access to live classical music. It's strange that a movie will play a classical music piece as back ground and movie goers love it but never think of buying a recording of the same piece to hear at home. It is harder to understand a conductors interpretation of a classical music piece.

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    The main reason people don't respond to classical music is: They have to listen. They can't sing a word, especially if it is an opera and sung in a different language. If you can't speak English, how do you expect someone to know Spanish, French, Italian ... furthermore

    They do not have to watch a stage full of circus people, stripped, provide any civil acts, but sCream that same high C sound over and over again, and then be further rewarded with fireworks, someone's long tongue hanging out of, usually his mouth, sometimes ... and passing drugs through the audience before, during and after a show.

    Piped in music is used in many stores with those screamers especially early in the morning ... which leads many people on a mission to buy something ... to. leave without a purchase because of the screaming.

    It has been noted as I said that classical music is to be listened to it no wonder so many kids don't listen to their mothers ... the mothers don't scream high enough but when they do ... the kids run out the door ... and state ... my mother doesn't talk she screams ... as then go to another fun filled blasting concert be enjoyed more than mom's screaming because there is no one there to say NO, to anything .... just scream.

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  • Experience suggests that simple answers are incomplete. While slightly off-topic, I happen to love jazz or any music that swings. When I go to informal local jazz concerts it looks like a Q-tip convention...everyone has gray hair. Yet, my local community college has an excellent jazz program, and it's full of young, enthusiastic musicians playing in school sponsored jazz combos, big band, as well as in their own groups playing local gigs. As the old geezer I take one of the jazz classes and revel in playing with these great young players. Classical music is complex, is often an acquired taste, and doesn't have many notable 'cool' celebrities that would draw a younger audience. Yet the music schools still turn away aspiring classical musicians. While there is also an older audience that predominates, there seems to be a continuing addition of middle-age and some young people that replenish the classical music audience. There is a steady stream of new composers, young conductors, and aspiring classical musicians. Not to worry.


    • Young people learning to play a musical instrument will gravitate to the kind of music that best develops and displays their skill. That would generally be classical music. Imagine trying to develop one's technic on a violin by playing rock or rap music; cannot be done. So, the young violinist studies the classical violin literature--violin sonatas, concertos, etc.--and plays in the school orchestra which performs classical music. Takes a lot of skill and technic to play the 1st or 2nd violin part of ANY classical piece.

      To further develop, the young violinist might join a string quartet where he/she plays Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven.

      Same with jazz. Good jazz musicians have a high level of skill and technic on their instruments. They also have a good ear for music, and an ability to improvise. You have to listen to jazz, as well, because a jazz performance may go on and on through many variations before finally resolving. It attracts performers who want to develop and display their skills on their instruments.

      So we have the young people performing classical or jazz. We have older people who maybe performed it when they were young in high school or college bands, orchestras, etc. (I have two music degrees and performed when I was younger; still play for my little church.) Sometimes kids, who would only listen to the pop music of the day when they were young, discover classical music when they are about 30 years old. That might be the result of maturity, developing of the ear and the intellect needed to appreciate classical music.


  • People don't like classical music because they are not used to it. They are taught to make fun of it or put it down. There is a wide spread bias against classical music for no good reason.

    I listen to all music genres and find that each one has value. But the vast majority of people don't see it that way.

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  • You have to slip them a gateway drug. I suggest "The Rabbit of Seville".

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  • The younger generation appear to think that Classical music is uncool as it's music that "old people" listen to.

    Many people, including self, could just bash away at the younger (millenial) generation but we'll be polite about it.

    People can like whatever music they like. I like classical music except for opera. I also like varied types of music from pop, rock, jazz to various music around the world.

    We don't need to like each other's music but should be considerate of other's music preferences.
    Basically, to each their own ;)


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