As of late, I have been calm.
Deep within though, lay a labyrinth of emotions. Piano sonatas ringing in my ear, echoing into the deepest depths of my heart. Calamity; then silence. Softly pawing keys, then; an explosion. Rain of notes.
Seriously though, of all the years I thought I had somewhat of a broad sense of musicality thanks to my superiorly hip friends. Nothing has prepared me for what I would come to find in classical music. Sure enough my exposure to the genre has been seemingly gradual, but this..
This is the epitome of music.
Back when I was a young 'un I had an appreciation for thumping trance or as we call it today, "uplifting trance". The only aspect that I had a liking in this sub-genre of dance music is the arrangement. The introduction, mood, then the build up. Followed by the almighty climax. I thought it was brilliant! The digital strings, ripped off samples, mashup of another's ouerve, placed together as and how the DJ saw fit. Thumping bass line; lively and fun. Pulsing beat; intoxicating. It was energetic enough. I was content.
Then I found post-rock. Yet another sub-genre of rock, yet subtlety ignore by the masses due to its unappealing nature that ignores lyricism in both instrument and vocal, and not to mention generally the opposite of anything uplifting. If I may be able to do so, post-rock to me is like a mountain amidst a stormy sea. During those years of heavy post-rock listening, my life had been taking an aggressive pace with growing up, then pushed into depths of turmoil and finally being able to find solace in passion. Post-rock gave me a clear head to decide who I wanted to be, what I desired to become. Consistent in theme and feeling. For long minutes trapped within the same chord, while the melody screeches its way around, finding a way out. I was content.
Of course in between all of them I had my leg in most genres, stretching to the sub-genres of metal. While I was and still completely affectionate towards acoustic music and big band jazz, there was something that had me craving. When I was not in the mood for melancholy and love, the voice of Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole did not appease me. When I was not in the mood for simplicity of acoustics, no matter how much I loved the sound of an instrument singing alone, Tommy Emmanuel and Kotaro Oshio did not satiate me. The golden years of rock, The Beatles, The Who, Jimmy Hendrix; all beautiful music in their domain, but none conquered my heart. Indie, the most relevant of my time, Taking Back Sunday, Sufjan Stevens, Cat Power, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs; once again, spectacular music but there was still a void. There was something within all of them I had been seeking.
I had a longing for something that would move every single molecule within me, despite the mood.
Then came classical music. I have yet to explore it to my content, but as for now, I am left breathless in its complexity. The moment a symphony starts, to the end of an hour long piece. It has been nothing more than a roller-coaster. Every single element of music I have discovered and indulged myself are all represented so elegantly here. Every single subtle detail was not left out. Waves of sounds, intricately layered on top of each other to create a sense of harmony I never would have thought possible with that many instruments. So much sophistication and beauty that I can't even fathom to exist. All this when my feet are still in the shallow seas. I have yet to educate myself on the composers of these magnificent pieces. The back story and cultural situation that took place during composition. These are the prodigies of their time. Their timeless exploits retold in every sheet of music. Their life began and ended in music. Just like everything else in my life, I am fatally attracted to the passion that spawned such level of difficult music.
The depth of sophistication of classical music, as of jazz, is tied with the education one would need to partake in order to master said pieces. While it is definitely not be impossible to appreciate it without a formal education, I will relinquish the fact that I will do so with an informal one. It will be an arduous journey, to say the least, but the joy of discovering is keeping in utter desire.
I guess it takes some sort of maturity to realize the beauty of 18th-19th century music. Romanticist melodies and the basis of what we have come to call music today. Etched and very much alive while retaining it's relevance.
Indeed, it is beautiful.
"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." - Ludwig van Beethoven
tl;dr classical music > all music
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