[Fmpro] Is film music classical?

[Brian Wilbur Grundstrom]

Here is the whole thing
Brian
www.brianwilbur.com

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/04/can_film_music_ever_be_classical.h
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Can film music ever be construed as "classical"? According to the Classic FM
Hall of Fame 2008 - which lists amongst its line-up of "Top Contemporary
Composers" the names Shore, Williams, Zimmer and someone called Badelt - it
certainly can. The classical convention of divesting these composers of
their first names in favour of their hallowed surnames only confirms the
heights to which they have now been elevated, vying with the likes of
Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn.

As much as I am frustrated by Classic FM's continuing refusal to spin that
record of Stockhausen's Kontakte I just know they've got stashed away
somewhere, I'm not above admitting that the station probably does more good
than harm. But this film music thing really bugs me. No matter what the
Classic FM programmers feel, Pirates of the Caribbean is not a classical
opus. Nor is the theme from Schindler's List. And as for Hans Zimmer's
Gladiator - don't even get me started.

The reason I am irked by this has nothing to do with the quality of the
music, which ranges from the very good - I'm almost glad to see Ennio
Morricone's name on the list - to the utterly dire (anything by the
lamentable Zimmer). Rather, it is the fact that such misclassifications only
fuel the misconceptions peddled by Classic FM about what classical music is
all about.

A casual listener to the station might be forgiven, for instance, for
thinking that all classical music is orchestral - after all, 75 pieces in
their Top 80 feature orchestra forces. The inclusion of chunks of film
soundtrack only furthers the perception that a piece is "classical" as long
as it involves a symphony orchestra - which is almost as sensible as saying
any piece involving a guitar is a rock song.

Whether a piece is classical or not has nothing to do with the forces
involved, but with the way in which it is intended to be listened to.
Classical music is designed to be considered, contemplated and - being the
most abstract of all the art forms - to provoke a truly subjective response
in each of its listeners. Film music, on the other hand, is meant to
accompany moving pictures, to provide an objective commentary to the
on-screen action. Robbed of that on-screen imagery, it loses much of its
meaning.

The question is, what exactly is Classic FM trying to teach its listeners?
That classical music is defined by its surface characteristics? That it
lacks depth? That it is safely predictable and readily understandable? If
that is their mission, then they're clearly succeeding, but I can't help but
feel sorry for their listeners. The classical canon is a bottomless treasure
chest, available to anyone who cares to pry it open - just don't let the
fool's gold flogged by Classic FM put you off exploring the true riches
beyond.