Classical/opera, general poncey question.......

[Pan]

What is it that is so different about this music?? The effect of it?

Reggae - easy and realxed
Bagpipes - stirred and proud
Disco - fun

But classical/opera - elevated.

When Pavarotti passed away, they played a bit of his Ave Maria on the radio. A bloke emailed in to say he 'doesn't like' that sort of thing, but hearing that made him want to be a 'better person'. That was the effect it had on him. His thought process. His emotions.

There are bits that alter me similarly. An aria "Song to the Moon". Moonlight Sonata.

Has anyone an explanation/theory for this.

Some piss-taking expected.

Ah yes Rusalka's Song to The Moon

The Carmina Burana

Sad Songs by Goreki

Poltsvian Dances

English Heritage and Year of the Dragon (original compositions for brass band)

Yes...so what is soooo differnet about this sort of thing, anyone??

Inexplicable to me Pan

Problably somthing to do with chord structure and resonance

There is something in this otherwise why Baby Mozart

Arrgh killed another thread. Heigh ho I'm gutted off to do tea

it soothes the senses ju

Is aesthetics, innit?

The music seems pure, beautiful, simple. It's moving or elevating because of its purity and beauty. Music is a very high form of aesthetic appreciation and arguably the most sensuous and eveloping of art forms.

I'm sure there is something about right and left brain activity too. But I like the aesthetic argument - has more soul.

Google the Aesthetics of Music.

I agree...so many classical pieces put me on another plane...very few modern ones (possibly too simplisitic? doesn't stop me enjoying a lot of them too though)but Mozart , Puccini (all the operas), Verdi (Requiem esp.) and omg some bits of Wagner!(I was drooling over Bryn Tyrfel singing Oh Star of Eve from Meistersinger on TV the other night)..siegfrieds rhine journey, the pilgrims chorus from tannhauser...I'd better shut up before I swoon!They are all on a differnt level and have a much deeper effect on the senses...IMO

yes FT....the swooning and general drooling apart , I do see. But, there must be some better understanding as to why for eg, the bloke I referred to suddenly felt moved so. If I am doing something with a classical piece playing, I notice I do it much better. The aesthetics of music prob. doesn't explain why it has this effect.

eg. a single piper, or a massed pipe band makes me come out in goosebumps. Every time. Classical/opera has a wholey different effect...

It is in the execution I think. I recently went to see a production of Il Trovatore that was a bit hit and miss. The corus were frankly not that great and there is no denying that the opera itself is pretty good However some of the soloists were crap and some of them were stunning, really, soul-stirringly stunning.

So the standard of music was accross the board but the talent made all the difference I think.

MrsMarple - this rings true. That it says something like 'life can be this good, sound so good, make you feel this good'.

Poor opera, yes, saw a prod. of Carmen, with a woman singing/talking in a pure Home Counties accent, it was rubbish! and so disappointing. Brilliant ballet - saw the Bolshoi in their first visit to UK, circa 1987..can still recall particular scenes.

Guess the OP question may remain unfathomable.
Unless you know different.