Music from non-orchestral cultures

[Ugh]

Modern music isn't European music. That is the main objection to it, whether people actually realize it or not. Modern culture and art is a byproduct of the corrosive negative forces (culture distortions) that have cannibalized both the spirit and the body of western civilization. This is why no matter how clever or creative modern artists may be, they will never be fully accepted since their art work as a negative force in relation to the organism as opposed to a positive one. As you see, the discussion is far from being over.

[jowcol]

. As you see, the discussion is far from being over.

"I'll be back."

[starrynight]

There is some validity to that observation, but Webern and Ravel do not sound closely related to me, even though they wrote in the same culture and time period.  Some may perceive a "Russian" sound as being more melancholy. 

Interesting observation-- this may have something to do with the fact it is more of an improvised from, and not written, and their is no real distinction between composer and performer.   But (to contradict myself)  western jazz is an improvised form, and has had many major changes over it's relatively brief life span.

I wouldn't say Webern and Mozart are really that similar either.  And Tchaikovsky isn't so melancholy in his Nutcracker ballet or quite a few other pieces of his, and he's perhaps the most acclaimed composer from Russia.  The romantic period of course caused composers to use folk melodies and then the Soviet period put pressure on artists to compose in an accepted style.  Before all this though music in the renaissance, baroque and classical periods had a largely universal style across Europe.

In time it's not a surprise that the possibilities of classical music styles has spread out worldwide.  Of course the influence of popular music has also spread out worldwide through the last century.  Some of this may have happened because of the dominant political or cultural influences of some areas.  But ultimately art knows no boundaries and in an increasingly global world it's natural for artists to seek inspiration from wherever they can.  Even in the romantic nationalist period Brahms was inspired by Hungarian music and Dvorak said he was interested in American folk music.