Does Star Wars soundtrack count as classical music?

[Philoctetes]

(Am I alone in noticing that, in general, the professional or semipro musicians among us, such as myself, are mostly less resistant to such definition-changing?  We've played, had to play in many cases, all kinds of musics and have had to face the challenges that a film score can pose. )

I completely reject this seemingly self-serving argument.

[Florestan]

there is much incompetence in the schools, and much disingenuousness as well.

After graduating Summa Cum Laude I acquired three MA's (English & French Literature + European History), and earned a Ph.D from two top 10 Universities that I will not name for reasons of privacy.

[Scarpia]

And one wonders why toucan hesitates to name the universities.  As for me, my Bachelor's in Music Education is from Mid-America Nazarene University, and they would not hesitate to claim me as an alumnus if you asked them.

Probably those universities that who graduated toucan have a restraining order preventing him from disclosing it.   0:)

[DavidW]

Probably those universities that who graduated toucan have a restraining order preventing him from disclosing it.   0:)

Even the University of Phoenix is embarrassed by him.

[eyeresist]

I think there is some matter of confusion of quality with kind. In the matter of quality, few of Williams's defenders would attempt to rank him with the three Bs. They merely point out that Williams writes music, often interesting and worth hearing, from the classical tradition. But to his detractors, this is irrelevant - their major point is that he writes in a disreputable genre. The fact that canonical composers have contributed a substantial amount of film music is ignored, as is the kinship of film music to other kinds of functional music (ballet, church, ceremonial, even opera). I can't help think that this furious fight against film music is the product of a very fragile ego, that cannot bear to have the borders of its "elite" realm shifted or even brought into question.

[Szykneij]

I think there is some matter of confusion of quality with kind. In the matter of quality, few of Williams's defenders would attempt to rank him with the three Bs. They merely point out that Williams writes music, often interesting and worth hearing, from the classical tradition. But to his detractors, this is irrelevant - their major point is that he writes in a disreputable genre. The fact that canonical composers have contributed a substantial amount of film music is ignored, as is the kinship of film music to other kinds of functional music (ballet, church, ceremonial, even opera). I can't help think that this furious fight against film music is the product of a very fragile ego, that cannot bear to have the borders of its "elite" realm shifted or even brought into question.

Excellent post! After 63 pages and 622 posts, many by posters who never bothered to read the thread from the beginning and kept reviving and then beating again the same dead horse, you've summed things up nicely. I doubt anyone would argue the fact that Williams writes in the classical tradition. Does that count as classical music? Who cares.

[Scarpia]

Excellent post! After 63 pages and 622 posts, many by posters who never bothered to read the thread from the beginning and kept reviving and then beating again the same dead horse, you've summed things up nicely. I doubt anyone would argue the fact that Williams writes in the classical tradition. Does that count as classical music? Who cares.

In 63 pages and 622 posts, that point was made numerous times (maybe even by me, I don't recall).  This thread is characterized by an automaton that repeats the same things over and over and various "Don Quixotes" who come in to take a run at the windmill then leave the field.  Very repetitive.

[(poco) Sforzando]

In 63 pages and 622 posts, that point was made numerous times (maybe even by me, I don't recall).  This thread is characterized by an automaton that repeats the same things over and over and various "Don Quixotes" who come in to take a run at the windmill then leave the field.  Very repetitive.

If this thread were truly a piece of classical music, someone would have simply inserted a pair of repeat marks, or, as Chopin did in one of his mazurkas, a da capo al segno senza fine.

[DavidW]

If this was minimalism, the variations would be slightly different and in another 70 pages we would find ourselves talking about something completely different such as pancakes vs waffles.

[(poco) Sforzando]

If this was minimalism, the variations would be slightly different and in another 70 pages we would find ourselves talking about something completely different such as pancakes vs waffles.

Oh. I thought that was what we were talking about.

[71 dB]

I think there is some matter of confusion of quality with kind. In the matter of quality, few of Williams's defenders would attempt to rank him with the three Bs. They merely point out that Williams writes music, often interesting and worth hearing, from the classical tradition. But to his detractors, this is irrelevant - their major point is that he writes in a disreputable genre. The fact that canonical composers have contributed a substantial amount of film music is ignored, as is the kinship of film music to other kinds of functional music (ballet, church, ceremonial, even opera). I can't help think that this furious fight against film music is the product of a very fragile ego, that cannot bear to have the borders of its "elite" realm shifted or even brought into question.

Totally agreed! The bold part is exactly how I feel about this thread.

[jowcol]

In 63 pages and 622 posts, that point was made numerous times (maybe even by me, I don't recall).  This thread is characterized by an automaton that repeats the same things over and over and various "Don Quixotes" who come in to take a run at the windmill then leave the field.  Very repetitive.

Interesting that you mentioned the term "automaton" as I can't help but thinking that this is a Turing test.

[(poco) Sforzando]

I can't help think that this furious fight against film music is the product of a very fragile ego, that cannot bear to have the borders of its "elite" realm shifted or even brought into question.

Well, maybe. But still that's bascially an ad hominem argument.

[karlhenning]

Well, maybe. But still that's basically an ad hominem argument.

And:

Totally agreed! The bold part is exactly how I feel about this thread.

[eyeresist]

Well, maybe. But still that's bascially an ad hominem argument.

It was an observation. My argument was the previous part of the post.

I have never eaten waffles.

[(poco) Sforzando]

It was an observation. My argument was the previous part of the post.

Then it was an ad hominem observation.   

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

If I'd say "this is classical mubeautiful" - would I have to leave this forum? 

[eyeresist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJEBcXIqNp0

Crest of the Stars Opening Theme: The full version isn't on YouTube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgssPdtjzSA

Lunar Legend Tsukihime - Wounds: The lovely, characterful violin part comes in about halfway.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Digging up this thread. I think one of the most innovative compositions in Williams's career is Anakin's theme from Phantom menace ost. The way he subtly manages to put part of imperial march in there without it sounding forced... it sends shivers down my spine.

[EigenUser]

Digging up this thread. I think one of the most innovative compositions in Williams's career is Anakin's theme from Phantom menace ost. The way he subtly manages to put part of imperial march in there without it sounding forced... it sends shivers down my spine.

Here you go:


Man, between the two of us we are really covering some ground! I haven't dug up threads in a while, but you've been on a roll. Thanks .

As for the question posed in the title, I usually consider soundtracks to be classical if they are orchestral. That's just my opinion, though.