The music of Leon Fleisher, a pianist playing with right hand, is rather popular in United States of America. Unfortunately, in 60s this classical music performer became unable to play the piano because he lost the ability to move two of his fingers. However, Leon continued giving music lessons and playing piano with his left hand. Thirty years later the musician got back the ability to move the fingers on his right hand thanks to the receiving botox therapy. After recovering Leon released his recordings in 2004. Today he is eighty years old and has released the recording of Mozart’s piano concerts.
Classical music is closely tied with popular music. You can frequently hear the elements of popular music embedded in classical composition. Classical composers recognize that classical music has an obligation before popular music. We can also meet popular music compositions that use the elements of classical music. Sometimes classical music performers even gained success in the popular music performances. Such phenomenon is known in music as a crossover manifestation. Another bright example of interdependence of classical and popular music is that some rock groups such as Emerson have used classical compositions in their albums.
Most parents make their children take classical music courses from their childhood. Some of parents do it because they believe that classical music would make their children more social and self-disciplined. Others think that classical music education is a part of fine common education. In 90s a so-called “Mozart effect” made parents think over giving their children to participate in classical music courses. Listening to Mozart was believed to make the listeners smarter. That was why CDs with classical music were so popular late 90s.
Classical music is seen mainly as a written musical custom. It is stored in music notation. Although there are differences in performing certain types of classical music, classical music is commonly tends to surmount any rendering of it. Using musical notation is a powerful way to pass classical music from one person to another. Written music holds the technical explanations how to perform the work. Usually, classical music composers are remembered more than classical music performers. The importance of written notation in classical music is also explained by the fact that impromptu plays comparatively insignificant part in it.
When speaking about “Classical music”, most of us associate it with the music of upper class community. Notwithstanding the common beliefs that classical music symbolizes the upper-class community and only the rich could have an access to it, this opinion is false. Well, if this is true, then please tell me why the majority of classical musicians belong to middle class society and the visitors of concerts come from different social classes. Classical music was popular among common people even during the Classic Epoch. We often listen to classical music used in movies, TV Shows and ads and sometimes don’t know that.
To perform classical music the performers have to have profound knowledge of musical forms, trends, styles. They have to be able to play in groups and comprehend their part in the whole composition. Performers should be aware of the style peculiar to the period when the composition was composed. Classical music requires that the performers develop, change keys, harmonize and phrase thematically. That is why performing classical music is so complicated. Such large musical forms as operas and symphonies as a rule exhibit a hierarchy of lesser parts.
We can frequently differentiate between popular and classical music by looking at instruments used in musical composition. As a rule, fewer musical instruments are being used during performing popular music, while classical music involves more instruments. Sometimes the electrical guitar can be used in performing some classical compositions. Bass instruments have not been used in classical music till the period of Renaissance. Lots of musical instruments that are considered today as popular music instruments played an essential part in classical music of earlier periods