The timeless magic of classical music

Classical music is considered a written musical tradition, preserved in music notation. The use of musical notation is an effective technique for transmitting classical music since the written music contains the technical instructions for performing a musical piece. This music evokes classical traditions and focuses on formal styles.

The term classical music originates from the Latin classicus which means taxpayer of the highest class. Classical music is often associated with fine art and high culture. However, many classical pieces have become just as popular as pop music.

Some of the most renowned and brilliant classical composers whose musical pieces are timeless include Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric François Chopin, George Frideric Handel, Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) comes from a family of musicians. His music possesses an immortal quality and a source of inspiration to many great composers. Bach was one of the favorite composers of princes and kings during his time.

German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) published a piano piece when he was only 12. His piano sonatas and symphonies are ranked among the world’s greatest in music literature. He became deaf later in life but it was during these years that he composed some of his best music. This shining example shows how Beethoven, with his strong ambition and desire, overcame the greatest obstacle of his life.

Frédéric François Chopin (1810-1849) is a Polish composer and pianist. His mother encouraged him to study music at an early age. He played a concerto at a public concert when he was nine. He went to Paris where he fascinated his listeners with his magnificent music. Chopin’s frail body broke under the strain of concerts, teaching and social activities.

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) is a German composer who spent many years in England and lies buried in Westminster Abbey. One of his famous works, The Messiah, is about the prophecies and the coming of Jesus. The piece is performed during the holiday season. It is said that Handel wrote this long oratorio in 24 days. When a great choir sang the Hallelujah Chorus of The Messiah in London, King George II and his nobles rose to their feet to show their reverence for this great music.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was born in Rohrau, Austria and became a cathedral choirboy in Vienna. He was close to Prince Esterhazy and spent much of his time in Hungary. Haydn composed many pieces for the courtly orchestra. His trio for piano, violin and cello is called the Gypsy Rondo. The music is characteristic of the gypsy folk, full of light-heartedness and the joy of living. He has 104 catalogued symphonies.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) is an Austrian composer born in Salzburg. He stayed in Vienna until he died. With failing health, Mozart ceased work on his final composition, the Requiem. It was his student, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, who completed the piece. Mozart was buried in an unmarked grave in a regular communal burial place but it was not due to poverty. Mozart could not manage his money properly and his impulsive spending more than what he earned often led him requesting for loans.

Classical music is often used as soundtracks of movies like The Age of Innocence, Dead Poets Society, Howards End, Mr. Holland’s Opus and Patch Adams. Swing Kids features a composition of Beethoven. Blue Lagoon has Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2. Only You features Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah and William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet has Mozart’s Symphony No. 25, first movement.

The 1984 Oscar-winning film Amadeus directed by Mils Forman starring Tom Hulce as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and F. Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri is based on the stage play Amadeus written by Peter Shaffer. It’s inspired by Mozart and Salieri, a short play by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. The original soundtrack reached No. 56 on Billboard’s album charts. Most of the film’s soundtracks are from Mozart’s compositions.

Sometimes popular songs are based on classical music. Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D is an example of the crossover phenomenon in music. Since the early ’70s, Canon in D went to become a universally cultural item. It was used in countless versions in its original notes and instrumentation as well as arrangements for other instruments and adaptations into other musical genres.

The Canon is incorporated into contemporary popular music. Pop artist Vitamin C’s Graduation (Friends Forever) song uses Canon in D in both verse and chorus. The Canon is used as theme of the Academy Award-winning film Ordinary People starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton. The Korean film The Classic starring Son Ye-Jin and Jo In-Sung uses the Canon as background music in its opening credits.

The piece plays a prominent part in the Korean comedy My Sassy Girl in which the beautiful melody of George Winston’s version of Canon is played in piano by the girl (Jun Ji-Hyun) who asks the guy (Cha Tae-Hyun) to bring her a rose inside a packed auditorium to commemorate their 100th-day anniversary.

Many people believe that listening to classical music enhances the cognition systems of unborn children. Classical music has complex musical structure and its complexity trains the brain to solve spatial problems faster.

There are researches to determine if listening to classical music actually helps in an unborn child’s brain development. The link between mathematics and music explored in the Mozart effect, which says that early exposure to classical music has beneficial effects on mental ability is still being studied for its validity.