Is combining classical music with other genres a good idea?

Guest Blog

Inspired by a recent question we posed on Twitter, one of our cellists, Matthew Forbes, has written these thoughts for our blog.

It's an important question. The history of Western classical music is one of adaptation and evolution. As any art form should, it has absorbed influences from so many other places and embraced them over the centuries. Many great composers (Haydn, Beethoven, Ravel, Messaien and so many others) borrowed from other forms of music and were influenced by other ideas, and yet their work remained individual and honest. 

As musicians, our frame of reference should be as wide as possible. We ought to be knowledgeable about many other types of music because they should be regarded as fuel for the fire of imagination. In a series of television lectures he once gave, Leonard Bernstein listed all the genres of music he could think of, then famously said "I love it all!" While I don't confess to loving all music that I hear, I concur wholeheartedly with the sentiment. Of course, this width of scope should combine with rigorous technical discipline. The purpose of technique is to allow us to play or sing anything we want, while remaining true to our individual selves. This is also evident in other spheres; W. H. Auden was always a proud craftsman, turning his hand to anything in verse, whilst retaining his distinctive voice. Alec Guinness could be anybody - playing every part (including the women) in "Kind Hearts and Coronets" - and yet was always recognisably himself. This approach, where the mind is both open and focused, should be our ambition, especially in an age of indistinct musical boundaries.

Another important concept is what I call 'ownership' of music. It is difficult to define, but essentially it is a feeling within a person which allows them to grasp a sound or style and 'own' it for themselves, allowing it to penetrate and be part of their own identity. One line in a Paul Simon song reads: "Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts". Parents do not like their children's musical tastes; they are not meant to. It is because these sounds belong specifically to a time, a place, and a set of people. Billy Connolly described his teenage years when "Elvis came and saved us all." Parents and the press might have been terrified and derisory, but the act of each generation owning its own musical culture is vital to its identity and development.

Additionally, I believe that cultural ownership goes further than listening. For many of us, that sense of belonging to the music comes from participation. If you ask any professional musician how they started playing their instrument, most answers you get are uninspiringly prosaic. But there does come a point where a player will develop a deep personal association with their instrument and its sound. I remember being very excited every time I heard a cello as a young player - that was MY sound!

Not everyone loves classical music - nor do they all love dubstep. But for some, a combination of these may be an expression of something very personal and meaningful. Who am I to make a moral judgement on their juxtaposition? I was asked if there were certain combinations I thought worked better than others. I can only answer for myself - I have enjoyed many classical/British folk collaborations, because I love both these elements. I love funk; using jazz musicians to play rock rhythms, as well as groups like the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, because they are both entertaining and skilful. I didn't enjoy the music of William Orbit (classical plus electronic dance) because, to me, the rhythmic fluidity of the the material he used was lost to compensate for the feel of his version. But if that was his expression of being a musician then it belongs in our culture and must stay there.

Finally, a few more aspects which I feel are crucial for a positive collaboration of genres:

1. It has to be good. The quality of the sound, the range of techniques, imagination and inventiveness have to be of the highest possible level, as the detail always matters. 

2. A musician is a listener first, and a player second. My definition of a musician is someone who is fascinated by why music does what it does, be that comfort, excite, move or repel.

3. Every genre of music shares the building blocks with all the others (melody, rhythm, structure etc.). Saying that, the most powerful element is rhythm, and is therefore the most important to get right.

4. People hear music in different ways. Some are fascinated by harmony, some by the immediate effect on the emotions, some even by a strong imaginary link between sound and colour. This diversity is a good thing, and must always be taken seriously.

5. Gimmicks never last. If a fusion of genres is created purely as a commercial venture or an attempt at adhering to fashion, it lacks integrity. Sincerity is essential. 

Who knows where the next great music will come from? I can't wait to find out!

Thank you to Matthew for writing this week's guest blog; do you agree with his thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. 

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