> Could "classical[a] music" be defined as dance music turned
> chamber/concert music? My grasp of music history is perfunctory, but I
> believe that the traditions out of which first baroque and then
> "classical [b]" (=pre-beethoven) music developed were all dance
> traditions. And that concet music evolved from chamber music.
To some extent. Of course, a lot of "classical" music developed out of ecclesiastical music, much of which in turn was adapted from popular dances and songs, going back into the Middle Ages. (The guitar-strumming folk-singer church music traditionalists loved to hate in the '60s and '70s is a tradition which goes way back). Also, there was a contribution of festival music -- lots of trumpet fanfares, etc. -- from the Italian city states, and court music composed to entertain the nobility and royalty -- Handel's Royal Water and Fireworks Musics are obvious examples. The sources of the music were a complex twisted rope of many yarns.
The point is that "classical" music, whatever its origins, was developed to a very high degree of complexity by very talented composers and performers, pushing each other to ever higher levels of virtuosity. It also depended on leisured listeners and wealthy, titled patrons who had a lot of spare time and thalers, pounds, or francs on their hands to appreciate and financially support said composers and performers. Then in the 19th century the middle classes, craving the prestige of the nobility, flocked to concert halls so that the next few generations of musicians could be supported.
The history of classical music is a lot more complicated than this, but perhaps this suggests the bare outlines, and gives a clue or two towards how this music ended up at the end of the 20th century dependent on the sponsorship crumbs of multinationals and selling records made by multinational media corporations, and why it has gotten an apparently indelible reputation for being the music of the decadent aristocracy and doddering old "long-hairs" who don't have a clue about the real world. (Cue the Kronos Quartet for a little closing tune.)
Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org __________________________________ Music, the greatest good that mortals know,
And all of heaven we have below. -- Joseph Addison, A Song for St. Cecilia's Day