[lbo-talk] Re: Black music makes history

joanna bujes jbujes at covad.net
Mon Oct 13 14:26:13 PDT 2003


Carrol writes:

"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."

Absolutely. Look at a lot of Bach stuff: the movements are called Gigue, Chaconne, Minuet, Sarabande...all dances. Up through Mozart, one of the symphonic movements was often a "minuet."

There's a similar progression in Argentine Tango, beginning in the brothels and barrios with (1870's) a melange of Italian, German, Turkish, Spanish, African, and indigenous music from the Argentine pampas, proceeding through a symphonic, respectable phase by way of Paris in the twenties, and reaching it's classical/formal articulation in the music of Astor Piazzola. It has recently been given another popular boost through the GOTAN project in france, which adds some very, very hot MiddleEastern/North African sounds....en ever-evolving form...and a wonder, both to dance to and listen to.

Joanna



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