Has Western Music Reached a Creative Plateau in the Early 20th Century?
Throughout the annals of musical history, Western music has seen its share of challenges and transformations. The question often arises, has the Western musical language reached a creative plateau in the early 20th century, rendering it unable to appeal to a broader audience?
The Evolution of Western Art Music
Western art music has followed a trajectory of increasing complexity, reaching its zenith with the late Romantic era, particularly in composers like Wagner who explored chromatic harmony. However, the acceptance of almost any dissonance post-Wagner led to the breakdown of traditional tonality. This atonal period made it difficult to codify music beyond academic treatises, resulting in a loss of mass appeal.
Jazz: The New Paradigm
Jazz emerged in the early 20th century as a celebration of tonal harmonic dexterity, particularly through popular dance forms. While jazz enjoyed a half-century of mass appeal, it too followed a similar trajectory, eventually leading to free jazz and atonal explorations. The techniques used in jazz were still rooted in already explored tonal systems, given a fresh life through rhythm and blues forms.
Popular Music: A New Frontier
Popular music is often seen as the successor to Western art music, but it represents a change in focus to folk and 'street music' that had always existed alongside 'classical' music. Due to its simplicity, popular music had a shelf life of only about 20 years, from simple blues to progressive rock, and quickly entered an anarchic stage with punk and new wave. Electronic influences dominated post-punk scenes, but by the 1980s, traditional songwriting began again, powered by modern technology.
The Modern Era: A Return to Traditional Sounds
In the 1990s, there was a brief revival of classic rock, which was essentially a return to the sounds of the 1960s. Today, we see a return to the 1980s aesthetic of traditional songwriting but using virtual instruments. Chord progressions are conservative, often with little modulation, and jazz chords are rarely used. Melodies tend to be angular and less traditionally 'musical' to avoid sounding too 'corny' or traditional.
Current Creative Trends
The current era of popular music is largely characterized by a retro aesthetic. Artists like Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga, with their 1990s production styles, dominate. This choice often leaves listeners with a selection: either embracing retro pop music or navigating the often complex and less accessible classical music.
Indie and Progressive Music
Indie and progressive music provide alternatives for those seeking innovation and traditional sounds. Jazz and progressive rock, while not as innovative as they once were, still keep the flame of traditional sounds burning. Similarly, techno and house music continue to sound rooted in the early 1990s.
In conclusion, while Western music has seen significant developments and innovations throughout the 20th century, it has indeed reached a creative plateau in terms of immediate mass appeal. However, this does not mean the art of music has stagnated; it has simply evolved and adapted to new mediums and audiences.