It was great to hear the honest responses to this Classical Music thread. But, without engaging in a protracted dissertation on Music, I would like to respond to a few inaccuracies of the respondents. Firstly, to say that "few classical composers generated dance music" is completely incorrect and contradictory to the History of Western Music. The earliest forms of music from the Medieval through the Baroque were common dance forms:Saltarello, Galliard, Pavanne, Allemande, Gavotte, Sarabande, etc. and it was these same popular dance forms that became the basis for more extended works during the Classical and Romantic Periods-the symphony,suite and sonata forms. They were easy to dance to and maintained a regular beat, not unlike popular music today, although the earlier forms certainly had more interesting melodies and harmonies. Another misconception is that Classical Music is "long hair stuff." This comment belies the foundation of Classical Music and generally speaks to musical "class warfare" generated by people who believe Classical Music is for educated or "snobby" people only. This also is contradictory to its origin since the earliest forms of Classical Music, as stated previously, started as popular dances in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain by common people as a form of entertainment. And finally, the assertion that Classical Music is" stuck in the past" implies that anything prior to the contemporary period somehow is antiquated or beyond its usefulness as an Art form. If that were the case, then we should discard all Art, Music and Literature that is not contemporary as no longer relevant. Shakespeare, Bach, Micheangelo, DaVinci--off thee to a nunnery! I do not consider myself a snob, a long hair or someone devoid of rhythm but have cherished the relationship between the timeless beauty, rhythm and melody of the classical form and its relationship to Man and the Sea. From the steady dance of a windward beat, to the rhythmic theme and variation of a gentle beam reach and the symphonic crashes of a charging boat offwind all reveal the rhythmic nuances that Classical Music and sailing have in common. Music is a cultural phenomena and unless it is taught in the schools as part of a regular curicullum, it will be lost to our culture. Anyone for Sunfish sailing and Snoop Doggy Dog?
Both are wonderful but very different experiences. Nice job!