Alexander Lo
The peak of the classical era was over 200 years ago, but classical music is still popular today. A quick search on YouTube for “classical music” brings up a variety of classical piece compilations that each have up to millions of views. However, classical music often has the reputation of being inaccessible and associated with elitism. This reputation does carry some truth, but classical music should be, and is, for the most part, accessible to anyone who wants to enjoy it.
This elitism in classical music can come from its association with being rich or opulent. Pieces like “Boccherini’s Minuet” are often paired with visuals of people eating at fancy restaurants. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, it makes classical music seem like a monolith. People end up thinking that all classical music is associated with richness, which is simply not true. Additionally, these assumptions can lead people to overlook nuances in classical music in favor of grouping all of it into one category.
“Judgement of people listening to ‘basic’ pieces can also be considered gatekeeping”
Classical music was music intended for the affluent back in its day. It was largely composed at the request of nobles and only the rich could afford to watch live classical performances. It is true that the latter still stands today and tickets to a performance at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco can range from $60 to $175, but it’s also true that music services such as Spotify and YouTube are completely free to use. Users can listen to and even watch performances of classical music for free using these services. While the experience of a live performance is unmatchable, not having to pay to listen to the music is arguably a great tradeoff. These services bring this “inaccessible” music to anyone who has access to the internet.
Furthermore, people often use classical music in TikToks and videos as background music, especially in videos that fit its luxurious connotations. At times, using classical music like this catches the attention of classical musicians who think this usage is shallow or there is overuse of pieces such as Canon in D, which is commonly played at weddings. After all, there is a wide variety of classical pieces that sound uniquely different and it’s almost a shame that only a few are used, especially when pieces like Canon in D are plain and simple.
However, judgment of people listening to “basic” pieces can also be considered gatekeeping. Shouldn’t people be able to listen to whatever they want? While the intent of this judgment is usually to push people to explore a wider variety of classical music, shaming popular pieces can actually add to the elitism and inaccessibility. Unpopular pieces like Chopin’s Winter Wind may be very rich and exciting, but a person who is only just starting to discover classical pieces may never find it if they are shamed for only being familiar with the most popular pieces. Additionally, each person’s taste in music is different, and a person might genuinely enjoy the simple beauty of Für Elise or Canon in D over Winter Wind’s explosive intensity, and that is okay.
Oftentimes, reputations have at least some truth to them and classical music’s reputation is not any different.
Historically, classical music has been associated with affluence, making it seem inaccessible. However, as long as classical music isn’t gatekept, it can be accessible and enjoyed by almost everyone.
