Classical Music vs. Jazz in US Cultural History
Classical Music vs. Jazz in US Cultural History
If you ask the average American about the technical differences between music genres like classical and jazz, they may well find themselves at a loss, in no small part because arts education programs in US schools are notoriously underfunded. Yet most people have plenty to say about the role of music in American culture, which is felt by music lovers of all kinds and generations.
That’s because, unlike music theory concepts, anyone can name genres, artists, or songs that they identify with or that saw them through critical points in their lives. People can also readily compare and contrast these with the music their grandparents, parents, and children listen to.
In fact, in many ways, genres like classical music and jazz can be understood as cultural symbols, since they were developed and continue to resonate in specific historical contexts. Here are some of the ways that classical music and jazz history can reflect specific racial and cultural experiences—and why Americans who love these genres may not see eye to eye.
Origins
Classical Music
Classical music is a form of Western religious or concert music written anywhere from the year 1000 to the present day. The history of classical music began in the Middle Ages in Europe, when it was performed in Catholic Masses to inspire converts and believers. The genre flourished most from 1550 to 1900, when it evolved into a sophisticated art in its own right to be performed for the upper classes, then the wider public. The historical movements of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century classical music respectively are all subsets of the larger genre.
However, classical music did not become well established in the US until the mid- to late-1800s (beginning in New England), making the nation late to embrace a genre that had already existed for centuries in Europe. By then, other musical genres and traditions had already been established in the States as well. In addition, as classical music was initially performed for the European upper classes, it appealed to similar audiences in the US, which limited its popularity as an American cultural institution.
Jazz
The origins and history of jazz could hardly be more different than those of classical music. Thoroughly American and modern, the genre was developed in New Orleans between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It comes from a mixture of African, European, and American musical traditions, reflecting the racial and cultural diversity of New Orleans.
Until the 1950s, jazz served as music for dancing, and it covered popular secular songs. Later, successful musicians developed jazz into the complex and innovative genre it is today. Notably, while classical music is effectively a cultural import to the US, jazz is one of America’s greatest exports to the rest of the world, as it is played and celebrated in many other countries.
Cultural Reception and Cultivation
Classical Music
Throughout classical music history in the US (with exceptions like composer Scott Joplin), composers, musicians, and listeners have remained overwhelmingly White. According to some experts, this is partly because American styles of classical music have never strayed far from their White European aristocratic roots. For much of American history, Black Americans and people of color have been excluded from attending classical music concerts, receiving formal music lessons, or gaining wide cultural influence as composers.
Of course, many people of color have cherished and excelled in classical music despite all of this, and still do today. On the whole, however, it’s easy to understand how non-White communities might view the genre not only as culturally alien, but as a frank symbol of Whiteness and racism.
Jazz
By contrast, jazz began as a distinctly African American creation, and has largely remained so. It also had a powerful symbolic and functional role in the civil rights movement. As a genre, jazz is strongly rooted in the work music of enslaved African Americans, which offered a means for self-expression, community bonding, and endurance. Similarly, during the civil rights movement, it became a powerful lyrical and melodic outlet for protest among musicians and singers.
An excellent way to examine the cultural history of classical and jazz music in the US is to watch films and plays in which one of these genres takes center stage. Better yet, you can witness classical music and jazz sharing symbolic limelight in Idris Goodwin’s play Bars and Measures as two of other major themes centered on Black American identity.
See BARS AND MEASURES at Mosaic Theater Company February 2-26, 2022
Mosaic Theater Company in Washington, DC produces bold, culturally diverse theater that illuminates critical issues, elevates fresh voices, and sparks connections among communities throughout our region and beyond amid the most important events of our times.
Dedicated to making theater an inclusive model of diversity at every stratum, on stage and off, Mosaic invests in the new as it keeps abreast of changing and challenging times. Mosaic does this to ensure that theater is a responsive gathering space, while nurturing and producing art of the highest order.
From February 2 through 26, 2022, Mosaic will feature performances of Idris Goodwin’s Bars and Measures directed by Reginald L. Douglas. Inspired by true events, award-winning playwright and breakbeat poet Idris Goodwin’s acclaimed Bars and Measures is a moving play with music that reflects on faith, family, and politics with equal parts imagination and intensity.
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