The Melodic Revival in Music And Its Living Composers For Beauty
According to music theory, the melody is based either on a succession of notes that together form a melody, such as the famous melody from Tchaikovsky’s «Swan Lake» ballet. Or melodies are developed from a small motive, that is used as a building block to form a thematic development, such as seen in Beethoven’s fifth symphony.
Here are two short educational videos that explain these concepts in further detail:
Motifs:
Melody:
While it is well established that tonality (understood as loyalty to a tonic) has manifested in cultures widely separated in time and space, the oldest known collection of melodies, the Hurrian hymns, are dated back to 1400 B.C.
The independent occurrence of tonality and melody in different cultures all over the world suggests that melody and tonality is not an accident or something that has been invented or constructed by man, but rather a force of nature.
The way melodic composers, seemingly unanimously, describe how they «receive» their melodies in an intuitive way strengthens this assumption.
As Beethoven puts it:
«You ask me where I get my ideas. That I cannot tell you with certainty. They come unsummoned, directly, indirectly — I could seize them with my hands — out in the open air, in the woods, while walking, in the silence of the nights, at dawn….»
The young, British composer Alma Deutscher describes how melodies started to «pop up in her head» when she was 4 years old in this short video:
The history of music has shown that tonal music is a force of nature, that can’t be stopped. It will eventually pop up, like a balloon pushed under water.
Rachmaninov, the great melodist, who endured the second Viennese school, and faced criticism for his melodies, described his experience as follows:
«I feel like a ghost wandering in a world grown alien. I cannot cast out the old way of writing, and I cannot acquire the new. I have made intense effort to feel the musical manner of today, but it will not come to me…»
In the aftermath of the second Viennese school, the urge for tonality eventually manifested itself in classical music, through the rising of new and tonal genres of minimalism, mood music, and ambient music. Almost like an excuse, a plea for beauty after the brutal regime of atonality.
And right now, melodic music is in the process of doing the same, forcing itself back to acceptance!
After all, the tonal genres of minimalism, ambient, and mood music don’t do melody justice, as it only use melody in a fragmented way, where snippets of melody are used as a tool to enhance a mood. In contrast, melodic music, which is solely based on melody has the ability to create a story and to connect with the listener through storytelling.
It’s «the whole package».
More on music as storytelling in this video:
Within establishments, and even within the broader classical music community melodic music presented by living composers is very often instantly dismissed as insignificant pastiches of «styles of the past». It’s done just like that, waving the magic wand, without even discussing the difference between music that is inspired by other composers and what one could call an actual pastiche.
For a start, let’s Alma Deutscher clear up the confusion in this educational video:
The same group commonly dismisses melodic music arguing that melodic music «belongs in the past historically» and that «all that can be said within the styles of melodic composing has already been said». They go on claiming that it’s impossible to develop a «personal style» within historical idioms but also imply that «a little tonality» is acceptable as long as there is not «too much», signaling that the neoclassic style of Prokofiev or Stravinsky may be the accepted route of escape.
And, yes, great music has been composed in the neoclassic style, however, a typical full-fledged 1800-century romantic melody would never adapt to this style.
It’s hard to comprehend that the 60-year-old idiom of minimalism is widely accepted as «new, relevant and modern» while practically every idiom in the history of classical music that depends on melody still is rejected as «historically dead».
The thing is that composers still receive melodies, and even whole pieces of music intuitively, that appear original and can’t be tracked back as copies of past composers. Melodies that naturally adapt into the «idioms of the past».
Take, for instance, this melody that came popping into the head of Alma Deutscher when she was 8 years old. How well would this melody adapt to the style of serialism, minimalism, or any other style than shown here?
Interestingly the most validating comments melodic composers get are such as «You should have lived 200 years ago!», suggesting that their music would have been appreciated back then, but cannot be appreciated now.
It’s time to track down where this «consensus» stems from and challenge it. Is it true that all of these «second-rate pastiches» can’t be appreciated? What about the successful revival of forgotten composers? What about Clara Schumann? Clara Schumann has a staggering 700.000 monthly listeners on Spotify as we speak. Kaija Saariaho has 21.000.
The music of Clara Schumann has millions of views on YouTube, and her hidden gems are being rediscovered.
But, interestingly enough, her teenage work, the piano concerto, is repeatedly performed and praised, and about to reach canonization just because of its popularity.
A concert that surely had been written off as a «poorly-written Chopin pastiche» by the gatekeepers, and never hit the stage if a living composer had presented it as his own work today.
This illustrates that the public does appreciate a good tune, even if it’s not «perfectly written», or bears the mark of «genius».
(Personally, I like her concerto really well.)
And what about the premises behind the arguments that are commonly used to dismiss melodic music by living composers? Are they even valid?
Melodic music is about humanity, it has the power to touch people's hearts and souls. And in the end, it’s only people's hearts and souls that can determine its value.
Melodic music can be loosely defined, but not dissected.
The endless and rigorous hunt for «evidence of pastiche», the dissection, and the intellectualization don’t change this fact. Dissection is for lab rats, melodic music is for the heart and soul. It can never be proven «right or wrong».
And, when trying to suppress melody, it will eventually pop up again, as a balloon pushed under water.
As a result of this imposed ban on melody melodic composers are feeling gaslighted, similar to the experience expressed by Rachmaninov, and have their right to free speech and expression compromised. And, even worse, the public misses out on music they might would have enjoyed.
Yes, I know that «the elephant in the room» is supposed to be money and funding. And that certain establishments (after losing their battle against minimalism) still refuse to give in to melodic music.
(There is, however, some indication that they’re about to lose their ground to music in the late-romantic idiom. Let’s intensify the pressure until every idiom back to Palestrina is accepted!)
In any case, money is not an acceptable excuse for suppressing melody, and robbing the public of music, just because a tiny enclave of intellectuals wants to keep on granting tax-payers money into projects like this:
Why don’t just leave it up to the general public to decide? Arrange opinion polls, present media files of music, and let the public themselves decide what works THEY want to hear being performed at a concert.
Luckily, despite resistance, melodic composers refuse to be put to silence and keep on growing like dandelions through the crack.
These dandelions are to be found on any platform where music is shared, from the stage of Carnegie Hall to the corners of YouTube and SoundCloud, and everywhere in between.
I’ll present a selection of living melodic composers that I have found across social media, roughly divided by musical idiom. What I think they have in common is that their music is based on melody. Melodies that are seemingly original and aren’t copies of previous composers, as far as I know, and that their music has the quality of storytelling.
LIST OF COMPOSERS
Living composers of the classical — early romantic idiom (1750–1850):
Eric Aren Schroeder studies baroque violin at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, where he has had several of his compositions performed.
Suggested listening:
Piano trio:
The opera «La Locandiera». (An opera inspired by Mozart):
Aria from the oratorio «The Passions»:
Xavier Pimentel is a multi-talented pianist who has a catalog of piano sonatas in a style reminiscent of Beethoven and Scarlatti.
Suggested listening:
Sonata:
Sonatina:
Alma Deutscher is a British composer living in Vienna. She has composed since the age of 4 and made headlines since 7 years of age. Her music shows influence from a whole range of composers. Her opera Cinderella, completed when she was 10 years old, has been performed several times, each time a critically acclaimed sold-out success. (Note that Alma has revised the score of the opera and made improvements to the orchestration, while the melodic material has remained the same.)
Suggested listening:
The opera Cinderella:
The Siren Sound Waltz:
https://youtu.be/W0xMpLXQNvM?si=CRlVVQYy_3OthYY2
Romanza for violin:
Piano sonata:
Gabriella Cariddo is a student at the Eastman School of Music and a composer.
Suggested listening:
Violin sonata:
Piano etude:
Ian Barnett is a young violinist and composer. He has been composing from an early age and has several works performed by orchestra. (Not many of his works are on YouTube.)
Suggested listening:
Piano concerto:
Another piano concerto:
Fabio Henrique Dentello is a young Brazilian composer who brands himself as a composer in the early romantic idiom. He composes music packed with captivating melodies, some with a subtle Brazilian flavor.
Suggested listening:
Nonette:
Living composers of the Late romantic idiom:
Rodrigo Landa Romero is a young Mexican pianist and composer who has won several competitions and performed at Carnegie Hall.
Suggested listening:
Symphonic poem:
Corazonada for piano:
Tristen J. T Watts (alias «TjTheComposer»)
Tristan Watts is a young composer and will soon have a few of his works premiered by an orchestra. He composes mostly symphonic works in a late romantic style reminiscent of Mahler, adding his own personal touch.
Suggested listening:
Prayer for Cello and Orchestra:
Arietta:
Sharon Schnapp is an emerging composer with several promising works.
Suggested listening:
Sirenes — a musical picture:
Robert Cunningham is a pianist and a doctorate in Rachmaninov. He composes works for piano and chamber music.
Suggested listening:
Nocturn:
Meditation:
Benjamin Kallestein is a Norwegian piano student who composes music for various ensembles, including piano pieces.
Suggested listening:
Wordless Song:
Living composers of the neoclassical style:
Gerald Braden is a music professor originally from Vienna, living in Ohio. He is known for his symphonic works and compositions for piano, which hit home with the public. Several of his works have been performed by orchestras.
Suggested listening:
Winter Prelude:
Mark McDonald composes music influenced by the classical tradition but puts his own spin on it.
Suggested listening:
Piano Concerto:
David Unger is a Swedish music teacher and composer. He composes music for various ensembles in a classical tradition.
Suggested listening:
Nocturn:
Wolfgang Berndt is a composer living in France. He composes pieces for the piano.
Suggested listening:
Valse for piano:
Living composers of the Neoromantic style:
Martin Romberg is a critically acclaimed Norwegian composer.
Suggested listening:
Concert for clarinet:
Corentin Boissier is a reputable French composer.
Suggested listening:
Piano concerto:
Living composers of miscellaneous classical genres:
Ellie Malonzo is only 13 years old but is already making headlines with her violin concertos in baroque style.
Suggested listening:
Marcus Paus is a Norwegian composer. He is currently the most frequently performed composer in Norway known for his unique style and striking melodies.
Suggested listening:
Concerto for timpani:
Narvik- Suite:
Marlene Moore is a Canadian pianist and pedagogue living in California. She has a large catalog of original piano pieces and arrangements, ranging from beginner-level to advanced concert pieces. She has also composed a symphony.
Suggested listening:
Reach for the Stars:
Magnus Opus:
Symphony movement:
Arthur Zamboni is a multi-talented composer from Brazil.
Suggested listening:
Waltz:
Vladimir Korovitsyn is a Russian composer of piano music.
Suggested listening:
Intermezzo:
Alexander Smelkov is a reputable Russian composer:
Suggested listening:
Spring in St. Petersburg:
Nicola Canzano is a teacher at Michigan State University and a composer of baroque music.
Suggested listening:
Written by Randi Botnen
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