Why isn't there a classical composer like Beethoven, Chopin or Mozart today?

Question

Why there aren't composers writing in a classical style today?Why don't we hear of classical composers today like we do of Beethoven, Chopin or Mozart?My question may be strange, but I am really curious.

Answer 1

Music itself has changed dramatically. The style, and quality of the music of that era was on a much higher level of substance. Nobody would be interested in composers of that caliber. However, there are some composers who do write and publish a level of music at the level of the people you mention. Most of them are composers for the motion pictures and T.V. specials. John Williams is the one who comes to mind most readily. They do exist but do not carry the name brand that the ones of the 17th & 18th century carried. Another difference was that the composers of that era were financed by the king or by the church. They were the only ones wealthy enough to finance them . People were not buying C.D's, recordings, etc. during that time. They also dictated what was to be written and for what purpose. Beethoven and Mozart used to conduct the orchestras at the state fairs where they would release their new compositions. They also held competitions between the composers for improvising on the spot. It truly an early form of jazz. Have you ever heard of the Bach Inventions? Guess what they were.

Answer 2

Hello!

It may not seem like it, but there are composers who write in those styles still to this day. You definitely have to search for them though. There are several reasons and opinions on why we do not hear of them though. The biggest reason I have for you is that just like art, languages, fashion, and so many other aspects of culture, music is continually evolving. Artists, in the general sense, are always striving to create something new that is unique and different. Even in the times of Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin! They were pushing the boundaries of what was the norm. They wanted to try new things and make new sounds. Artists are not always praised for creating new things though. The most well-known composer I can think of that demonstrates this is Tchaikovsky. For the longest time, music for ballets was composed by musicians who only wrote ballet music or it was taken from folk tunes. Tchaikovsky was the first symphonic composer to compose music for ballets and it was not received well at all. In fact, he received very negative criticism saying that it was too symphonic, loud, and distracting. People did not like his ballet music until after his death, which is very unfortunate in my opinion. He would not go to some of his premieres because he did not want to hear what people would say. I suppose he felt like a failure. However, now he is practically the father of ballet music and we hear it everywhere! There will always be people who imitate the greats, but it is human nature to keep evolving and growing.

I hope that helped answer your question!