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

Well you know I think it’s probably because composers sort of reject what has been done in the past or build upon it and try to make something unique out of it. In some cases in the 20th century they failed miserably and even today. However there are some wonderful composers post today and hopefully in the future. I would recommend the works of Adams to you. As an example. Rachmaninoff wrote stuff which was basically like Brahms and Wagner during the 1930s. His competition was George Gershwin and others. Rachmaninoff himself said that he was a dinosaur. Now true some of his piano pieces are incredible and incredibly hard to play but it really did belong to the previous century. Music written at any given time reflects the history and the times that they are written in. Mozart and Beethoven wrote in the very very different time then we have today. So if you want to live by candlelight as they did, then perhaps writing music like them would work. But today we are digital whether we like it or not and the times they are a changing to quote Dylan. So I guess I would recommend that you enjoy the music of the past that you like but don’t expect to hear it written nowadays because if it is it will be rejected by the large majority of people simply because society technology and the world has changed since those pieces were written.

Answer 2

That's a very good question. My answer has two parts. First, why are composers not composing in the Classical style today? "Classical" has two meanings: one meaning is a serious style of writing intended for concerts as opposed to a Pop or Commercial style and this is being done today. However, if you mean "Classical" as in the style of the Classical Period in music, the answer is that in the history of art, in general, artists, composers in this case, feel the need for their work to say something original and unique. This usually shows up in a new take on melody, harmony and structure which are primary elements of style. So, as they do this, the prevailing styles evolve. The main periods in Music History In chronological order are Middle Ages, Renaissance. Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionism and then Modern which includes many styles and sub sets. Each of these periods represents a change in prevailing styles as composers experiment and evolve.

Part two of my reading on your question is why don't we have Mozarts and Beethovens today. Two main reasons in my opinion. One is about population explosion: there are so many excellent composers today that it appears to be nearly impossible for any to distinguish themselves from the hordes...and we don't have the perspective that we have on Wolfie and Ludvig. However, there is also the progression of styles has lead to contemporary music being much less memorable, much harder to listen to and even harder to love. The music that lives on is the music that people love enough to want to hear it over and over and that is not what is in style at this point in time.

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to ask a follow up question.

Stephen