Modern Classical Music: Where's the Love?
Classical music lovers haven't taken to modern classical compositions like they do to quintessential composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and other standbys of the 18th and 19th centuries. The reason why classical audiences get no satisfaction from nontraditional classical music may be neurological, according to Philip Ball, author of The Music Instinct.
The brain craves familiar structure and patterns in music. Modern classical music, such as symphonies by Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, defy the predictable patterns to which most people are accustomed. "Many people still seem to find modern classical music challenging," says Ball. "If that is the case, then they can relax as it is challenging for a good reason and it is not because they are in some way too musically stupid to appreciate it."
According to professor David Huron, an expert on music cognition at Ohio State University, anticipating events and outcomes is essential to survival, and when you fail to do so, the brain gets confused and is unable to derive pleasure from the activity. However, some people do enjoy the helter-skelter sounds—it just takes some getting used to.
