The History in Music 6 - On Classical Music 音乐中的历史6 - 再论古典音乐

The Hidden Drama Behind Classical Music

Many are familiar with the story of the two shoe salesmen in Africa. The duo is sent to complete a basic survey of the African market to see if there is any potential to sell shoes to the locals. After making detailed observations regarding the demographics and consumer preferences, the salesmen come to very different conclusions. One salesman argues there is no opportunity – the Africans do not wear shoes. On the other hand, his companion points out that opportunity abounds – the Africans do not have shoes yet. 

There is a similar situation in the classical music world today. Some people are quite pessimistic. Since one can only expect to hear some classical music in a high-end shopping mall or at a music fountain, there is no hope of encouraging the populace to appreciate the exquisiteness of this genre. Others are more optimistic. They believe that classical music has an inherent balance and grace that every healthy individual can perceive. The author is more of an optimist than a pessimist. This article will elaborate on the proposition that classical music is for everyone. The author’s perspective will not be purely musical; the article will not back the proposition by discussing musical theory. Instead, it will show how the music can be broken down into various nuanced emotions, and how listeners can decipher the riveting stories behind using these emotions. By highlighting that music is a narrative of emotions, the article will make the point that as long as one has a sensitive heart, classical music is for them.

To illustrate, consider an extremely famous piece in classical music history – Beethoven’s Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor. This sonata is most known as the “Moonlight” Sonata. The first movement is one of the most recognizable pieces in the classical music repertoire. It appears in almost every piano textbook and can be heard everywhere – from music fountains to films, ringtones, and background music for some viral short video. However, the first movement is not the only subtle movement. The second and third movements also display different tones and characters. The true “vitality” of this music rests in the changes and combinations of emotions. In the first movement, the music begins quite slowly. The initial bars deliver a meditative and somber mood. The music sounds like the last light of a dimly lit room vanishes, and the storytelling in the dark commences. However, there is not just somberness in this first movement. Towards the end, the melody begins to wander. One can hear sighing and a release of tension. The music mimics the style of a “fantasia” – the music of dreams and free-flowing feelings. While not wholly differentiating itself from the beginning’s negative hue, this part adds new emotional dimensions to the music. 

The second movement delivers a lighter touch to the sonata. The first few notes establish a more brisk and playful emotional charge. The music even feels peaceful, quite different from the negativity heard at the start of the first movement. Nonetheless, the second movement is not purely an ode to joy. As it closes, a group of unsettling notes reestablish a tense feeling. The audience is reminded of the general tone of the previous movement. Beethoven plays with such combinations of emotions artfully throughout these two movements.

The third movement begins tempestuously with a furious barrage of harsh notes. The listener can immediately catch an indignant, rebellious, and ultraenergetic emotion. However, the music takes a more meditative turn at the halfway mark. The same deep, slow feeling of rumination heard at the start of the first movement returns. The piece ends with a final exclamation of excitement and fury. 

The complex emotions present in this sonata can be traced to the stories behind its composition. What stories can be linked to the darkness and fury of the music? Between 1800 and 1801, Beethoven began to suffer from hearing problems. He could have realized that he might not be able to hear music—his life’s greatest gift—soon. There was an element of heroism as he became more determined to confront his destiny, almost like David fights Goliath.

However, as the sonata demonstrates, there is more to Beethoven than sheer heroism. There are moments of rumination. What smaller narratives do such moments remind one of? Just like any other man challenged by life’s tragedies, Beethoven must have spent time looking reflectively at his inner heart. Beethoven must have devoted efforts to waddle through and piece together his fragmented emotions. As a composer who enjoyed meditation in nature, the moments of calmness and reflection in the sonata point to this aspect of his life story during that period.

There are additionally moments of warmth and even bliss, as the second movement shows. What stories can be linked to such emotions? At that time, he had an irresistible affection towards his female student Julie Guicciardi. Eventually, though, she married another man. This story allowed Beethoven to realize and notice the beauty in his life – the beauty of pure affection and admiration. The saying goes that talents are often lonely. Beethoven relished in such moments of gentleness and companionship. He documented these emotions in the playfulness of the second movement.

As this article attempted to illustrate, classical music should never be thought of as unapproachable. Admittedly, this kind of music is based on elaborate music theories and complicated structures. However, these theories and structures are not barriers that prevent people from interpreting the music. At its essence, classical music is a container of emotions, a minstrel who narrates compelling and riveting stories. The key to understanding classical music is to listen carefully to the changes of emotions, which anyone with a curious, sensitive heart, is capable of. Classical music appeals to the pool of emotions and experiences that lie deep in every individual. Then, the magic unfolds as the complex musical emotions coalesce into a map - a map to navigate the personal worlds and epics of these magnificent musicians.

古典音乐背后的戏剧艺术

许多人都熟悉非洲两个卖鞋人的故事。他们被派去完成对非洲市场的基本调查，看看是否有可能向当地人销售鞋子。在对人口结构与消费者偏好进行详细观察后，这两位推销员得出了截然不同的结论。一位销售员认为没有机会--非洲人根本不穿鞋。而另一位推销员则指出，机会比比皆是--非洲人还没有鞋子。

当今古典音乐界也有类似的情况。有些人相当悲观。因为人们只在高档购物中心或音乐喷泉中听到一些古典音乐，所以指望普及民众欣赏古典音乐的精妙之处是没有希望的。另一些人则比较乐观。他们认为，古典音乐的平衡与优雅是每个人都能感知到的。笔者是一个乐观主义者，而不是悲观主义者。本文将试图阐述 "古典音乐适合每一个人 "这一命题。作者的视角并非纯粹的音乐视角--文章不会通过讨论音乐理论来支持这一命题。相反，文章将展示如何将音乐分解为各种细微的情感，以及听众如何利用这些情感来解读音乐背后引人入胜的故事。通过强调音乐是一种叙事--情感的叙事--文章将说明，只要有一颗敏感的心，古典音乐就适合所有人。

为了说明这一点，考虑古典音乐史上一首极为著名的乐曲--贝多芬的《升 C 小调第十四奏鸣曲》，这首奏鸣曲被称为 "月光 "奏鸣曲。第一乐章是整个古典音乐曲目中最著名的曲目之一，它几乎出现在每一本钢琴教科书中，从音乐喷泉、电影、铃声到火遍全网短视频的背景音乐，随处可闻。但是，这首音乐的精妙之处不仅仅在第一乐章，第二、第三乐章同样有着不同色彩的生命。这首音乐的 "生命力"在于微妙的情感变化与组合。在第一乐章中，音乐开始得相当缓慢。最初的小节传递出一种沉思或阴郁的情绪，音乐听起来仿佛昏暗房间的最后一束光消失了，黑暗中的故事开始。然而，第一乐章并不只是阴郁，接近尾声时，旋律开始飘忽。人们可以听到叹息和紧张情绪的释放，这里的风格模仿了 "幻想曲 "，即梦境与自由情感的音乐。这一部分虽然没有完全摆脱开头的消极色调，但为音乐增添了新的情感维度。

第二乐章为奏鸣曲带入了一丝轻快。最初的几个音符营造出一种更加轻盈、俏皮的情绪氛围。音乐甚至在某种程度上给人以平和的感觉，这与第一乐章开始时的消极情绪截然不同。然而，第二乐章并非纯粹的欢乐颂。乐章结束时，一组令人不安的音符重新营造出紧张的气氛，听众会因此想起前一乐章的总基调。贝多芬在这两个乐章中正是如上所述巧妙地运用了不同的情绪组合。

第三乐章以狂暴的刺耳音符开始。观众会立刻感受到一种愤慨、反叛与极度激昂的情绪。然而，音乐到了中段却转入了低沉的吟唱与沉思。第一乐章开始时那种深沉、缓慢的冥想感再次出现。乐曲最后以激动和愤怒的感叹结束。

这首奏鸣曲中的复杂情绪可以追溯到创作这首曲子背后的故事。有哪些故事可以与音乐中的黑暗和愤怒联系起来？1800 年至 1801 年间，贝多芬的听力开始出现问题。他可能意识到，他很快就无法听到音乐—上帝给他最伟大的礼物。这其中肯定有英雄主义的因素，因为他越来越坚定地要面对自己的命运，就像大卫与歌利亚搏斗一样。

但正如这首奏鸣曲所展示的那样，贝多芬并不只有慷慨的英雄主义，贝多芬也有安宁沉思的时刻。这种时刻会让人联想到哪些更小的叙事？贝多芬一定和其他受到人生悲剧挑战的人一样，用了很多时间反思自己的内心。贝多芬一定投入心血，蹒跚而行，拼凑自己支离破碎的情感。作为一个喜欢在大自然中冥想的作曲家，奏鸣曲中的平静与反思的时刻都指向了他那一时期的内心经历。

此外，正如第二乐章所展示的，贝多芬还经历了温暖甚至幸福的时刻。什么样的故事能与这种情感联系在一起？当时，他对自己的女学生朱莉-吉奇亚迪（Julie Guicciardi）产生了难以抗拒的感情。但最终，她还是嫁给了另一个男人。这个故事让贝多芬意识到并注意到他生命中的美--纯粹的爱慕的美。天才往往是孤独的，贝多芬乐于享受这种温柔和陪伴的时刻，他在第二乐章的音乐嬉戏中记录了这些情感。

正如本文试图说明的那样，古典音乐永远不应该被认为是高不可攀的。诚然，这类音乐建立在缜密的音乐理论与复杂的结构之上。然而，这些理论和结构并不是阻碍人们解读音乐的障碍。从本质上讲，古典音乐是情感的容器，是讲述引人入胜故事的吟游诗人。理解古典音乐的关键在于细心聆听情感的变化，任何拥有一颗好奇、敏感的心的人都能做到这一点。古典音乐吸引着每个人内心深处的情感与体验，然后，当复杂的音乐情感凝聚成一张地图，一张导航这些伟大音乐家的个人世界与史诗的地图时，古典音乐就与现代观众的耳朵与心灵如魔法一般编结在一起。