My Black perspective on classical music

I wanted to share my Black perspective on classical music and some of my thoughts on the genre in conjunction with my love for hip-hop & jazz.

Here are some of my thoughts:

Violin Concerto in B minor Mov. 1 — Elgar (played by Nikolaj Znaider)

It was 2007. I was a black teenager. Sixteen years old — a junior in high school when my private viola instructor gave me a complimentary ticket to see Nikolaj Znaider play the Elgar Violin Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the Kennedy Center. There was no way that I could have afforded to buy a ticket myself. Little did she (and I) know that the ticket to this concert would change my life forever. But there were some problems I would face before discovering this magnificent world of classical music. I had zero knowledge about the world of classical music, its history, and its composers. I was just a black boy from Charleston, West Virginia. I had been to one or two symphonies before on a school field trip to see the Nutcracker or to watch the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra (WVSO). Bottom line is that I did not have much exposure to the world of classical music. This was my first experience.

Nikolaj Znaider began to play his beautiful solo with the luscious sounds of Elgar’s symphonic writings behind him and my whole life would be changed forever! I would cry — tears of joy, sadness, sorrow, and hope. It felt like all my emotions were being stirred up inside me and poured out in the form of tears. It was so beautiful — so passionate! The soloist conjured up emotions inside of me that I never knew I had. I had fallen in love. Black boys aren’t told to cry. We are taught to be hard and tough. We are taught to hold in our emotions and apply ourselves on the field or on the court — to be the best at running, jumping, dunking and hitting. Time and time again this music has broken down the walls of my “tough-black boy” act and helped me connect with emotions that I am too afraid to uncloak.

Nocturne №2 E-flat major Op. 9 — Chopin

Chopin HAS to be Black. I mean of course he’s Polish and is a national hero in Poland, but I sometimes get an inkling that he may have some “brotha” in him. That’s because his music is international and transcends cultures. But for me, his compositions can be most reminiscent of a gospel organ player in the back of the old baptist church. Baptist organ playing is an improvised art form where the organist accompanies the preacher in the pulpit. The organist plays things you never hear, because each time they are reacting to the declamatory storytelling of the preacher. In comparison, Chopin’s writing style (along with many other composers before him) seems improvised at times. We all know Chopin is also famous for his use of ornamentation. Finding ways to embellish lyrical lines with grace notes and passing tones is the epitome of “gospel chops” that organists so often put on display to make the audience react with a “hallelujah” or “amen!”. With regards to tonality, Chopin consistently pushes and pulls out of diatonic chords giving you a melody to sing, but keeping it interesting with the use of alternate voicing and substitutions. Baptist organisms do the same thing with their melodies, taking you on a ride far away from home and then bringing you back safely to your destination.

…Anything by Tchaikovsky

Here’s an accurate comparison of two legends; Drake is the Tchaikovsky of the 21st century. Or vice-versa, Tchaikovsky is the Drake of the romantic period. Think of this the way that makes the most sense in your head.

You see, Tchaikovsky had the perfect formula for a “hit”….well, so does Drake. They’re undeniably great at what they do. They both value the melody as the most important element of their music. Both hypnotize you with their catchiness and pretty tunes that make it hard for you to stop singing once you leave the room.

The deep-intellectual in me despises this because their music is not the most complex or thought-provoking. Drake’s music has no substance — it just “feels” good. Both being entrepreneurs, they found the perfect equation to lure you into this perfectly constructed product filled with all the things you want to hear and feel, package it up in a bow, and sell it to you.

❤️ & ✌🏾,

-Stephen