Posts Tagged: famous classical music

For most of us, the best way to fall asleep is to put on some soft music, put the lights out and lay our heads upon the pillow. Of course there are debates as to what the best kind of music is for this slumbertime habit, and I’d argue that your best bet is some famous classical music, since it was written by geniuses who understand the circadian rhythms of humans better even than modern doctors. Famous classical music was written in a way to evoke a bio-physical response from the listener, encouraging relaxation – which is the key first step in falling asleep.

Some of the most famous classical music comes from the most famous composers, naturally. The likes of Ludwig von Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart come to mind, as does Peter Illych Tchaikovsky. All three of those men were nearly unmatchable geniuses who were able to use sound to create entire worlds which we could explore.

That, in my mind, is what makes famous classical music the best medicine for sleeplessness. Famous classical music takes you away from the stresses of the waking world and allows you to lay your head on your pillow and feel the tension melt away. Nothing works better for me.

Of course Beethoven, Mozart and Tchaikovsky aren’t the only great composers fo the classical era. Brahams, for example, wrote one of the most famous pieces of classical music, his “Lullaby.” The english lyrics are as follows:

Good evening, and good night, with roses adorned,

With carnations covered, slip under the covers.

Early tomorrow, God willing, you will wake once again.

Early tomorrow, God willing, you will wake once again.

Good evening, and good night. By angels watched,

Who show you in your dream the Christ-child’s tree.

Sleep now peacefully and sweetly, see the paradise in your dream.

Sleep now peacefully and sweetly, see the paradise in your dream.

The wikipedia entry on Brahms gives the following biographical details:

Johannes Brahms (pronounced [jo?'han?s 'b?a?ms]) (7 May 1833 ? 3 April 1897), German composer and pianist, was one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene. In his lifetime, Brahms’s popularity and influence were considerable; following a comment by the nineteenth century conductor Hans von B?low, he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the Three Bs.

Famous classical music brings to mind names like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, Brahms, Vivaldi, Haydn, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and others. There were many composers back in the day, but only some of them got to be famous. The famous composers are the ones whose tunes everyone recognizes, whose works are regularly assigned and practiced during music lessons, whose compositions are performed all around the world centuries later. The others you might find in random piano exercise books or information you come across while researching music of the 17th and 18th centuries.

An interesting fact is that technically, not all classical music is actually ?classic.? The younger generation might agree here, but what this really means is that classical music refers to music from the Classical Period of 1740-1780. The Classical Period was preceded by the Baroque Period of 1600-1750. Famous classical music like Bach, Handel, Vivaldi should actually be referred to as baroque music. However, modern vernacular lumps all of that old-fashioned music under the umbrella of classical music, and all of those names will always be thought of as classical music composers. But even if the distinction between periods is lost, the music of those periods isn?t.

As ?old-fashioned? as famous classical music might seem, it doesn?t appear to be disappearing from the music scene anytime soon. Almost everyone acquainted with music can recognize the tunes of F?r Elise, Minuet in G major, The Four Seasons, and other famous pieces, even though we don?t always remember the names of the works. Modern music even makes use of classical music by sampling it, like ?I Can? by Nas, ?They? by Jem, and many songs have made use of Pachelbel?s Canon. Famous classical music continues to thrive in contemporary times, in both original and modified form.

Classical music is a genre of the past, but it?s a genre that persists in the present. What is it about classical music that makes it so timeless and popular, aside from recent hubbub over the Mozart Effect? Who knows, but trends always seem to make a comeback, though famous classical music is more of a constant element. Maybe it?s because music today builds upon music of the past, and classical music represents a lot of what music is all about: the aesthetic portion of harmony, rhythms, dynamics, and the ?business side? of commissions and performances. Or maybe classical music just sounds good. Whatever the reason, classical music has lasted throughout the ages and possibly will last for years to come.