Is pop music inferior to classical music?

[AeolianHarp]

http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-po...lassical-music

YES and yes and yes, yes and yes!

[Peter]

http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-po...lassical-music

YES and yes and yes, yes and yes!

I take that as a yes! Whilst I agree with you, we are into the realms of subjectivity - We can certainly demonstrate a greater degree of sophistication, harmonic & rhythmic complexity, structural mastery and I would argue most importantly spiritual depth, but we have to accept 'one man's meat is another man's poison!'

[AeolianHarp]

I take that as a yes! Whilst I agree with you, we are into the realms of subjectivity - We can certainly demonstrate a greater degree of sophistication, harmonic & rhythmic complexity, structural mastery and I would argue most importantly spiritual depth, but we have to accept 'one man's meat is another man's poison!'

How can all this greater degree of sophistication, harmonic & rhythmic complexity, structural mastery and spiritual depth not be superior? It is so.

[Peter]

How can all this greater degree of sophistication, harmonic & rhythmic complexity, structural mastery and spiritual depth not be superior? It is so.

Well those who prefer pop will simply say 'Classical does nothing for me, doesn't move me and bores me'. A lot of that attitude is cultural and down to education, but even amongst people who love classical there is a wide divergence of taste - some people love Stockhausen but loathe Beethoven. Even great composers often had little respect for each other - Tchaikovsky had little praise for anyone other than Glinka and Mozart - he positively detested the music of Brahms!
There is also the argument concerning complexity - is a complex work such as the 'Rite of Spring' necessarily superior to a Mozart sonata because of its greater complexity? Deep spirituality can also be achieved with simplicity and repetition - just listen to this beautiful orthodox chant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSxk8Nyc8LU