Music

Speaking about music I must say that music is nowadays everywhere: at home, ina concert hall, in parks, at the seaside and even in the forest. People cannot live without music. They listen to music, they dance to music, they learn to play musical instruments. Music isn’t combination of pleasant sounds only. Its an art which reflects life. It reflects peoples ideas and emotions.

From time immemorial Ukrainian land has been famous for the art of kobzars. The history of Ukrainian Cossacks has found its reflection in dumas, a kind of heroic epos of folk singers performed in recitative. When speaking of different forms of music the classical music is worthy of being mentioned first. One can prefer different musical genres: symphony, chamber music, etc. Many young people today are gravitating towards new rhythms probably as a result of changing times. This explaines why new groups are profilirating. Pop has permeated all mass media. Nowadays listeners are rejecting second-rate products and like to listen about the things that are important in life.

There is a tendency to use classical music with particular reference to the music of the past, up to and including the 19th century. However, the term also includes music being written now, and we may speak of modern classical music. Classical here refers to genre, not period. So, this term is used generally to refer to any ‘serious’ art music, that is music whose traditions are traceable from the various 20th century styles to Romantic, Classical, Baroque, Renaissance and medieval music. It also used to denote a style which emphasizes formal beauty rather than freedom of personal expression, intellect rather then raw emotion.

Light classical music is used of short classical works which are easy to listen to, because the composers aim was simply to entertain.

Serious music is sometimes used as a synonym of classical music. Serious music is a wider concept than classical music. It includes classical music, folk music and jazz.

Light music includes light classical music, popular tunes and songs from different sources, both traditional and new, dance music, film music and so on.

Jazz is a popular music first played by Negro groups in the Southern USA in the early 20th century characterized by improvisation and strong rhythms. Similar music played by large bands for dancing, a later variation much influenced by the blues to produce an unhurried emotive style called modern jazz.

Pop music is music used for dancing including jazz and pop music. It was born as a genre more then 40 years ago. Pop is music for the young people. Pop music tells us about love, having good time, grooving up, dating, etc. Pop appeared at the time of Elvis Presley, when he began singing. His first hit was ‘Hard break hotel’ and Elvis become the first pop star. Boys and girls liked him and imitated him because he was different and they wanted to be different from their parents.

Background music is any music played softly as a background for conversation, etc. Some people put on records as background music when friends come to see them and such music is increasingly heard in public places in Britain: hotel foyers, airports, supermarkets, etc.

Chamber music is orchestral, written for a chamber orchestra, but the category also includes works for smaller groups of instrumentalists or vocalists or solists.

Dance music is a music used for dancing including jazz and pop music.

One kind of music is rock. It was born in the 50th in USA. The 60th were a time when young people believed that rock could give them love and piece. But some great rock musicians died of drugs. It was the end of the dream. In the early 70th pop music started to get boring . New sound as heavy metal or hard rock appeared. This music was loud, angry and ugly. The 80th gave a new kind of music, made by computers. Pop has become more international. Superstars of the 80th are M. Jackson and others. The 90th are known and will be remembered for rap. Rap wasn’t new. It started in the 70th. It was the music of city streets. Rap reflected dark fillings and problems of the streets.