Music serves many purposes beyond simple listening enjoyment. One of the most powerful ways that people use music is to make political statements. In this discussion, we’ll be sharing ways that music was used to make political statements in the classical era and draw parallels to the way we use music to make political statements today.
Instructions
The Classical era was a time of great political and social upheaval, and composers often wrote music on social and political themes. Find an example of music from the Classical era that has a social or political theme, and compare it to music of the Modern era that makes similar statements. Was the music originally written to make a political statement, or did people other than the original artist use it to make political statements well after the release? Please share links to your musical examples, so the whole class can hear the music you are using to make your points.