Do synthesizers have a place in classical music?
Introduction
Synthesizers are capable of a huge variety of sounds, and that's why I became so obsessed with them several years ago. Nearly any possible instrument or noise can be imitated, and they are capable of hundreds of unique sounds that don't exist in the real world, as well.
I spent many hours turning knobs, renting different synths, and recording songs with them.
But somehow, after a while, the novelty started to wear off.
Sure, I still liked certain sounds, but after watching countless videos of people jamming with synths, I started to feel like just because they're capable of a huge scope of various things doesn't mean that the same things will actually produce the best type of music.
Honestly, a portion of the music felt repetitive, boring, inhuman and derivative. Some synths are pejoratively nicknamed "bleep machines" and this felt all too true at times. Considering the money put into many synthesizers, I felt that the actual expressive musical value reached was equivalent to what someone could do with a $150 guitar.
East Coast vs West Coast
There are, or were, two main styles of synthesis in the golden age of analog synthesizers; East Coat and West Coast. The West Coast style focused on the individuality and strangeness inherent in the new instruments, and that type of music is capable of a lot of mind-bending sounds. The Buchla synth is the best example of this type, although the new Make Noise 0-Coast has some aspect of West-Coast synthesis as well.
On the other hand, the East Coast style was more conservative, and often used Moog synths. "Switched on Bach" by Wendy Carlos was a prime example of this style. One feature of this style was the use of classical music, and the possibility of augmenting an orchestra with synthesizers, something that has been attempted several times but never really reached an extreme amount of success.
Conservatism
It's difficult to talk about the place of synthesizers in classical music without bring up the topic of the conservative versus progressive schools of thought in art music. Clearly, both have different opinions on instrumentation, especially regarding electronics. Some traditionalist orchestras, such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, play using instruments from the period of the composer, or reproductions thereof. A more common stance, and one that coincides with the tendency of history to modify its past, is the use of modern instruments for classical music. The majority of orchestras now use at least a good amount of modern instruments, although typically the string sections have a number of antique instruments in them.
In regards to synthesizers, a lot of more traditional venues prefer to have only acoustic music from high quality instruments, which would relegate synthesizers in classical music to more progressive or smaller venues.
Sounds of Acoustic Instruments
I never quite realized the sonic capabilities of the modern orchestra when I was more into synths. In regards to waveforms, dynamics, overtones, fullness, and orchestration, an orchestra is really an amazing thing. There are simply too many parameters for one electronic instrument player to be able to imitate. Also, there are dozens of unusual sounds that can be made with a real orchestra, and modern experimental music uses these very often.
However, the customization inherent in the newest electronic instruments means that they can change settings and nuances on the fly. A harpsichord could change tuning temperament, EQ, reverb, or just about any parameter almost instantly, something that is simply not possible with acoustic instruments. Even though you can't pluck the strings on an electronic keyboard like you could with a real piano, the former can change its sound in myriad other ways.
Practical Applications of Electronic Instruments
It seems clear that electronic instruments should not take over every acoustic music ensemble, and due to their moderate popularity, it's doubtful that would ever happen anyway.
But they do seem to have a place in certain settings, if for example a real harpsichord is out of the budgt, or if the timbre of an analog synthesizer could fatten the sound of a small string section, or for adding exotic effects to newly-composed music. Changing the orchestration of well-loved and famous classical pieces is always a bit of a dangerous idea, and I would suggest against it, preferring instead to keep electronic instruments to more sidelined uses.
Synthesizers, therefore, have a place in classical music, but only in certain places and applications.
Synthesizers are capable of a huge variety of sounds, and that's why I became so obsessed with them several years ago. Nearly any possible instrument or noise can be imitated, and they are capable of hundreds of unique sounds that don't exist in the real world, as well.
I spent many hours turning knobs, renting different synths, and recording songs with them.
But somehow, after a while, the novelty started to wear off.
Sure, I still liked certain sounds, but after watching countless videos of people jamming with synths, I started to feel like just because they're capable of a huge scope of various things doesn't mean that the same things will actually produce the best type of music.
Honestly, a portion of the music felt repetitive, boring, inhuman and derivative. Some synths are pejoratively nicknamed "bleep machines" and this felt all too true at times. Considering the money put into many synthesizers, I felt that the actual expressive musical value reached was equivalent to what someone could do with a $150 guitar.
East Coast vs West Coast
There are, or were, two main styles of synthesis in the golden age of analog synthesizers; East Coat and West Coast. The West Coast style focused on the individuality and strangeness inherent in the new instruments, and that type of music is capable of a lot of mind-bending sounds. The Buchla synth is the best example of this type, although the new Make Noise 0-Coast has some aspect of West-Coast synthesis as well.
On the other hand, the East Coast style was more conservative, and often used Moog synths. "Switched on Bach" by Wendy Carlos was a prime example of this style. One feature of this style was the use of classical music, and the possibility of augmenting an orchestra with synthesizers, something that has been attempted several times but never really reached an extreme amount of success.
Conservatism
It's difficult to talk about the place of synthesizers in classical music without bring up the topic of the conservative versus progressive schools of thought in art music. Clearly, both have different opinions on instrumentation, especially regarding electronics. Some traditionalist orchestras, such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, play using instruments from the period of the composer, or reproductions thereof. A more common stance, and one that coincides with the tendency of history to modify its past, is the use of modern instruments for classical music. The majority of orchestras now use at least a good amount of modern instruments, although typically the string sections have a number of antique instruments in them.
In regards to synthesizers, a lot of more traditional venues prefer to have only acoustic music from high quality instruments, which would relegate synthesizers in classical music to more progressive or smaller venues.
Sounds of Acoustic Instruments
I never quite realized the sonic capabilities of the modern orchestra when I was more into synths. In regards to waveforms, dynamics, overtones, fullness, and orchestration, an orchestra is really an amazing thing. There are simply too many parameters for one electronic instrument player to be able to imitate. Also, there are dozens of unusual sounds that can be made with a real orchestra, and modern experimental music uses these very often.
However, the customization inherent in the newest electronic instruments means that they can change settings and nuances on the fly. A harpsichord could change tuning temperament, EQ, reverb, or just about any parameter almost instantly, something that is simply not possible with acoustic instruments. Even though you can't pluck the strings on an electronic keyboard like you could with a real piano, the former can change its sound in myriad other ways.
Practical Applications of Electronic Instruments
It seems clear that electronic instruments should not take over every acoustic music ensemble, and due to their moderate popularity, it's doubtful that would ever happen anyway.
But they do seem to have a place in certain settings, if for example a real harpsichord is out of the budgt, or if the timbre of an analog synthesizer could fatten the sound of a small string section, or for adding exotic effects to newly-composed music. Changing the orchestration of well-loved and famous classical pieces is always a bit of a dangerous idea, and I would suggest against it, preferring instead to keep electronic instruments to more sidelined uses.
Synthesizers, therefore, have a place in classical music, but only in certain places and applications.
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