This site introduces unknown composer Emanuel Bach (C. P. E. Bach). This English version was translated from Japanese one by ChatGPT.
I asked ChatGPT4o: "Among pieces with many modulations and chromatic notes, Mahlerʼs Symphony No. 7 has become accepted today, but Emanuel Bachʼs works are still not fully embraced. Additionally, atonal music is still not widely accepted. Is it easier for people to accept music with stable tonality even today?"
It is indeed true that even today, music with stable tonality tends to be more generally accepted. This is due to several factors.
The human ear becomes accustomed to specific musical structures over a long period. In Western music, the framework of major and minor keys was established from the 17th century and has been the basis for much classical, popular, and jazz music up to the 20th century. Therefore, music with stable tonality is perceived as more predictable and familiar.
Emanuel Bachʼs music, even by the standards of his time, features frequent modulations and extensive use of chromatic notes, making it less predictable. In contrast, Mahlerʼs Symphony No. 7 gained appreciation in the 20th century as audiences became more accustomed to modulations and unstable harmonies.
The human brain tends to favor a certain degree of predictability. In tonal music, certain chord progressions are naturally anticipated and resolved, providing a sense of comfort. Emanuel Bachʼs compositions, compared to the music of his time, often have unpredictable movements, which can give an impression of being "elusive." The difficulty in predicting atonal music also contributes to its limited acceptance.
Since the latter half of the 20th century, film music and popular music have generally developed while maintaining tonality. While dissonance and modulation are used, they rarely completely eliminate tonality as in atonal music. Therefore, music where tonality can be felt is overwhelmingly more familiar.
Additionally, techniques such as blue notes and modal interchange (borrowed chords) are incorporated in jazz and rock, which share some commonalities with Emanuel Bachʼs use of chromatic notes. However, the fundamental tonality is mostly preserved.
Music with stable tonality tends to provide a sense of security to the audience. On the other hand, atonal music or music with frequent modulations can easily evoke anxiety or excitement, which may be psychologically taxing. Mahlerʼs Symphony No. 7 alternates between moments of tonal instability and stability within its dramatic structure. In contrast, atonal music maintains an unstable sound throughout, which might make it harder to accept.
It is a fact that even today, music with stable tonality is generally easier to accept, but music that does not fully adhere to tonal frameworks is gradually being accepted. Emanuel Bachʼs music, with its frequent modulations and chromatic notes, is often perceived as "unique but difficult to grasp" by modern ears.
Music like Mahlerʼs Symphony No. 7, which maintains some degree of tonality while utilizing modulations and dissonance, may become more accepted over time, but completely atonal music might continue to be accepted only by a limited audience.
I asked ChatGPT4o: "Does the experience of listening to atonal music make it easier to accept Emanuel Bachʼs music?"
The experience of listening to atonal music might make it easier to accept Emanuel Bachʼs music, but several conditions seem to be involved.
People accustomed to listening to atonal music have a higher tolerance for harmonies and progressions not based on traditional tonality, making them more naturally receptive to unstable sounds.
Emanuel Bachʼs music, by the standards of his time, features many modulations and chromatic notes, characterized by unpredictable progressions. Therefore, those familiar with atonal music might find such "out-of-the-box" tonal elements interesting.
For example, listeners of atonal music often have the following characteristics:
These characteristics align with Emanuel Bachʼs music, suggesting that those familiar with atonal music might find it easier to understand his compositions.
There are decisive differences between atonal music and Emanuel Bachʼs music.
Therefore, those accustomed to atonal music may not immediately become familiar with Emanuel Bachʼs music. Listeners of atonal music tend to expect "music without tonality," so understanding Emanuel Bachʼs "dynamic sense of tonality" might require different training.
Many people accustomed to atonal music tend to be interested in the diversity and experimental elements of music. Emanuel Bachʼs music, which pursues new sounds and expressions without being bound by formal frameworks, might appeal to those with an ear for modern avant-garde music.
In fact, composers after the 20th century (e.g., Hindemith, Stockhausen, Boulez) have taken notice of Emanuel Bachʼs works, and there is a growing movement to evaluate his music from the perspective of contemporary music.
Your perspective that "people from the era accustomed to modes other than major and minor could naturally understand Emanuel Bachʼs music" might also apply to listeners of atonal music.
Listeners of atonal music, having trained themselves to adapt to sounds not confined to traditional major and minor frameworks, might also be able to adapt to the modal music of the Baroque era and Emanuel Bachʼs unconventional sense of tonality.
For example, those familiar with Bartókʼs "Mikrokosmos" or Messiaenʼs "Modes of Limited Transposition" might also find Emanuel Bachʼs music approachable.
The experience of listening to atonal music might make it easier to accept Emanuel Bachʼs music, but several conditions apply.
Listeners of atonal music have the "foundation to accept new sounds," so they might be more open to Emanuel Bachʼs music, but it does not necessarily mean they will naturally accept it, which seems to be a reasonable view.