Part 5: the Virtues of Simple Music

When a music program or study begins to include a listening-centric approach, an unexpected change often takes place: a greater focus on simple or less complex music. This runs contrary to what a purely analytical study of music might suggest, that a more complex piece of music is better because there’s more to analyze, measure, and understand. While I agree that a beautifully complex piece of music can be great, its complexity alone is not what makes it great. The effect the music can have on listeners is the other, less-studied aspect of greatness. The music’s effect is an ethereal goal that resists exact measurement, but with listening theory it naturally becomes the important other half of the equation.

We often see this dilemma in the performance side of musical education: the belief that the more advanced the student is, the harder the repertoire they should play. How often do you hear intermediate pieces, sonatinas, simpler Chopin nocturnes, or simpler piano works by Erik Satie performed in university piano recitals, especially graduate level recitals? And in an ensemble setting, we often see quality music passed over because its simplicity seems to mark it as more appropriate for a lower level ensemble. 

Of course, it’s easy to understand why music education generally takes this approach. It’s hard to find ensembles or soloists that can perform very difficult repertoire. However, harder or more challenging does not always equal better. Some very simple pieces continue to move people in very meaningful ways, even more than an analytical approach of a more complex piece would. Why can’t a Bach two-part invention affect us as much as his harder fugues? Do we need a lot of difficult music on a performance program to justify the presence of a simpler tune like “Amazing Grace?” 

Ultimately, the analytical-only approach to music that prioritizes complex music is not sufficient. We need a universal approach to truly determine a work of music’s value–we need listening theory.