What Pop Can Teach Classical Music

Clemency Burton-Hill

Classical and pop music often seem so alien to each other that it can be easy to forget they share identical DNA.But music is music, and everything—at least,everything we hear in the western tradition, from Bach to Bieber1. Bieber： 比伯，這里指賈斯汀·比伯，加拿大新生代男歌手，2010年獲得美國AMA音樂獎年度藝人，2013年獲得第40屆AMA全美音樂獎最佳藝人獎。—is built from twelve identical building blocks: the notes of the standard chromatic scale.

While a modern pop listener may not be aware of the sonic echoes that resonate2. resonate： 共鳴，共振。across the centuries, pop music has always acknowledged a great harmonic and melodic debt to its older, sometimes stuffier-seeming relation. Without Bach’s musical architecture there would be no jazz and therefore no soul, funk or hip-hop, let alone The Prodigy; Schubert’s knack for nailing the three-minute, verse-chorus pop gives any Lennon, McCartney or Adele a run for their money; and Beethoven was an early model for the trope of the tortured creative genius: his music expressed an inner turmoil just as much as, say, Kurt Cobain’s.3

古典樂與流行樂聽起來往往差別迥異，但它們卻有著完全相同的基因，這一點很容易被忽視。然而音樂無非就是音樂。所有音樂，至少我們聽到的每一支西方樂曲，無論是巴赫的傳世經典還是賈斯汀·比伯的風靡小調，都是由12個統一標準的“構件”所組成：也就是標準半音音階所組成的樂章。

盡管現代流行樂的聽眾很難意識到他們所聽到的音樂其實是穿越幾個世紀的古典樂的回響，但流行樂一直被認為與那些古老的，甚至貌似沉悶的音樂在和聲與旋律上有著深刻的淵源。如果沒有巴赫的音樂構架，就沒有爵士樂，也沒有靈魂樂、放克樂或嘻哈樂，更不必說神童樂隊了；舒伯特創作時長三分鐘的詩歌體合聲流行樂的巧妙手法讓列儂、麥卡特尼還有阿黛爾的歌唱事業收益頗豐；而貝多芬則是那些飽受命運折磨的創作天才們的先驅：他的音樂同樣表達了科特·柯本的音樂所傳達的內心騷亂。

在音樂的殿堂里，流行音樂與古典音樂似乎界線分明，而實則有著千絲萬縷的聯系。在一些古典音樂演奏家看來，這兩種類型的音樂往往同根互通，他們能把兩者的元素融為一體，相互借鑒。而在一些古典音樂的辯護者看來，古典樂向流行樂靠攏無疑是本末倒置。那么在音樂的世界里，究竟要用怎樣的態度去看待兩種音樂的關系呢？

Then there’s Mozart, the original pop star, who had a preternatural gift for instantly catchy melodies that kept audiences coming back again and again, and whose preferred chord progressions4. chord progression： 和弦進行，也就是從一個和弦到另一個和弦的定式。have formed the basis of pretty much every great pop song ever since. So whether you prefer a certain type of music to another comes down to taste: there is nothing inherently different about what goes into an operatic aria or a pop song. Like two sculptors working with the same clay, it’s all in the execution.

再來看看莫扎特，這位流行音樂的鼻祖擁有不可思議的音樂天賦，源源不斷地創作了無數耳熟能詳的旋律，讓聽眾們百聽不厭。而他偏愛的和弦進行為幾乎每一首流行歌曲奠定了基礎。因此，不管你更喜歡哪一類音樂，都會歸結到這樣的評價：歌劇詠嘆調和流行歌曲在內涵上并沒有什么與生俱來的區別。就像兩位雕塑家用同樣的黏土塑像，無非是塑像的過程不同罷了。

Yet, for all the common genetic material,when it comes to market share and revenues,classical music now looks like pop’s weak and impoverished relation. Some apologists for classical music would be appalled at the suggestion it might have something to learn from its younger, cooler cousin: they tend to view ‘pop’ as a dirty word and any attempt to find commonalities as ‘dumbing down’. Witness recently the storm over Nicola Benedetti, one of the most outstanding British violinists of her generation, because she is young and beautiful and chooses to wear glamorous dresses when she performs. Many in the classical world bemoan that she is ‘forced’ to do this to sell records. While it is legitimate to say no performer of any stripe should be compelled to do or wear anything, I suspect this actually masks a deeper prejudice of anything that sniffs of ‘commercial’ or ‘populist’ intentions.

Only connect

I was considering this as I watched Arctic Monkeys headlining Glastonbury one night,backed by a terrific string section.5. Arctic Monkey： 北極潑猴，英國另類搖滾樂團。曾獲得全英音樂獎“最佳英國專輯”和“最佳英國團體”兩項大獎；Glastonbury： 格拉斯頓伯里音樂節，是英國最負盛名的音樂節之一，每年在薩默塞特郡皮爾頓鎮的沃西農場舉行。Most of the players on stage were classically trained,sometimes for more than 20 years, and many attended elite conservatoires like the Royal Academy of Music. Now they play in some of the UK’s leading classical chamber ensembles, regularly tackling some of the most fiendish music in the repertoire.6. chamber： 大廳，會議廳；ensemble： 合唱組，舞蹈組；fiendish： 極端的，惡魔般的；repertoire： （表演者的）全部曲目。

北極潑猴主唱Alex Turner

盡管擁有相同的基因材料，古典樂在市場份額和收益上則是流行樂的窮親戚。一些古典樂的辯護者可能會被這樣的建議驚出一身冷汗：古典樂應向流行樂，這位更年輕、更時髦的表親學習。這些人傾向于把“流行”這個字眼視作骯臟的詞匯，把任何在流行樂和古典樂間找共性的企圖視作“降低標準”。作為英國新生代最為出色的小提琴家之一，尼古拉·貝納德蒂最近因其年輕貌美并且在演出時著裝閃亮迷人而成為了被抨擊的對象。許多古典樂界人士哀嘆，她是為了推銷唱片“不得已而為之”。 從合理的角度來說，沒有任何類型的表演者會被迫做什么或穿什么，但我懷疑這實際上掩蓋了一種深層的對于任何能嗅出“商業化”或“大眾化”意圖的偏見。

只需連接

一天晚上，我觀看了北極潑猴樂團在格拉斯頓伯里音樂節的精彩演出，與之配合的弦樂隊精彩絕倫。舞臺上的大多數弦樂演奏者都接受過古典樂訓練，有些甚至超過二十年，其中多人曾在精英音樂學校學習，如皇家音樂學院。現在他們在一些英國頂級古典室內樂團里演奏，日常演奏那些需要極其高超演奏技巧的曲目。

電臺司令樂隊

The tunes they were called upon to play at Glastonbury probably felt technically unchallenging in comparison. But when the fixer calls to book these musicians for a pop gig, they invariably jump at the chance. That’s partly because of the financial realities:pop recording sessions, as well as live gigs, typically pay more than classical, and there is also the chance for making extra money at the back end. The players receive royalties every time the song is played on the radio.

But there is another reason why these elite musicians relish pop work, unlikely as it sounds. “Playing with a band like Arctic Monkeys or Radiohead7. Radiohead： 電臺司令樂隊，英國搖滾樂隊，被譽為當代最偉大的搖滾樂隊之一。, the level of musicianship is so high,” points out classical cellist Chris Worsey, who tells me it was “fantastic and exciting” to be up on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage with the Monkeys on Friday night. “It can be just as creative,inspirational and satisfying as classical work.”

Classical training understandably leads to a very narrow focus—students at elite conservatories are like Olympic hopefuls with a single goal in sight. It is undeniably an art form that requires formidable8. formidable： 令人驚嘆的，令人欽佩的。levels of practice, expert technique and dedication.But making music—any music—is ultimately about connecting and communicating with an audience,and classical musicians forget that at their peril. The mud and cheers of Glastonbury may be a far cry from the polished halls and polite applause of the classical realm, but as Worsey suggests, a gig9. gig： 演唱會。like that can be a salutary reminder of what makes music special in the first place.

而他們在格拉斯頓伯里藝術節應邀演出的曲目在技術難度上完全不具有可比性。但是當策劃人打電話邀請這些音樂家們演奏流行樂時，他們無一例外地躍躍欲試。部分原因出于資金方面的現實考慮：流行樂錄制，以及現場演奏，通常比演奏古典樂所支付的報酬高，并且還有機會在后期賺得更多外快。每當這些曲目在電臺播放時，他們都會獲得版稅報酬。

但同時還有其他原因令這些精英音樂家喜歡演奏流行音樂，盡管這聽起來不像真的。古典大提琴演奏家克里斯·沃西指出：“和北極潑猴或者電臺司令這些樂團一起演奏時，對音樂素養水準的要求非常之高”，他告訴我與“潑猴們”在周五晚上一同站在格拉斯頓伯里的金字塔舞臺上是“非常奇妙和令人興奮”的。“那就像演奏古典樂一樣富有創造性，給人靈感和成就感。”

可以理解，古典樂訓練會使人非常專注——在精英音樂學校的學生就像準備沖擊奧運會冠軍的運動員一樣腦海中只有一個目標。毋庸置疑，這是一種需要大量不同程度的練習、專業技巧及獻身精神的藝術形式。但是演奏音樂——任何形式的音樂——最終都是為了與觀眾產生聯系和交流，演奏者一旦忘記這個宗旨就要自擔風險了。格拉斯頓伯里的泥漿和歡呼同擁有金光閃閃的大廳及彬彬有禮的掌聲的古典樂殿堂全然不同，但是正如沃西指出的，一場那樣的演出有益于提醒什么使音樂有別于其他。

“A pop gig generally feels more ‘obviously’vibrant and upbeat than a classical concert,” agrees classical violinist Gillon Cameron, who has played on a dizzying number of pop albums, with artists including Radiohead, The Divine Comedy, Gorillaz and Florence and the Machine. “Audiences are encouraged to get more involved, and in a very basic way, it can feel more immediately exciting. As a player as well as an audience member you can’t help but pick up on that vibe.”

“No gimmicks”

If the audience benefits, so do those bands that choose to employ world-class live instrumentalists in the studio or on stage, rather than rely on synthetic strings. “The production values are so high in pop,”Cameron points out. “You have to be a good player,able to sight-read pretty much anything on the day, and sensitive to the structure of the record to immediately understand the sound the band wants.Rhythmic accuracy and quality of sound are vital,and, with recording studio costs so high, there is pressure to get it right swiftly.”

London has an international reputation of boasting some of the finest session musicians in the world. Not only are British players comparatively cheap, they are known to be superb sight-readers,fastidious and reliable. That’s one of the reasons why many Hollywood blockbusters come to the UK to use classical musicians when recording their scores and why an artist like Stevie Wonder10. Stevie Wonder： 史提夫·沃達，美國黑人歌手、作曲家、音樂制作人。was in London

“比起古典音樂會，一場流行樂演出通常讓人感覺更‘明顯地’有活力有激情”，曾與電臺司令、神曲樂團、街頭霸王以及佛羅倫薩和機器樂隊等合作，為無數流行樂專輯演奏的古典小提琴演奏家吉隆·卡梅倫也這樣認為，“觀眾們得到更多的鼓勵參與進去，以這樣非常簡單的方式，讓人立即感到興奮。作為一名演奏者以及觀眾的你情不自禁地會被這種氣氛感染。”

“無需噱頭”

不僅觀眾獲益，那些選擇在錄音室或舞臺現場雇傭世界級現場演奏家的樂隊也比那些依賴電子合成弦樂的樂隊獲得更多好處。“流行音樂的制作水準很高，”卡梅隆指出，“你必須是一名優秀的演奏者，在演出時能很好地即興演奏出幾乎任何樂曲，并對唱片的結構保持良好的敏感度，以便能迅速理解樂隊想要的聲音。旋律的精準性和聲音的品質感是至關重要的，也正因錄音室的成本如此之高，迫使我們迅速把錄音做好。”

倫敦因擁有一批全球頂尖錄音師而享譽國際。英國演奏者不僅價格相對低廉，也因極好的即興演奏能力、精益求精且踏實可靠的品質聞名于世。這也是眾多好萊塢大片要錄制配樂時都來英國聘請古典音樂家進行演奏的原因之一。同時也是如史提夫·沃達這樣的歌手近來在倫敦制作新專輯的原因——這張專輯的錄制集合了包括沃lately to lay down his new album—with a large ensemble of fine classically-trained musicians,including Worsey and Cameron. Talking to a handful of the musicians after the session, I heard the refrain that it was artistry like Wonder’s that inspired them to be musicians in the first place.

格拉斯頓伯里音樂節

When I ask Cameron if he thinks the classical world might even take a leaf out of pop’s book when it comes to connecting with an audience,he concurs. “Not in a gimmicky way, but by naturalising the whole process. That could be, for example, in the way we dress, or by having the conductor come on stage and talk to the audience,”he says. “As long as it doesn’t detract from the art,I would much prefer an audience to really feel engaged in what we’re doing.”

Classical and pop music may sound different,feel different, and even be driven by different objectives. But at the heart of it, their concerns are identical: to transport and affect people through beauty and joy; to open their hearts and minds;and to entertain them. Like human beings, all music boils down to the same essence, and we should celebrate that commonality and harmony,not enforce the dissonance11. dissonance 不一致，不調和。.西和卡梅隆在內的大量接受過良好古典音訓練的音樂家。錄制結束后，我與少數音樂家進行了交流，他們的想法如出一轍，最初是像沃達作品一樣飽含藝術性的音樂激勵他們成為音樂家。

當我問及卡梅隆在與觀眾建立聯系方面，古典世界是否應從流行音的教科書中借鑒些什么時，他表示贊成：“不是通過某種噱頭，而是通過規劃整個演奏過程。比如說，可以是我們著裝的方式，或者讓指揮家走上舞臺與觀眾進行交流。只要不偏離作品的藝術性，我更傾向于讓觀眾能感到自己真正融入于我們所演奏的作品中。”

古典樂和流行樂可以聽起來不同，給人的感受不同，甚至有不同的目標作為表演的驅動力。但是在在本質上，它們共同的關注點是相同的：傳播美好和歡樂并以這種方式影響人，開啟人的心靈和思想，使人愉悅。像人類一樣，所有音樂都歸結為一個共同的本質，我們應該為這種相通與和諧而慶祝，而非強化兩者的不同。