Is classical music a collection of fine notes that are beautiful, or does a classical piece tell a s

I know that music is different things to different people, and that each person can get something different from listening to the same piece. One person may simply enjoy the beauty of the notes, another may vividly imagine the coming together and parting of lovers when listening to the same piece. My question is whether the composers of classical pieces are intending to tell a story in music with their compositions, is there a narrative element inherent in these works (besides opera, of course, which is all about story)? Even though the music can be enjoyed on many different levels, when I listen to it, I get a sense that there's a story going on. I'm thinking that the composer has a story in mind when creating, but I could be wrong...

Is classical music a collection of fine notes that are beautiful, or does a classical piece tell a story?performing arts

Some classical music is intended to be a story. It is called "program" music. Pieces like "Romeo and Juliet" by Tchaikovsky or by Prokofiev, "Peter and the Wolf", "Scheherezade", and Richard Strauss' tone poems are pieces that tell stories and Debussy's pieces, like La Mer, evoke their setting. But a lot of music has emotional content that we can construe to be a story. Mahler's music, for example, is rich with lots of themes that seem to depict what he is feeling. Beethoven's "Pastoral" 6th symphony evokes a kind of landscape. That is probably why Disney used it in Fantasia.

So feel free to imagine the story or emotion behind the piece you are listening to. Composers don't work in a vacuum, and are influenced by what they see, hear, feel, etc.

By the way, Pita, the movie "Amadeus" was not a true story. It is a depiction of the way some people saw Mozart. There is no evidence that he ever met Salieri. But it IS entertaining, and the music is divine!

Is classical music a collection of fine notes that are beautiful, or does a classical piece tell a story?binoculars opera theater

why don't you ask a composer? find someone who writes instrumental music.
When I compose, I may not have a story per say, but there is a flow to the work, and it has a definite departure and destination.

Sometimes I may write something just to sound beautiful... something simple, refined, yet cookie cutter on many levels. But there are also the days that I wrote something that makes you feel a real emotion, and makes you literally go from one point to another, to develop a sense of being IN the music...

Music can be both of the things you described, and it can be many other things as well.
First... watch the movie Amadeus. It's about Mozart, Bach, Salieri and others of their time. It's a cute and funny movie.

Most music was written for Operas, Concerts or the Death songs for the departed. The movie will show you all about it. The life of Wolfgang was quite intreguing... you will not believe what a 'dork' he was and how he went mad when asked to write the best ever death song... just after his own father died.
It depends on the composer. Some set out to tell a story, whilst others simply set out to write a beautiful piece. I would say that most would have a story in mind, it helps a lot, but not all would.
i think that classical music is simply the musician interpretation of his musical background. A classical piece of music reflects ones feelings and mood rather than telling a story. when ur in that period in ur life where u feel peace all around don' expect ur music to be revolutionary..did u get it?