Classical Music Forum banner

Are you conservative or liberal?

  • I'm conservative

    Votes: 46 32.9%
  • I'm liberal

    Votes: 94 67.1%
Status
Not open for further replies.

Is there a correlation between political orientation and love for classical music?

40K views 183 replies 71 participants last post by  Art Rock 
#1 ·
We already had a similar thread about possible connection between political/religious beliefs and musical taste, here. I thought it would be interesting to include a poll on this issue. I'm asking you whether you are politically coservative or liberal. I presume classical music lovers tend to be more conservative. We will see what results the poll will yield.
 
#47 ·
The idea behind that test is nice but...
For authoritarian vs libertarian the questions are awful. Whether you like or dislike abstract art, religious values etc. does not necessarily make you authoritarian or libertarian. E.g. Stalin promoted the state atheism thingy and according to this test it would push him towards the green area for no reason whatsoever.
The idea is good but the questions are fairly poor in that respect. Getting to the bottom left corner is so much more probable than to the top left one due not to the concept but to the questions.
 
#49 ·
I ended up as slightly leftist and slightly authoritarian which surprised me a little. Four or five different answers could have changed the picture completely, I suppose, but the truth was I had no real opinion on quite a few of the questions.
 
#52 ·
I took the political compass test. Not a surprising result for me - Left Libertarian!

Colorfulness Rectangle Slope Font Parallel


My experience though is most classical music lovers are deeply conservatives. Why? They're frightened of change, most classical music people are still just talking about Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin et al i.e. composers who died centuries ago- not enough new composers are being discussed or played, the symphony orchestra is still the same size and shape it was a century ago and wind ensemble music still doesn't get a look in despite 50 years of compositions. There are 15 to 20 different instruments in an orchestra yet most of the concertos you hear are either violin and piano, it's a rare thing to hear any other instrument get a look in.
 
#53 ·
I took the political compass test. Not a surprising result for me - Left Libertarian!

View attachment 81567

My experience though is most classical music lovers are deeply conservatives. Why? They're frightened of change, most classical music people are still just talking about Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin et al i.e. composers who died centuries ago- not enough new composers are being discussed or played, the symphony orchestra is still the same size and shape it was a century ago and wind ensemble music still doesn't get a look in despite 50 years of compositions. There are 15 to 20 different instruments in an orchestra yet most of the concertos you hear are either violin and piano, it's a rare thing to hear any other instrument get a look in.
Clearly you aren't aware of how wild a crowd this is, here at TC, at least.
 
#62 ·
I wouldn't call myself a liberal because in this country there's a political party calling itself the Liberal Democrats that is nominally centrist, but in our recent coalition government turned out to have an ambitious right wing cadre whose members enthusiastically threw themselves into the radical Conservative project of destroying the welfare state.

I have voted liberal for the purposes of voting in this poll. And yes, I do score well into the lower left corner of the green square.of the grid.
 
#64 ·
I'm very focused on being a moderate

I see taking a moderate view as the answer. It seems that's what
happens with what I consider a spiritual position, helping the unfortunate
and also having some traditional religious values. How do you blend
a Democrat's perspective when that party is in danger of becoming
anti-Christian in a "religious" way....there is more of an atheistic slant
although it wasn't really like that 40 years ago (Carter). I've always
been more Democrat because of my environmental views.
 
#78 ·
I would say classical music is a conservative vice. The people I've known who like it tend to be that way. On cable news, the commentators who have studied CM and play instruments are all conservative. I am quite conservative myself.
 
#79 · (Edited)
I couldn't say either way where most people that I know who are fans of classical music stand in terms of politics. Having been in the music business for years, many of them in classical music management, I will say this: The VAST majorioty of people I have met in the music business (regardless of genre ie: Classical, jazz, rock, etc.) are definitely more left/liberal than conservative. That goes for musicians as well. Furthermore, most of the conservatives I have met in the music business (especially musicians) are in the "political closet" knowing full well, that if their political ideology were known, it could jeopardize their career (this goes double in the movie industry).

V
 
#82 ·
I've wondered about this as well. Although classical music is often regarded as a conservative genre in general (especially if most of what one listens to is quite old), often the people I come across who like classical music are more liberal-oriented. New Yorker-reading, NPR-listening classical fans. I happen to be all three of those :) Most political tests put me in the "libertarian left" category (I'm a college student--I wouldn't expect any less ;) )
 
#84 · (Edited)
Lover of antique harpsichords, historical organs, French Baroque music, Bach, Sweelinck, Northern German organ school and much more.

Oh, and politically, a cynic.

As for the test, right in the middle! I'll admit that I like the current American Democratic party more, which would probably place me on the "Liberal" side, but I do think that both sides have their absurdities.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top