I think dumbing down the classics only benefits AI

[Pamela Jo]

There is something about art, literature that transcends the ordinary-it eases the burden of mortality as the Greeks would say. But so often I meet young people, who think Shakespeare is about plot. They say triumphantly, "He stole all his plots from other sources. It's time he was retired from literature." Yes, because the plot is just a frame for him to bring us to catharsis. You know who is stealing plots? AI. But the infinite universe of monkeys that is AI cannot bring anything new to life.

The Great Gapsby? How modern editions of classics lost the plot

F Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is the latest title to appear in a cheap modern version after copyright expires

www.theguardian.com

It is forever Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

 

[Pamela Jo]

The future of classical literature is probably the same as music. I have absolutely no musical talent, and I dont listen to classical but I simply wasn't taught enough to have access to it. I can see it being a Shibboleth for a future where only the wealthy and powerful are given the education that gives them the ability to enjoy the classics. I would see all children given the classical education my grandmother gave children in her one-room schoolhouse in the middle of the prairie.

 

[Terry Lowell]

I don't think you need to be taught to enjoy classical music. The film scores of composers such as John Williams, Danny Elfman, Enio Morricone and Hans Zimmer are widely enjoyed. These are today's classical music and provide a gateway into the more traditional classics. I'm from a normal working class family and I got into classical music loving the William Tell overture as the theme to the Lone Ranger.

 

[Pamela Jo]

I don't think you need to be taught to enjoy classical music. The film scores of composers such as John Williams, Danny Elfman, Enio Morricone and Hans Zimmer are widely enjoyed. These are today's classical music and provide a gateway into the more traditional classics. I'm from a normal working class family and I got into classical music loving the William Tell overture as the theme to the Lone Ranger.

You might enjoy listening to the talk. He says the same, but I think unless you have some understanding you dont get the complexity. It is like with Shakespeare or Greek Tragedy. The more you know the more interesting it is. It isn't a tour de force. Some classical music is, but not all. If you have an educated ear you get much more out of it. I find most FM classical music boring. I dont know enough to occupy my brain.

 

[Hannah F]

You might enjoy listening to the talk. He says the same, but I think unless you have some understanding you dont get the complexity. It is like with Shakespeare or Greek Tragedy. The more you know the more interesting it is. It isn't a tour de force. Some classical music is, but not all. If you have an educated ear you get much more out of it. I find most FM classical music boring. I dont know enough to occupy my brain.

Classic FM is my favourite radio station! But then, I've played piano and clarinet (and tin whistle) and had to study theory of music for my Grade 7 piano exam, so I can't give an argument about whether one needs a musical education to appreciate music, but I suspect it's more to do with taste akin to what literary genres you prefer or just can't get into.

 

[Pamela Jo]

I just know it was courses that gave me the key to Greek Literature and Shakespeare. Wonderful teachers. Whether I just have a tin ear or never had a good teacher not sure when it comes to music. I enjoy listening to some classical, but FM stations do tend to play the most boring versions. When I was at our local NPR station most requests were for Vivaldi 4 seasons and a handful of other favourites. I've seen people unable to see the value in learning Middle English for Canterbury tales at the beginning of a course, thoroughly enjoying themselves by the end. A good teacher having opened a whole world opened to them. This is why I see a future where literature is a specialty of those who can afford real teachers.