borrowing from the tradition
Many classical composers use traditional music as a source of inspiration. Several notable composers have also worked as folk song collectors:
These composers are known to be passionate about the folklore of their own cultures, with traditional influences often taking a central and defining role in their compositions.
Other composers’ music reflects less obvious or direct sources. Sometimes the influence is a natural result of the composer’s background and the music they came to love during childhood, sometimes it is part of a deliberate attempt to instill a sense of national identity in their music:
- Haydn
(whose music contains tunes based on Croatian and Gypsy folk music) - Brahms
(who wrote many arrangements of German folk songs and Hungarian dance tunes) - Dvořák and Smetana
(both heavily influenced by the rhythms and melodic shapes of Czech folk music) - Grieg
(influenced by Norwegian folk music) - Gustav Holst
(who used English traditional themes) - Aaron Copland
(who used American traditional song — particularly cowboy songs)
In recent years, as more diverse music has become easier to access, composers have started to look further afield, often drawing on traditions not their own:
- Steve Reich
(Ghanaian drumming) - Philip Glass
(Indian ragas) - Henry Cowell
(drew from a wide range of world music)
The idea of borrowing tunes from other composers was considered culturally acceptable in Bach’s time but as copyright laws were developed the practice began to die out. Loaning traditional tunes — generally not protected by copyright — is the last remaining vestige of this practice.
