What's with all of these compositions about war?

It seems to me, that many composers - myself included - seem to enjoy writing music about the glory of war and victory and all that. It's been going on for thousands of years, I mean, look at the Iliad.

Why not try to write a composition that glorifies not war, but peace?

There can be just as much drama in a peaceful world as in a violent one, just of a different kind.

This could even be a competition idea - a piece that promotes world peace, hehe and universal brotherhood of Mankind.

To make it more specific, how about we can take certain passages from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and set them to music? or the UN charter, or the Green Manifesto, or something like that.

I enjoy your ideas, although not all of these compositions 'glorify' war, but represent it.

I once wrote a piece called Trattato, which is Italian for treaty. It was filled with rather martial rhythms, but the piece was to signify the peace treaty after the war.

I think the answer to this is that lots of composers of times gone by have been patriotic nationalists and they enjoyed writing music which glorified their country, be it in battle or just in general. Nowadays there seems to be less of this.

Except among those who write incidental music for computer games. Those seem to abound here.

I recall Marc Blitzstein's 'Airborne Symphony' written to celebrate victory in WWII. It ends with the narrator (Orson Welles in my recording) shouting at the singers who seem to blithely ignore him not to let the enemy be created again.

I saw in that an almost prophetic vision that powerful men were too enamored of war.

Contrast this with Vaughan-Williams 4th, 5th, and 6th Symphonies. Although Ralph denied they had any programmatic significance, the 4th is often seen as a picture of the horror of war to come, the 5th as the promise to a war torn world that were could be peace and joy again, and the 6th a bleak picture of the desolation the world would be left with if we built more powerful weapons (the final movement of the 6th is eerily quiet, never rising above pp for it's entire duration).

People like to celebrate victory. It is harder to celebrate the maintenance of peace.

It seems to me, that many composers - myself included - seem to enjoy writing music about the glory of war and victory and all that. It's been going on for thousands of years, I mean, look at the Iliad.

Why not try to write a composition that glorifies not war, but peace?

There can be just as much drama in a peaceful world as in a violent one, just of a different kind.

This could even be a competition idea - a piece that promotes world peace, hehe and universal brotherhood of Mankind.

To make it more specific, how about we can take certain passages from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and set them to music? or the UN charter, or the Green Manifesto, or something like that.

Lalala - hey, I'd compose something about a piece about piece, though it'd probably have to be wordless - both because it's "universal" that way, and because I don't really know how set words to music yet :ninja:.

I do try to compose pieces and songs about peace...or at least works that I think will make people think about peace. And when I do compose a piece about war, it's usually to point out how much it sucks.

Because War is way cooler

End of story!!!!

If you notice most songs written during WW2, where about peace or patriotic... encouraging ones...

Meaning that people who experienced war, felt a greater urge to glorify Peace instead of battles and bloodshed...

We live (not in a peacefull world) peacefull lives, maybe that's because we choose to make music about war.

and remember...

"In times of peace the warrior attacks his self"

Because War is way cooler

End of story!!!![/b]

O..k... that is slightly scary.

(not really - I know what you mean)

I think it is for the same reason that few films are about everybody getting on just fine and being happy. Can you name a film where there is no conflict at all. When you say "write about peace" do you mean, just not military war, or generally no conflict. If the latter, I feel the task is very difficult. A successful example might be the first movement of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony taken alone (the first peace piece - excuse the pun - that comes to mind) although even that, as a whole symphony, has a storm in it where all the peasants start fighting just to make things more exciting.

O..k... that is slightly scary.

(not really - I know what you mean)

I think it is for the same reason that few films are about everybody getting on just fine and being happy. Can you name a film where there is no conflict at all. When you say "write about peace" do you mean, just not military war, or generally no conflict. If the latter, I feel the task is very difficult. A successful example might be the first movement of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony taken alone (the first peace piece - excuse the pun - that comes to mind) although even that, as a whole symphony, has a storm in it where all the peasants start fighting just to make things more exciting.

Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between a war piece and peaceful piece.......though i think there are equally as many war pieces as peace pieces.?

Compositions about War are very common.

Compositions about Peace were known as "The Hippie Movement"

Actually, I disagree. There is way more soapy slow classical music as well as modern pieces that are dedicated to people who have cancer and such. Most music is pleasing...and a lot peaceful...it may not say peaceful in the title...but they are.

Think about it...

Actually, I disagree. There is way more soapy slow classical music as well as modern pieces that are dedicated to people who have cancer and such. Most music is pleasing...and a lot peaceful...it may not say peaceful in the title...but they are.

Think about it...

Writing a song meant to represent war is just that. Writing a song to a person with cancer is that just. In no way does writing a song for a person with cancer represents peace. Just like writing a song for a person you hate doesn't represent war. Just because it has a peaceful feeling to it doesn't mean it is about peace. Just like something that has a warlike sound isn't about war. It simply could've been the best way to sound our the desire feeling.