English

Noun

Western classical music ‎(uncountable)

1. (music) The formal styles of music in a Western art tradition, encompassing symphonic and choral music, opera, and ballet.

Usage notes

As a general musicological term, classical music refers to any kind of formal and composed music, but is often synonymous with Western classical music. The term Western classical music applies even to music in this style but that is either not Western or not classical -- for example, a Japanese symphony performing in a Western style (which is "Western classical music" that is, in this case, not "Western"), or the minimalist and avant-garde experiments of modern art music (which is part of "Western classical music" but is not a "classical" music). Similarly, when Japanese-Americans perform any kind of Japanese classical music (gagaku) it is not called Western classical music despite it being both classical and performed by Westerners. Furthermore, there are kinds of classical music from the West not normally subsumed under the term Western classical music, such as Gregorian chant.