Humor

[Austin]

Is it just me or does a lot of the classic banjo repertoire seem humorous in nature. Almost like a parody of what was considered upper class concert music at the time. Perhaps that's the reason Farland failed to make it part of the classical Canon. It's just too silly in the eyes of the common person. Just curious about everyone's thoughts on this. It just came to mind when I was thinking about pieces like the gauchos gallopade. Not too serious. Seriously intricate, but still funny sounding like a humoresque image of classical music and ballroom dancing.

[Jody Stecher]

 Farland failed to gain acceptance of the 5-string banjo as a suitable instrument for playing the established classical repertoire, a repertoire which had been composed for instruments other than the banjo.  He did not fail to make repertoire composed for the banjo  be a part of the canon because he did not attempt to do that. . He played music composed by Chopin, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Rossini, Bach, Schumann, Schubert etc.

[Austin]

I see

Jody Stecher said:

 Farland failed to gain acceptance of the 5-string banjo as a suitable instrument for playing the established classical repertoire, a repertoire which had been composed for instruments other than the banjo.  He did not fail to make repertoire composed for the banjo  be a part of the canon because he did not attempt to do that. . He played music composed by Chopin, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Rossini, Bach, Schumann, Schubert etc.

[Joel Hooks]

Our classic banjo music represents exactly 100% the same sort of popular music that was being composed for other instruments.  The “humor” is more a reflection of the tastes of the time.  

 Corny or silly to us was the latest cool stuff to them that got their feet moving and aroused emotional responses.  Very much the same reactions as any young person enjoying their generations popular music.

[Richard William Ineson]

Austin, You need to do a lot of reading as  the answers to most of your questions will be found in the various banjo magazines contemporaneous with the height of the popularity of the classic banjo, and its repertoire, and the more recent literature, such as B.M.G. the ABF 'Five Stringer' etc. The ABF published an issue devoted entirely to Farland which is very illuminating. The  reason Farland failed, if indeed he did fail, to connect with his audiences, and win universal acclaim, wealth, pretty women etc.  was that he did not play music on the banjo which most people wanted to hear played on that instrument. Consumer resistance is the bane  of many manufacturers, retailers, politicians, etc. and also people who wish to lay their art before the public, this is best summed up by the words, "The customer is always right, even when they are wrong". Farland was just another victim of the caprices of the public, but he is the only banjo player (I may be wrong as I haven't checked this lately) to be mentioned in the Encyclopaedia Brittanica.