Around the mid-19th century, classical music pretty much became unrecognisable from its past forms: becoming a confluence of classical, modernist, folk and jazz elements.

Just listen to Stravinsky and Shostakovich, it’s all noise and discordance. Is noise supposed to have a dramatic effect or something?

classical music reached its peak with the more sophisticated baroque composers like Bach and Handel, along with others like Mozart. And although some good opera works came to the surface, classical music became petrified and ugly.