Many people believe that the world may never see a period in history again as when the great symphonic composers of Europe produced such an enormous number of masterpieces during the 17th and 18th centuries. Likewise, the 1960s (and to a lesser extent, the 1970s) are widely regarded as being the "Golden Age of Rock n" Roll," and true aficionados are convinced that rock music can now never be improved upon and that "disco is dead." Nevertheless, when the citizens of one country sufficiently embrace a type of music to the extent that it helps to define and maintain the national character, such nationalistic music can become a powerful force in shaping world events. To this end, this paper provides a discussion of the nationalistic music and the superiority complex it engendered during the 19th century compared with the music of today. An examination of the relative sophistication of contemporary music compared to the elite music of the 19th century is followed by a discussion of the factors that tend to make some types of music attractive to people over others. An analysis of how these factors have influenced world events over the years is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

             Review and Discussion.

             Background and Overview. According to Foss, Thomas and Carr (2005), national origin has almost always been regarded as an important characteristic in defining musical performance. "This is partly the result of certain consistent emphases and features in the music written by composers of different nationalities," they say. For example, "The Italians' interest in the voice has evolved a special singing (bel canto) quality in their music, which has carried over into their music for instruments (the stringed instruments especially), and into the general texture of Italian music, which has always given melody special prominence" (5).