Background music
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Although background music was by the end of the 20th Century generally identified with Muzak or Elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept:
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[edit] Antecedents
In the Baroque and Classical music era music could be performed as a background to other activities, for instance:
- French kings of the baroque era could have music performed during their stately dinners.
- Opera or other public music performances could have a thus high "social function" character, that few people still actually listened to the music being performed.
[edit] Furniture music
Furniture music was an invention of Erik Satie around 1920. This type of "background music" fell in oblivition when the composer died a few years later, and was not again executed till it was rediscovered several decades later. Typical for Furniture music are short musical passages, with an indefinite number of repeats.
[edit] Elevator music
Elevator music is a more general term indicating music that is played in rooms where many people come together (that is, with no intention whatsoever to listen to music). There is a specific sound associated with elevator music, usually involving themes from "soft" popular music or "light" classical music being worked over by slow strings. The type of music for instance the Mantovani Orchestra, and conductors like Franck Pourcel and James Last produced, peaking its popularity around the 1970s.
[edit] Ambient music
The term Ambient music is generally used when more, but often less distinguishable, influences (like for instance elements of Jazz and/or sounds from nature, etc...) are mingled in the "soundscape". Note however that some producers and/or composers of "Ambient music" or "soundscapes" (or similar associated types of music, see Ambient article) might not have (had) any intention to use the qualifier "background" for their music.
[edit] Video game music
"Background music" (sometimes abbreviated "BGM") is the term most often used to describe the music in video games.
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