Classical music is super relevant and has a huge social role. It carries the responsibility to translate/describe with music how life is like in a certain historical period and geographical spot. I mean, when you listen to Bach you can picture yourself in a church in Germany, you can feel religiosity, you are transported to the 17th/18th centuries. Likewise when you listen to Shostakovich you can feel the tension, the madness, despair of the years of war and uncertainty in Soviet Union. You always can tell (briefly) when the piece was composed just by listening to it.
It's just like painting. Now people have cameras, photography. And we have rock, pop, blues, etc ad infinitum. Still, the precursors are relevant and of course can't be left aside.
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