By the mid-19th century, Western classical music had become a phenomenon. In its prime, music was the inspiration for all other inspired arts. The inevitable paradigm shifts in music, in line with the evolution of societies, have been met with slow adaptation or resistance or both. Therefore, when the atmosphere of prominence and celebration of music thrived, the critical culture of music also thrived. These critical practices often precipitated public debates. In the history of music, few musical shifts have attracted as polarizing discourse as Wagner versus Brahm and Tchaikovsky versus The Five of Germany and Russia, respectively. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Aesthetic separations centered on positions of conservatism or progressivism, among prominent musicians, in and around Europe emerged in the mid-19th century. The divisions led to the conservative faction, which preferred traditional music, and the progressive factions, which preferred new musical forms. As a result, polarizing discourse about music characterized the period. Musical structure, the limits of harmony and representation, program music versus non-representational and absolute music were major areas of contention. In Russia, the 19th century period saw the emergence of great native classical composers. The most significant of these composers was a group known as The Five or the mighty handful. It consisted of the famous composers Alexander Borodin, Mily Balakirev, Modest Mussorgsky, Cesar Cui and Nikolai R. Korsakov. The Five differed from Pyotr Tchaikovsky in their preference for a modern, nationalistic approach to music contrary to his preservation of traditional classical music aesthetics in his work. Tchaikovsky, the embodiment of conservatism, favored distinct Russian compositions with a Western effect. The traditional classical musical style adhered in its structure to conventional Western practices, tonality, and tonal progression. While it also allowed for the infusion of Russian folk music forms, it primarily played and maintained Western musical standards. The Five preferred to produce exclusively music focused on Russian art. Meanwhile, Johannes Brahms and others, including Clara Schumann, favored the preservation of conservatism while Richard Wagner and other progressives, including Franz Liszt, commandeered the “Music of the Future” or New German School. The New German School of musical thought allowed the combination of music with narrative and pictorial ideas such as poetic, visual and dramatic arts to create mixed-art unity while the traditionalists preferred the preservation of the traditional aesthetics of musical art and rules of engagement . Interestingly, Wagner vs. Brahm and Tchaikovsky vs. The Five Speeches were both triggered by a fundamental change in the elementary composition of music. Richard Wagner and other progressives moved from traditional musical aesthetics to modern music by producing music mixed with other arts such as poetry, visual arts, and theater, while conservatives avoided what they considered the adulteration of music. The Five, on the other hand, sought to completely discard traditional Western musical art influences in favor of a musical art centered on Russian culture, while conservatives such as Tchaikovsky chose to retain those influences. Furthermore, all parties involved in these debates were mainly influenced by the music masters of their respective states. Wagner, other progressives, Braham and.