Takos-FirstWordLastWord

Culture shapes technological development by providing a need or a want for advancement, and an area where technology thrives. Without society, there would be no need for new technologies to be invented, and there would be a lack of desire for new technologies. These technologies in turn shape culture as well. Naimark discussed the difference between Haydn and Beethoven. Haydn created a new ‘technology’, the symphony, because he wanted to put something new into the world, and perhaps saw a demand from society for something new. He created a new classical form and perhaps more importantly, he created it successfully, and he was able to use to well. If he did not have good symphonies then they would not have become popular. Beethoven, on the other hand, used existing technologies to shape culture. By writing symphonies he interacted with culture through technology, and his lasting popularity is a testament to the importance of both first word and last word art. The first word paves the way for new art forms, the more successful it is, the better chance it has to change the culture, but last word art has a higher chance of being more technically proficient due to the prior establishment of the form.