Western Classical Music was a cult by the middle of the 19th century. Music was at its best, and it inspired all other arts. Music, like societies themselves, experienced slow adaptations or resistance as a result of the inevitable paradigm shifts. Critique culture flourished when music was celebrated and enjoyed a prominent place in society. These criticism practices were often the catalyst for public debate. Few musical shifts have attracted more polarizing discussion than Wagner versus Brahm or Tchaikovsky against The Five of Germany, Russia. In the middle of the 19th century, there were a number of artistic divisions that revolved around conservatism and progressivism. These divisions led to the creation of two distinct groups: the conservative, who preferred traditional music, and the progressive, who preferred new forms of music. The period was marked by polarizing music discourse. Musical structure, limits of harmony and representational, program music versus non-representational, absolute music were the main areas of contention.In Russia, the 19th century period featured the emergence of great native classical composers. The Five, or the great handful, was the most influential group of these composers. It featured the distinguished composers Mily balakirev, Modest Mossorgsky and Cesar Cui. The Five were different from Pyotr Tachikovsky because they preferred a modern, nationalistic approach towards music to Tchaikovsky’s traditional classical music aesthetic. Tchaikovsky is the embodiment and champion of conservatism. His preference for western compositions was distinct from Russian. Traditional classical music adhered to western conventions in terms of tonality, tone progression and tonality. It allowed the incorporation of Russian folk music but mainly it sounded Western music standards. The Five preferred Russian-centered music. Johannes Brahms was among others who supported conservatism. Clara Schumann and Richard Wagner were progressives. The New German School allowed music to be combined with narrative and pictorial concepts, while traditionalists preferred keeping the music art’s aesthetic and rules. The Wagner versus Brahm and Tchaikovsky/The Five debates were both caused by fundamental changes in the music’s elemental structure. Richard Wagner and other progressives made music that blended other arts with music, while conservatives shunned what was considered as adulteration. While the Five wanted to completely discard western music art influences, they preferred a Russian culture-centered music art, while Tchaikovsky and other conservatives chose to keep those influences. These debates were influenced mainly by the music of the state music masters. Wagner, Braham, Braham and many other progressives revere Ludwig Van Beethoven as a major contributor to the art of music. Tchaikovsky was also a fan of Mikhail Glinka. He is the father and founder of Russian classical music. Both rivalries ultimately led to compromises or relaxing of the stances. Liszt’s conservative writings of church Music had been abandoned by 1850s. Brahms’s first orchestral artwork lean more towards the German New School style than traditional. But the difference wasn’t limited to the site. A stage’s perceived perfection prompted crucial musicians to engage in Germanic discourse. Meanwhile, a shift towards nationalism by the Russian state cultural system catalyzed their Russian counterpart. The sacrifice of musical form for the sake of description and expression was a popular trend in Germany. It was a sign of self-heroism as well as grandiosity that progressives preferred. Russian progressives, however, tended to focus on cultural influences rather than personal influences when creating their music. The end result was the person-based music arts development. The efforts of Wagner, Liszt, and others led to strong Russian music identities. The musical arts were transformed by the new school German musical thought. Wagner and other musicians believed that Beethoven had achieved music discipline at its maximum level. This belief catalyzed innovation in music production and creation. The total artwork approach was adopted by progressives who revolutionized music production and creation. They combined music and drama to create musical dramas they considered the future for the German operas. This was the new approach that Wagner’s ‘The Ring of Nibelung’ production reflected. This opera drama, which combines theatre and music, was four-cycles long. It featured the unusual use of leitmotifs. Because it was the only time that Russian musicians wanted to make their music exclusively Russian, the new Russian school of music was revolutionary. Despite the conflict between the best music composers, Russia’s musical identity was born from the discourse and eventually compromise. The revolution in Russian music was significant as it complemented the nationalism movement after the Napoleonic Wars. The Russian elite used French as their primary language for centuries to distinguish themselves from their lower-ranking colleagues. Also, the majority of the music they performed was composed by Germans or Italians. After Napoleon’s defeat Russia became a world political and cultural power. Following the defeat of Napoleon, Russia became a cultural power. This sparked discussions about the elements that made up Russian culture in certain fields and disciplines. A firm Russian Musical Identity was also created as a result of this shift. The long-lasting legacy left by Wagner and Liszt is an example of how important musical principles were. This was embraced by German romantic wars veterans. These changes influenced future-oriented colleagues and shaped many trends. The New German School’s innovative approach to music has made a significant contribution to the 20th- and 21st century cinema music. The advancements in harmonies, textures as well orchestration tonal progression, compositions and dramatization have all greatly enriched music arts. The process of delineating and advancing classical music and modern music or, in Russia’s instance, nationalist music was validated by the rich legacy of the long debates.