Trying to learn to appreciate classical music.

[yllus]

I feel like such a clod. 🙁

Well, not really. But since digitallyimported.com has a classical stream, and it's music that serves to let you work away on other things without being distracting...I tuned in.

I guess my question is a two parter. Do you like classical music, and if so do you think it's because you can appreciate the difficulty and finesse that goes into playing a classical musical instrument? I was a so-so trumpet player nearly a decade ago and though I think stringed instruments have the beautiful sound, it really does nothing for me.

 

[sonambulo]

a lot of people's musical tastes follow history 'in reverse.' do you like jazz, blues or rock-a-billy?

 

[Wahsapa]

if your listening to di.fm you probably need to abuse some substances before their music starts to make sense. just something iv notice(goes for all the music world too, especially if your just getting into the genre and dont understand it)

i like classical music because i like music, and its hard to deny something that sounds good. some classical music can be bad, you really have to find what 'kind' of classical you like, its not the end all be all of music that some people think it is (and i dont see how some people can like it as much as they do)

 

[Gurck]

I enjoy it, though I'm not very knowledgeable about it, nor have I ever played a classical music instrument (or, for that matter done anything more than offend the gods by my attempts at learning guitar 😱)

 

[DaveSimmons]

"Classical music" is an immense variety of music spanning centuries, probably a wider variety than pop, jazz, blues, country combined.

A lot of people who like classical music really mean they like certain kinds of it, not all of it. So if you don't like what you've heard so far, you might just need to hear different styles and periods.

For myself, I'm most fond of concertos rather than symphonies, and small-group or solo performances rather than massive orchestras. I can't stand most opera, and haven't heard any 20th-century classical that I like.

I enjoy the music on a purely emotional level, I don't listen and consciously pay attention to the development and restatement of themes, or memorize scores so I can catch missed notes. I've never played an instrument.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Listen to some Vivaldi and if you can come away not liking classical music then I think you're pretty much S.O.L. for liking classical. 😛

ZV

 

[dowxp]

shouldn't be too hard. the problem with classical music is that everyone is dead. nevertheless, there are some good stuff. i can upload some, but most of mine are APE's .. and i'm on dsl ;( and that would be pirating..

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
"Classical music" is an immense variety of music spanning centuries, probably a wider variety than pop, jazz, blues, country combined.

A lot of people who like classical music really mean they like certain kinds of it, not all of it. So if you don't like what you've heard so far, you might just need to hear different styles and periods.

For myself, I'm most fond of concertos rather than symphonies, and small-group or solo performances rather than massive orchestras. I can't stand most opera, and haven't heard any 20th-century classical that I like.

I enjoy the music on a purely emotional level, I don't listen and consciously pay attention to the development and restatement of themes, or memorize scores so I can catch missed notes. I've never played an instrument.

It's funny you mention 20th century classical music. I haven't really heard much, if any, other than variations on classical or baroque period music that I like.

I would suggest going to a few live performances. This is when you really begin to appreciate the music in my opinion. There is nothing like it quite frankly. I took my wife to a performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto #2 with Pianist Andre Watts at the Hollywood Bowl before we were married and she was moved to tears. It is that powerful.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Listen to some Vivaldi and if you can come away not liking classical music then I think you're pretty much S.O.L. for liking classical. 😛
ZV

Yep, the cliche starter kit:

Vivaldi - Four Seasons
Pachelbel - Canon
Bach - Brandendburg Concertos
Bach - solo guitar CDs by Andres Segovia or Sharon Isbin

If you don't like any of the above you probably won't like instrumental classical music. Try some opea and your experimentation is complete.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I would suggest going to a few live performances. This is when you really begin to appreciate the music in my opinion. There is nothing like it quite frankly. I took my wife to a performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto #2 with Pianist Andre Watts at the Hollywood Bowl before we were married and she was moved to tears. It is that powerful.

I concur. Live classical is incredible.

 

[Lonyo]

Queen played by the Royal Philharmonic.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Listen to some Vivaldi and if you can come away not liking classical music then I think you're pretty much S.O.L. for liking classical. 😛
ZV

Yep, the cliche starter kit:

Vivaldi - Four Seasons
Pachelbel - Canon
Bach - Brandendburg Concertos
Bach - solo guitar CDs by Andres Segovia or Sharon Isbin

If you don't like any of the above you probably won't like instrumental classical music. Try some opea and your experimentation is complete.

Go see a live performance of one or each of these though. Don't just buy a CD or download a few movements, there are plenty of poorly recorded versions of these that probably won't do much for you.

For Andre Segovia I'm kind of partial to Julian Bream. Man, I love classical guitar. 😀

 

[compudog]

I actually happen to like Mozart, Bach and Beethoven. Vivaldi is excellent, Holsts' "The Planets" is very good as well.

Try Mozart's Eine Kliene Nachtmusik, Bach's Tocata and Fugue in G minor or Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

 

[Babbles]

Like others have mentioned the genre in of itself is immense. You are talking about a genre of music that spans several hundreds of years and that kind of makes a large selection of music to choose from.

I really think the best thing to do is just listen to a bunch of random stuff on di.fm or whatever. Then you can determine what style you like, piano type stuff, or strings or more brassy or concertos or small ensembles or whatever. Then you can look into specific arrangements and composers.

I am not a big Beethoven fan, however I do like the Moonlight Sonata. I dig Vivaldi, Dvorak, Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Wagner and anything that really involves a strong brass section. Go go go Canadian Brass.
If things are all strings, it just sounds to whiney to me.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Listen to some Vivaldi and if you can come away not liking classical music then I think you're pretty much S.O.L. for liking classical. 😛
ZV

Yep, the cliche starter kit:

Vivaldi - Four Seasons
Pachelbel - Canon
Bach - Brandendburg Concertos
Bach - solo guitar CDs by Andres Segovia or Sharon Isbin

If you don't like any of the above you probably won't like instrumental classical music. Try some opea and your experimentation is complete.

I hate the Brandenburg Concertos, but most of Bach's other stuff I like. Go Double Concerto for Two Violins (BWV1043 IIRC) - played that last year. 🙂