Classical Music: Why don't you listen?

[clickynext]

I'm 18 and I prefer classical music to others. I would much rather go watch a good symphony orchestra or concert choir perform than any popular band. But then again, being a band geek, that's to be expected...

 

[Mucho]

Originally posted by: Feldenak
I listen to classical....I just have to be in the mood for it.

usually when I am depressed

 

[Tencntraze]

As a musician, it is a lot easier for me to appreciate classical music; in fact, most of the music that I listen to tends to be somewhat musically complex, simply because I prefer to hear the changes instead of a constant beat/melody repeating the whole time. To someone who is not a musician, instrumentalist or otherwise, I can see where it might be a little more difficult to enjoy.

 

[Special K]

Right now the only classical music I listen to is the "pseudo-classical" stuff such as the Gladiator soundtrack (or anything by Hans Zimmer really), Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the Metallica S&M album.

I eventually plan to at least try some of the more traditional stuff, but lately I haven't been listening to much music in general, and don't have a portable MP3 player.

One thing in particular I like about the genre is the recordings tend to be much more dynamic than most rock/pop/hip-hop albums, which are almost always heavily compressed.

 

[johnjohn320]

Originally posted by: notfred
I haven't read the whole thread, but I hope JohnJohn320 is reading each post so he can reply to this, or at least get an idea as to where I'm coming from.

Anyway, I like some classical music, and some I don't care for. But with classical music, it's difficult to figure out what I might like. It's all grouped into one genre under the name "classical", I'm sure there are sub-genres that people who are really into classical music know, but Idon't know them. This makes it really hard ti find similar classical music. If you like Nirvana, it's easy to go look up "grunge" and find some other similar bands that you might like. You can't really do that with classical music. It's like looking up "rock" and getting everything from the beatles to metallica to depeche mode. I also have no idea what "in E minor" or anything like that means. I, like the average music listener, have no particular desire to know how the music I listen to was made, I simply want to listen to music that I like. Classical msuic is always labelled like "Tsaichovsky's 27th concierto in E flat performed by the Berlic Philharmonic Orchestra"

No one can remember that. Or you'll look it up and find the 27th symphony instead of the 27th concierto, and you have no idea if they're the same thing or not. Or you'll find the 27th concierto by a different orchestra, and it sounds totally different than the Berlin one that you liked, and you can't find the berlin one.

To make a computer analogy, popular music is like windows:
Nirvana = Windows
Nevermind = Windows 2000
In Utero = Windows XP

See, it's simple. there are a couple CDs, each with short distinctive names. There's only one version of each.

Classical music is like linux
Tsaichovsky = Linux

Now, I have no idea how these things are even classified, as there was no such thing as an album when a lot of this music was written. So how are various songs grouped together?
Buying a Tsaichovsky CD is like picking up a random linux distribution. To the average person, linux is linux, right? But there are like 3 billion different variations with redhat and suse and debian and thier derivatives, and there's a pretty good chance that if you pick one at random, it's not going to be the one you wanted.

Add into that the fact that classical music names have a tendancy to be really long and hard to rember, and it makes classical music pretty user-unfriendly.

It's a good point-Rock songs have names like "Smoke on the Water"...which is easy to remember especially because they sing the words "smoke on the water" 10,000 times in 6 minutes. I recommend Naxos.com for people with your dilemma. You can register for free, and they let you stream samples from just about any of their records (almost exclusivley classical label). Might help you find what you're looking for. Else, you can always just ask me or other classical enthusists who might be able to help.

PS-the little flame war's getting a little old, guys. I asked for opinions, and I'm getting them (both those I agree and disagree with). I don't think we need to degrade all the way down into challenging other's intelligence, etc, right?

 

[KillerCharlie]

Call me elitist, but I think it's too complex for most people to appreciate. They don't have the patience and mental capacity to appreciate the nuances of classical music. If it doesn't have a heavy beat and catchy lyrics, it's not cool. Most people don't want to actually listen to music - they just want something blaring that gives them some kind of rush or something. They don't want to listen to music to listen to music, they want to do it to numb their mind.

Classical (and traditional jazz too I guess) are just on a completely different level. The dynamics, articulation, phrasing, clarity, depth, emotion, sophistication and tone sets it miles ahead of any other style of music.

 

[ruffilb]

I do, and I play too.

 

[Legendary]

I love listening to classical music, basically anytime I'm not drinking or driving a car (which never coincides by the way ) I can listen to it. I find lyrics tiresome, and once I memorize song lyrics I will lose interest quickly. But classical music never ceases to amaze me, with such broad complexity and beautiful combinations, it illicits all sorts of emotion, be it amazement, sadness or even fear.
I think the movie Immortal Beloved says it best: "Classical music has the ability to take you into the mind of the composer as he is writing." From the pure emotion of Beethoven to the sheer brilliance of Mozart to the love letters of Chopin, I think that quote truly applies.

 

[flxnimprtmscl]

I do lsten actually.

 

[Tencntraze]

Originally posted by: loki8481
90% of what gets me interested in a song are the lyrics.

That's odd, I'm the *exact* opposite, in that I couldn't give half a damn what the lyrics are if the music sucks, which is one of the reasons that I absolutely cannot even be in the same room when Bob Dylan is on.

 

[K1052]

I enjoy classical music.

Schubert would have to be my favorite, I'm really a sucker for some of his piano pieces.

 

[Hammerhead]

My daughter watches Little Einsteins and occasionally I'll hear her humming Mozart or Bach.

 

[49erinnc]

Originally posted by: JToxic
I can appreciate classical music, but I never really have a desire to listen to it. Not my kind of music.

Same here...

 

[johnjohn320]

It's funny how kind of lop-sided this thread is-so many people responding that they do love it and listen to it, but as I said in the OP, few people ever buy it.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
It's funny how kind of lop-sided this thread is-so many people responding that they do love it and listen to it, but as I said in the OP, few people ever buy it.

QFT. But I rarely buy music anyways. Mostly when I do, it is acoustic melodies, otherwise, I just listen to classical on the radio.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
It's funny how kind of lop-sided this thread is-so many people responding that they do love it and listen to it, but as I said in the OP, few people ever buy it.

It is because there are many elitists out there trying to prove they are better than others because they like a certain thing. It isn't limited to just classical music, have any post about anything that isn't mainstream and you'll have people rushing in to defend it. It as if they have to protect it in order to prevent extinction.

[*]But the fact is if you like to listen to X, you aren't more mentally capable than people who listen to Y.
[*]If you like to eat X, your pallete isn't any more developed than people who eat Y.
[*]If you like to do X, you aren't any better than people who do Y.

And, I think I was one of the only people to actually say why I don't listen and I was (mostly) completely ignored in this thread, even by you the poster who asked the question. That just sets the tone to support those defending classical and to suppress those who don't like it.

 

[johnjohn320]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
It's funny how kind of lop-sided this thread is-so many people responding that they do love it and listen to it, but as I said in the OP, few people ever buy it.

It is because there are many elitists out there trying to prove they are better than others because they like a certain thing. It isn't limited to just classical music, have any post about anything that isn't mainstream and you'll have people rushing in to defend it. It as if they have to protect it in order to prevent extinction.

[*]But the fact is if you like to listen to X, you aren't more mentally capable than people who listen to Y.
[*]If you like to eat X, your pallete isn't any more developed than people who eat Y.
[*]If you like to do X, you aren't any better than people who do Y.

And, I think I was one of the only people to actually say why I don't listen and I was (mostly) completely ignored in this thread, even by you the poster who asked the question. That just sets the tone to support those defending classical and to suppress those who don't like it.

I was with you until then. I responded (as others did) to other replies who stated valid reasons why they don't listen, we didn't ignore you guys. I can't respond to every one of the 115 replies here, y'know. For that matter, you didn't say anything that someone else didn't also touch on. In fact, this reply you just made, though I agree with it, has already been discussed.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
It seems like today, classical music is recorded in a way that people like to play it as background music. Hah, as my music teacher told me: TURN IT UP! Symphonies were meant to be played LOUD.

I definitely agree with this. Once I get about 10-12 minutes into Beethoven's 9th with the receiver cranked and both sets of front speakers on... I'm just in awe.

Originally posted by: loki8481
90% of what gets me interested in a song are the lyrics.

The lyrics matter very little to me--sure, I enjoy good lyrics, but as far as I'm concerned in general, the voice is just another instrument that fills out the sound.

 

[BlancoNino]

<---- Around $10,000 worth of classical music collection.

 

[Canun]

I love classical music. It really helps you relax, and is great when reading. Most of the time, I love the complexity that this genre of music is capable of.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: Canun
I love classical music. It really helps you relax, and is great when reading. Most of the time, I love the complexity that this genre of music is capable of.

Just learned in my communications class that listening to music (of any kind) while studying, reading, etc makes you less productive. They say it's best to have complete silence.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
I was with you until then. I responded (as others did) to other replies who stated valid reasons why they don't listen, we didn't ignore you guys. I can't respond to every one of the 115 replies here, y'know. For that matter, you didn't say anything that someone else didn't also touch on. In fact, this reply you just made, though I agree with it, has already been discussed.

I guess I had high hopes that someone would recommend classical music that fits some of these categories:

Originally posted by: dullard
I want something new, something fresh, something catchy, something that I can't get out of my head, something that I want to sing along with...Something with a good unforgetable beat.

If that is too tall of an order, I'm ok. I just thought with all the classical experts here some recomendations could come out of the thread.

 

[Canun]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: Canun
I love classical music. It really helps you relax, and is great when reading. Most of the time, I love the complexity that this genre of music is capable of.

Just learned in my communications class that listening to music (of any kind) while studying, reading, etc makes you less productive. They say it's best to have complete silence.

Productive? I'm just reading a book for fun, no need to be productive. If I am actually working, there is no sound.

 

[johnjohn320]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
I was with you until then. I responded (as others did) to other replies who stated valid reasons why they don't listen, we didn't ignore you guys. I can't respond to every one of the 115 replies here, y'know. For that matter, you didn't say anything that someone else didn't also touch on. In fact, this reply you just made, though I agree with it, has already been discussed.

I guess I had high hopes that someone would recommend classical music that fits some of these categories:

Originally posted by: dullard
I want something new, something fresh, something catchy, something that I can't get out of my head, something that I want to sing along with...Something with a good unforgetable beat.

If that is too tall of an order, I'm ok. I just thought with all the classical experts here some recomendations could come out of the thread.

You asked for something "new, catchy, fresh." That's like asking for recommendations of a "new, interesting, engrossing movie." You have to be more specific-I don't know your tastes. I'd be happy to steer you in a certain direction (I already provided the Naxos link above for a start) if you can give me an idea of what you like.

In the future, actually ASKING for a recommendation will tend to garner recommendations. (You never asked for suggestions, you just said that classical didnt suit your needs in these ways).

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

I like classical, classic rock, and jazz.

If you think classical is boring...you should have seen me blaring wagner-ride of the valkyries and weaving in and out of traffic like a madman this morning. I imagine if someone had filmed it...it would have made a good movie scene.