Classical Music

brad225

brad225

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Is Classical Music an acquired taste?

There are some classical music pieces I find enjoyable to listen to. None of which I could tell you the name of right now, but overall something about it doesn't make me want to go back for more.

It often just seems to be to much going on at one time, as in too many instruments being played. I'm not really sure.
Maybe it is something in my hearing that just has always finds it to busy or congested. I will say that I like solos, tiros and quartets more than full orchestras.

I want to enjoy listening to classical as I have 100's of DSD classical files I was given and I have been trying, randomly to listen to them but something just has not clicked.

I don't care for most rock or pop and no rap or electronic music so I guess it may just be the same issue.

I will keep playing them and see if anything clicks.
 
I am in the same boat as you. I want to like some but have not found much I could listen to multiple times. I like a nice dreamy Violin and have found Secret Garden. I would like to find more music similar.
I find most Classical music is just all over the place, you can't follow it easily.

One Classical disk I own that is different and listenable is
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I got into Classical from watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. Then film music scores started to catch my attention, especially space-themed ones by John Williams. That led to exploring classical music in prog rock, like ELP Pictures, Procol Harem, etc. That led to an interest in more thematic classical music by 19th and 20th century composers like Dvorak, Copeland, Holst, Bartok, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. That's where my classical interests mostly lie today. Its been a fun ride but its not for everyone for sure.
 
brad225 said:
Is Classical Music an acquired taste?

There are some classical music pieces I find enjoyable to listen to. None of which I could tell you the name of right now, but overall something about it doesn't make me want to go back for more.

It often just seems to be to much going on at one time, as in too many instruments being played. I'm not really sure.
Maybe it is something in my hearing that just has always finds it to busy or congested. I will say that I like solos, tiros and quartets more than full orchestras.

I want to enjoy listening to classical as I have 100's of DSD classical files I was given and I have been trying, randomly to listen to them but something just has not clicked.

I don't care for most rock or pop and no rap or electronic music so I guess it may just be the same issue.

I will keep playing them and see if anything clicks.
Click to expand...

You can Google for lists of classical music recommendations for beginners. There are many.

Here is one: Classical Music for Beginners - The Ultimate Guide

Cartoons and film scores are excellent sources.

The animated movie Fantasia includes many well-known pieces. Here is a guide to the music from Fantasia:
Fantasia – all the classical music used in the Disney film - Classic FM

The movie Platoon includes music by Samuel Barber. Here is s sample: Platoon Soundtrack - Adagio for Strings - YouTube

Good luck!
 
brad225 said:
Is Classical Music an acquired taste?

There are some classical music pieces I find enjoyable to listen to. None of which I could tell you the name of right now, but overall something about it doesn't make me want to go back for more.

It often just seems to be to much going on at one time, as in too many instruments being played. I'm not really sure.
Maybe it is something in my hearing that just has always finds it to busy or congested. I will say that I like solos, tiros and quartets more than full orchestras.

I want to enjoy listening to classical as I have 100's of DSD classical files I was given and I have been trying, randomly to listen to them but something just has not clicked.

I don't care for most rock or pop and no rap or electronic music so I guess it may just be the same issue.

I will keep playing them and see if anything clicks.
Click to expand...

I found attending live concerts a terrific springboard to appreciating classical music and narrowing down the repertoire that I prefer. There is so much to choose from it can be daunting.

I see you are close to Tampa. There must be a symphony orchestra and classical music venues in a major city like that to check out.

Experiencing classical music live, in person, might open the door to a deeper appreciation. In fact, I think that is true of any type of music.
 
Classical is my favorite music, particularly orchestral pieces. I built my system to play Beethoven's 9th symphony. I once had a group of college students in to watch and listen to a blu ray of the 9th, Vienna Philharmonic. Practically none of them were much into classical before but they were all astonished by it.
 
I would compare listening to classical music to watching a professional sport game or match. You can watch (listen) with enjoyment to the main action - where the ball goes (or where the melody line goes). Most of the time not a lot happens, except that every so often the big play (or big tune) occurs, which gives great joy and excitement. However, if you study the sport (or the music) you will be constantly watching (listening) to all the action on the field (by the instruments) and gain a much greater appreciation for what is happening, even when there is no big play (or big tune). This study takes time and effort and may or may not be worth it for you. You can still enjoy the game (or piece) but it will not be at the same level as when you have done the study. The greater amount of study usually results in greater appreciation.

Larry
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have not had any listening time this week. Whom ever said retirement is dull and there is nothing to do lives in a vacuum. :)
 
It's like any other endeavor you are new to. It will take time and exposure to discover what you like. I would suggest signing up for a Classical playlist on Tidal / Qobuz / Spotify /etc. and installing Shazam on your phone. Even with 40+ years of classical listening under my belt, often times I'll come across a piece of music that is familiar, but I'm just not sure who wrote it / performed it. Shazam often comes to the rescue. As for the playlist, it can be a sense of inspiration where you will occasionally come across a piece of music that tickles your fancy.

Further study, as Larry state, can enhance your appreciation for a piece of music (or composer, or performer), but I wouldn't give this too much time until you find the genre(s) that pique your interest.
 
brad225 said:
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have not had any listening time this week. Whom ever said retirement is dull and there is nothing to do lives in a vacuum. :)
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What genre of music do you like (i.e., no rap, electronic, rock or pop)? Jazz? Country? Folk? Bluegrass?

Some melodies from classical music are almost ingrained into our culture, and these days some songs in almost any genre also contain melodies and/or quotes from classical music.

When I was first getting into classical music (about 50-55 years ago) I found a Reader's Digest 10 LP sampler which was a great introduction. There are now a variety of classical music "samplers" on CD (and probably streaming services) which can help point you toward composers and/or specific pieces that could interest you.
 
I like exactly what you said. Jazz, older country, folk, bluegrass and instrumental pieces.
I never liked most music where there were a lot of instruments playing that made for a confused or distorted sound to my ears. Rock music fell into that category for me.
 
brad225 said:
I like exactly what you said. Jazz, older country, folk, bluegrass and instrumental pieces.
I never liked most music where there were a lot of instruments playing that made for a confused or distorted sound to my ears. Rock music fell into that category for me.
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I will be surprised if you don't find quite a bit of enjoyable classical music. Try Brahms Piano Quartets, Schubert String Quartets (especially late; #14 of course but anything from #11 on), Copland ballets (Rodeo, Appalachian Spring, El Salon Mexico, etc), almost anything by Ravel or Debussy (orchestral or solo piano). I'm sure others will have more suggestions (as will I if you are more interested)

Some more contemporary bluegrass (or "newgrass") artists have recorded pieces of classical music on their albums (Grisman, Rice, Norman Blake, etc)
 
What I don't understand why so many people dislike classical music. For so many centuries people had so much fun when local musicians passed by. Nowadays we have other music and classical music has the reputation to be boring and for elderly people.

My favorites are Mahlers second and third, chopins opus 13 and 14, the beethoven symphonies, bachs brandenburger concerts, rachmaninovs second piano concert, tchaikovski's opus 35 violin concert (version with Itzhak Perlman), Sibelius Karelia suite, Vivaldi's Gloria and Mozarts requiem.

How could that be boring?
 
You can consider classical music to be a lot like the progression of a meal -- you start out with something nice, have to put up with the yucky stuff, and eventually graduate to where you wanted to be all along -- the super yummy dessert.

First movement usually starts off strong: a nice piece of fried chicken, or some great grilled steak.

Second movement is usually the most underwhelming: canned peas that have been boiled to death, no seasoning, no butter. There's not even a hint of the fresh green color the peas were when they were freshly picked. No way to avoid them, even if they're gag inducing. You are hating life right about now.

Third movement starts to pick the pace back up: okay, you've made it through the peas, you can now move on to the butter-laced mashed potatoes and gravy. Light is now officially at the end of the tunnel and it is getting stronger.

Fourth movement gets you to where you've wanted to be the entire meal: big 'ol piece of homemade double-fudge chocolate cake with homemade chocolate icing. You wolf down the first piece and contemplate having a second, knowing that you'll only get about halfway through the second piece before giving up because it was so rich and sweet that loved you a taste for it.

Welcome to classical music.
 
There is a staggering variety of different styles of music under the "Classical" title. Instead of listening to a playlist of someone else's favorites, a great way to get more exposure is to listen to a good classical public radio station. This is where you might be able to hear many different things and possibly find something that you enjoy.

As a lover of both classical and jazz, I enjoy WRCJ - a station in my area that I can listen to in the car or online. They do classical for 14 hours during the day and jazz for 10 at night. I jot down the names of pieces that I like and search Qobuz for them when I have time.

Maybe check out the public radio station(s) in your area and listen for a few minutes now and then. I'll be surprised if you don't come across something that you want to explore further that way. And if not, no biggie - it ain't everyone's cup of tea.

Bottom line - yes, classical music can be an acquired taste. But the taste-testing process can and should be a very enjoyable one.
 
Lots of good suggestions here. Public radio stations that play a wide variety of classical music will help you zero in on what styles and composers appeal to you. My list has grown over the years. It started with Mozart and Beethoven and grew into Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Verdi, Puccini on and on and on. You can fine tune that with an App like Pandora. They you can perhaps download some files of pieces you like. I found that all labels are definitely not created equal. My favorite labels for audiophile quality classical music are Channel Classic and Harmonia Mundi. Many of the older AAA disks from Deutsche Grammaphone are also excellent. Reference Recordings has several pieces I enjoy. Check out NativeDSD.com also. Good luck! You are in for a treat.
 
brad225 said:
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have not had any listening time this week. Whom ever said retirement is dull and there is nothing to do lives in a vacuum. :)
Click to expand...

i can relate. i retired last Monday, May 15th. after 49 years in retail automotive. 6 days a week. i'm done. time to turn the page and enjoy.

so far just chilling......my plan is 'no plan'......and lots of listening to classical.....and everything else too.

when i became a serious audiophile in 1994, i knew nothing about jazz or classical. now i listen to 70% classical, 20% jazz. my system is built to play large orchestral. my favorite is string quartets.

streaming is great for learning about classical and exploring. as your system gets better, and you listen more, the classical landscape opens up. same with jazz. it's a process to get comfortable one layer at a time. enjoy the journey. i have.
 
Mike Lavigne said:
i can relate. i retired last Monday, May 15th. after 49 years in retail automotive. 6 days a week. i'm done. time to turn the page and enjoy.

so far just chilling......my plan is 'no plan'......and lots of listening to classical.....and everything else too.

when i became a serious audiophile in 1994, i knew nothing about jazz or classical. now i listen to 70% classical, 20% jazz. my system is built to play large orchestral. my favorite is string quartets.

streaming is great for learning about classical and exploring. as your system gets better, and you listen more, the classical landscape opens up. same with jazz. it's a process to get comfortable one layer at a time. enjoy the journey. i have.
Click to expand...

Congrats Mike on your retirement. Enjoy in good health.


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