8 ms·

Classical music is for everyone

79 points by Bostonian 3y ago

the_cat_kittles 3y ago
best way to like a genre is to try to play it yourself
- verve_rat 3y ago
  Made many movies have we? Lots of TV shows? Written a ton of books? The idea that you need to be able to make a thing to be able to critically evaluate it is rather limiting.
  - the_cat_kittles 3y ago
    im not saying you need to, im saying its the best way
  - timbit42 3y ago
    They said "play", not "make".
layer8 3y ago
I have to disagree that it’s for everyone. There are a few pieces of classical music that I like (for example the Infernal Dance from Stravinsky’s Firebird), but 99.9 % just bores me to tears. And it’s not for lack of trying. It’s frustrated me for the longest time, but in the end I accepted that it’s just not for me.
- ob 3y ago
  The thing about classical music is that you have to understand the works in order to really enjoy them – of course there are exceptions when the melody just grabs you but that's not the norm. There was an album collection called "Musically Speaking" that explained music works and detailed what to listen for. For example, they isolated the flutes in Beethoven's Pastoral and explained they represented birds, etc. My enjoyment of classical works spiked after understanding more. I think it's much easier to connect with Rock/Pop because the works are much, much simpler so it's mostly whether the lyrics speak to you and you like the melody.
  - jschveibinz 3y ago
    And there was this wonderful man and his great commentary program: Karl Haas, “Adventures in Good Music” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_in_Good_Music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_in_Good_Music https://archive.org/details/1.14.1992CatalogueCriteria https://archive.org/details/1.14.1992CatalogueCriteria
  - beebeepka 3y ago
    "This is great and here's why you should like it" strikes mme as a terrible argument, especially for things that boil down to taste.
    - khazhoux 3y ago
      "This thing that most people today don't like, they really might love it if they gave these a try."
      - beebeepka 3y ago
        > you have to understand the works in order to really enjoy them That's what they said
        khazhoux 3y ago
        sorry, I thought you were commenting on the original article
  - beardyw 3y ago
    > The thing about classical music is that you have to understand the works in order to really enjoy them – of course there are exceptions when the melody just grabs you but that's not the norm. Sorry, but if you need I reason to enjoy something, you don't. There is so much music out there - just enjoy what you enjoy. There is never a reason why you need to enjoy something. Expose yourself to different genres but if it doesn't hook you move on. For me the film 2001 I discovered György Ligeti, I wouldn't recommend that to anyone!
  - 3y ago
- 9dev 3y ago
  I'm not so sure. If you play death metal to people who distinctly do not like metal, they will tell you it all sounds the same, that it's just noise. The next metalhead to swing by can lament for hours on the compositional genius of Children of Bodom, but will ensure you all hiphop is a long string of meaningless profanity. Don't even bring the avantgarde jazz enthusiasts in. And so on. What I'm getting at is that any musical genre will be difficult at first. And I don't mean just listening to a lot, but actually understand it.
- deleted 3y ago
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- OldGuyInTheClub 3y ago
  If you've given it a try and find it is not for you, then so be it. There is concern in the classical enjoying community that people are put off from even trying it because it is supposed to be reserved for certain ethnic groups, economic strata, and whatnot. I've had similar experiences to yours with jazz and opera.
freitzkriesler2 3y ago
I always find it comical that classical music is blared outside of stores to keep people from loitering. Little did they realize I hung out outside so I could wait for that Paganini concerto to finish.
- drewcoo 3y ago
  It's as if they'd never seen A Clockwork Orange!
howinteresting 3y ago
[flagged]
schizo89 3y ago
I started playing piano in 2018 and now it's part of my daily routine. I would recommend this to folks how are looking where to invest time to. Mastering an instrument takes years, but it's progress and dopamine.
- jacquesm 3y ago
  Same here. There even is some progress (there should be after this much time invested, but this is easily the hardest thing I have tried to master in my life and I'm already resigned to not ever getting as good as I would like to be). It's a lot of fun too!
- bowsamic 3y ago
  There’s a plateau (or a few plateaus) that are hard to break through without huge effort when learning an instrument
zogrodea 3y ago
I used to like music and listen to it (even tried playing an instrument and using DAW tools), but I found out that, despite my enjoyment, the OCD and intrusive thoughts it gave (I have medical OCD) are just not worth it. (Not a criticism of the article, and still of course respectful of others who like music but music in general is not something for all of us.)
- tgv 3y ago
  Music certainly has a psychological effect. I do feel somewhat sorry if you can't enjoy it, because for me the effect is quite positive.
- bowsamic 3y ago
  I don’t have OCD but I’ve found the same in many situations. I actually have spent a lot of my life on music, and enjoy a lot of it, but nowhere near to the degree of many others. Really, I could lose it as part of my life. I agree with the Buddhist take on it: it’s distracting and dangerous, and it’s a blameful kind of pleasure that leads to suffering
  - zogrodea 3y ago
    I didn't know about the Buddhist position on music, but (after finding this answer on Quora about it[0]) it sounds like something I very strongly relate to and agree with. Thank you for mentioning it. [0] https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-view-of-music-in-Buddhism/answer/Carlos-Thubten-Ch%C3%B6ying https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-view-of-music-in-Buddhism/...
adw 3y ago
The assumption that music the author doesn't like must be a — likely political – statement is, let's just say, revealing and itself highly political. People appear to enjoy things which are bitter, or ugly, or complex, or an acquired taste. Either they're all lying posers, which certainly some people believe, or there really is something to Scotch whisky or James Joyce or Autechre which speaks to some people and not to others. I believe the latter, and I feel sorry for the former. The idea that human experience would be so narrow that some forms of expression are good and all others are bad on a single axis! And music, especially, one of the most cultural-context dependent forms. A bunch of traditions wouldn't even recognise the Western canon, which tends to seriously lack rhythmic complexity, _as_ worthwhile music. So: taste varies and that's the point. I love Autechre, and I find real beauty in their work, but I would place significant money that more than half of the audience here would find this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev3vENli7wQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev3vENli7wQ – somewhere between modem line-noise and actively painful. Is it pretty in the way, say, Teenage Fanclub (who are also magnificent) are pretty? No. It's not trying to be. It's communicating something else.
- agalunar 3y ago
  > The assumption that music the author doesn't like must be a – likely political – statement is, let's just say, revealing and itself highly political. Where are you getting this impression from? I just went back through the piece and can't find a place where the author implies that "music they don't like must be a (political) statement" whatsoever.
  - bigbillheck 3y ago
    > Where are you getting this impression from? This part: The station prides itself on operating without any government funding, which in turn requires it to play music that people enjoy hearing and never the kind that some stations (and performing ensembles) play just because it’s avant-garde or purports to make some political statement.
    - adw 3y ago
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zabzonk 3y ago
Beethoven? I cannot imagine anyone not liking that stuff. And play it loud!
- bwv848 3y ago
  Play Grosse Fuge loud and make everyone hate you. Well, not everyone - except for me and a portion of one percent[0] of the population. [0] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/business/media/stream-classical-music-spotify.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/business/media/stream-cla...
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yongjik 3y ago
[flagged]
Unfrozen0688 3y ago
I have recently found "academica" classical is THE genre for me. Both dark and light. Spotify and Youtube have lists on it. Highly recommended. Some others are too fast or just noise for me. ex Dark Academia Classical https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX17GkScaAekA?si=53ef9989670340c7 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX17GkScaAekA?si=... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGC80iRS7tw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGC80iRS7tw Light Academia Classical https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX1jDTenPbqLo?si=98e55fec81c34bea https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX1jDTenPbqLo?si=... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMuzS3XVho8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMuzS3XVho8
TheAceOfHearts 3y ago
My favorite classic piece of all time is Dvorak's 9th Symphony, the 4th movement [0]. He was ahead of the curve when looking to integrate inspiration from various sources, as mentioned on the Wikipedia article [1]: > I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what are called Negro melodies. These can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition, to be developed in the United States. These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are the folk songs of America and your composers must turn to them. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVDofBFtvwA&pp=ygULZHZvcmFrIDl0aCA%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVDofBFtvwA&pp=ygULZHZvcmFrI... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A...
- kashunstva 3y ago
  > My favorite classic piece of all time is Dvorak's 9th Symphony, the 4th movement Ah yes, I always thought the opening of that movement was the inspiration for the Jaws theme. Me, I’m a sucker for the second movement of the Dvorak 9. Anything to give the cor anglais a little time in the spotlight.
- hilbert42 3y ago
  I think there's little doubt the New World is Dvorak's most popular and acessaie work. It's va great favorite of many.
- hilbert42 3y ago
  I think there's little doubt the New World is Dvorak's most popular and acessaie work. It's a great favorite of many.
OldGuyInTheClub 3y ago
I listen to classical music and nothing else but want nothing to do with the First Things crowd.
hnbear 3y ago
I’ve really enjoyed The Story of Classical in new iOS Classical music app. The app itself is a pain with how it doesn’t integrate into things like CarPlay, but the album itself is great. It’s a smart lead through classical music in 9 hour long episodes. Each explains the key pieces from different areas, with the history of the composers and social impact. https://classical.music.apple.com/us/album/1675318629 https://classical.music.apple.com/us/album/1675318629
themadturk 3y ago
I don't get the problems with this article. I'm an avid listener of Seattle's KING-FM, which is also a non-goverment publicly funded classical radio station. The station (which also streams worldwide) is actively working to expose more BIPOC composers and performers. Personally, I'm passionate about western music of the 19th century, everything from Beethoven up through pre-WWI. But sometimes music surprises me. Salonen's violin concerto "Out Of Nowhere" (which I discovered via an Apple commercial) seem completely unmelodic and without structure, but I love it anyway. I enjoy a wide variety of music, and don't enjoy an even larger variety of music. You like yours, I'll like mine, there's room for everyone.
tzs 3y ago
> In the summer of 1968, a friend and I went to see the blockbuster movie of the year—2001: A Space Odyssey. We settled into our seats and the theater went dark. The film began. And then we heard the most astounding music. It grabbed me like no movie music ever had. > There was more magnificent music in 2001, some of which I recognized, such as “The Blue Danube,” but it was the opening that stuck in my mind. What was that music and where did it come from? That particular music can make anything seem deep and epic and moving. A great illustration of that is this video on YouTube where someone took someone else's video showing a squirrel trying to balance its desire for a peanut and its fear of approaching the human who was holding the peanut and added that same music [1]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ1ZYGHmtN8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ1ZYGHmtN8
- jayemar 3y ago
  That was riveting, thank you
hilbert42 3y ago
"In the summer of 1968, a friend and I went to see the blockbuster movie of the year—2001: A Space Odyssey." So did I, and in the same year—1968. And I went with a friend from uni to see the movie. The next day the physics prac teacher spent much of the lesson whingeing that our behavior was unacceptable and that he did not expect to have to lecture to an empty class. The film had a profound effect on many of us and I still reckon it's the greatest science fiction film ever made. Even as a kid I liked classical music having been brought up in a household where it was the norm—both my parents appreciated classical music. Nevertheless, 2001: A Space Odyssey was the first time I had heard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra. Frankly, it blew me away when I heard it in the film. Kubrick, couldn't have found a more appropriate piece, its selection was absolute genius. Funny isn't it, some years later I was involved in setting up a listener-sponsored classical music FM radio station. That said, I no longer consider myself as being normal—at least when it comes to music. I've tried to get interested in much of the mainstream rock and popular music and much of it does nothing for me. I simply cannot understand why I like classical music and why so many others have no interest in it at all. Except for a tiny percentage of oddballs like me, classical music is essentially dead. I feel like a dinosaur, a throwback from another era.
- OldGuyInTheClub 3y ago
  > I've tried to get interested in much of the mainstream rock and popular music and much of it does nothing for me. I simply cannot understand why I like classical music and why so many others have no interest in it at all. This resonates with me. I got hooked young and it has stuck with me through the decades. There are vast swathes of 'classical' that I won't listen to but just about everything I do listen to fits within the 'classical' umbrella. > Except for a tiny percentage of oddballs like me, classical music is essentially dead. It is possible to be more optimistic if one looks at South Korea, Japan, and China. There are superb young instrumentalists and ensembles coming from there and they have enthusiastic audiences.
  - hilbert42 3y ago
    "There are vast swathes of 'classical' that I won't listen to but just about everything I do listen to fits within the 'classical' umbrella." I understand that. There are classical works that I've little time for. Like any classical music lover, I have strong preferences for certain composers and compositions. I indicated several in my reply to musicale. In your quote of me I chose the words 'much of the mainstream rock and popular music' with care as I do like some modern music, and some of it I find very inventive and cleaver. That said, I can't stand to listen to rap and most stuff with a monotonous repetitive beat, it's boring and doesn't make sense to me. How people find it interesting I'm damned if I know. I fully take your point about those Asian countries and classical music, they are producing many performers of world class. Several weeks ago I was listening to the Sydney International Piano Competition and the young Asian performers were remarkable for their age. I stumbled across the Competition by accident on FM not knowing what it was. I came in part way through a stunning performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat major —a work I know very well, I not only have multiple recording thereof but also a copy of the score (but my piano playing doesn't extend to me being able to perform it). Anyway, I was quite transfixed by the brilliant playing. During the performance I was trying to figure out who the artist was but to no avail. When the back-announcement said it was Jeonghwan Kim I was very surprised. Kim, although Asian, is based in Berlin, it shows the lengths these Asian performers will go to achieve excellence. What I'm still unclear about is why the West has largely lost interest in classical music, it's essentially ditched its own cultural heritage. By way of example, that FM station broadcasting the competition has less than 1% of the radio audience. Proof enough I reckon that people have little interest.
NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
Growing up, my parents were aficionados of classical music, and fairly well-versed in it. My father's Heathkit stereo set was used to play that sort of genre (but also others like C&W, John Denver, Herb Alpert.) Classical music, though, was mostly the domain of my mother, and as such, I sort of stayed away from it. It seemed like something For Adults Only, and I was raised on a diet of TV and pop music radio. Even when we had field trips to the Young People's Symphony, I just didn't get much out of it. However, we did have one beloved vinyl record at home. It wasn't the OMPS for 2001 or Star Wars but it was sort of an unofficial compilation, I guess. Drop the needle in the groove, and a bombastic, stentorian voice declaims: "Two Thousand and One: A Space Odyssey [echo] [echo] [echo]!" and then "Also Sprach Zarathustra" begins to play. I think it had the most recognizable Star Wars music, and other stuff on it. Sci-fi classics of the late 70s. We thought those were cool pieces. I mean, who doesn't love John Williams' scores? I actually did not see 2001 until it was almost actually 2001. Nevertheless, I could not quite figure out the ending and it left me profoundly moved, but rather perplexed too.
musicale 3y ago
One key role and context for music is as an accompaniment for social dance. Since the minuet and waltz are less popular dance forms than they once were, their accompanying music is less likely to be played in that context. The effect goes beyond classical music into popular music, where formerly popular dances and their accompanying music go out of style and the latter is rarely played. There also seems to be an appetite for novelty, from "dance crazes" to currently popular dance videos on social media.
bowsamic 3y ago
Weirdly content-less article. The only real point it makes is that classical music is superior to others since people like it because they actually like it and not because just because it's avant-garde or a "political statement". Of course, that's really weird, since classical music very often contains significant philosophical, religious, and political themes.
llimos 3y ago
Related TED talk, well worth watching: https://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_the_transformative_power_of_classical_music https://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_the_transformative...
sombragris 3y ago
Beautiful music, accessible at all levels with the right pieces. They can be enjoyed from a casual to the deep analysis levels. There was a stupid movie I accidentally saw on broadcast TV some weeks ago; it was Parental Guidance (2012). There was a scene where the kids misbehave in a classical concert. The piece played was P.I. Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, and if my memory serves me right, the (uncredited!) soloist was Anne Akiko Meyers. The movie played out all the classical music stereotypes. Then finally, an annoyed old, crusty lady said "I don't know how could anyone bring kids to Tchaikovsky!". Oh my. What a ludicrously stupid comment. A real evidence that the screen writers were truly clueless. If there is a composer who is notoriously kid friendly was old Piotr Ilych, the one who put music to ballets such as The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, just to name two examples! And yes, classical music can be enjoyed by all ages, with the appropriate pieces and with the right disposition.

79 points by Bostonian 3y ago

the_cat_kittles 3y ago

best way to like a genre is to try to play it yourself

verve_rat 3y ago
Made many movies have we? Lots of TV shows? Written a ton of books? The idea that you need to be able to make a thing to be able to critically evaluate it is rather limiting.
- the_cat_kittles 3y ago
  im not saying you need to, im saying its the best way
- timbit42 3y ago
  They said "play", not "make".

layer8 3y ago

I have to disagree that it’s for everyone. There are a few pieces of classical music that I like (for example the Infernal Dance from Stravinsky’s Firebird), but 99.9 % just bores me to tears. And it’s not for lack of trying. It’s frustrated me for the longest time, but in the end I accepted that it’s just not for me.

ob 3y ago
The thing about classical music is that you have to understand the works in order to really enjoy them – of course there are exceptions when the melody just grabs you but that's not the norm. There was an album collection called "Musically Speaking" that explained music works and detailed what to listen for. For example, they isolated the flutes in Beethoven's Pastoral and explained they represented birds, etc. My enjoyment of classical works spiked after understanding more. I think it's much easier to connect with Rock/Pop because the works are much, much simpler so it's mostly whether the lyrics speak to you and you like the melody.
- jschveibinz 3y ago
  And there was this wonderful man and his great commentary program: Karl Haas, “Adventures in Good Music” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_in_Good_Music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_in_Good_Music https://archive.org/details/1.14.1992CatalogueCriteria https://archive.org/details/1.14.1992CatalogueCriteria
- beebeepka 3y ago
  "This is great and here's why you should like it" strikes mme as a terrible argument, especially for things that boil down to taste.
  - khazhoux 3y ago
    "This thing that most people today don't like, they really might love it if they gave these a try."
    - beebeepka 3y ago
      > you have to understand the works in order to really enjoy them That's what they said
      - khazhoux 3y ago
        sorry, I thought you were commenting on the original article
- beardyw 3y ago
  > The thing about classical music is that you have to understand the works in order to really enjoy them – of course there are exceptions when the melody just grabs you but that's not the norm. Sorry, but if you need I reason to enjoy something, you don't. There is so much music out there - just enjoy what you enjoy. There is never a reason why you need to enjoy something. Expose yourself to different genres but if it doesn't hook you move on. For me the film 2001 I discovered György Ligeti, I wouldn't recommend that to anyone!
- 3y ago
9dev 3y ago
I'm not so sure. If you play death metal to people who distinctly do not like metal, they will tell you it all sounds the same, that it's just noise. The next metalhead to swing by can lament for hours on the compositional genius of Children of Bodom, but will ensure you all hiphop is a long string of meaningless profanity. Don't even bring the avantgarde jazz enthusiasts in. And so on. What I'm getting at is that any musical genre will be difficult at first. And I don't mean just listening to a lot, but actually understand it.
deleted 3y ago
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OldGuyInTheClub 3y ago
If you've given it a try and find it is not for you, then so be it. There is concern in the classical enjoying community that people are put off from even trying it because it is supposed to be reserved for certain ethnic groups, economic strata, and whatnot. I've had similar experiences to yours with jazz and opera.

freitzkriesler2 3y ago

I always find it comical that classical music is blared outside of stores to keep people from loitering. Little did they realize I hung out outside so I could wait for that Paganini concerto to finish.

drewcoo 3y ago
It's as if they'd never seen A Clockwork Orange!

howinteresting 3y ago

[flagged]

schizo89 3y ago

I started playing piano in 2018 and now it's part of my daily routine. I would recommend this to folks how are looking where to invest time to. Mastering an instrument takes years, but it's progress and dopamine.

jacquesm 3y ago
Same here. There even is some progress (there should be after this much time invested, but this is easily the hardest thing I have tried to master in my life and I'm already resigned to not ever getting as good as I would like to be). It's a lot of fun too!
bowsamic 3y ago
There’s a plateau (or a few plateaus) that are hard to break through without huge effort when learning an instrument

zogrodea 3y ago

I used to like music and listen to it (even tried playing an instrument and using DAW tools), but I found out that, despite my enjoyment, the OCD and intrusive thoughts it gave (I have medical OCD) are just not worth it. (Not a criticism of the article, and still of course respectful of others who like music but music in general is not something for all of us.)

tgv 3y ago
Music certainly has a psychological effect. I do feel somewhat sorry if you can't enjoy it, because for me the effect is quite positive.
bowsamic 3y ago
I don’t have OCD but I’ve found the same in many situations. I actually have spent a lot of my life on music, and enjoy a lot of it, but nowhere near to the degree of many others. Really, I could lose it as part of my life. I agree with the Buddhist take on it: it’s distracting and dangerous, and it’s a blameful kind of pleasure that leads to suffering
- zogrodea 3y ago
  I didn't know about the Buddhist position on music, but (after finding this answer on Quora about it[0]) it sounds like something I very strongly relate to and agree with. Thank you for mentioning it. [0] https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-view-of-music-in-Buddhism/answer/Carlos-Thubten-Ch%C3%B6ying https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-view-of-music-in-Buddhism/...

adw 3y ago

The assumption that music the author doesn't like must be a — likely political – statement is, let's just say, revealing and itself highly political. People appear to enjoy things which are bitter, or ugly, or complex, or an acquired taste. Either they're all lying posers, which certainly some people believe, or there really is something to Scotch whisky or James Joyce or Autechre which speaks to some people and not to others. I believe the latter, and I feel sorry for the former. The idea that human experience would be so narrow that some forms of expression are good and all others are bad on a single axis! And music, especially, one of the most cultural-context dependent forms. A bunch of traditions wouldn't even recognise the Western canon, which tends to seriously lack rhythmic complexity, _as_ worthwhile music. So: taste varies and that's the point. I love Autechre, and I find real beauty in their work, but I would place significant money that more than half of the audience here would find this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev3vENli7wQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev3vENli7wQ – somewhere between modem line-noise and actively painful. Is it pretty in the way, say, Teenage Fanclub (who are also magnificent) are pretty? No. It's not trying to be. It's communicating something else.

agalunar 3y ago
> The assumption that music the author doesn't like must be a – likely political – statement is, let's just say, revealing and itself highly political. Where are you getting this impression from? I just went back through the piece and can't find a place where the author implies that "music they don't like must be a (political) statement" whatsoever.
- bigbillheck 3y ago
  > Where are you getting this impression from? This part: The station prides itself on operating without any government funding, which in turn requires it to play music that people enjoy hearing and never the kind that some stations (and performing ensembles) play just because it’s avant-garde or purports to make some political statement.
  - adw 3y ago

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

zabzonk 3y ago

Beethoven? I cannot imagine anyone not liking that stuff. And play it loud!

bwv848 3y ago
Play Grosse Fuge loud and make everyone hate you. Well, not everyone - except for me and a portion of one percent[0] of the population. [0] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/business/media/stream-classical-music-spotify.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/business/media/stream-cla...
- deleted 3y ago
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yongjik 3y ago

[flagged]

Unfrozen0688 3y ago

I have recently found "academica" classical is THE genre for me. Both dark and light. Spotify and Youtube have lists on it. Highly recommended. Some others are too fast or just noise for me. ex Dark Academia Classical https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX17GkScaAekA?si=53ef9989670340c7 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX17GkScaAekA?si=... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGC80iRS7tw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGC80iRS7tw Light Academia Classical https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX1jDTenPbqLo?si=98e55fec81c34bea https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX1jDTenPbqLo?si=... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMuzS3XVho8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMuzS3XVho8

TheAceOfHearts 3y ago

My favorite classic piece of all time is Dvorak's 9th Symphony, the 4th movement [0]. He was ahead of the curve when looking to integrate inspiration from various sources, as mentioned on the Wikipedia article [1]: > I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what are called Negro melodies. These can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition, to be developed in the United States. These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are the folk songs of America and your composers must turn to them. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVDofBFtvwA&pp=ygULZHZvcmFrIDl0aCA%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVDofBFtvwA&pp=ygULZHZvcmFrI... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A...

kashunstva 3y ago
> My favorite classic piece of all time is Dvorak's 9th Symphony, the 4th movement Ah yes, I always thought the opening of that movement was the inspiration for the Jaws theme. Me, I’m a sucker for the second movement of the Dvorak 9. Anything to give the cor anglais a little time in the spotlight.
hilbert42 3y ago
I think there's little doubt the New World is Dvorak's most popular and acessaie work. It's va great favorite of many.
hilbert42 3y ago
I think there's little doubt the New World is Dvorak's most popular and acessaie work. It's a great favorite of many.

OldGuyInTheClub 3y ago

I listen to classical music and nothing else but want nothing to do with the First Things crowd.

hnbear 3y ago

I’ve really enjoyed The Story of Classical in new iOS Classical music app. The app itself is a pain with how it doesn’t integrate into things like CarPlay, but the album itself is great. It’s a smart lead through classical music in 9 hour long episodes. Each explains the key pieces from different areas, with the history of the composers and social impact. https://classical.music.apple.com/us/album/1675318629 https://classical.music.apple.com/us/album/1675318629

themadturk 3y ago

I don't get the problems with this article. I'm an avid listener of Seattle's KING-FM, which is also a non-goverment publicly funded classical radio station. The station (which also streams worldwide) is actively working to expose more BIPOC composers and performers. Personally, I'm passionate about western music of the 19th century, everything from Beethoven up through pre-WWI. But sometimes music surprises me. Salonen's violin concerto "Out Of Nowhere" (which I discovered via an Apple commercial) seem completely unmelodic and without structure, but I love it anyway. I enjoy a wide variety of music, and don't enjoy an even larger variety of music. You like yours, I'll like mine, there's room for everyone.

tzs 3y ago

> In the summer of 1968, a friend and I went to see the blockbuster movie of the year—2001: A Space Odyssey. We settled into our seats and the theater went dark. The film began. And then we heard the most astounding music. It grabbed me like no movie music ever had. > There was more magnificent music in 2001, some of which I recognized, such as “The Blue Danube,” but it was the opening that stuck in my mind. What was that music and where did it come from? That particular music can make anything seem deep and epic and moving. A great illustration of that is this video on YouTube where someone took someone else's video showing a squirrel trying to balance its desire for a peanut and its fear of approaching the human who was holding the peanut and added that same music [1]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ1ZYGHmtN8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ1ZYGHmtN8

jayemar 3y ago
That was riveting, thank you

hilbert42 3y ago

"In the summer of 1968, a friend and I went to see the blockbuster movie of the year—2001: A Space Odyssey." So did I, and in the same year—1968. And I went with a friend from uni to see the movie. The next day the physics prac teacher spent much of the lesson whingeing that our behavior was unacceptable and that he did not expect to have to lecture to an empty class. The film had a profound effect on many of us and I still reckon it's the greatest science fiction film ever made. Even as a kid I liked classical music having been brought up in a household where it was the norm—both my parents appreciated classical music. Nevertheless, 2001: A Space Odyssey was the first time I had heard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra. Frankly, it blew me away when I heard it in the film. Kubrick, couldn't have found a more appropriate piece, its selection was absolute genius. Funny isn't it, some years later I was involved in setting up a listener-sponsored classical music FM radio station. That said, I no longer consider myself as being normal—at least when it comes to music. I've tried to get interested in much of the mainstream rock and popular music and much of it does nothing for me. I simply cannot understand why I like classical music and why so many others have no interest in it at all. Except for a tiny percentage of oddballs like me, classical music is essentially dead. I feel like a dinosaur, a throwback from another era.

OldGuyInTheClub 3y ago
> I've tried to get interested in much of the mainstream rock and popular music and much of it does nothing for me. I simply cannot understand why I like classical music and why so many others have no interest in it at all. This resonates with me. I got hooked young and it has stuck with me through the decades. There are vast swathes of 'classical' that I won't listen to but just about everything I do listen to fits within the 'classical' umbrella. > Except for a tiny percentage of oddballs like me, classical music is essentially dead. It is possible to be more optimistic if one looks at South Korea, Japan, and China. There are superb young instrumentalists and ensembles coming from there and they have enthusiastic audiences.
- hilbert42 3y ago
  "There are vast swathes of 'classical' that I won't listen to but just about everything I do listen to fits within the 'classical' umbrella." I understand that. There are classical works that I've little time for. Like any classical music lover, I have strong preferences for certain composers and compositions. I indicated several in my reply to musicale. In your quote of me I chose the words 'much of the mainstream rock and popular music' with care as I do like some modern music, and some of it I find very inventive and cleaver. That said, I can't stand to listen to rap and most stuff with a monotonous repetitive beat, it's boring and doesn't make sense to me. How people find it interesting I'm damned if I know. I fully take your point about those Asian countries and classical music, they are producing many performers of world class. Several weeks ago I was listening to the Sydney International Piano Competition and the young Asian performers were remarkable for their age. I stumbled across the Competition by accident on FM not knowing what it was. I came in part way through a stunning performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat major —a work I know very well, I not only have multiple recording thereof but also a copy of the score (but my piano playing doesn't extend to me being able to perform it). Anyway, I was quite transfixed by the brilliant playing. During the performance I was trying to figure out who the artist was but to no avail. When the back-announcement said it was Jeonghwan Kim I was very surprised. Kim, although Asian, is based in Berlin, it shows the lengths these Asian performers will go to achieve excellence. What I'm still unclear about is why the West has largely lost interest in classical music, it's essentially ditched its own cultural heritage. By way of example, that FM station broadcasting the competition has less than 1% of the radio audience. Proof enough I reckon that people have little interest.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago

Growing up, my parents were aficionados of classical music, and fairly well-versed in it. My father's Heathkit stereo set was used to play that sort of genre (but also others like C&W, John Denver, Herb Alpert.) Classical music, though, was mostly the domain of my mother, and as such, I sort of stayed away from it. It seemed like something For Adults Only, and I was raised on a diet of TV and pop music radio. Even when we had field trips to the Young People's Symphony, I just didn't get much out of it. However, we did have one beloved vinyl record at home. It wasn't the OMPS for 2001 or Star Wars but it was sort of an unofficial compilation, I guess. Drop the needle in the groove, and a bombastic, stentorian voice declaims: "Two Thousand and One: A Space Odyssey [echo] [echo] [echo]!" and then "Also Sprach Zarathustra" begins to play. I think it had the most recognizable Star Wars music, and other stuff on it. Sci-fi classics of the late 70s. We thought those were cool pieces. I mean, who doesn't love John Williams' scores? I actually did not see 2001 until it was almost actually 2001. Nevertheless, I could not quite figure out the ending and it left me profoundly moved, but rather perplexed too.

musicale 3y ago

One key role and context for music is as an accompaniment for social dance. Since the minuet and waltz are less popular dance forms than they once were, their accompanying music is less likely to be played in that context. The effect goes beyond classical music into popular music, where formerly popular dances and their accompanying music go out of style and the latter is rarely played. There also seems to be an appetite for novelty, from "dance crazes" to currently popular dance videos on social media.

bowsamic 3y ago

Weirdly content-less article. The only real point it makes is that classical music is superior to others since people like it because they actually like it and not because just because it's avant-garde or a "political statement". Of course, that's really weird, since classical music very often contains significant philosophical, religious, and political themes.

llimos 3y ago

Related TED talk, well worth watching: https://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_the_transformative_power_of_classical_music https://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_the_transformative...

sombragris 3y ago

Beautiful music, accessible at all levels with the right pieces. They can be enjoyed from a casual to the deep analysis levels. There was a stupid movie I accidentally saw on broadcast TV some weeks ago; it was Parental Guidance (2012). There was a scene where the kids misbehave in a classical concert. The piece played was P.I. Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, and if my memory serves me right, the (uncredited!) soloist was Anne Akiko Meyers. The movie played out all the classical music stereotypes. Then finally, an annoyed old, crusty lady said "I don't know how could anyone bring kids to Tchaikovsky!". Oh my. What a ludicrously stupid comment. A real evidence that the screen writers were truly clueless. If there is a composer who is notoriously kid friendly was old Piotr Ilych, the one who put music to ballets such as The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, just to name two examples! And yes, classical music can be enjoyed by all ages, with the appropriate pieces and with the right disposition.