Classical Music for Those Who'd Love to Love it, but Never Learned it.

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On 11/22/2016 at 1:18 PM, The Computer Audiophile said:

with respect to classical music. I'd love to love it, but I don't understand it.

Chris,

 

I can see two ways to 'know' a music: #1 Intellectually and #2 Experientially.

 

1) To learn about the notes, structures, composers, works, popularity, etc. There are lots of fine things to read online and published. I'd suggest a good book or two that covers Classical. I'm sure CA members can suggest the best. Being older then you and many here, I had the advantage of a public Junior High School class in Music, that taught me the basics of musical notation (didn't take), significant composers, musician groups, etc. But more interestingly, exposed the class to the sights and sounds of the actual instruments !  (Also had classes in Art, Shop, Civics, and other well rounded subjects alongside the basics. WTF happened to that ??? )

 

2) All the above is pretty meaningless unless you 'know' the sound in your ears, And the best way to learn is immersion, or some form of it. In the mid '70's I decided that I wanted to learn Classical music, so I set my car radio to a FM station that played Classical (mostly the well known 'pot boilers', famous symphonies, and pieces like '1812 Overture', The Four Seasons', Pachelbel's 'Canon', and so on). I spent a lot of time in my car back then driving around the city fixing computer equipment, so lots of exposure. At home I set my FM to another station, a public radio station that played more esoteric classical: early music, contemporary composers, and odd stuff.

 

At first it was very strange, unfamiliar, boring, even distasteful at times. But as the days and weeks went by, I began to find some pieces that I enjoyed, then more, as my brain absorbed the new musical 'grammer' and my ears could 'understand' this new form (always an ongoing process). As I started to recognize or like various pieces, I began to pick up the names, significance, and composers as well. I think I continued in this way for a couple of years, adding trips to Peaches Records (remember them ?) to buy and try new classical vinyl, and find new things to add to my learning and now, great enjoyment. Then live concerts, big and small, for the music and absolute sound, enlarged my world.

 

I discovered composers and pieces that I liked, loved, and loathed. Who would have thought that someone raised on Motown and the Beatles would be into early music like Teleman, or the more contemporary Britten and Stravinsky ?

 

When I lived in the Twin Cities (1979-81) there was a fine FM classical station, and I'd hope there still is one, but failing that, Internet radio stations are legion, search and ye shall find !

 

What better way to learn classical then to turn on a nice radio station on your fine system, and sit back with a great book on the subject. Learn and enjoy 

I think that having someone knowledgeable in the music do the programming for you, is preferable early in the process, to provide a broad range of exposure. You can pick and choose later, when you know your preferences better. Turning on some classical radio in the background when you aren't listening to something specific, or when you are writing, or some other non-audio task, will help you absorb the 'inner rules' of the music without overt work on your part, and make the learning a part of your life, and later, hopefully, your expanded joy.

 

OT but related...

I unconscionably turned away from classical music, shortly after I belatedly switched to CD's. Long after that I came to realize that the CD tech, just did not delivery the 'soul' of classical to me, it was flat, dead, lifeless, boring, and I fell out of the habit. Even through I have spent a lot of time learning and enjoying this music, it is still not my most preferred genre, it sits at about 3rd place, through digital audio and my improving system have brought back most of the 'soul' of vinyl. But the bad digital habits of bouncing all over multiple genres, dozens of tracks, maybe not even listening to them all the way through, doesn't serve classical well, with the long symphonies, multiple movements, etc. Some discipline to commit to focusing on an entire piece of music would be advised.

 

Ok, I went on far longer then maybe you were expecting or wanted, but it was a good question, and deserved a good answer

 

 

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46 minutes ago, AnotherSpin said:

my rock idols seemed to be very interested in classical music!

 

Right. I was a big fan of early Tull probably due to that. The folk-rock group 'Pentangle's John Renbourn brought updated early classical music to their album releases, and were my favorite tracks among their genre stew !

 

Many of us older folks were probably also influenced by disguised classical pieces in popular movie themes, like 'Elvira Madigan' (Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C ).

 

20 movies with themes of, now well known, classical music

 

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30 minutes ago, AnotherSpin said:

My interest to many pieces of classical music started from movies

 

And those movie themes, stolen from the great composers, then also appeared in many an 'Easy Listening' album (Mantovani, Percy Faith, Ferrante & Teicher), which I must guiltily confess to owning more then a few back in the day (and even now). Spreading and deepening the exposure to the general public. Lucky us, until we got to be SQ snobs 

 

 

To the classically influenced, and influencing, Rock artists, we can't forget The Moody Blues ! In addition to the symphony orchestras important contributions to their 'Days of Future Passed' album, their signature use of the Mellotron had a very orchestral feel to its sound, at least, IMO.  BTW the HD version of that album manages to retrieve a damn fine orchestra sound, for the time !

 

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18 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

Exactly where I'm at.

 

Have you read this yet ?

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/29921-classical-music-for-those-whod-love-to-love-it-but-never-learned-it/?do=findComment&comment=667467