In my local train station they play classical music to prevent kids from hanging around. Debussy has become a deterrent.
And, increasingly, I worry about this. It may have little direct bearing on the possibility of world peace (thinking about it, and the reduction in crime it effects, it may even be aiding it...) but I feel more and more certain that it's symptomatic of a wider cultural disease.
It points to a whole generation who have lost the art of listening. For whom three and a half minutes is the limit of their concentration and who will never be taken on an emotional journey of any complexity through music because of this. And most of all, this worries me because I fear I might be one of them.
Sure, I dutifully squeaked through childish clarinet lessons, have periodically sat through concerts and made thoughtful faces, have even had fleeting moments of elation (I loved the film Shine, what do you mean it doesn't count?)
One of my happiest memories is even of my father cooking Sunday lunch and humming along to...well, something classical. Because that's my problem. It's never sunk in or taken hold of me.
Art, now, is a different matter. I'm no painter, or art historian for that matter. But I can stand before a work of art for 20 minutes. I've gasped, welled up, and puzzled over pictures. I can tell my impressionism from my cubism. I appreciate it, engage with it, I can 'read' it.
Not so with classical music. I just can't get a handle on it. I'm not sure why. Perhaps its because, while art can be explored in a solitary fashion, classical concerts come with an exclusive audience that seem likely to judge one, not to mention prices that deter chance-taking and exploration.
Maybe, on the other hand, it is simply that this music is not meant for me. That's what the classical sections in record shops suggest: a thousand identikit CD sleeves from which the forbidding faces of ancient male composers frown out at me.
And yet, and yet...I'm pretty sure that behind this door that's closed to me, there's a world of wonderful, enriching sound out there. And if I could only find the handle, I'd be able, at least, to stand on the threshold and catch my breathe at the panorama in front of me.
So that's my aim this year. I don't flatter myself that I can become an expert in so short a time. My aims are humble:
1 - to sit through five classical concerts and listen properly (really properly) from start to end
2 - to be able to name five composers whose work I really enjoy because it is alive and relevant to me, not just as exercises in 'culture acquisition' or worthy perseverance
3 - to cry, at least once, during a performance or a recording
4 - to find a language in which to talk about classical music without feeling inhibited (I don't necessarily mean the jargon of 'music theory' here)
5 - When contemplating the genre, to feel less like a woman about to be exposed for wearing a fake-moustache in an exclusive gentleman's club.
I might add to these as I go - since I'm such a novice, it feels right to be fluid and receptive to ideas. So I will looking for guides along the way. I'll try to interview someone fun and knowledgeable every time I blog. First up, it's James Rhodes, the wonderful, maverik concert pianist.
But I'd really like your help and suggestions. I'm going to need a lot of them, because it feels like a pretty vast terrain to navigate solo. I'm bewildered and I haven't even opened the door yet. I know this isn't exactly Bear Grylls stuff, but I have no idea which direction I should set off in when I do. The locals don't seem particularly friendly. I don't know their customs, I don't wear their garb and I'm afraid I might clap in the wrong places. So please. Don't let me die out there guys.
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Bach, English Suites Nos. 2 & 3 by Ivo Pogorelich
The classic buffs diss Pogorelich as a ´Boogie Woogie Player´, which is exactely what appeals to me.
Schubert, Winterreise by Ian Bostridge
To many Bostridge´s singing is too mannered. As a fan of Bryan Ferry I have not the slightest problem with that.
Claude Debussy, Piano Works by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Michelangeli is an almost abstract player. His refusal to appeal to the common notion of ´feeling´ makes him a brother of jazz pianist Lennie Tristano.
Britten / Herzogenberg / Eben by Mädchenchor Hannover
Innocence, lucidity, vision - whatever it is, that makes girls´ choirs so deeply moving to me, I had to pull over and stop, when those voices floated out of my car radio.
Schumann, Piano Quartets by Juillard String Ensemble & Glenn Gould
Even though I have reservations about the Gould hype the warmth and zest of this recording is simply irresistible.
Tilt by Scott Walker
Pop, opera, avantgarde - no one has figuerd out yet, what this monolith of an album was meant to be. Few cared to listen. I played it in constant repeat modus for three months and keep coming back.
2. Don't be put off by some of the idiots in the audience.
3. Do a bit of research into the music you're listening to. Who wrote it, when they wrote it, the backstory to the piece etc. A lot of music is written inspired by certain events or emotions. You can just sit and listen, but you'll get more out of it by investing a little time.
4. Not quite sure why you want to tick the box of 'crying, at least once'. Just enjoy it, if it moves you to tears fair enough but it's not something that is a requirement.
5. Stick with it and good luck! There's some amazing music out there.
A symphony, structurally harmonically and melodically most complex product of Western music is not recommended. A good start would be Vivaldi 4 Seasons ( Biondi and Europa Galante is cool and up-tempo exciting).
"Взгляни на милую, когда свое чело
Она пред зеркалом цветами окружает,
Играет локоном — и верное стекло
Улыбку, хитрый взор и гордость отражает. "
You like it? No? Why not... oh, you don't speak the language it is written in.
In order to appreciate Western art music one needs to understand its basic grammar, vocabulary and syntax -- structure, harmony, counterpoint, melodic development+ historical context.
With even minimal comprehension of the above one can discover the astonishing world of Western art music from Palestrina to Penderecki and everything in between.
Understanding the grammar, vocabulary etc would certainly allow you to appreciate the finer nuances of classical music just as knowing how to cook may allow you to more fully enjoy a meal at a fine restaurant.
I suggest listening to classical radio. I often tune into VPR (Vermont Public Radio) Classical and let it run for hours; I hear a lot of music I would not ordinarily seek out, and if it catches my attention strongly enough, I write down the title of the performance and look it up, seeking out more recordings by the composer or performer.
ANother suggestion is that you listen to Naomi Lewin's "Classics for Kids", which I find fun to listen to, even though I have been listenint to classical for decades. She presents basics of classical music in easily-digested 6-minute segments, not dumbed-down, but made easy to understand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyelz5Q0Z9w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZn_VBgkPNY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzCL9uLkQSI
These are of course not the best classical pieces ever written, but they provide an accessible sense of musicality in addition to being also truly good classical works of music. Beethoven's 8th Sonata most definitely should be listened to in its entirety (it has 3 movements), you can't go wrong with listening to all of the Four Seasons by Vivaldi, and all of Bach's Cello Suites are beautiful. I hope they grab you as much as they did me.
For what it's worth might I offer the following suggestions:
1. Classical music is primarily about concerts. Not recordings. Pop music is (forgive my wild generalisation) the reverse of this. For Pop musicians the product has become the CD or download. For classical musicians it is always the live concert.
2. Classical music takes longer and is slower. Even if it has fast bits a long piece necessarily functions at a slower rate. Think about it like short films versus huge epics. LOTR might have some good fight scenes but it is a slow trilogy about a huge story.
3. i. Trust composers and musicians. If you're listening to a piece by a composer whose long dead there's a reason why it's still getting played when the author's not around to do any of their own promotion.
ii. Some Classical pieces will be about things that are unpleasant making the music unpleasant. If so try thinking of the experience like a kind of 'exquisite unease' a bit like like a horror film.
5. Sometimes the best concerts are at the end of church services when the organist plays a voluntary, possibly some Bach or some big French piece that makes the pews shake.
6. If none of this helps please ignore it. I hope it does help!
While live performances are invaluable, the classical music fan can not live by concerts alone. Building a carefully-selected library of good recordings is an admirable goal.
I agree with everything you've said! Recordings make it possible for greater numbers of people to 'get into' classical music in a way that was simply not possible pre-recording. Recordings were my way in as well to classical music.
My comment was more about the way that pop music and classical music are different. I think it's fair to say that most people are aquainted with some form of pop music. I think it's important that there is some appreciation of where the most important differences lie between these two kinds of music and I believe quite strongly that this makes a difference to the way that we listen to music.
Of course, a carefully selected library is a good thing and there are recordings that I would hate to throw away. They are a really good thing. But, unlike pop musicians, recordings aren't the principle goal of composers or orchestras.
@ FearlessFreep,
Sure, Springsteen and Grateful Dead have done great things for live concerts, but these are things that mark them as distinct from the majority of Pop acts. Grateful Dead in particular had a very specific agenda as regards recordings. They only really cared about the live gigs, otherwise they wouldn't have let fans record their concerts so readily. If you went to a Madonna or Linkin Park gig you'd be chucked out for recording since they value record sales so much.
1. if a film you enjoy has a classical soundtrack, get a recording of the music (preferably not from the soundtrack album).
2. participate! If you don't play an instrument, join a local choir, or take part in something like a "Messiah from scratch" event.
3. some classical performers have a very accessible style of performance. Some of my favourites are "l'Arpeggiata", "Red Priest" and "Pantagruel" (I'm an early music fan). Check out their performances on YouTube.
4. Make friends with Radio 3, or Classic FM. There are many classical music stations available on the internet too. I particularly like Bayern 4 Klassik.
It sounds like you're facing this as a bit of an ordeal. Please, when you come across something that you don't enjoy, don't write off all of classical music! Move on! Classical music is as varied as can be. There's something for everyone.