I like rock. It was and is the music of my generation, but somehow it pales in comparison to the classics. I have been sitting her for the last hour and a half listinig to the great works of Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner and others. Is there anyone else out there who share my passion for music so great that at times in the last 90 minutes I have been moved to tears?
Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it.
oh, and BTW, does anyone else “air conduct” these orchestras?
Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it.
Closet classical lover? Hardly… I have always been open about my love for the classics. I’m not really into quiet pastoral pieces, but I love Bach and Tchi… er… Tsi… er… The Valkyrie Guy. Had a room of buttrockers headbanging to The Ride of the Valkyrie even…
There’s a group called Scatterbrain that does Mozart on every album… that stuff sounds really cool. But I suppose hearing it on the original instruments can be okay as well… 
http://www.madpoet.com
“I never meant to hurt you,” you said,
And buried yourself in lies instead.
Next time I would rather be slain,
Than forced to bear your mercy again.
Must… not… post… tired…
There’s someone playing with my hair too, so I’m not thinking straight.
Wagner would be the Valkyrie guy. Tchic… er whatever was something else that I’d be able to think of if I wasn’t about to log off…
http://www.madpoet.com
“I never meant to hurt you,” you said,
And buried yourself in lies instead.
Next time I would rather be slain,
Than forced to bear your mercy again.
Carl
That should be on Wagner’s tombstone:
Richard Wagner
1813-1883
“The Valkyrie Guy”
me
I LOVE CLASSICAL MUSIC! And yes, I do air-conduct.
Oh, and MadPoet? If someone is playing with your hair, you SHOULD be thinking straight.
Pardon me while I burst into flames.
I’m a big (non-closeted) fan of classical music. Growing up, the only “popular” music I listened to was country. Was into the whole Charlie Daniels Band, Hank Jr. thing that morphed into Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Clint Black, etc…
It kindof threw people a little when I’d pull out Hank and pop in Beethoven or something.
I don’t listen to country much any more now that is has become so manufactured and popified. Instead, I am now more partial to 50s/early 60s do-wop oldies; and classic rock (but not the hippie shit).
But my steadfast favorite genre will always be classical. There are certain pieces I could listen to for the rest of my life without getting burnt out. And yes, I have been moved to tears by a particularly effective performance.
I love classical music and I don’t give a damn who knows it.
BTW, MadPoet, WFIU-FM (103.7) in Indiana carries a live opera broadcast from the New York Metropolitan Opera House every Saturday afternoon. Beginning today, March 25, the Met is doing Wagner’s entire Ring Cycle on four consecutive Saturdays. If you get a chance, check out the radio broadcasts. I listened to part of the first opera today, and it was simply fabulous music.
The show is a nice one as the Met does a mix of famous and obscure operas.
I love classical music. When I was 11-12, my neighbor used to take me to Avery Fischer hall in NYC to hear the New York Philharmonic. I’ve been a huge, non-closet fan my whole life.
And I love to air-conduct. The hard part, though is that to be authentic you have to say about 1/4 beat ahead of the muisc.
If Cecil Adams did not exist, we would be obliged to create Him.
I love classical music, and one day will be playing it on my Steinway concert grand piano. Well, that’s my dream anyway. One day…one day…
Adam
“Life is hard…but God is good”
I’m an “out” classical music afficionado, but I’m semi-closeted about how I got that way.
It was John Williams’s score to Star Wars that ignited my love of the symphony orchestra…
Yepper–me too, big time. I’m not very well informed about it, but that doesn’t stop me from loving it. I like jazz for some moods, and jolting rock for others but classical is the standby. I’m lucky; there are 2 excellent public radio stations I can listen to at work, which have expanded my addiction.
When I’m really upset or unsettled, I drown my brains in Bach (the 3rd Brandenburg is the standy) and Handel. I’m pretty tepid on Wagner; love Beethoven, Mozart, Monteverdi, Copland.
Somehow I never got the taste for opera. I’ve tried, but aside from a little Mozart it pretty much leaves me cold. Frustrating, because while I appreciate it, I don’t enjoy it.
Slight digression: some jazz most classical fans like is “Suite for flute and jazz piano” by Claude Bolling and Jean-Pierre Rampal. It’s one of my favorites.
Veb
I just listened to the 1812 overture. I swear, there is not enough volume on my stereo for that one! Guess i need 11 like Spinal Tap.
Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it.
I just realized (a day later) that my post was unclear. I don’t own a Steinway grand, (I wish!) and I’m just learning how to play piano. But, I’m being taught by an amazing artist who has a Ph.D. in music.
All righty, back to the topic.
Adam
Classical is my favorite music. Currently I’m into Ravel and Debussy, mostly. The former wrote music for a ballet called “Daphnis and Chloe.” The music is impressionistic, rich, subtle, complex, and sensuous. You must listen at least to the “sunrise” section about 40 minutes into the ballet.
TVeblen: ever try Puccini’s La Boheme or Tosca? They’re the only ones I really like.
“No,” he replied, and smiled seraphically, as was his wont.
Coming from a rock fan, it was easiest to go to Baroque. I used to skip the middle slow movement of concerto, but I’m too lazy to hit the Cd button now. I like Vivaldi, sort of the Ramones of baroque, could do a movement in 2-3 min.bach was more Noty.
Not surprising to anyone, but I love classical music. I tend to like Rennaissance and 20th century music the best. From the Rennaissance, Josquin Deprez (spelling varies from book to book), Orlando Di Lasso, John Dowland, and The Mad Prince of Verona (Carlo Gesualdo ) are among my favourites. C. Gesualdo is pretty interesting becuase he doesn’t follow a Rennaissance melody/harmony as strictly as the other composers of his time period. His music sounds amazingly 20th century. I like most impressionistic music from the 20th century as well as avante-garde pieces (even John Cage…Living Room Music is very interesting… 3’33" or whatever the time is, is just boring). The minimalist movement is probably the easiest type of music for rock afficianados to get into. It is very straightforward and moves slow like rock music (don’t confuse tempo with musical progression). Arvo Part is my favourite minimalist. His Berlinner Mass is incredibly moving and was actually a number one hit on some Brittish rock station when it came out. I tend to like the Russian/Soviet composers the best probably because I really like folk music. Russian/Soviet classical music is highly influenced by its indeigenous folk music. It is evident before Borodin and Moussorgsky and after Nikita Koshkin. N. Koshkin is probably my favourite composer for the guitar, currently. I really enjoy The Prince’s Toys and the Elves Suite. (I play the latter.) Anyway, Russian folk music has more Eastern influence in it and is evident by its usage of nontraditional harmony and melody. It translates very well into the classical genre giving it a fresh perspective.
I could talk on and on.
HUGS!
Sqrl
Preface: in case anyone cares, I believe this will make me hit Post #10! Wheeeeee!
Anyway, I love classical music too, which I have my mom to thank for, both for giving me 12 years of piano lessons and for playing classical around the house as far back as I can remember. I could listen to Beethoven’s Ninth forever. I also love opera - listening to Maria Callas sing the final aria of Madama Butterfly makes all the breath rush out of my lungs every time I listen to it.
For anyone who doesn’t really know anything about classical music but wants to try some out, I recommend those “Classics Goes to the Movies” CDs. The selections are not necessarily played by the top 5 orchestras in the world (which isn’t really noticeable until you listen to the same piece by the Berlin Philharmonic, for example) but the melodies are familiar. I found the “Classics” series to be a good place for a beginner to start, esp. if you don’t know what genre or style you are drawn to, since each CD usually has a variety of styles, from Baroque to Romantic to opera, etc. Plus, the songs are taken from top films, so you tend to get a better appreciation of the film the next time you see it.
I’m more of an opera sing-along-er than an air conductor. I’m quite sure my neighbors are so pleased to be living next door to me.
What?? How can I have gotten to 13? I was either in some kind of a daze or I need to learn to count.