# General culture (music) question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538 "2016-12-01T16:19:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/41 "2016-12-01T23:53:26Z")
1 no 2 no Bonus meh ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/42 "2016-12-02T00:53:45Z")
Your topics always interest me, **ThelmaLou**. I think the most depressing part of this is a college English teacher who can’t pronounce Tchaikovsky. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/43 "2016-12-02T01:08:54Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Your topics always interest me, **ThelmaLou**. Thank you. You’re very kind. 🙂 > [@](#): > > I think the most depressing part of this is a college English teacher who can’t pronounce Tchaikovsky. That completely blew my mind. She has a BA and MFA. And not only couldn’t pronounce it, but apparently had never heard or seen the word before. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/44 "2016-12-02T03:43:07Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > So, my exposure to classical music came from: > > - Usage in Looney Tunes and other cartoons (and, more broadly, TV shows and movies) > **- The pretty cheesy “[Hooked on Classics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooked_on_Classics)” album in high school** > - My college girlfriend, who _had_ grown up listening to and playing classical music (she played oboe and piano), and who was the first person who really took the time to teach me anything about it. Was that the one John Williams (the British actor, not the composer) plugged by saying “I’m sure you recognize this lovely tune as “Stranger in Paradise.” But did you \*also \*know it’s the Polovetsian [_sic_] Dance No. 2 by Borodin?” :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/45 "2016-12-02T04:00:11Z")
And how many of you know that Tchaikovsky actually wrote THREE piano concertos? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/46 "2016-12-02T04:00:47Z")
I’m playing Leos Janacek’s _Glagolitic Mass_ right now, just to clear any Tchaikovsky out of my brain. Kurt Masur conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig with the Czechoslovak Radio Choir of Prague, live in 1991. Kenneth Anger used it as the background music in his underground film THE INAUGURATION OF THE PLEASURE DOME in 1953. So it always makes me think of Crowleyite ritual. And Anais Nin naked. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/47 "2016-12-02T04:22:10Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I’m playing Leos Janacek’s _Glagolitic Mass_ right now, just to clear any Tchaikovsky out of my brain. Kurt Masur conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig with the Czechoslovak Radio Choir of Prague, live in 1991. > > Kenneth Anger used it as the background music in his underground film THE INAUGURATION OF THE PLEASURE DOME in 1953. So it always makes me think of Crowleyite ritual. And Anais Nin naked. Music nerd. Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/48 "2016-12-02T04:29:13Z")
Add me to the “couldn’t name it, but recognized it immediately” crowd. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/49 "2016-12-02T05:03:47Z")
1. Yes. 2. Yes, and much more (but not the entire thing). But I’m not your average person in recognizing classical music. Our family had LPs and even some classical 45s. My parents loved classical music and sang in church choirs. My father was a CPA and also played violin, and my brother was a pianist and teacher. I’ve also sung in choirs and taught myself to play simple stuff on the piano. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/50 "2016-12-02T05:34:50Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Was that the one John Williams (the British actor, not the composer) plugged by saying “I’m sure you recognize this lovely tune as “Stranger in Paradise.” But did you \*also \*know it’s the Polovetsian [_sic_] Dance No. 2 by Borodin?” :dubious: 😕 No, that was some “Classical’s Greatest Hits” collection (I remember the ad, but not the exact name of the album). “Hooked On Classics” is a series of medleys of the well-known bits of various classical pieces, knit together with a disco-y drumbeat. Louis Clark, who conducted the orchestra, also conducted the string section on several Electric Light Orchestra albums. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/51 "2016-12-02T11:29:00Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’m surprised that so many people don’t even recognize this piece. And that anyone actually hates Tchaikovsky. +1. And +1. This is probably the most immediately recognizable piano concerto opening in history along with [Grieg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Yoyz6_Los)’s. \*\*Tchaikovsky’\*\*s one of my favourite composers and has been for over 25 years. He’s not quite up there with **Bach** , **Brahms** , \*\*Beethoven \*\* or **Debussy** but just below, with **Chopin** , **Schubert** and **Prokofiev**. This _piano concerto_, _Swan Lake_ and his _violin concerto_ are among the very first classical works that I liked as a teen, though I wouldn’t have been caught dead admitting it. > [@panache45](#): > > And how many of you know that Tchaikovsky actually wrote THREE piano concertos? I do. And own them all, too :o. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/52 "2016-12-02T12:34:54Z")
I am much more surprised that she had apparently never seen the word “Tchaikovsky” than the fact she didn’t know who he was (or indeed could hum/recognise a piece of his music). But to be fair to her, it could just be one of those linguistic blind spots that most of us have. I was about 21 before I realised the word I had heard as “pray-see” and “precis” were the same word, for example. I would expect most of the people I associate with have heard of Tchaikovsky, but if you exclude those who are musicians themselves, I wouldn’t bet on any of them being able to hum that piece or name it as by Tchaikovsky if you asked them unprompted. Most people just aren’t interested in classical music and ignore it on the increasingly rare occasions they are exposed to it. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/53 "2016-12-02T12:42:18Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > If you don’t specifically study the pieces, or otherwise have the title somehow burnt into your brain, snatches of classical music kind of float through one’s existence as nameless and familiar series of notes. Yes, most people won’t know ‘Beethoven Symphony No. 9 IV “Ode to Joy”’. Everyone knows ‘Die Hard Theme’. Interesting bit of trivia. Both Alexander Godunov from Die Hard and “Ode to Joy” also appeared together in “The Money Pit”. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/54 "2016-12-02T12:43:53Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > This is probably the most immediately recognizable piano concerto opening in history along with [Grieg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Yoyz6_Los)’s. Indeed. Hence the joy of [Reizenstein’s Concerto Popolare](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVC1AkIJh68) I was brought up with classical music and listen to BBC Radio 3. Now I’ve reached the age where I recognise all sorts of bits and pieces of classical music, and I could even hum an approximation of how they go on, but frequently can’t remember the title. On the other hand if I hear a D flat on a piano, I can still tell you what’s likely to follow (Debussy’s La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin) - but that’s because it just happened to stick in the memory. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/55 "2016-12-02T13:18:20Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’m surprised that so many people don’t even recognize this piece. And that anyone actually hates Tchaikovsky. Ah, he was just an old poof who wrote tunes! 😛 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/76U6uRi2BTM/hqdefault.jpg "Monty Python - Life of Tchaikovsky (czech sub)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76U6uRi2BTM) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/56 "2016-12-02T13:35:11Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > When she got to the word Tchaikovsky, she stopped. She clearly couldn’t pronounce it and also seemed not to have ever seen the word before. I probably wouldn’t pronounce it the same way you do 🙂 but we did study _“Chaikóski”_ both within the nationally-required History of Music course in 9th grade and within the Art parts of History. We also learned to play some bits by him in the Music courses, 6th-8th grade (required by my school but not by the national curriculum). ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/57 "2016-12-02T14:53:52Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [list=#] > … You’re one of those “Classical Music can never be relaxing” people, aren’t you? 😉 > [/list] Well, I can’t speak for **ThelmaLou** but as far as I’m concerned it’s usually… intense and cathartic, not relaxing. It actually irks me that every time I say that I listen to classical music, people go “Oh, it’s sooOOoo relaxing”. Not. The. Point. I mean, if people like to listen to classical music to relax, fine but it’s so stereotypical and simplistic. Classical music is _a bit_ more profound and complex than New Age Muzak, isn’t it ? It’s a bit like saying that thrash metal is great to deal with anger management issues :rolleyes: . > [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Indeed. Hence the joy of [Reizenstein’s Concerto Popolare](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVC1AkIJh68)… It works… surprisingly well :D. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/58 "2016-12-02T15:18:41Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > Well, I can’t speak for **ThelmaLou** but as far as I’m concerned it’s usually… intense and cathartic, not relaxing. > > It actually irks me that every time I say that I listen to classical music, people go “Oh, it’s sooOOoo relaxing”. Not. The. Point. I mean, if people like to listen to classical music to relax, fine but it’s so stereotypical and simplistic. Classical music is _a bit_ more profound and complex than New Age Muzak, isn’t it ? It’s a bit like saying that thrash metal is great to deal with anger management issues :rolleyes: . > … Some is relaxing, some isn’t. Some is intense and cathartic, some not. Debussy v. Mahler. There’s such a vast range of styles, it’s hard to make a blanket statement. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/59 "2016-12-02T16:14:53Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Yes, most people won’t know ‘Beethoven Symphony No. 9 IV “Ode to Joy”’. I suspect they would. Isn’t it a church music staple? It was at least in the Catholic churches I went to. OK, I guess it’s possible they might not know it’s Beethoven Symphony #9, but “Ode to Joy” is the familiar name of the hymn. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538/60 "2016-12-02T16:27:42Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Everyone knows ‘Die Hard Theme’. I don’t, that I’m aware of. Don’t care for shoot 'em up movies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-culture-music-question/773538.md?page=4)