Yeah, forget anything after 1900. Ravel, Debussy, Rachmaninov, like they’ll ever be popular. 
It’s easier to fill a concert hall with a Shostakovich symphony than one by Brahms. Honest.
And give me a discussion on 21st century violin repertoire rather than 19th century, any day!
I was brought up on it as a kid, but never particularly cared for it until I got into my 40s, and discovered that true classical music appreciation begins with Bugs Bunny. I think that was partly because the classical I was used to hearing was not the really good stuff.
I never owned a classical album until the past ten years.
I’m a musical ignoramus, and so my classical music appreciation is limited to a few well-knowns, like Bach, Mozart, Sibelius, Arvo Part, David Hykes, etc. Even though I’m middle-aged, I still mostly listen to rock, though my friends have moved on to classical and to jazz. But my cat loved classical music, especially Rachmaninoff piano concertos.
Why did my cat have more sophisticated musical tastes than I?
Yeah, what can I say? I’m a dinosaur in some respects.
I’m glad, though, that you realize I meant no insult. And to tell you the truth, I think it’s *awesome * that you’re a classical music composer! 
Oh, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m certainly not disputing the popularity of these composers. (I may be a dinosaur, but I sure as hell don’t live under a rock.) And for what it’s worth, I *do * totally dig some Rachmaninov. Honest.
But Debussy? Okay, *Pélléas et Mélisande * gives it to me, and while I’ll admit that I’m not familiar with most of his works, outside of that, I haven’t heard much that moves me.
Ravel? Nah, not really feeling him.
Shostakovich? What I’ve heard so far…well, meh, but maybe the next time WQXR announces that he’s on the line-up, perhaps I won’t grimace (well, not too hard), and maybe I’ll try to listen with more open ears. No promises, though.
And Shostakovich is a bigger draw than Brahms? :eek: Oh, well, the times, they are a’changin’.
You think that’s scary…I’ve played Viola for 14 years now and I don’t remember performing a single piece by Brahms in all my 14 years. :eek: Then again I haven’t preformed a Shostakovich piece either, but we did work for a while on his 8th String Quartet.
I can only recall ever having played three Brahms pieces: a symphony, the German Requiem, and the bloody Academic Festival Overture on about eight occassions.
And I was just about to suggest that Li’l Pluck trys the 8th quartet out for size, if (s)he is unfamiliar with Shostakovich. Or listen online to this next week, which includes the first cello concerto, not quite as immediate a piece but a very good one.
I HATED classical music when I was young. Or, at least I thought I did. I mean, it’s classical and I loved rock and disco. How could classical be any good?
Then, when my daughter started middle school, she had music and they gave her a flute. She loved her flute and practiced every day for hours and hours. One day I heard the prettiest music floating from her room. She’d mastered Ode to Joy. I found it so pretty I made her play it every day for me (she didn’t mind).
I’m still not a classical music afficianado. I’m a Classical Top 40 kind of girl. Growing up on 3 minutes songs has made if very, very difficult for me to listen to a whole classical piece. And I do not know enough about it to talk intelligently either. I just know that I find some of it expectionally beautiful.
Now I’m off to google the classical top 100 like monstro says.
Listening to an extended piece of music is not something that comes naturally to many people. It’s just one of the skills which some people have the fortune to acquire during their earlier years, and one which does pose a challenge for people in the situation you’re in. I don’t think the three minute pop song is at fault - three minute popular songs have been around for centuries.
I’d suggest using the programmes available here. If there’s a specific piece you already like, see if there’s a programme about it. Gaining a fuller understanding of such a piece is a good way into knowing what’s going on in other music.
Thank you! for posting this.
I didn’t hate classical music when I was younger, but I was pretty much indifferent to it.
Then, about 5-6 years ago, somebody gave me a couple of classical CDs, including “Beethoven’s Greatest Hits,” which I really liked. But it only contained sections of the 5th and 9th symphonies. Shortly thereafter, I bought a boxed set of the complete symphonies, all 9 of them, plus a nice set of piano concerti and sonatas. Except for a little Bach, Chopin, and Gershwin, I hardly listen to anything else these days.
I developed a liking for classical music at the age of 51 after running out of new music.
There’s nothing happening elsewhere that’s new and interesting to me. If I want to listen to juvenile crap I’ve got the juvenile crap of my own youth to have a nostalgic blast with.
A bunch of 20-somethings with guitars have nothing to say to me, my life isn’t about those concerns anymore and good classical music has depth and beauty worth exploring.
We had some Romantic music around the house when I was growing up, and our primary music education was heavily into that: Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Dvorak, etc. And I took piano. So I didn’t exactly come to classical music cold. Pre-Beatles, I preferred listening to a symphony over rock and roll.
However, our education was light on the stuff that is really considered classical; we had a little Haydn, very little Mozart (?!?!), etc. And we didn’t even touch the Baroque; the only thing from that period I ever heard was the Hallelujah Chorus.
So it was with great surprise and joy that I finally discovered Bach when I was 28 or 29. And a couple years later I got around to Mozart. Overall, my taste shifted from post-Beethoven early on, to pre-Beethoven ever since. Beethoven himself I don’t much care for, to tell the truth. Sorry.
Also, I was about 50 when I finally started to like opera. Now I get season tickets.
At over age 50, in fact.
I listened to some opera in high school, then gave up. I decided I really should give it a try, and got some Beethoven which I loved. My father-in-law was a music teacher and still is a composer, and I got suggestions from him when we shopped in the classical music section of Rasputins. I got an introductory book, and I’m taking it with me when I go to the library and getting CDs on the list.
Now probably half the stuff on my MP3 player is classical.
I’ve always liked long pieces without vocals, though, such as Mike Oldfield stuff, so I’ve kind of been halfway there.
Heh-heh-heh.
I’m chuckling because, at this very moment, as I compose this post, Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony (No. 7) is playing on my local classical music station. (Really–no kidding.)
It’s certainly interesting. Texturally-speaking, it’s very rich, which is actually something I like. The thing is (and I’m still only on the first movement here, so I can’t speak about the rest of the piece), I’m not quite feeling it. I mean, it’s not moving me in the way that Wagner’s overture to *Tristan und Isolde * (which I mention because it preceded the Shostakovich on tonight’s line-up) does. Not by a long shot. Wagner’s T&I = absolutely divine. Honestly.
Despite the present fact of my being underwhelmed, I think that I’ll still take you up on your suggestion. I checked out your link (thanks, by the way), and unfortunately, that program will be broadcast during the noon hours USA eastern time, which is when I’m usually winding down for bed. (I work the graveyard shift, so I (try to) sleep from the afternoon until late evening.) My university, however, does have, AFAICT, a decent music library, so I ought to be able to secure a recording of the 8th Quartet there.
Oh, and I almost forgot: I’m a he.
Not surprising at all.
I also don’t recall playing any Brahms during my viola years (if my memory serves correctly), and even though my experience involves more than just the “old guard,” I never played any Shostakovich. Kodály? Yes. Shostakovich? No.
Do post back when you’ve got to the end. Listening to that piece is something of an initiation of fire - many people consider it to be structurally flawed, with the first movement dominating over the others. I think it’s great.
What I would say is don’t expect Shostakovich to move you in a 19th-century Romantic (capital R? Does that mean anything?) way. He does tend to be emotionally involving in a quite different way.
You’ll be able to listen to it on demand for a week.
Excellent. :: gets the beers in ::
Wouldn’t happen nowadays. Certainly not for a viola player, with a viola sonata among his works!
I was raised on all kinds of music. I have an appreciation for all of them (even opera!), but the only one I have a “taste” for other than rock is jazz. Good jazz.
I’ve always liked classical, but in small doses.
One genre that I’ve really enjoyed is taking mainstream songs, and converting them into strings.
“Clocks” by Coldplay, as interpreted by a string quartet is absolutely lovely.
A poor quality version on youtube, but an easy link for those interested.
