# Music to read by
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 17, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166 "2005-01-17T07:17:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dvorak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dvorak)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/1 "2005-01-17T07:17:47Z")
what is/are your favorite piece(s) of music to listen to while you read?
(alright, you caught me. This sucky “poll” was brought to you by the fact that I am just trolling for decent classical music that I might hopefully be able to download off of the internet. Oh, and if you want to listen to almost every calssical piece there is, go to [http://www.classicalarchives.com/](http://www.classicalarchives.com/) the only catch is that most of the music can only be heard on the site; hence, the wanting to download the music and listen to more than 5 of them per day.)
---
### Author:  [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/2 "2005-01-17T15:44:25Z")
This varies greatly by mood and subject matter. My current reading music is Appalachian Spring from Copeland, and the book I am reading is The Island of the Day Before by Eco.
---
### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/3 "2005-01-17T16:16:20Z")
Nothing. If I’m reading (or writing) more than a few sentences, I have to turn off the music; otherwise my brain hemispheres start colliding.
---
### Author:  [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/4 "2005-01-17T16:29:07Z")
I agree with **panache45**.
---
### Author:  [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/5 "2005-01-17T16:56:07Z")
I really enjoy reading to Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos (Concerti?) and Chopin’s Nocturne - nothing too dramatic, but beautiful background.
I also enjoy the Bach Lute Suites.
---
### Author:  [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/6 "2005-01-17T20:46:26Z")
I’m also a filmmaker and film buff. Unless the music fits with a particular “scene” I’m reading then it throws off the whole tone. So no music at all here.
---
### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/7 "2005-01-17T21:31:43Z")
If I’m reading for work or study purposes, then I never have any music on. I find it too hard to concentrate. If I’m just reading for general amusement, then I usually have 15th and 16th century choral music on. My current favourites are works by Ockeghem and Lassus (especially the _Missa Pange Lingua_).
---
### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/8 "2005-01-17T21:55:36Z")
Lately I’ve been reading to the Bach cello suites, as recorded by Yo Yo Ma in 1983 . . . except for the prelude to Suite No. 1 in G Major (BWV 1007), which I love so much that I always have to simply listen to it. 🙂
A newer recording of the suites is available on iTunes, though in my opinion the faster tempo of the prelude is all wrong. 😃
> [@Redwing](#):
>
> My current reading music is Appalachian Spring from Copeland
When I read the OP my first thought was “Aaron Copland.” 🙂 I have a kind of “best of” album that I also like to read to. There’s a bunch of his stuff available on iTunes, as well – some of it recorded by Copland himself.
---
### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-to-read-by/285166/9 "2005-01-17T23:29:12Z")
The piano music of Debussy, Chopin, and Ravel are also good choices. As **picker** said, nothing overly dramatic.