What is the longest time you've ever spent listening to music?

[Diletante]

Hi there.

What I mean by this question is time spent listening to music without important pauses (just pauses for going to the bathroom, eating, changing CDs...) and doing nothing but listening (not using a computer, not reading [although reading the lyrics is fine, I guess], not sleeping, etc.).

As for me, I don't think I've ever spent longer than one and a half hours just listening to music, but I've thought about listening to some Mahler symphonies in a row, which would be longer than three hours...

[mahler10th]

The most I did in a single purposeful sitting was one of Karajans Beethoven Cycles (on DG cassettes!) one after the other on a wintery Sunday afternoon back in 1992.  Alone.  On a couch.  Plenty of tea. About or just over four hours.  It couldn't have been better.
The truth is I ALWAYS listen to music.  If I'm out, it's on my MP3 player.  If I'm in, it's on CONSTANTLY.  When I go to sleep it's Sting Quartet time.  When I get up it's Symphony time, even if it's only a movement before I go out.  At work (when I'm on a contract) I play through earphones on the work computer, etc.  Weekends are festooned with Symphonies.  Classical Music of almost all types is playing constantly in some way or form with me wherever I go.  It's impossible to tire of, especially when I can play something like Bach by the Academy of Ancient Music and follow it up with a healthy dollop of Ashkenmazy playing Rautavaara.  There is no end to the wonders of our music!
(Must get more Renaissance stuff though)
Recently I went to sleep with Malcom Arnold Symphonies in the background.  Big mistake.  I got up and changed it for Nielsen String Quartets, a bit less noisy!

[hornteacher]

You mean the music in my head is supposed to stop every once in a while?!?

[greg]

You mean the music in my head is supposed to stop every once in a while?!?

I can relate... even when I think that I might not have anything on, look what's playing- right now, that scherzo from Bruckner's 8th.

[Symphonien]

I wonder if anyone here has actively listened to Feldman's 2nd String Quartet all the way through... Surely that would qualify.

[springrite]

I have done it for over ten hours several times. The longest was probably around 16 to 18 hours, certainly less than 20. Exhilerating experiences for sure, but needing about 12 hours of sleep afterwards, if not more. The next day I usually schedule some physical activities.

[Bulldog]

My limit is the amount of time to get through Bach's complete WTC.

[Opus106]

I have listened to variations on a theme by John Cage.

You got it, the theme is indeed from 4'33". The whole work can be as long as you want it to be.

[Renfield]

Six to seven hours.


Or eleven hours, if you count a sleep-deprived (and rather restless) night with Mahler symphonies following Bruckner symphonies following Beethoven symphonies, as I typed long posts in three separate online forums (including the present). But I wouldn't recommend this.

[Brian]

You mean the music in my head is supposed to stop every once in a while?!?

The longest span of time I have ever been able to silence the music in my head is about three minutes.