Why do people hate classical these days? (Started by Jack123...now a guest)

[bhodges]

No problem, John.  This might be a good time to add that we've had a huge influx of "spam-bot" registrants lately.  Sometimes they are actually successful in getting past Rob's system designed to combat this sort of thing, and actually make posts, as if they were real people.  We have been periodically deleting these "members." 

No need to worry about it further; just thought you should know what's been going on in the background! 

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

My father often referred to what I listened to as, 'That bloody funeral music.' I joined a symphony choir. He wanted to come along and hear something so I chose what I though he and my mother could bear. I was wrong. He left the hall stiff faced, as though I had stuck him with a long evening of tortoise fighting.

Word on the street is, the tortoises had a rough night of it, too . . . .

[Grazioso]

Interestingly that's one reason why I am so attracted to this form of music. When I listen to a popular song (not necessarily pop music), there are one or two extremely good moments. I would always wish that it lasted longer, even though I can only appreciate it as the stream of music flows. Any of these songs barely last 5 minutes, and those "moments" occur twice or thrice, and that leaves me wanting. However, in a typical symphony, for instance, those oh-so-good moments not only occurs more than a handful of times, they also appear in various guises, and by the end of movement I feel satiated -- though not always -- and I'm ready for new material.

I feel the same way. (The symphony is my favorite classical genre, and I'll also gladly watch a three-hour opera.) With your typical three-and-a-half minute pop song, you get to hear a (hopefully) good melody a few times, maybe some interesting riffs or a catchy guitar solo, and then--wham--it's over almost before it started. Brevity can be a good thing, though, because most pop/rock songs lack sufficient thematic material or chord changes of enough interest to warrant anything much more extended. In, out, done.

I don't know that it's necessarily depth or intensity of focus that's required to enjoy classical music (though it certainly helps), but perhaps what's needed most is a long attention span. In our sound-bite society, most folks seem to lack the ability or desire to concentrate for long on any sort of art.

[Scarpia]

I feel the same way. (The symphony is my favorite classical genre, and I'll also gladly watch a three-hour opera.) With your typical three-and-a-half minute pop song, you get to hear a (hopefully) good melody a few times, maybe some interesting riffs or a catchy guitar solo, and then--wham--it's over almost before it started. Brevity can be a good thing, though, because most pop/rock songs lack sufficient thematic material or chord changes of enough interest to warrant anything much more extended. In, out, done.

I don't know that it's necessarily depth or intensity of focus that's required to enjoy classical music (though it certainly helps), but perhaps what's needed most is a long attention span. In our sound-bite society, most folks seem to lack the ability or desire to concentrate for long on any sort of art.

A pop song is not a symphony, but some albums released by substantial folk/rock/jazz artists have thematic or musical links and can be compared to song cycles.

[Grazioso]

A pop song is not a symphony, but some albums released by substantial folk/rock/jazz artists have thematic or musical links and can be compared to song cycles.

True, and there are rock songs with relatively extended forms, key and meter changes, etc.

[Daverz]

The most novel reason I've heard is "It's too loud."

[Florestan]

My father often referred to what I listened to as, 'That bloody funeral music.'

A former female colleague at my last workplace used almost the same words (minus "bloody") when hearing Mozart's Horn Concertos. 

But all in all, I was fortunate enough to have two office colleagues (out of three) which were classical music lovers, one of them a Wagnerite no less.

The most novel reason I've heard is "It's too loud."

I've heard a variant of that: "It's too loud now, then it's too soft, then again too loud and it scares me".

[71 dB]

The most novel reason I've heard is "It's too loud."

Calling classical music too dynamic would make much more sense. Over-compressed pop music is "too loud".

[MN Dave]

But I can listen to a pop song in three minutes! 

[karlhenning]

But I can listen to a pop song in three minutes! 

Two, if it's Tom Waits ; )

[71 dB]

But I can listen to a pop song in three minutes! 

Yes, and 20 songs in an hour!

[MN Dave]

So, classical is for those who have lots of spare time. 

[Sergeant Rock]

A former female colleague at my last workplace used almost the same words (minus "bloody") when hearing Mozart's Horn Concertos. 

Mozart Horn Concertos...funeral music? Your colleague goes to some peculiar wakes 

Sarge

[Florestan]

Mozart Horn Concertos...funeral music? Your colleague goes to some peculiar wakes 

Sarge

[Keemun]

I have a co-worker who almost always comments when she enters my office while I'm listening to classical music that if she listened to "that music" it would put her to sleep.  It doesn't matter which work is playing, she still says the same thing.   

[MN Dave]

I have a co-worker who almost always comments when she enters my office while I'm listening to classical music that if she listened to "that music" it would put her to sleep.  It doesn't matter which work is playing, she still says the same thing.

Haven't you heard? People are idiots.

[Opus106]

I have a co-worker who almost always comments when she enters my office while I'm listening to classical music that if she listened to "that music" it would put her to sleep.  It doesn't matter which work is playing, she still says the same thing.   

I once had to wake up at a ridiculously early hour, with just a couple of hours of sleep, and it was important that I appeared active. Three cups of coffee -- which later had adverse after-effects, after lunch -- and a dose of Große Fuge did the trick.

[Florestan]

I have a co-worker who almost always comments when she enters my office while I'm listening to classical music that if she listened to "that music" it would put her to sleep.  It doesn't matter which work is playing, she still says the same thing.

New Release: Classical Lullabies, feat. Wagner, Mahler, Hindemith, Prokofiev & Shostakovich. 

[MN Dave]

I think music appreciation as a whole is in a sorry state.

Just like everything else. 

[karlhenning]

We're hear to spearhead Music Appreciation Reform!