What period is your least favorite

[Conor71]

Although I dont dislike them, I picked the Ancient and Rennaisance Periods as I don't find these eras as interesting as the others .
In saying that, I do own a handful (maybe 5-10) Discs of Early music and quite enjoy it when I'm in the mood!  .

[Florestan]

Classical from 1750 to 1780. I think its the least interesting period of all European music.

Agreed, tho' my opinion is largely based on a negative, viz. the almost total neglect of this period in concert programs

You guys just wait until Gurn sails these waters and kicks some butts... 

"the almost total neglect of this period in concert programs" is of course no indication whatsoever about the quality of the music, ain't it? 

I suppose it's possible the 1760s are bursting with gems that I simply haven't discovered yet.

Haydn's output of the period alone is more than worth your time. Where is Gurn when one needs him? 

[Sandra]

I voted Ancient but I changed my mind. I simply haven't heard enough of them. I agree with many here. The classical period is very disciplined and boring sometimes. It's been hard for me to find anything I can emotionally related to. The most I get is "that's nice"... The predictability of their forms and structures really alienates me.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

You guys just wait until Gurn sails these waters and kicks some butts... 

What's he gonna do? Slap me with his powdered wig?!?

"the almost total neglect of this period in concert programs" is of course no indication whatsoever about the quality of the music, ain't it? 

You have a point there. I have actually heard some decent material from CPE Bach. As for Haydn, he got better as he got older. 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

The classical period is very disciplined and boring sometimes. It's been hard for me to find anything I can emotionally related to. The most I get is "that's nice"... The predictability of their forms and structures really alienates me.

The great virtue of the classical period is that it gave Beethoven some strict rules he could bend and break, all for the good of the music. 

[Gurn Blanston]

It's true, the Classical Era had its faults. The biggest one, which seems to be a sticking point for many, is that it demanded that the listener participate and become part of the experience. Later music (the Romantic specifically) was much more thoroughly constructed so that one needn't have to actually think about it or do anything other than listen and then ponder the composer's intention. That barely resembles the Classical ideal where the composer makes a rhetorical statement and then proceeds to argue it out. To really get the full value of Haydn, for example, one needs to have at least a basic understanding of that concept.

Another thing is that the emotion that we seem to love to wallow in so much in our Romantic music has to be hunted for in Classical music. Classical music can evoke an emotion in the listener, but it is strictly the listener's emotion, it is totally remote from the composer. I don't need to point out that this is not the case in Romantic music, where the entire point is that you know whether the composer was depressed at the time, or his sister died, whatever.

Of course, I exaggerate all this, but to be fair, you folks have been doing the same so far, making sweeping generalizations that apply to a low percentage of the total. It's how we do discussion these days, isn't it? 

[karlhenning]

I could not possibly vote. I have liked a great deal of music, spontaneously, with immediate depth, on a very first hearing, from all eras.

[springrite]

I could not possibly vote. I have liked a great deal of music, spontaneously, with immediate depth, on a very first hearing, from all eras.

Remind me to get you some Pre-Confucian music before my next trip to Boston.

[karlhenning]

Why, I've clacked those very bones myself, Paul!

[springrite]

Why, I've clacked those very bones myself, Paul!

Turtle shells, Karl! Turtle shells!

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

That barely resembles the Classical ideal where the composer makes a rhetorical statement and then proceeds to argue it out. To really get the full value of Haydn, for example, one needs to have at least a basic understanding of that concept.

I don't quite understand. Could you elaborate please, perhaps with a reference to one of Herr Haydn's better-known works, such as a London or Paris Symphony?

[Gurn Blanston]

I don't quite understand. Could you elaborate please, perhaps with a reference to one of Herr Haydn's better-known works, such as a London or Paris Symphony?

I would be happy to recommend a book on the subject, or even an essay. Life is too short to spend retyping a concept.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Thanks, recommend away (anything online would be preferable - not easy for me to get certain books over here).

[Grazioso]

Another thing is that the emotion that we seem to love to wallow in so much in our Romantic music has to be hunted for in Classical music.

And if I see it, I'm gonna shoot it dead 

[karlhenning]

Turtle shells, Karl! Turtle shells!

No reptiles are ever endangered in Henningmusick!

[Florestan]

Actually, I'm curious: what European ancient music (prior to the advent of musical notation) has anyone ever heard?

[Grazioso]

Actually, I'm curious: what European ancient music (prior to the advent of musical notation) has anyone ever heard?

None, afaik, and apparently musical notation, at least in relatively rudimentary form goes back to ancient times: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_notation
http://www.historyofinformation.com/index.php?id=2378

[Opus106]

Actually, I'm curious: what European ancient music (prior to the advent of musical notation) has anyone ever heard?

Some ancient Greek "guitar" music. I used to listen to this radio station which used some musically informative fillers between regular programming. Of course, what was played was only a short excerpt, but I heard it.

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks, recommend away (anything online would be preferable - not easy for me to get certain books over here).

OK, let me see what I can find online. I have a book by Tom Beghin which has more than I ever wanted to know, so I never looked online before. It could be instructive.

[Florestan]

None, afaik, and apparently musical notation, at least in relatively rudimentary form goes back to ancient times: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_notation#Early_Europe
http://www.historyofinformation.com/index.php?id=2378

Some ancient Greek "guitar" music. I used to listen to this radio station which used some musically informative fillers between regular programming. Of course, what was played only a short excerpt, but I heard it.

Ok, but has that ancient notation been decyphered? Are we able to reconstruct the music based on it? How do we know that what we hear is what they heard back then?