Your Latest Musical Passion

[Brian]

The last two or three months have seen my interest in Schubert and Schumann grow by leaps and bounds. (I'd previously only been fond of three or four works by Schumann.) I've been deliberately holding back on listening to them so I can make January 2014 "Schumonth."

This year will see a record low in my listening log for Beethoven, but he's probably still #1. Martinu and Roussel, student and teacher, had great showings.

[Brahmsian]

The last two or three months have seen my interest in Schubert and Schumann grow by leaps and bounds. (I'd previously only been fond of three or four works by Schumann.) I've been deliberately holding back on listening to them so I can make January 2014 "Schumonth."

Sounds like a great idea.  I will join you! 

[Bogey]

Hitting all of my non-box discs this week. Have not visited them as a label in quite some time.

[Mirror Image]

...and Brian, I suppose.

Nothing wrong with that, Paul! You da man!

[Gurn Blanston]

I constantly see runs within the listening and purchasing threads where a particular composer sticks out for members here.  Sometimes the run lasts a week or so, or a bit more. Thought it would be fun to hear about who you are mostly playing and why.

Well, you won't see anything like that from me, Bill. 

I actually was thinking (before I read your thread starter) that you would be asking more about a bigger picture sort of thing, you know, like 20th century violin concertos, or Sarge's Girls, something like that. On the composer front, I can't think of much, John has more new enthusiasms in a day than I have in a year.   

Michael Haydn, I guess.   

[NJ Joe]

Since late October I've been immersed in the string quartets of Bartok, Beethoven, and now Shostakovich.

For 2013 it was the Beethoven piano sonatas performed by Gulda, and Leonard Bernstein conducting the NYPO.

[Mirror Image]

On the composer front, I can't think of much, John has more new enthusiasms in a day than I have in a year.   

[Gurn Blanston]

Just a handy, if true, illustration, John. But my actual point was that wouldn't it be easier to think in terms of your interest as being (for example) 20th century tone poems? Then you could use that as a basis for comparison (not qualitative, just variations) that gave you a picture of the entire genre at that time. One of my 'specialty' collections is 'Keyboard sonatas from Alberti to Clementi', and I have dozens of them by umpteen composers that I wouldn't otherwise have anything by.  It's a nice little sideline for my curiosity. 

[Mirror Image]

Just a handy, if true, illustration, John. But my actual point was that wouldn't it be easier to think in terms of your interest as being (for example) 20th century tone poems? Then you could use that as a basis for comparison (not qualitative, just variations) that gave you a picture of the entire genre at that time. One of my 'specialty' collections is 'Keyboard sonatas from Alberti to Clementi', and I have dozens of them by umpteen composers that I wouldn't otherwise have anything by.  It's a nice little sideline for my curiosity. 

Interesting post, Gurn. Well, for me, and certainly not everyone, I approach a composer mainly by orchestral music (i. e. symphonies, ballets, symphonic poems, concertante works, incidental music, etc.) first and then work my way through their chamber music (if any was composed). If I'm really enamored with the composer's music, then more chances than not I'll explore most of their oeuvre. I tend to try and get a feel for their music and if I hear one, two, three, etc. works I like, then I'll want to own a good chunk of their oeuvre. This is maybe not the most logical, or financially sound, way to go about listening and collecting music, but I have probed the 20th Century pretty well. Along the way, by trial and error, I have found the composers that spoke to me. I mean how else am I going to know if I like x or y composer if I don't actually listen to their music? Anyway, this is just the risk any of us take who aren't flooded with appealing concert programs from out local symphonies. I am in constant surprise each time I hear an unfamiliar composer's music. It's like going into the jungle, you just never know what you're going to find, but, again, without that risk and taking a chance, you'll never know.

[Gurn Blanston]

Interesting post, Gurn. Well, for me, and certainly not everyone, I approach a composer mainly by orchestral music (i. e. symphonies, ballets, symphonic poems, concertante works, incidental music, etc.) first and then work my way through their chamber music (if any was composed). If I'm really enamored with the composer's music, then more chances than not I'll explore most of their oeuvre. I tend to try and get a feel for their music and if I hear one, two, three, etc. works I like, then I'll want to own a good chunk of their oeuvre. This maybe not the most logical way to go about listening and collecting music, but I have probed the 20th Century pretty well. Along the way, by trial and error, I have found the composers that spoke to me. I mean how else am I going to know if I like x or y composer if I don't actually listen to their music? Anyway, this is just the risk any of us take who aren't flooded with appealing concert programs from out local symphonies. I am in constant surprise each time I hear an unfamiliar composer's music. It's like going into the jungle, you just never know what you're going to find, but, again, without that risk and taking a chance, you'll never know.

Yes, I see that. It is different than the method that I used when I was really discovering a lot. I used to pick a genre I really liked and then, with no regard to composer or performer(s) I would buy up a great lot of disks and just listen to the music to see what appealed to me and what did less so. Then I repeated that with a different genre and then another, so that I heard other composers who might not have composed in the first or second genre. This all took about 7-10 years, and I didn't really narrow down until I got to the end of that phase. By then, I knew what I liked based on having heard a pisspot full of music, and I could concentrate my resources on what I knew were my favorites. Not that I never listen to anything new, I do all the time, I just don't go wholesale into new ventures anymore.   



PS: Genre's were: violin concertos, violin sonatas, piano sonatas, piano concertos, then string quartets.  Not exclusively, of course, but mainly. I never made it to symphonies, probably why they are poorly represented in my collection even today.

[Mirror Image]

Yes, I see that. It is different than the method that I used when I was really discovering a lot. I used to pick a genre I really liked and then, with no regard to composer or performer(s) I would buy up a great lot of disks and just listen to the music to see what appealed to me and what did less so. Then I repeated that with a different genre and then another, so that I heard other composers who might not have composed in the first or second genre. This all took about 7-10 years, and I didn't really narrow down until I got to the end of that phase. By then, I knew what I liked based on having heard a pisspot full of music, and I could concentrate my resources on what I knew were my favorites. Not that I never listen to anything new, I do all the time, I just don't go wholesale into new ventures anymore.   



PS: Genre's were: violin concertos, violin sonatas, piano sonatas, piano concertos, then string quartets.  Not exclusively, of course, but mainly. I never made it to symphonies, probably why they are poorly represented in my collection even today.

This is certainly a respectable way to go about music. I wish I had a 'method' but I never have really and I never could stick to a method if one were to be formed. Call it a lack of self-discipline. Anyway, orchestral music has always been a huge attraction for me, because some of the best composers can reduce the soundscape of their music in a few measures (i. e. one minute is played with the orchestra hitting a climax full blast then the music turns a complete 360 and only violins and woodwinds are playing). I guess I just like the idea of a wide dynamic in music, but I do love the intimacy of chamber music more now than I did say five years ago. The great thing about all of this is that there's no 'right' way to go about listening to music. I'll always listen to something that I'm fascinated with and go about the music on my own. I can't tell you how many recommendations I used to get when I first started getting into classical music. It's not that I don't appreciate people's suggestions, because I do, it's just that I was determined to find my own way into this music and looking back on the journey so far, I'm thankful that I sticked to what I wanted to do.

[Brian]

I guess I just like the idea of a wide dynamic in music, but I do love the intimacy of chamber music more now than I did say five years ago.

And I partly remember that, so I still hold out hope that in a year or so you'll be a converted lover of solo instrumental music, too. 

[Gurn Blanston]

.....I can't tell you how many recommendations I used to get when I first started getting into classical music. It's not that I don't appreciate people's suggestions, because I do, it's just that I was determined to find my own way into this music and looking back on the journey so far, I'm thankful that I stuck to what I wanted to do.

That is one of the advantages I had in starting out before the Internet became what it is today. I not only could find my own way, but because of the remoteness of my situation, I had to do that. Actually, I wouldn't have minded a bit of guidance from time to time, but the upside was that Public Radio was actually good for something back then. Very useful for someone who worked nights.

[Mirror Image]

And I partly remember that, so I still hold out hope that in a year or so you'll be a converted lover of solo instrumental music, too. 

Solo instrumental music hasn't ever been important to me and it's not what I enjoy listening to --- truth be told BUT I do enjoy some of the solo piano repertoire from time to time (Villa-Lobos, Debussy, Ravel, Liszt, Scriabin, few others). I enjoy hearing the interaction of different players and how these different instruments work with each other to form a cohesive musical statement. I get rather bored listening to just solo piano music, so chamber music is that happy medium for me and is as far as I will go in terms of being reduced instrumentation.

Also, I never cared about the importance of this genre to this composer or that genre for that composer. Music isn't a competition for me. It's something I listen to to satisfy me and get some kind of gratification and fulfillment out of, I could careless what's important to classical music or the whys I should be listening to so and so. Again, it's about my own enjoyment, no one else's.

P. S. I hope this post didn't come off sounding like I was being a jerk to you. If it did, I apologize.

[Mirror Image]

That is one of the advantages I had in starting out before the Internet became what it is today. I not only could find my own way, but because of the remoteness of my situation, I had to do that. Actually, I wouldn't have minded a bit of guidance from time to time, but the upside was that Public Radio was actually good for something back then. Very useful for someone who worked nights.

I'm thankful for the Internet, it has enabled me to gain knowledge of a composer rather quickly and has also allowed me to have access to music I, otherwise, would never in a million years be able to find in a brick and mortar store. Those days are gone unfortunately.

[Bogey]

Genres, composers, labels, seeking out live events, even formats welcomed for discussion here.  I would like to keep it on the classical side, but other than that....

[amw]

This year some composers I listened to much more frequently than before include Enescu, Weinberg, Zelenka, Feldman, Krenek, Schnittke, Ginastera, and Finnissy. Some composers I listened to much less frequently than before include Britten, Reger, Busoni, Prokofiev, Sorabji, Dutilleux, Alkan, Berio and Shostakovich. Big "discoveries"/re-discoveries of the last few months judging by listening activity include Ferrari, Kurtág, Louis Couperin, Myaskovsky and Gerhard.

Kind of a non-answer, since I wouldn't describe any of these as musical passions, but then right about now I'm kind of into silence, ambient sound, birdsong, peace and quiet, that sort of thing. When I have been listening to music the last couple of weeks it's been mostly to drown out the other, less pleasant sounds humans make, such as combustion engines and watching rugby.

[springrite]

Still not done with Stockhausen.

I for one hope that you are never done with Stockhausen. While he is only a passing fancy for me from time to time, I am glad he has passionate champions and frankly, I think if you are done with Stockhausen, then that means you are done. Don't want that to happen. I mean it.

[Karl Henning]

TWU!

[Brian]

Karl, I'll be honest, whenever you post that I scratch my head and think, "Texas Women's University??!?"