How did you "discover" classical music?

[Mark]

Thats what I thought initially, but you will be surprised (sometimes) at how your taste in music will have changed over the years.

Very true. Once, the thought of listening to Schoenberg, Berg ... even Mahler, held fears for me. I was utterly convinced that only the tuneful stuff would endure in my listening. In fact, I even used to find most of Mozart rather bland (he's still not entirely to my taste, but I like his later works much more than I used to). Shostakovich was also once an absolute no-no. Hard to believe it now.

[Mozart]

I don't think I would ever get bored of Mozart, no matter how "bland" he might be. Oh and I think Mozart's later works began when he was about 17. 

[Scriptavolant]

Composers you once liked no longer appeal to you and others you would never think of listening to become your favorites. 

That's true, but it was the opposite for me. In the beginning of my classical exploration Mahler and Wagner where amongst my favourites; a reason why I began listening to Bruckner was that I was so fond of Wagner - only orchestral works, not Opera - I started looking for some sort of symphonic translation of his music, which could guarantee a procrastination of the magic, so I came to Anton, whose 4th I still really appreciate.
It was maybe through Webern that my musical ideals changed in the research for less gigantic, prolix, syncretic forms of expression, so I've almost erased late-romanticism from my list.
And I don't think Wagner takes time to appreciate, his great emotional emphasis, his inclination towards sentimentalism makes him - in my opinion - one of the most accessible composers ever. Wagner can't lie, while for example Mozart is able to kid the artless listener in a subtle way. Of course I'm not talking about Wagner Operas.

[Tancata]

And I don't think Wagner takes time to appreciate, his great emotional emphasis, his inclination towards sentimentalism makes him - in my opinion - one of the most accessible composers ever. Wagner can't lie, while for example Mozart is able to kid the artless listener in a subtle way. Of course I'm not talking about Wagner Operas.

I agree with this. I find Wagner to be one of the easiest composers to like - I *am* talking about the operas. The music is very direct. Still, I'm 21 so perhaps there's a perspective shift coming up one of these days. I find Mahler and Bruckner much harder.

[Florestan]

Are you a musician?

No.

Did your parents listen to classical music?

No.

Did a certain music course in college inspire you?

No.

Are you a music educator?

No.

I discovered classical music at age 14 in the home of a friend of my father. He spinned Tchaikovsky's First PC. I was mesmerized, hooked and caught. Classical music has been a daily presence in my life ever since.

As for formal musical education, I have none.

[marvinbrown]

I agree with this. I find Wagner to be one of the easiest composers to like - I *am* talking about the operas. The music is very direct. Still, I'm 21 so perhaps there's a perspective shift coming up one of these days. I find Mahler and Bruckner much harder.

  Tancata I am pleased to hear that you responded well to Wagner's OPERAS on first hearings.  Yes the overtures and preludes to Wagner's operas are quite easy to get into as Wagner is very lyrical and the music very melodic and straightforward.  However, once the singing starts (the actual opera- and notably Tristan und Isolde) I would imagine that a lot of people would have problems, especially those who are not accustomed to opera- let alone the length of these works.  Regarding Mahler- yes as far as I am concerned he is harder to appreciate.  Although it often surprises me when Mahler fans argue that they have a problem appreciating Wagner.  To each his own I guess??

  marvin

[marvinbrown]

Very true. Once, the thought of listening to Schoenberg, Berg ... even Mahler, held fears for me.

  Yes Schoenberg, Berg's operas and to a certain extent R. Strauss' (ELEKTRA and Salome) hold fears to anyone expecting to walk away from these composer's operas whistling "catchy" tunes (as you would..... say.....with Carmen) there simply aren't any (catchy tunes that is)  !

  marvin

[Haffner]

  Yes Schoenberg, Berg's operas and to a certain extent R. Strauss' (ELEKTRA and Salome) hold fears to anyone expecting to walk away from these composer's operas whistling "catchy" tunes (as you would..... say.....with Carmen) there simply aren't any (catchy tunes that is)  !

  marvin

Well put, Marvin.

As you might agree, I think that people as a general rule would be cheating themselves if they never really gave those operas a chance. One of the things I admire most about Schoenberg was his overall "chutzpah". The guy has some incredibly admirable cojones, si?

[marvinbrown]

Well put, Marvin.

As you might agree, I think that people as a general rule would be cheating themselves if they never really gave those operas a chance. One of the things I admire most about Schoenberg was his overall "chutzpah". The guy has some incredibly admirable cojones, si?

  Si of course! LOL...he was certainly daring.  I remember the first time I "discovered" Struass ELEKTRA...the first thought that went into my mind was "What the hell is this?  )  It was so dissonant it did not make any sense on first hearing...then when I saw Bohm's movie opera and after repeated listenings I was able to connect to it on so many levels....music is discovery after all (I think D minor (our D minor)) said that!!!

  marvin

[Haffner]

  Si of course! LOL...he was certainly daring.  I remember the first time I "discovered" Struass ELEKTRA...the first thought that went into my mind was "What the hell is this?  )  It was so dissonant it did not make any sense on first hearing...then when I saw Bohm's movie opera and after repeated listenings I was able to connect to it on so many levels....music is discovery after all (I think D minor (our D minor)) said that!!!

  marvin

Your post has me smiling! I haven't checked out the Bohm/Elektra dvd, but now I'm dying to! Elektra still makes my jaw drop with amazement.

And D can be a very wise man...

[DetUudslukkelige]

It was actually only two years ago that I first listened to a classical music CD for fun. It started with me looking for a recording of some pieces I was playing solo at the point, and I quickly found that I liked the music of Antonio Vivaldi. For a few months after that, I was good for the occasional listen to a piece by Vivaldi, and I collected about ten CDs by him. However, it was not that long after that I heard two pieces of music played by college orchestras that would change my life. First, it was Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, then Dvorak's Ninth. I purchased the complete symphonies of both composers, and quickly expanded my Tchaikovsky collection to include ballets, concertos, chamber stuff, suites for Orchestra, etc. Soon I discovered Brahms, Beethoven, Bach and Berlioz, and my collection started expanding through the 18th and 19th centuries, only within the last year expanding to the twentieth century. In any event, it's been 2 years and 350 CDs since that first purchase, and I spend several hours a day with music on now.

That's a bit of a rambling explanation, but there you go.

[Solitary Wanderer]

Interesting how quickly perspectives can change.

12 months ago I was only familiar with Mahlers 5th and found it a tad 'difficult' to 'get into'.

Today I'm very familiar with his #2, #4 & #5 and hearing his #2 live in March was one of the best concert experiences I've had 0:)

A friend who sang in the choir that night complained to me beforehand about how she disliked Mahler. The day after the concert she emailed me to say she was a convert

[The Emperor]

Rachmaninoff/Biret - piano works

Some "original" interpretations in here, some very interesting some come as a bit odd.

edit . Oops, wrong topic, it should have been the "listening" one 

[jochanaan]

...I guess I would go so far as to say, in answer to this thread's question: "How did you discover Classical music?" that you NEVER stop discovering classical music!!!!

Amen, brother!

...Although it often surprises me when Mahler fans argue that they have a problem appreciating Wagner.

Me too, since Mahler loved Wagner so much.

...And I don't think Wagner takes time to appreciate...

Of course he does!  At least four hours, to be precise.

[zamyrabyrd]

...I had long periods when rock and electronic dance music dominated my listening. But by 1997, classical was gaining the upperhand, and that's the year my collection really began to grow apace...I returned to classical in a huge way in 2006, and now it's pretty much all that goes into my ears.

So there may be hope for a son who for years has been blasting rock and heavy metal even though he played cello well as a reluctant adolescent? The other trance-addicted one occasionally drops a word like "I like all kinds of music" but immediately clams up after admitting anything that might make me feel good. My kids had good music all around them in contrast to my having to laboriously seek it out. I learned the sources gradually like the classical music radio station, the lending record library, etc. A really wild pleasure was actually going to a music shop, seeing all those scores, records, other people as well just normally and naturally buying music, discussing it, incredible...

ZB

[Joe Barron]

I didn't discover classical music. Classical music discovered me.

I have absolutely no idea what I mean by that.

[Que]

I didn't discover classical music. Classical music discovered me.

I have absolutely no idea what I mean by that.

Divine intervention? 

Q

[andy]

I got into classical music first in high school because I played piano. As I got better, I started playing pieces by famous composers. My first love was playing Beethoven, but then I found Rachmaninoff's pieces and was enchanted. I loved his rich chords and loud, banging passages.

When I went to college, I stopped playing piano because I didn't have access to one anymore. And so I stopped listening to classical music. I have always loved music, however, and I started listening to other music, like indie rock. I explored lots and lots of bands and kept finding more intricate, rich music, like Bjork and Radiohead. Eventually, I realized that even the most complicated rock/pop music couldn't hold a candle to classical music so I started listening again.

At first I picked up works by modern composers, Messiaen, Ligeti, Schnittke, etc, and gradually, I've moved backwards in time. I like Mozart better now, but still prefer thorny atonal works.

[Bonehelm]

I was 9 years old when I first heard Offenbach's "Can Can" dance in his opera. After that, I was hooked...

Now I'm 16

[Mozart]

I was 9 years old when I first heard Offenbach's "Can Can" dance in his opera. After that, I was hooked...

Now I'm 16

I was hooked to the dancing girls