Can you discern a persons nature from the genre of classical music they like ?

[Cato]

This article does not mention classical music, but contains a report on the latest research:

Not surprisingly, the music you like says something about your personality. In the past, researchers on this beat have worked to correlate tastes for tunes to the "big five" personality traits—extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to new experience...

To find out, the scientists came up with a better way of slicing and dicing music instead of relying on vague traditional genre labels. Mr. Greenberg and his colleagues instead used a system that weighs sonic and psychological factors while cutting across musical genres.

The new paper describes one study in which more than 4,000 volunteers were tested for empathy and then asked to rate 50 pieces of music. Those who scored high on empathy tended to prefer "mellow" music, such as R&B and soft rock; "unpretentious" music, including folk and country; and "contemporary" music, including Euro pop. But they didn't like intense styles such as heavy metal. The results also applied within genres; empathizers preferred gentler jazz, for instance...

The results held up even when scientists controlled for gender and personality types. In a second study that included systemizers, the group preferred more intense music like punk and heavy metal, while empathizers liked sadder, lower energy music with more emotional depth.

A key question for further research, Mr. Greenberg says, is whether the arrow of causation might run in both directions. In other words, perhaps certain types of music can more effectively increase empathy. Or maybe playing a Bach fugue can increase systemizing when you sit down to do your income taxes.

See:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/if-youre-empathetic-you-probably-arent-into-ac-dc-1438964607

[some guy]

It's not about bigotry but this is apparently serious and peer-reviewed psychological or sociological research. As I cannot access the full papers I do not know whether these researchers were too squeamish or simply not interested in gender and race.

I was referring to the ready acceptance of class distinctions by the gmg posters, not to the researchers (and I would not conclude that their efforts were serious ), and to some of the generalizations about classes made by gmg posters.

...music appreciation differs between "subcultures"

Music appreciation differs between individuals. And there I think the inarguable conclusion is "no, duh," which is what led me to conclude that the study was not serious research. And the groups that people divide themselves into often clash. Also true.

Serious research would see if there's a way to avoid that happening, eh?

Edit: I just now read through the snippet that Cato shared. Shouldn'ta done that. Anyway, I for my sins, have taken many psychological tests. I obviously don't know how the tests I took would correlate with the tests these researchers gave to their 4000 subjects, but I always scored very high on the empathy stuff. And I don't like any of the music these guys identify as going along with empathetic types. Heavy metal, though? Sure. Though I find heavy metal a bit too gentle for my tastes. Death metal is better.

And noise bands are even better than that.

I suppose that when all is said and done, my chief problem with studies of this sort is how reductionist they are. Reduce all the complexity and all the contrariness and contradictions and variety of each individual person into groups. And then try to ameliorate the obviously bad effects of your reductionism with ever more complex categories. But never quite getting to the individual in all her unique glory. No. Bad marketing tactics. Group dynamics only. Then we can sell those suckers some deodorant. Or maybe even some smooth jazz. Cause we all know that white women between the ages of 18 and 37 who have attended at least two years of high school and who live in a trailer park will buy deodorant and smooth jazz like crazy sauce.

[ibanezmonster]

Heavy metal, though? Sure. Though I find heavy metal a bit too gentle for my tastes. Death metal is better.

Agreed. 
btw, I wouldn't be surprised at all if people who are into death metal have a higher than average sense of empathy, or even the highest out of all of the musical genres. I also wouldn't be surprised if people who only listen to soft pop music have the least amount of empathy. People who like both, I'm not sure (doesn't seem to be many of them).

[Karl Henning]

I also wouldn't be surprised if people who only listen to soft pop music have the least amount of empathy.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Pmx8DXx_5VI

[Monsieur Croche]

Psychotic and extreme sociopath, Hannibal 'Cannibal' Lecter was very keen on Bach's Goldberg Variations, ergo....

Yeah, right.

[hpowders]

Well, I tend to gravitate to more "quiet", introverted solo music-Bach Keyboard Partitas on harpsichord, and the Cello Suites for example.

Would you then assume I am an anti-social introvert with no patience for other people and a short temper?

You would be right!!!!!