Lack of classical obsessions

[KevinP]

At the moment I feel I don't have any classical music obsessions. I don't listen to classical music much these days. I haven't been very active here. I think I need to just wait for another obsession. I don't have a clue what would be interesting to me at the moment. I think J. S. Bach works best at the moment... ...it feels a bit odd to lack obsessions, it's kind of emptyness.

My music-listening life is a series of obsessions. Sometimes with one giving way to another; other times with one burning out and not being replaced by anything, though something will eventually take its place. But in my case, classical music is just a meta-level obsession. If a jazz one hits me, classical doesn't get listened to for a long time, sometimes years. Or they may both take a backseat to something else (late 60s/early 70s soul for example).

What's been strange to me is that lately I've been able to bounce between them. I could play Muddy Waters, Bach, the Beatles, Bill Russo, and Funkadelic on the same day, which I never could before except as a novelty. I'm not sure if this is a new element in my listening habits or a transient quirk.

[Karl Henning]

Parenthetically (not that everyone need be like this, of course) I probably never lack for a classical music obsession;  I just move from this obsession to another.

[71 dB]

Oh sure, I was merely suggesting it as a quick way to check if you've forgotten someone. Ricercar Consort are certainly a wonderful ensemble.

Yes, thanks. There are certainly many composers I haven't explored yet. Ricercar Consort is in my mind, but the pipe repair starts in my house next January and my life will be in chaos for a few months. Not a good time to explore anything.

My music-listening life is a series of obsessions. Sometimes with one giving way to another; other times with one burning out and not being replaced by anything, though something will eventually take its place. But in my case, classical music is just a meta-level obsession. If a jazz one hits me, classical doesn't get listened to for a long time, sometimes years. Or they may both take a backseat to something else (late 60s/early 70s soul for example).

What's been strange to me is that lately I've been able to bounce between them. I could play Muddy Waters, Bach, the Beatles, Bill Russo, and Funkadelic on the same day, which I never could before except as a novelty. I'm not sure if this is a new element in my listening habits or a transient quirk.

It is a series of obsessions for me too. When I discovered classical music in 1997, it was classical obsessions for years. Now it mostly non-classical music (Tangerine Dream, King Crimson, Carly Simon, Kesha, Rose Royce, etc.) and only short periods of classical obsessions in between. It's as if classical music sucked compared to other music.  Or maybe the world has become too hectic and nervous to be in sync with classical music? All I know is I hardly ever feel the way I felt around 1997-2002 when classical music really ruled my life. I wasn't cynical back then and life had not caused deep disappointments yet. The world look too ugly for classical music today. Every baroque oboe concerto felt magnificent! Now they sound so mediocre... ..okay but nothing magnificent. Lately I have been listening to Tangerine Dream after a hiatus of almost 2 years (When Edgar Froese died it affected me deeply) and the music blows me away.

Obsession means what you want. Lack of obsession means you don't know what you want. I may want to listen to classical music but what? Baroque? Romantic? What? Vivaldi? Pärt? Schumann? What? I put something in my cd-player and most of the time it just doesn't work well. I don't know how to put the right music in my player? The more cds I have the more difficult this is. It seems when you double your collection you value each cd half as much as before. Money wasted. Obsession helps to know what do. Obsessed people are very focused!

Parenthetically (not that everyone need be like this, of course) I probably never lack for a classical music obsession;  I just move from this obsession to another.

In 1997-2002 I was able to "cultivate" my obsessions having my own delusions. When I became active on internet forums, other people started shooting my delusions down. For long I thought it is a good thing and means I will learn and understand things better. However, I realised at some point that delusions is what makes me (everyone?) happy. The reality is too cynical. Delusions make things appear nicer. Religious people have their God delusion. Since I am an atheist, my delusions are secular, such as "Elgar is the greatest composer ever".

Before I came to GMG I had irrational obsessions like wanting a Naxos disc because the name of the composer on the cover has the perfect blue shade that matches the painting below. The perfect color might have increased my enjoyment of the disc in an irrational delusional way. On GMG people talk about the greatest performances in history and often the cover art of these cds are vomit inducing (yes, I don't know how thet are so horrible). This is rationality, because the performances are great, but I can't buy ugly cds without vomiting!  GMG has made things very complicated for me. Do I follow the principle of irrational delusions or cynical rationality? I feel like losing myself in the process. Since most members on GMG do not complain about this kind of dilemma, I might be a "special case", and normal people can handle these things. A few days ago I started to refuse Youtube links shared here. That has helped. I just ignore the links and tell myself nobody is obligated to watch them all day long as if we didn't have a life with things to do. I have repaired christmas presents instead of watching Youtube! I am living my life.

[Karl Henning]

Nothing at all wrong with living one's life, Poju   

[Gurn Blanston]

I know more baroque composers than the average John.  All of them are not worth an obsession.
Right now I am obsessed of Ricercar Consort.

Nothing wrong with that! Ricercar Consort are an outstanding group. THey even do music as new as Haydn. Don't get me wrong, I like Baroque too, but Classic Era is MY obsession...

[71 dB]

Nothing wrong with that! Ricercar Consort are an outstanding group.

Yes. I suddenly realised it. 

THey even do music as new as Haydn. Don't get me wrong, I like Baroque too, but Classic Era is MY obsession...

Don't get me wrong, I like Classic Era too, but Baroque is MY obsession...

Nothing at all wrong with living one's life, Poju   

I agree. The Internet can knock me of the track so I must be careful.