What Kind of Musician Would You Like to Be?

[Florestan]

If you could start your life anew, would you like to become a musician? If yes, what kind? Composer? Performer?

My answer is a resounding yes. If I could start my life anew, I'd certainly choose music as my career. Although my favorite instrument is the piano, I'd study violin instead, because as a violinist one has more professional options and opportunities than as a pianist. I'd compose as well but confine myself to solo piano, violin & piano and Lieder, ie genres that can be played much easier than the big ones and are well within the reach of gifted amateurs too. My aim in both playing the violin and composing would be to please and charm the audience(s). My repertoire would be mostly Classical-Romantic and rather than performing for the umpteenth time the usual warhorses, which countless great violinists had done better than me anyway, I'd concentrate on reviving lesser known composers and works, especially from that much maligned and little understood genre of "salon music". If I could find a bunch of like-minded fellow musicians I'd even start an ensemble, The Bucharest Salon, devoted to recreating such musical soirees, involving solos, chamber music and Lieder, possibly even poetry recitation.

How about you? Do you have such daydreams?

[Xenophanes]

A good one!

As it is, I am a singer, a pretty good baritone (I can still do oratorios, classical songs, show songs, some operatic arias), but a musician, not so much.  My twin brother, a tenor, became a music major, and my older brother, another tenor, used to play trumpet.  Life is soooo unfair.  I would rather have been a tenor, or even a real bass.  Baritones are, comparatively, a dime a dozen.  Both brothers could sight read music.  I never liked music teachers all that much as a kid,  so picky and demanding. 

As to what I would like to have been, well, I don't really think I would want to be a professional performer. As a friend pointed out, I am a bit of a concert singer.  But it would be nice to be a tenor, to grow up having compatible music teachers, learn theory, probably learn an instrument like the piano. I doubt if I would have been much of a composer. 

[Szykneij]

I began playing violin as a child, but switched to double-bass in high school. That proved to be a fortuitous move because it enabled me to experience a wider variety of musical performance. In college, I played in the string, full, and wind orchestras (wind orchestra includes double-bass). During that time, I also filled in with a couple of polka bands on bass guitar. I subsequently played in rock bands, top 40 bands, and general business bands that performed standards, swing, ethnic, and various other genres. While I was able to play some Jazz, it's the one area I wish I had more performance background with. At any rate, while I was far from becoming a virtuoso in any one style, I enjoyed the ability to experience the different genres first-hand. I would do the same if I was starting over again.

[amw]

I play piano, but not at a professional level. If I could start over I'd change that, but it might not be possible; I have the time and inclination, at the moment, to study piano intensively, and potentially the means to do so starting in a few months, but I've never had the required level of discipline, and that's not something that can be taught. You're born disciplined or you aren't.

I can write music at a professional level but haven't done so in a long time, and most of what I've written lately is cast in deeply reactionary early-to-late-19th-century styles, and therefore won't ever find an audience. I guess one potential wish is to be able to return to writing music that's more "original" but none of the projects I've contemplated lately have been compositionally productive, and that's before even getting to the point of considering performers or listeners. Again, lack of discipline is the problem.

[springrite]

A composer/conductor, but more like Furtwangler than Mahler.

[vers la flamme]

Hmm... Well, I am a musician, a singer-songwriter, but if I could do it all over again... Pianist-composer in the tradition of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Kapustin.

[Florestan]

I can write music at a professional level but haven't done so in a long time, and most of what I've written lately is cast in deeply reactionary early-to-late-19th-century styles, and therefore won't ever find an audience.

If I were that imaginary violinist, I'd commission you a sonata for violin and piano right now. 

[Florestan]

Hmm... Well, I am a musician, a singer-songwriter, but if I could do it all over again... Pianist-composer in the tradition of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Kapustin.

Very good! --- but an extinct tradition, I'm afraid...

[Florestan]

Thank you all for your very interesting replies.

[Florestan]

I am a musician, a singer-songwriter,

How about shamelessly promoting yourself by letting us hear some of your songs?  I have a hunch we'd enjoy them a lot.

[amw]

If I were that imaginary violinist, I'd commission you a sonata for violin and piano right now. 

One of the few pieces I did complete in this style (in ~2013) is actually a sonata for viola and piano, lasting about 30' in three movements. It was partially the result of a personal challenge: write a "serious" big piece from fin-de-siècle Germany/Austria (i.e., 1900-1914), since that was a style I was not interested in/out of sympathy with at the time. It's never been performed and will never see the light of day, obviously, but I did wind up channelling a lot of personal heartbreak into it.

[Florestan]

One of the few pieces I did complete in this style (in ~2013) is actually a sonata for viola and piano, lasting about 30' in three movements. It was partially the result of a personal challenge: write a "serious" big piece from fin-de-siècle Germany/Austria (i.e., 1900-1914), since that was a style I was not interested in/out of sympathy with at the time. It's never been performed and will never see the light of day, obviously, but I did wind up channelling a lot of personal heartbreak into it.

Nothing else matters.

[amw]

Nothing else matters.

At this point I'd agree with that, but at the time it was embarrassing; when you're 21 you like to think you've outgrown such base sentimentality.

[Florestan]

At this point I'd agree with that, but at the time it was embarrassing; when you're 21 you like to think you've outgrown such base sentimentality.

[ritter]

Not talented enough to be a professional musician, I'm afraid. My choice would be a top administrative position at a major musical institution, e.g. an important opera house (in Europe, i.e. with vasts amounts of public funding  ). I'd then impose my impeccable taste on the audiences...they'd be in for quite a ride! And I'd have all you musicians asking me to engage you...

[Florestan]

My choice would be a top administrative position at a major musical institution

Barbaja!

Your choices would be much more limited, though.

[ritter]

Barbaja!

Your choices would be much more limited, though.

Barbaja, Ghiringhelli, Heinrich Strobel...yep, that kind of figure. 

[Florestan]

Barbaja, Ghiringhelli, Heinrich Strobel...yep, that kind of figure. 

Were they musicians?

[ritter]

No, they were impresarios or managers...

[Florestan]

No, they were impresarios or managers...

Yes. Not what I asked for.