Have You Ever Experienced Radical Changes in Your Musical Taste?

[Jo498]

Not really. Of course it took me many years (before streaming etc.) to get only to the core of what might be considered standard repertoire and I still have gaps, so there were often shifts in focus and attention. There are a few pieces I loved when I got first into classical at ~15 but couldn't stand later and today enjoy again but only rarely, e.g. Tchaikovsky's 5th (and it holds for some other pieces I only got to know much later) or in small doses. I remember that about 12 years ago I wanted to compare recordings of Tchaikovsky's 4th or 5th and realized that I could not bear listening to the piece twice within an afternoon...

I also listen to less opera than I did in some earlier years because I don't much like only *listening* to opera and can rarely bothered to go to the theatre for it.

But I still love almost everything I loved at about 18-20, Beethoven was and is my favorite composer and when I listen to far less Beethoven nowadays then not because I don't like Beethoven anymore but because there is no much other stuff I have not listened to as often and don't know as well. Other favorites like Brahms, Mozart, Schubert are all still favorites, even if joined by others whose music I didn't know well 30 years ago.

[Florestan]

The first works that attracted me to Beethoven pretty early on were his String Quartets.

Even when Beethoven was my favorite composer the string quartets did nothing for me. Today I don't even try anymore. 

[AnotherSpin]

When I started getting into classical music I had to start somewhere and that somewhere contained composers such as Sibelius and Rachmaninov among others. A few years later I had discovered a lot of my "real" favorite composers and I started to develop some kind of mild dislike for the music of these composers.

In the World of non-classical music I used to be into Paul Simon in the 80's and early 90's, but nowadays I find his music a bit boring and dull. Nowadays I am into Carly Simon instead! 

Most of the time my taste broadens. I learn to appreciate stuff I didn't appreciate previously without losing taste for anything. Sibelius, Rachmaninov and Paul Simon are rather rare examples of music I used to like a lot more in the past than I do today.

I really like what Paul Simon has been doing. Starting with his songs with Art Garfunkel, which I've known literally since I was a kid, and then the solo output. My favourite albums are Still Crazy After All These Years, Graceland, The Rhythm of the Saints, You're the One, etc. Carly Simon was ok in early seventies, No Secrets, et al.

[Mandryka]

I used to like opera. I mean, seriously like it, I travelled the world to see it. Then it became clear that even though it could be an amazing experience, that only happened about 10% of the time or less, and so I decided to give it up. It's a lot of faff for such a low success rate -- expensive and you have to fight to get tickets, and dress up a bit. I've never been interested in audio recordings of operas, so that was the end of that.

I remember being with someone at a prom concert and joking that my favourite composers all begin with an M - Mozart, Monteverdi and Mahler. Now I have zero interest in Mahler (too predictable for me), and Monteverdi and most of Mozart went out of the window with opera. I guess I still listen to the odd madrigal and Mozart quartet.

The two pieces which got me interested in classical music were Brahms Piano Concerto 2 and Bartok Piano Concerto 3. This was when I was at school. I wouldn't let either in the house now -- big concertos are not for me any more.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I used to like opera. I mean, seriously like it, I travelled the world to see it. Then it became clear that even though it could be an amazing experience, that only happened about 10% of the time or less, and so I decided to give it up. It's a lot of faff for such a low success rate -- expensive and you have to fight to get tickets, and dress up a bit. I've never been interested in audio recordings of operas, so that was the end of that.

It strikes me that in this age of DVDs and big-screen TVs, opera might be best experienced at home. Admittedly, I haven't tried it myself, but I probably should.

[Florestan]

It strikes me that in this age of DVDs and big-screen TVs, opera might be best experienced at home.

This, and more --- opera has been the most democratic, non-elitist art form ever since 1636, when the first ticket-based opera house was opened în Venice, until the advent of Wagner.


I'll take Rossini over Beethoven and Massenet over Wagner, thank you.

[71 dB]

The strangest thing that happened was that in middle age I developed a serious liking for rock music, which I had previously mostly ignored (generally classic, folk and prog of the 1965-75 period). This is odd because the typical thing is to be into rock when you're young and get into classical when you're older, but it was the opposite in my case. And I can't really attribute this to nostalgia, because I was a bit too young for this stuff to be the "soundtrack of my life" or anything like that.

I hated rock music when I was young. Most rock has always sounded "stupid" to my ears. However, there are SOME rock I enjoy. Around 2001 when I was 30, I discovered a couple of soft rock bands which I like (Lowgold from the UK and Kashmir from Denmark). In 2008 I discovered King Crimson which I find to be the most sophisticated and intelligent rock music I have ever heard. I can enjoy about 1 % of all rock music, some of it a lot, but the rest 99 % just sounds "stupid" to me. Especially metal music which is huge in Finland I find very hard to enjoy.

I think we can feel nostalgia for things we haven't experienced ourself, but we know did exist from old photos, movies etc. This is some kind of indirect nostalgia.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

In 2008 I discovered King Crimson which I find to be the most sophisticated and intelligent rock music I have ever heard.

I love a lot of 1970s prog rock (Crimson, Tull, Yes, and a bit of Floyd), but what they did after that decade really doesn't interest me much. A lot of rock groups stay together too long for their own good.

I can enjoy about 1 % of all rock music, some of it a lot, but the rest 99 % just sounds "stupid" to me.

Yeah, it's just Sturgeon's Law at work ("90% of everything is crap").

[vers la flamme]

I used to like opera. I mean, seriously like it, I travelled the world to see it. Then it became clear that even though it could be an amazing experience, that only happened about 10% of the time or less, and so I decided to give it up. It's a lot of faff for such a low success rate -- expensive and you have to fight to get tickets, and dress up a bit. I've never been interested in audio recordings of operas, so that was the end of that.

I remember being with someone at a prom concert and joking that my favourite composers all begin with an M - Mozart, Monteverdi and Mahler. Now I have zero interest in Mahler (too predictable for me), and Monteverdi and most of Mozart went out of the window with opera. I guess I still listen to the odd madrigal and Mozart quartet.

The two pieces which got me interested in classical music were Brahms Piano Concerto 2 and Bartok Piano Concerto 3. This was when I was at school. I wouldn't let either in the house now -- big concertos are not for me any more.

Having spent several years chatting with you on the forums, I have somewhat of an idea what the answer is, but for the sake of conversation: what do you like now?

[Mandryka]

Having spent several years chatting with you on the forums, I have somewhat of an idea what the answer is, but for the sake of conversation: what do you like now?

Op 131

[AnotherSpin]

I used to like opera. I mean, seriously like it, I travelled the world to see it. Then it became clear that even though it could be an amazing experience, that only happened about 10% of the time or less, and so I decided to give it up. It's a lot of faff for such a low success rate -- expensive and you have to fight to get tickets, and dress up a bit. I've never been interested in audio recordings of operas, so that was the end of that.
[..]

I've always enjoyed listening to operas. But, I do it less and less often. Opera requires a lot of time, effort and concentration, and it's getting harder and harder.

[Florestan]

Opera requires a lot of time, effort and concentration, and it's getting harder and harder.

That's the Wagner bullshit. 

[71 dB]

I love a lot of 1970s prog rock (Crimson, Tull, Yes, and a bit of Floyd), but what they did after that decade really doesn't interest me much. A lot of rock groups stay together too long for their own good.

I enjoy King Crimson from all decades. I allow groups to change their sound/style with time. For me it is richness how The Power to Believe is very different from In the Court of the Crimson King. Same with groups like Tangerine Dream: It is so cool there are so many different variations of the style with time and if you can't enjoy the mediocre/bad stuff of a group, then maybe you aren't a fan after all? Rather a casual listener...

[Florestan]

Op 131

Beethoven, always Beethoven!... Fuck Beethoven, man!

[Mandryka]

Beethoven, always Beethoven!... Fuck Beethoven, man!

 Prokofiev?

[Brian]

It strikes me that in this age of DVDs and big-screen TVs, opera might be best experienced at home. Admittedly, I haven't tried it myself, but I probably should.

I have no excuse. Years ago - maybe even a decade ago - I bought Blu-ray copies of Prince Igor, Eugene Onegin, Falstaff, and Macbeth, all with the NY Met, and have never watched any. (I did watch that Falstaff production when it was simulcast in a movie theater.) It was meant as a test purchase to see if watching DVD performances would be a favorite activity in my house...and I never got around to trying it once 

[Florestan]

Prokofiev?

Cimarosa.

[Spotted Horses]

I have no excuse. Years ago - maybe even a decade ago - I bought Blu-ray copies of Prince Igor, Eugene Onegin, Falstaff, and Macbeth, all with the NY Met, and have never watched any. (I did watch that Falstaff production when it was simulcast in a movie theater.) It was meant as a test purchase to see if watching DVD performances would be a favorite activity in my house...and I never got around to trying it once 

I found the experience of listening opera while trying to follow along with the translation in one of those little booklets that come with the CD to be extremely unsatisfying. I switched over the DVDs then Blu-rays so I could see the action and have subtitles on screen. Huge improvement, although I no longer can find the time. There are irritants. Some of the DVDs are a low quality transfer of one television broadcast with poor sound and image. But the blu-rays are usually excellent. But I find myself annoyed when the director insists on extreme close-ups of singers who look like they are going to burst a lung. I wish they would be satisfied with long shots of the stage, or more moderate close ups.

[Karl Henning]

I enjoy King Crimson from all decades. I allow groups to change their sound/style with time. For me it is richness how The Power to Believe is very different from In the Court of the Crimson King. Same with groups like Tangerine Dream: It is so cool there are so many different variations of the style with time and if you can't enjoy the mediocre/bad stuff of a group, then maybe you aren't a fan after all? Rather a casual listener...

Likewise: I love KC from what era soever. 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I enjoy King Crimson from all decades. I allow groups to change their sound/style with time. For me it is richness how The Power to Believe is very different from In the Court of the Crimson King.

Well, KC went through a lot of changes... I test-listened to Discipline on YouTube, and thought "this isn't what I want from this band!" For one thing, the classical influence was completely gone. I'm happy to stick to the 60s/70s albums.

This, and more --- opera has been the most democratic, non-elitist art form

An interesting observation... nowadays, opera is viewed (in America at least) as the height of elitism; but in the 18th or 19th century, it was the form that had the most popularity among the general public. If non-elite people knew any classical music, it was likely in the form of opera arias or orchestral excerpts.