The Thrill is gone

[springrite]

I have been known to listen to over 20 symphonies in one day, and did so as recently as two years ago, with several of the symphonies first listenings and some are truly thorny works.

If the thrill is gone, do not blame the music. Maybe you need to take a break. Maybe you need to expand yourself. Maybe you need to grow. (Growth in one's left brain music analytical ability does not have to come at the expense of one's intuitive response to music. ) Maybe other aspects of your life need attention. There are many other possibilities. But music is not one of them.

[some guy]

I'd say that the thrill has increased for me over the years.

In fact, I sometimes think I need to just CALM DOWN. But truly, music is thrilling. Only a week ago, I had just finished listening to something, some old timey piece like Shostakovich's eighth, I think, and I called my oldest son up and said, "Music is really pretty cool, you know?" (He thought I should calm down, of course.)

One thing I've learned; don't expect the thrill. That's easy to do, especially thinking of thrills past. Let the thrills come as they will. And they will, sometimes not until the fifth or twentieth listen. (I went to a live concert many years ago that included some Scelsi piano pieces. I was looking forward to these, as a friend had said that Scelsi was really great. Boring! And I soon started to avoid Scelsi, as everything I heard of his was boring.

When I mentioned this a couple of years ago to another friend, he said "Oh, Scelsi's fine. Give him another listen." I did. And guess what?

Right: THRILLING. Truly lovely, lovely stuff.

[BachQ]

I'd say that the thrill has increased for me over the years.

Yeah, maybe ....... but you're just some guy .......... some guy on the Internet ............

[Brian]

going through 10 different symphonies in 1 week ain't exactly healthy as well.

Howard

Wasn't it marvinbrown who listened to all 9 Dvorak symphonies for the first time in two days? That was such a glorious idea. 

[Don]

One thing I've learned; don't expect the thrill.

So true.  Thrills come when they come, and expectations can only dampen the effect.

[some guy]

Yeah, maybe ....... but you're just some guy .......... some guy on the Internet ............

Hahahaha, it's true.

[bassio]

hmm maybe I am rushing things. Thanks for the suggestion guys.

I notice that I am a slow explorer .. and I have the habit of knowing every single note of the piece I discover at hand until full digestion and then moving on to the next.

As for not "exploring enough", on the contrary .. I am recently going deeper and deeper in Egyptian Classical Music and I cannot stop. Perhaps this is the main cause I have not been listening to new western repertoire recently.

[jochanaan]

...I am recently going deeper and deeper in Egyptian Classical Music...

Ancient or modern?

[Gustav]

one kind of thrill is gone, while a new kind thrill has just begun...

[hautbois]

Wasn't it marvinbrown who listened to all 9 Dvorak symphonies for the first time in two days? That was such a glorious idea. 

When i was 18 i listened to all of Shostakovich's symphonies in one day, a bad idea.

Howard

(p.s. May i rephrase, a VERY bad idea.)

[karlhenning]

Oh, I agree entirely, Howard, much as I like practically all of the 15.  They need to "breathe," and if you're listening to them all in a single day, you're suffocating.

[marvinbrown]

Wasn't it marvinbrown who listened to all 9 Dvorak symphonies for the first time in two days? That was such a glorious idea. 

  Yes it was me, marvinbrown  and it was a wonderful experience.  I of course had to revisit symphony no.2 as I found it the most difficult to grasp on first hearing.

  PS:  this is what happens when you are addicted to Wagner, you can go for hours on end listening to music- provided that it is great of course as was the case with Dvorak.  Mahler on the other hand....well let's not go there shall we...

  marvin

[greg]

Wasn't it marvinbrown who listened to all 9 Dvorak symphonies for the first time in two days? That was such a glorious idea.

i did almost the same last week?... i knew the 9th, but the other ones i've never heard before. And it was 2 or 3 days, can't remember.....
of course, i'll have to revisit sometime again to even become a little bit familiar with them, since one listening isn't much.