A different cut on beginners' classical music

[Daverz]

If this is the 'Teresa' I know from various hi-fi forums she's, to be blunt, a well-known loony and extremist who should not be debated with seriously.

And the same Teresa who woke up one day and discovered she couldn't stand classical music any more.  I'd be worried I'd had some kind of mini-stroke if that happenned to me.

[DavidRoss]

If this is the 'Teresa' I know from various hi-fi forums she's, to be blunt, a well-known loony and extremist who should not be debated with seriously.

I see you've been around ... and you're sharp enough to recognize the obvious. Welcome to GMG, Rev!

[Karl Henning]

(* chortle *)

[Mirror Image]

You are of course in your right while using music in such a way. But I'm afraid it is probably the worst way of listening. You only close yourself within yourself missing possiblity to open your mind for infinity of spiritual experience mirrored in all works.

How do you know that I'm not open-minded? Why make an assumption based on information that you don't have? By the way, it's obvious that English isn't your first language, but you really should work on your phrasing, because while I get the general idea of what you're saying, it still reads like a jumbled mess.

[DavidRoss]

How do you know that I'm not open-minded? Why make an assumption based on information that you don't have? By the way, it's obvious that English isn't your first language, but you really should work on your phrasing, because while I get the general idea of what you're saying, it still reads like a jumbled mess.

Almost every post you make displays the state of your mind for the entire world to see.

You are of course in your right while using music in such a way. But I'm afraid it is probably the worst way of listening. You only close yourself within yourself missing possiblity to open your mind for infinity of spiritual experience mirrored in all works.

Not only have I no trouble understanding your posts, mszczuj, but I admire your command of English, even though it's less idiomatic than expected of native speakers and sometimes your sentence structure reads more like German (Polish? Czech?) than good ol' 'merican. And I appreciate that your comments always add something of interest to the discussion. Thank you.

I learned long ago the truth of which you speak: Nothing prevents learning so much as believing we already know.

[Fëanor]

If this is the 'Teresa' I know from various hi-fi forums she's, to be blunt, a well-known loony and extremist who should not be debated with seriously.

She is one & the same.

[mc ukrneal]

How do you know that I'm not open-minded? Why make an assumption based on information that you don't have? By the way, it's obvious that English isn't your first language, but you really should work on your phrasing, because while I get the general idea of what you're saying, it still reads like a jumbled mess.

I'm sorry, but there is no need to insult other members in this way. We should welcome members of all languages. If something isn't clear, we can always ask for clarification.

[mszczuj]

How do you know that I'm not open-minded? Why make an assumption based on information that you don't have?

Everyone is open-minded in some area, close-minded in other, I'm afraid. You just do not use a thinking tool which I find very useful for surviving in the stream of music.  I highly appreciate your experience with listening of the music of late the19th and the 20th century but you disdain some composers I find extremely interesting. My experience says that the only reason for disdaining a composer is a lack of listening. But if you disdain one you can't fully appreciate other composers. That is the reason I think it would be good if you try some Beethoven or Mozart from time to time. What you write about Shostakovitch or Ravel would be more informative for me. And listening to the music  of these two masters of the Classical Era wouldn't be bad for you.  (And you know your spit in my gods faces, not a great problem but still unpleasantness.)

I must say I was really glad when I saw you had started to write in the Haydn thread.

By the way, it's obvious that English isn't your first language, but you really should work on your phrasing, because while I get the general idea of what you're saying, it still reads like a jumbled mess.

Yes, it is a problem. I'm afraid that writing in English become for some reasons more and more difficult for me.

[mszczuj]

Not only have I no trouble understanding your posts, mszczuj, but I admire your command of English, even though it's less idiomatic than expected of native speakers and sometimes your sentence structure reads more like German (Polish? Czech?) than good ol' 'merican. And I appreciate that your comments always add something of interest to the discussion. Thank you.
I learned long ago the truth of which you speak: Nothing prevents learning so much as believing we already know.

Thank you for your kindness. Mszczuj is an old Polish name which I find rather funny. (It is not my real name, though.)

[Sammy]

How do you know that I'm not open-minded? Why make an assumption based on information that you don't have? By the way, it's obvious that English isn't your first language, but you really should work on your phrasing, because while I get the general idea of what you're saying, it still reads like a jumbled mess.

And you should work on not being so disrespectful.

[bigshot]

I think lists for beginners are very helpful, but they're particularly helpful if they're grouped into particular styles of music. Randomly listening to music from all over the place makes it difficult to understand the context and meaning of the music. It ends up being "I like" or "I don't like" instead of true appreciation.

When I start out in any genre of music, I look for a guru to point me to a few major pieces to get me started. I listen to those and read and think about them until I get the lay of the land, then I dive in deeper. It seems to work very well.

[DavidRoss]

But the world--and especially the internet!--is rife with self-appointed gurus who are pompous ignoramuses at best. If one hasn't some education, experience, and good guidance in the first place, it can be difficult to select a "guru" whose inflated ego is not full of sheer BS.

Hang around here, however, and any reasonably perceptive music lover will soon learn to recognize that Bulldog Don's guidance on Bach and Gurn's on Haydn (for instance) are invaluable and damned near faultless.