Lately I have been listening to 60s Rock and haven't spent any time listening to classical. In the past, I have been able to balance my listening between my two favorite genres, Rock and Classical, but I have never been able to give enough attention to Rock, Classical and Jazz in a given week. I'd like to have more variety in my listening, but I seem to get drawn into whatever genre I am currently enjoying so much that I ignore the others. I don't necessarily consider this a problem, but I am curious how those of you balance your listening between the genres you enjoy.
:)
No ingenious plan or device - I follow my mood. Currently I am in a classical mood. It comes and goes - and I just play the music that I feel like listening to. I must add that it never seems to be an exact balance for me - the tide's either in or out.
Quote from: Great Gable on November 28, 2007, 07:49:36 AM
No ingenious plan or device - I follow my mood. Currently I am in a classical mood. It comes and goes - and I just play the music that I feel like listening to. I must add that it never seems to be an exact balance for me - the tide's either in or out.
Thanks. :)
I follow my mood too. Lately it's have been mostly classical for me.
I follow something like the Great Gable Mood Plan.
In my case, there's much more classical which I enjoy more richly and sustainedly than other genres, so for my listening, the idea of balance incorporates an Overweight Position in Classical Futures 8)
George, for me it was intuitive...there have been several points where I rarely picked up Our Music and/or Metal/Rock. But trust me, it definitely balances out. Last summer I just went nuts over Metal again, and I listened to Our Music abot twice a week total. But this only lasted a few weeks. Once I popped in op. 59 again, I was back in a big way.
I always end up missing whatever music I put on the back burner for awhile.
Quote from: Haffner on November 28, 2007, 07:53:30 AM
George, for me it was intuitive...there have been several points where I rarely picked up Our Music and/or Metal/Rock. But trust me, it definitely balances out. Last summer I just went nuts over Metal again, and I listened to Our Music abot twice a week total. But this only lasted a few weeks. Once I popped in op. 59 again, I was back in a big way.
I always end up missing whatever music I put on the back burner for awhile.
Indeed, nothing wrong with utilizing the old "absence makes the heart grow fonder" principle. :)
Quote from: karlhenning on November 28, 2007, 07:52:35 AM
... the idea of balance incorporates an Overweight Position in Classical Futures 8)
This is where I had been for about a year or so, but recently have rediscovered some great Rock music from the 60s. As much as I love classical music, Rock has been and will remain my one true love when it comes to music.
Having a schizo listening personality helps :P When somebody mentioned a band in the listening thread earlier, I got such an urge to listen to them that I played an album in the middle of a RVW symphony (I waited for the second movement to finish, then changed disc), then went back to the symphony once the hankering was over.
I go by the mood thing as well (the only option IMO). It tends to remain pretty steady at over 80% classical ~20% other. Non classical can feed a few certain moods that classical cannot, and is also invaluble during a time when I need some kind of beat (eg. working out).
Baroque, classical, romantic, and contemporary are all very different from eachother. I consider each of them a genre, and I jump from one to the other.
You guys have mentioned mood. The "good music" we listen to is so rich and diverse that it often takes 10 minutes picking out something that fits your mood. Other times, you need to listen to one thing in particular. That need is like hunger.
Quote from: George on November 28, 2007, 07:59:14 AM
Rock has been and will remain my one true love when it comes to music.
I'm wondering how adamant you would be concerning that statement if you threw on the Borodin LvB opps. 59 and/or 132 again.
For me, there's also the nostalgia factor. Rock and Metal tend to "take me back" as well as the Brandenburg Concertos and Paganini's Capricci. Even the Rock and classical music I never liked that much can take me back to interesting memories...
Quote from: George on November 28, 2007, 07:59:14 AM
This is where I had been for about a year or so, but recently have rediscovered some great Rock music from the 60s. As much as I love classical music, Rock has been and will remain my one true love when it comes to music.
I hear you man. Nothing beats Metallica for me !
No need for balance here. I listen to whichever whim has me at the moment. That's one big advantage of the high capacity mp3 players 8)
Admittedly I sometimes force myself to listen to more classical music than I want to at that moment, but it almost never works and I find myself either listening half heartedly, or switching to something else very soon afterwards.
Quote from: George on November 28, 2007, 07:59:14 AMAs much as I love classical music, Rock has been and will remain my one true love when it comes to music.
So perhaps your dream band would be Simon and Moravec? I can hear it now:
The Boxer's Polonaise!
For Chopin, Wherever I May Find Him...or maybe that's just *my* dream band.
My listening has altered dramatically since I first discovered classical music at the impressionable age of 18. I began by listening to what Haffner appropriately terms as 'Our Music' only infrequently at first; but with the passing of the years, classical has gained substantial ground, almost completely eclipsing any other genres of music. I say 'almost', because stars like Tori Amos and Kate Bush will forever shine brightly in my own musical firmament. ;)
Last year, the tipping point was reached. I found this forum, and filed away pretty much every disc that wasn't classical. My collection of 'Our Music' has exploded in size thanks to my time here, and now I no longer feel much need to listen to repetitive, four-minute pop/rock songs, however much I might love a good deal of them. Something in me has changed: when I hear an over-produced, closely recorded, non-classical studio album, it sounds artificial, dishonest ... wrong.
And as EmpNapoleon rightly points out, there are plenty enough sub-genres within classical to keep some of us going for the rest of our days. So when it comes to balancing these sub-genres, I'm with those who do it according to mood. :)
Ah! Musica nostra!
I definitely go in phases, like George, though I almost never go with one type of music 100% of the time -- the big iPod has really made a difference there. For the past couple of weeks I've been on a Neil Young kick, listening at home, at work, in the car, etc., but just last night I threw in some Chopin Etudes and even some Sinopoli Mahler to break things up a bit. I'm sort of an omnivore when it comes to this sort of thing. Same way with books, I'm one of those people who are generally reading half a dozen books at any one time, some I only pick up once a week or so but I keep chipping away at them.
Long phases and I simply can't listen to a genre if it's not in phase. When I first came to GMG, I did nothing but listen to Bach's Mass and passions with a little branching out, mostly other baroque choral works or instrumental pieces. That's it. I was too into them to even want to listen to other music that I like. Eventually jazz came back into phase and I couldn't listen to Bach again (though if someone asked me what kind of music I listen to, I'd still list him).
I both like and dislike this system, but there's nothing I can do about it. I've tried to listen to out-of-phase music and I just can't. The intense focus on one particular, but ever shifting, genre, is something hard-wired in me.
Quote from: George on November 28, 2007, 07:40:32 AM
Lately I have been listening to 60s Rock and haven't spent any time listening to classical. In the past, I have been able to balance my listening between my two favorite genres, Rock and Classical, but I have never been able to give enough attention to Rock, Classical and Jazz in a given week. I'd like to have more variety in my listening, but I seem to get drawn into whatever genre I am currently enjoying so much that I ignore the others. I don't necessarily consider this a problem, but I am curious how those of you balance your listening between the genres you enjoy.
:)
George I can relate to what you are saying about enjoying whatever genre you are listening to that you fixate on it for weeks on end. I remember weeks where every day I would listen to opera and nothing but opera!! But now I force myself (sometimes you have to do that unfortunately) to shift gears and start listening to other types of music. The key to be successful at this is to pick music you enjoy so much that the transition between genres happens seamlessly.
In your particular case might I recommend the Beethoven Sonatas (Gulda) to bring you back to the wonderfull world of classical music. I hope this helps......
marvin
Until last year, I could happily dart between any genre at will: Mahler to Metallica to the Muppets Christmas Carol soundtrack if I so chose. ;D A high-capacity MP3 player on shuffle helps here. ;)
I don't ever think of a balancing act. I just play what moves me at the time. As an example, it moved me a few years ago to play nothing but Bach organ works for a couple of years. Lack of balance? Sure, but I don't care.
George, this is entirely normal and happens to many of us with eclectic music tastes. At the moment my car radio listening is entirely different to my MP3 listening to my listening at home.
Quote from: Don on November 28, 2007, 02:17:40 PM
I don't ever think of a balancing act. I just play what moves me at the time. As an example, it moved me a few years ago to play nothing but Bach organ works for a couple of years. Lack of balance? Sure, but I don't care.
WOW Don I am impressed by your fascination with J.S. Bach, and especially with just one genre of Bach's massive output- namely, the organ works! The fact that Bach was able to maintain you listening interest and pleasure for a couple of years solely with his organ works is a testament to Bach's greatness!!
marvin
Quote from: brianrein on November 28, 2007, 12:30:48 PM
So perhaps your dream band would be Simon and Moravec? I can hear it now: The Boxer's Polonaise!
For Chopin, Wherever I May Find Him...
or maybe that's just *my* dream band.
;D
Quote from: marvinbrown on November 28, 2007, 02:02:09 PM
George I can relate to what you are saying about enjoying whatever genre you are listening to that you fixate on it for weeks on end. I remember weeks where every day I would listen to opera and nothing but opera!! But now I force myself (sometimes you have to do that unfortunately) to shift gears and start listening to other types of music. The key to be successful at this is to pick music you enjoy so much that the transition between genres happens seamlessly.
In your particular case might I recommend the Beethoven Sonatas (Gulda) to bring you back to the wonderfull world of classical music. I hope this helps......
marvin
Good to hear from you Marvin, yes, it does help. I have a feeling that modern composers such as Ligeti might be a better road back into classical, though I am happy to be on classical vacation for the moment.
Quote from: jwinter on November 28, 2007, 12:57:30 PM
I definitely go in phases, like George, though I almost never go with one type of music 100% of the time -- the big iPod has really made a difference there. For the past couple of weeks I've been on a Neil Young kick, listening at home, at work, in the car, etc
Since we are in the diner, what are your favorite albums by him? I recently picked up "Live Rust" and "Rust Never Sleeps."
Quote from: marvinbrown on November 29, 2007, 12:59:51 AM
WOW Don I am impressed by your fascination with J.S. Bach, and especially with just one genre of Bach's massive output- namely, the organ works! The fact that Bach was able to maintain you listening interest and pleasure for a couple of years solely with his organ works is a testament to Bach's greatness!!
marvin
Yes, Bach's my main man. 8)
My music listening has gone through quite a transformation in the past few years.
Like George, rock music was my first love BUT things have changed and now classical holds the top spot. Some rock music actually makes me tense up and feel unwell :(
I have 100s of prog rock cds which I never listen to any more.
My cd purchasing will be even more specific from now on [not that it wasn't before]. :)
Quote from: Solitary Wanderer on November 30, 2007, 11:38:09 AM
I have 100s of prog rock cds which I never listen to any more.
Do you have any you want to get rid of?
Quote from: Great Gable on November 30, 2007, 01:50:22 PM
Do you have any you want to get rid of?
Yes, most of them! Shall I PM you a list? :)
I'm surprised this thread isn't created by Mark ;D
Quote from: Bonehelm on November 30, 2007, 08:01:43 PM
I'm surprised this thread isn't created by Mark ;D
Mark and I were cut form the same cloth. $:)
Quote from: Bonehelm on November 30, 2007, 08:01:43 PM
I'm surprised this thread isn't created by Mark ;D
I'm rather annoyed George beat me to the punch. >:(
;D
Yeh i try to, mainly rock(mainly prog), some electronica, metal and classical, besides the casual fusion, flamenco, etc
I've becoming more interested in jazz this days, so it will be another one to the mix.
So much music, so little time!
Quote from: Mark on November 30, 2007, 11:31:31 PM
I'm rather annoyed George beat me to the punch. >:(
;D
As I would have been, had you beaten me to it. ;)
Quote from: George on November 29, 2007, 04:15:08 AM
Since we are in the diner, what are your favorite albums by him? I recently picked up "Live Rust" and "Rust Never Sleeps."
There are lots of goodies, but alas quite a few misses as well, particularly in the 80s. If you want a good sampling of his early stuff, Decade is an outstanding greatest hits compilation, it's pretty thorough and really gives you a good idea of what all the fuss was about in the seventies. I also love Ragged Glory -- it's raucous, loud and obnoxious, very loose but a lot of fun. :)
Quote from: jwinter on December 02, 2007, 05:31:09 PM
There are lots of goodies, but alas quite a few misses as well, particularly in the 80s. If you want a good sampling of his early stuff, Decade is an outstanding greatest hits compilation, it's pretty thorough and really gives you a good idea of what all the fuss was about in the seventies. I also love Ragged Glory -- it's raucous, loud and obnoxious, very loose but a lot of fun. :)
Yes, I have Decade. Must revisit that one. :)
Check PM BTW. 8)
When the mood strikes, I will start a jazz run and look at my shelf and say, "Man, I need to put more jazz cds on the shelf and relax on my classical....I have plenty there." Then after my jazz mood runs low and I jump back into classical, I will say, "Man, why did I spend all that money on those jazz cds when I have so many classical holes to fill." It all works out buddy. Just run with the "dogs" that are doing it for you.
How is it that a random song gets stuck in my head? I watched this show about 8 months ago, and the song suddenly got into my head now.
I found it on youtube, but I dunno about this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/y5IaFoXe-QU
Quote from: The Emperor on November 30, 2007, 11:42:22 PM
Yeh i try to, mainly rock(mainly prog), some electronica, metal and classical, besides the casual fusion, flamenco, etc
I've becoming more interested in jazz this days, so it will be another one to the mix.
So much music, so little time!
We ought to have a prog thread - as there are at least three of us now
I go where my interest takes me. Right now I'm burnt out on classical, but I still have some Schnabel and Caruso on my 'pod along with all the country blues now residing there.
Quote from: MN Dave on December 03, 2007, 04:37:41 AM
I go where my interest takes me.
No better policy.
Quote from: MN DaveRight now I'm burnt out on classical . . . .
That's why there's Romantic, and 20th Century! 8)