How many hours a day do you listen to classical music? Poll!

[quintett op.57]

always

[RebLem]

It varies greatly.  Occasionally, I listen to no music at all, all day.  I am retired and a bachelor, so the chief interruptions I have are the need to go shopping for food, take care of my dog, including an hour or so twice a week at a leash free dog park, preparing meals, eating, surfing and writing on the internet, and, most of all, watching TV--I am a TV addict.  Yesterday, Tuesday, April 10, was a little unusual--I spent from about 6 PM to 2 AM, off and on, doing my taxes online with Turbo Tax.  Finally got that out of the way with 6 days to spare. 

TV competes heavily with my listening time, but I don't always watch a whole program.  I like Extreme Makeover-Home Edition for example.  What I do with that show is watch and listen for about the first 20 minutes, right up to the time they tear the old house down.  Then I put it on mute and listen to music, and then I stop the music and turn the sound back on for the last 15 minutes or so, starting with the time when they are just about to move the bus.

Some things I do multitask with.  I can cook while paying attention to music because my kitchen is very near my living room.  My living room and home office are at opposite ends of a long corridor, but there is a straight line to my ear for the music, so I will listen to music and work on the internet at the same time, especially if its music I don't care that much about.  Last night, doing my taxes, for example, I did pick out a CD I hadn't listened to yet, one from a hanssler twofer from the CBE of early Bach harpsichord music from the Cothen period, and I listened to that while I was doing my taxes.

Tonight I am going to do about 2 hours of listening, because the only thing in prime time I want to watch is Jericho (7-8 PM) and then, 8-10 PM, I will turn on HGTV, turn it on mute, and listen to music.  You can pretty much tell what's going on on HGTV without the sound.  I'm planning on listening to Simon Rattle's 2 CD recording of Szymanowski's King Roger, and & his Sym 4.

[mahlertitan]

i have my ipod on between 1-2 hours every day. moderation is the key, otherwise, even the most beautiful music will become tedious.

[Symphonien]

I voted 1-3 hours. I either listen to CDs as an exclusive activity or else listen to the radio at this site. Very good site indeed, and the best part is that you can request a work and it gets played an hour later. Recently, I have started always listening to this in the background while I am on the internet. Only 1900 onwards though so it might not work for some, but it suits me perfectly.

[Harry]

Let me make one thing clear, I does not matter for me wether I am listening doing other things or not, my attention and concentration is always intense, multi tasking or not.
Its a gift.

[Florestan]

Let me make one thing clear, I does not matter for me wether I am listening doing other things or not, my attention and concentration is always intense, multi tasking or not.
Its a gift.

Goede morgen, Harry!

Does this mean you can listen to Alan Pettersson and write a love letter in the same time?

[Harry]

Goede morgen, Harry!

Does this mean you can listen to Alan Pettersson and write a love letter in the same time?

Goedemorgen mijn vriend.

Well with Pettersson I have to make a exception. You have me there!
Pettersson is indeed a composer that will not allow you to do something else, so I don't!

[Florestan]

Goedemorgen mijn vriend.

Well with Pettersson I have to make a exception. You have me there!
Pettersson is indeed a composer that will not allow you to do something else, so I don't!

This reminds me that some months ago, while at my job office, I've been listening to Mahler's Symphonies, all nine in a row, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

After the Fourth I began to change my mind about Mahler, after the Seventh I was convinced that Mozart is a far better symphonist than him and after the Ninth I just hated the guy.

Now, the truth is that I love Mahler, but this kind of listening is insane and can have adverse reactions. Never try this at home!

[Harry]

This reminds me that some months ago, while at my job office, I've been listening to Mahler's Symphonies, all nine in a row, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

After the Fourth I began to change my mind about Mahler, after the Seventh I was convinced that Mozart is a far better symphonist than him and after the Ninth I just hated the guy.

Now, the truth is that I love Mahler, but this kind of listening is insane and can have adverse reactions. Never try this at home!

Most interesting! The transition from loving Mahler to hating him, caused by overdose. Hmm! And the Mozart bit, fascinating.
I did this once with the complete works of Chopin, I think I played that box for more than 30 times, listening 20 hours a day.
I could not sleep in that period of my life. No ill side effects though!

[Florestan]

Most interesting! The transition from loving Mahler to hating him, caused by overdose. Hmm! And the Mozart bit, fascinating.

My thoughts then were: Mahler need 2 hours of heavy, over-orchestrated and sometimes plain kitschy rhetoric to achieve what Mozart had in 20 minutes with an airy chamber orchestra of the utmost elegance and refinement.
I was of course wrong but I was over-reacting to an overdose. And that cured me forever of such crazy listening ordeals.

I did this once with the complete works of Chopin, I think I played that box for more than 30 times, listening 20 hours a day.

Oh my God! I love Chopin but I think I would have reacted in the same way, going back to some good ol' Scarlatti!

[Harry]

My thoughts then were: Mahler need 2 hours of heavy, over-orchestrated and sometimes plain kitschy rhetoric to achieve what Mozart had in 20 minutes with an airy chamber orchestra of the utmost elegance and refinement.
I was of course wrong but I was over-reacting to an overdose. And that cured me forever of such crazy listening ordeals.
Oh my God! I love Chopin but I think I would have reacted in the same way, going back to some good ol' Scarlatti!

I would have done that for sure, but..........Chopin was the only and first classical composer I had at the time!

[Harry]

What happens to me, from time to time, if I do not vary in the music I play, than my mind refuses to accept sounds. So then I search for something without to much dynamics, like lute music, and balance. It helps!

[Valentino]

I manage almost one concentrated hour a day. My wife is no screaming banshee, but my two sons (2 and 4 1/2) emulate one each.

[marvinbrown]

I manage almost one concentrated hour a day. My wife is no screaming banshee, but my two sons (2 and 4 1/2) emulate one each.

  The only thing I can say about that is familiarity helps me concentrate.  I can go two hours with complete concertration if the piece of music is new, any more and my mind starts to fade out.  However if I know the works very well then my complete concentration can last up to 4 hours....strange isn't it?

  marvin

[Lady Chatterley]

Chopin was the only and first classical composer I had at the time!

But could you dance to it Harry?

[Harry]

But could you dance to it Harry?

Some of the Mazurka's, well yes I could, and a few rounds of waltzes would do quite nicely.

[Harry]

  The only thing I can say about that is familiarity helps me concentrate.  I can go two hours with complete concertration if the piece of music is new, any more and my mind starts to fade out.  However if I know the works very well then my complete concentration can last up to 4 hours....strange isn't it?

  marvin

Strange but not uncommon!

[springrite]

Some of the Mazurka's, well yes I could, and a few rounds of waltzes would do quite nicely.

Now, you just put that image in my head of you dancing the Mazurka or the Polonaise under a windmill! I can't get it out of my head now!!!

[Harry]

Now, you just put that image in my head of you dancing the Mazurka or the Polonaise under a windmill! I can't get it out of my head now!!!

Windmills! This image is false my friend from the great country.
We have little of them, and not even in my neighbourhood, so that is really a bad idea, windmills and me dancing!

[springrite]

Windmills! This image is false my friend from the great country.
We have little of them, and not even in my neighbourhood, so that is really a bad idea, windmills and me dancing!

OK, no more windmills. But would put a few pretty Dutch girls in their pretty Dutch traditional outfit, holding huge wheels of Gouda cheese in the background when you dance?