How do you listen to classical music?

[George]

  Sometimes it helps to listen in the dark....shut down all senses except sound. 

Indeed. When Richter was asked why he performed under a single desk lamp in his later performances he said "to improve concentration." He later added that it was not his concentration that needed improving, it was the audiences. 

[toledobass]

I listen through HP when away from home, when home I prefer speakers. If my girlfriend is home and I want it loud (or not Mozart/Chopin or Bach) I listen on my HD 480's.

480's?

Allan

[George]

480's?

Allan

Sennehesier. 

[toledobass]

Basically whenever the urge hits me.  I don't ever really listen in the car though.  I usually leave that for  non jazz/classical listening.  I listen mostly through headphones but when I get the chance (when no one is home) I listen through speakers.  Occasionally I'll listen through headphones with the speakers on as well to get the full body blasts from the bas brum and low end  and the detail of the headphones...now that's fun.  I will say that my most detailed listening is done in the early afternoon around 2 or 3 or a bit into the evening around 8 or 9.  Also, most nights I'll usually listen to stuff while I'm in bed unwinding.


Allan

[toledobass]

Sennehesier. 

Yeah I thought you were a 580 fan though so you threw me.  How many freakin pairs of cans do ou have? 


Allan

[George]

Yeah I thought you were a 580 fan though so you threw me.  How many freakin pairs of cans do ou have? 


Allan

Just on pair...of 580's 

[toledobass]

Just on pair...of 580's 

You know that's the second time you've boo booed on typing 580. 

Allan

[George]

You know that's the second time you've boo booed on typing 580. 

Allan

I promise to watch the road, er, my typing better, officer. 

[Kullervo]

It is very  important for me to "feel" the music-thats the first indicator that I am starting to connect to it and understand it.  Repeated listening is CRUCIAL.  I need to hear a new piece of music many times before I can pass my own judgment on it. Sometimes it helps to listen in the dark....shut down all senses except sound.

I'm interested as to what you mean by "feel". Do you mean that you understand what the piece is trying to accomplish, or is it something else?

Also, repeated listening is important for me as well.

[Kullervo]

Yeah I thought you were a 580 fan though so you threw me.  How many freakin pairs of cans do ou have? 


Allan

We already have a thread for this. What I'm more interested in is how you listen, not what you use to listen.

[toledobass]

Yeah, sorry, I was just trying to get something clarified.  I did post a reply regarding the thread topic though.

Allan

[Bunny]

We already have a thread for this. What I'm more interested in is how you listen, not what you use to listen.

I listen to a recording the first time very carefully in surroundings without distraction.  After that I will listen to it a few times while doing quiet work.  Finally, I'll put it on the ipod and tune in whenever I'm running around town and have it playing on speakers while I'm reading or cooking or whatever.  Usually the cooking test is the hardest; that's when I really decide what I feel about a recording.  For some reason that's when I really can hear things clearly.

[marvinbrown]

I'm interested as to what you mean by "feel". Do you mean that you understand what the piece is trying to accomplish, or is it something else?

Also, repeated listening is important for me as well.

   I was hoping you weren't going to ask me that question as I tried to elaborate on it when I wrote my first post but could not find the right words to do so.  I will attempt an explanation by providing examples of what I am talking about. Bear in mind that this is not an exact science. Let's take a few examples: Mozart's flute and harp concerto, Puccini's Tosca, and Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and J.S. Bach's Brandenberg concerto no.1.

  1) Mozart's flute and harp concerto: Mozart's music on this composition "flows like a river"- this is the feeling I get from it when I hear it. This applies to a lot of Mozart's compositions.   I can feel the light-heartedness in music that flows effortlessly.
  2) Puccini's Tosca - An interesting combination of feelings apply here- there is a coarseness or roughness to the music (you can even call it aggression) combined with melodies that are filled with beautiful melancholia enough to push me over the edge into a "depressed" state.  I honesty can not explain it better than that.   
  3) Wagner's tristan und isolde differs from Puccini's Tosca in that it has a stronger hypnotic grip on me.  The music is very heavy, I can feel the weight.  It does not push me into a depressed state as Puccini's Tosca and the beautiful music is not as welcoming nor as apparent on the surface...you have to listen more attentively and dig deeper to appreciate its beauty.  The Tristan cord alone leaves me hanging for a resolution that never seems to come, I feel the uneasiness in the music....a lot of frustrated pain
   4) J.S. Bach Brandenberg concerto no.1: The music "feels" regal- as if meant for a young prince (whether it was or not is beside the point).  A lot of joy in that piece.  In a lot of Bach's works you can "sense" the methodical almost mathematical structure of the music. 

   I hope I was able to convey my ideas properly....bottom line enjoy what you are listening to, music should never be about micro-analyzing what notes and what tempo are used. If you have ever seen the film Dead Poet's Society, when Robin Williams tries to teach his students how to appreciate literature not by analyzing it on a graph but by appreciating it "spiritually"..connecting to it on a personal level if you will ..well this should be applied to music also.   (Finally everything I wrote above is just my opinion-its not the gospel nor is it cast in stone)- Happy listening

  marvin 

[Kullervo]

Yeah, sorry, I was just trying to get something clarified.  I did post a reply regarding the thread topic though.

Allan

I appreciate it

[Manon]

I'm not sure if this topic has been covered here before, but I thought it was a good question since classical music is so often very personal for me.

I like to listen to music in relative silence, on headphones, by a window. I usually sway/move my legs/arms in time with the music, depending on what it is. Listening for me is a mixture of expectation and memory. I try to guess what is going to happen next, and compare it with what has already happened. Often I have a mental image of what is "going on" in a certain piece, but not always.

Anyone else?

I listen to classical music in a silent place.Sometimes i close my eyes and i image to be the composer or a conductor. If it is an opera, i start acting like i am on the stage or i start singing

[bhodges]

I try to hear as much live music as possible, since New York has so much of it (and a lot of it is free, too).  When I'm at home it's usually late-night listening, often with headphones.  (Love the new Sennheisers that arrived a few months ago!) 

--Bruce

[George]

I try to hear as much live music as possible, since New York has so much of it (and a lot of it is free, too).  When I'm at home it's usually late-night listening, often with headphones.  (Love the new Sennheisers that arrived a few months ago!) 

--Bruce

Which Senn's did you get, Bruce?

[bhodges]

The 595s, from www.headphone.com.  They were just under $200, and I couldn't be happier. 

http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/sennheiser/sennheiser-hd-595.php

--Bruce

[George]

The 595s, from www.headphone.com.  They were just under $200, and I couldn't be happier. 

http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/sennheiser/sennheiser-hd-595.php

--Bruce

I say the same of my 580's. 

[bhodges]

I say the same of my 580's. 

The sound quality aside for a moment, they are just so incredibly comfortable.  Sometimes I will have them on for 4 or 5 hours at a time, with absolutely no discomfort.  They also came with a really great little "headphone rack" that attaches to anything you like (e.g., a shelf) to hang them on.  Just a swell little detail. 

--Bruce