[tokinlots]

Hey guys and girls...
This may be an amateurish question, but I assure you it's only because I love music.
I've enjoyed classical music all my life and just recently found Bach's Cantatas. I've only heard BWV 206 and 215. I dont even know what BWV means. Regardless, I took a liking to them. It's amazing how my ears seem to always tune in to true talent. Before I knew it was Peter Schreier, I knew I loved his sound.
The first time I heard Moonlight sonata, I was awe struck. I first heard it on a game. Resident Evil on the 3DO game system. A dark moonlit room in a mansion with a grand piano playing the tune. It was awesome.
I really like some of Schubert's work. But im getting off track here...
What is the best way to interpret classical music? Just listen and see where it takes you?
There are a few of you on here that seem to be absolute gurus in the genre. And I would appreciate any advice or suggestions on how to take the music in.

Mainly classical, but please feel free to offer advice on interpreting all styles of music.

Much appreciated!

 

[fante7]

One of the best ways to gain insight into classical music is to learn about the composer's life. The composer's background, circumstances when writing the piece, and anything the composer said about the piece (especially if it's program music) can all help you understand the music. Also, learning about music theory can increase your appreciation greatly.

 

[fewtch]

I suggest some Google-based research (btw, Moonlight Sonata is Beethoven).

 

[tokinlots]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch (btw, Moonlight Sonata is Beethoven).

I know that much. That was probably the first classical piece I took interest in.
I can't get the smilies to work or I'd post one up. Why does headfi seem to have so many problems?

 

[fewtch]

Head-Fi is having some growing pains right now (nothing new, sadly). Anyway, I'm kind of a classical newbie myself, and looking forward to replies from the gurus on this. I'm sure you can find terminology questions answered via Google or www.wikipedia.org but there's some stuff best heard from the horse's mouth.

My own approach is to browse head-fi threads, try stuff semi-randomly (Usenet lossless music groups), etc. My own start was with Beethoven's 5th and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade." Beethoven is reliably masterful, and I'm a major Bach fan as well. Mozart, not so much for some reason.

 

[PSmith08]

Peter Schreier is my favorite tenor. I see him as, essentially, an heir to the Wunderlich tradition.

Now to your question:

How do you want to interpret classical music? You can discuss it in terms of music theory, literary value, cultural context, historical terms, technical proficiency, or any context you choose.

I find, when I am not discussing sound quality, that a combination of the above works. For example, one can discuss Das Rheingold, by Wagner, in terms of the rising E-flat major chord in principio, the class struggle it portrays, or its place and meaning within Wagner's other works.

Do what feels right. If you want to deal in emotions, that's swell too. To me, it's like critiquing wine. There are no hard-and-fast rules.


The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV) is the "Bach-Work-Index," which is just a numerical catalog of his works. Most composers have a similar codex.

 

[Bunnyears]

Clearly music functions on many levels! It can be appreciated purely for the visceral and emotional reactions it stimulates in the listener and it can also be appreciated on a purely intellectual level for it's mathematical (geometrical-architectural) structure. How a person feels music is idiosyncratic and unteachable. What can be learned is the background, historical context, and technical aspects of producing music. If you are not a musician much of that discussion will be incomprehensible. After all, without musical education you are never going to understand any of the arguments or discussions about scoring, or interpretation of scores.

So, first you have to decide how you approach music. If it were art and paintings I would say pick up a book or two on the history of art and start visiting museums. This would be a very economically feasible way of approaching the field. However, music appreciation can become a very expensive proposition. If there is a music library with a good cd collection, then by all means get a good survey book of music and music history and start borrowing recommended cds and listening to them. If however this is not possible, then perhaps you should think of signing up for a good music appreciation/history course and see where it leads you. If you are already enrolled in college then this would be a no-brainer. If you are out of college, then investigate extension courses that are now available to most adults. Then you can check for free concerts in your area (churches and museums frequently have programs of free or very inexpensively priced concerts). Which brings me to the last and still easy way to expose yourself to new music: the radio. Yes, classical stations are becoming as scarce as hen's teeth but they do still exist. Perhaps you subscribe to cable tv or satellite tv. Most of those services have music channels. Keep the music on during the day or evening at your leisure and when you hear something that gets your attention, jot down the information about the cd. If you have satellite radio in your car then tune into the classical stations and try to remember what you like.

Unfortunately, getting into music will end up costing you money. Those wonderful cds cost quite a bit. If you really get bitten by the bug, it will cost you more and more as you keep looking for that new recording of works that you love or that old, and now out of print (or as the Brits say, "deleted"), reference recording that you are desperate to hear. At that point, all we will be able to say is welcome to the madness of collecting recordings.

 

[calaf]

I have recommended this already a couple of times but here it comes again

(smileys work for me

)
There is an old (deleted as bunny says) series from DG which I think is perfect for newcomers (and not only). It has very good quality performances of classical "standards" packaged as a hardcover booklet that contains an intro to the composer/period/works concerned plus a minute-by-minute listening guide. You can still find about 30 of this cds at berkshirerecordoutlet.com. To find them go to the search page
http://www.berkshirerecordoutlet.com/cgi-bin/search.pl
and enter "lavishly" as search term (you will see why once you read the record description).

EDIT: the minute-by-minute listening guide is great but for me there is nothing as rewarding as listening to a concert or an opera following the music on the score. Contrary to what you may expect, you don't need to be able to sight-read music to do that (I certainly can't do it), all it takes is to concentrate on the music. There are books that teach you basic score reading. I own a couple and like the one by Michael Dickreiter, which also contains about 10 sample scores to practice on.

 

[tokinlots]

Excellent info everyone! I appreciate it.

It seems I have been on the right track. My local library has hundreds of CDs for rent. I still go and rent the CDs I havnt heard yet. I always get stuff I've never heard of or someone that influenced someone I already like. My purpose was to build a large basis of music. I think I have atleast, established a basis.
I will be doing a lot of my own research, but would thoroughly enjoy some music classes at my school.

Smilies working now.

 

[dknightd]

Personally I don't like to try and intepret music. I'd rather listen and
enjoy. Others get great satisfaction out of trying to interpret various
things about it. Different strokes for different folks. Music is to enjoy,
do it whatever way makes you happy

 

[tokinlots]

Today I checked these books out.. Anyone heard of them?

What to listen for in Music, by Aaron Copland

The NPR Curious Listeners Guide to Classical Music, By Tim Smith

And old book called The Musical Companion, Edited by A.L.Bacharach and J.R. Pearce.

Looking forward to reading through these. I got a few CDs as well.

 

[calaf]

the NPR guide is an excellent intro to music culture.
The Copland book is a classic, but for me it was as frustrating as reading one of those books where they try to explain quantum mechanics without a diagram nor a formula. If you are looking for a "Music Theory 101" my favourite is unfortunately in Italian

The other day I was browsing in B&N and saw this "Idiot's Guide". I only spent 5 mins with it but I really liked what I saw...

 

[Bunnyears]

I just remembered this series, done ages ago by Leonard Bernstein:

Here is Bernstein at his very best, teaching young persons (and older persons) about classical music. Also, any of the recordings that he has made with his lectures are for anyone interested in the creative process of composing and even performing. I especially enjoyed his recording of Beethoven's Eroica which includes his lecture, "How a Great Symphony "Was Written."

Edit: I just remembered Bernstein's series of lectures at Harvard! Put these all together and you get a perfect course in Music Appreciation, and you don't even need to leave home.

 

[tokinlots]

Thanks, Bunny.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

A great way to get into Mahler is to try the recent Telarc recordings of his symphonies conducted by Benjamin Zander. Each comes with a VERY interesting and informative lecture CD.

In general, I like to begin by studying the context in which a work was composed, the composer's biography, etc. For example, Shostakovich is much more enjoyable if you understand the circumstances in which he worked, and how they affected the progression of his career.

I move from there into more symbolic and metaphysical interpretation of the music.

Also, a grounding in music theory is useful.

Think of it this way: Classical music is, simultaneously...

Art
Mathematics
History
Culture
Politics
Religion (or at least spirituality)
Physical fitness and coordination
A window into the mind of the composer
Waves of data affecting the subconscious
...and much more. Truly, it is one of mankind's greatest creations.