Can you get everyone to like classical music?

[Frank Dernie]

I think some music is more complex than others.
A bit like mathematics, most people can add up their change, not many can do differential calculus.
I find a lot of music beyond my ability to comprehend it. Some I have tried very hard to get to know it because of its reputation but still couldn't get my head round it - Most jazz, Wagner and similar.
Some music is very simple and enjoyable but I do find that with the simple music that I like I play it a lot then almost forget about it and can be surprised to come across a CD I haven't played for years and remember how much I loved it and how often I played it when I bought it.
I find music I can't get my head round because it is too complex for me boring but I also find music which is easily simple enough to get my head round but without a nice tune, rythm or some other hook boring too.
In the end different people like different stuff and I do agree that a lot of people are snobbish about the sort of music they like, whatever genre, IME, which is why I never read music reviews.
I never understood the populatity of The Beatles for example preferring The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and The Nice at the time.
One thing I find is that my brain fills in the missing bits when listening to a poor music system if I know the piece but obviously can't if I don't, so listening to familiar music can be fine even in a car.

 

[Sal1950]

Everyone who actually cares about music is a snob about the music they like.

I don't believe that's true. I have never heard a devote of any popular form of music make the kind of remarks I often hear from classical music fans. "theirs is the only serious music, the only music deserving of high fidelity reproduction, the only music that can be used to judge quality of playback" etc etc etc. Many Classical music fans look down on everyone else and consider them selfs the superiors for being so.

It kind of sucks - I have to have very compartmentalized friends, and the circle of people I can enjoy this very important thing to me with is exceedingly small.

Don't feel like the lone ranger or that your special in this respect either. I don't have but one or two friends who's interest in music extends beyond what they were listening to when they were teens and just a bit beyond. They know nothing about music that isn't restricted to maybe a single decade and a very narrow field of genre. Most will listen to say 60s or 70s or 80s rock but talk about or play some thing later, or play some blues, country, progressive rock, etc and they are lost and have no interest in hearing it.. How many friends do any of us have outside of those we communicate with via the internet, that have any interest in a High Fi system at all?
Bottom line is that we in the HiFi community all have our preferences and there is way more than enough to go around.
But the superiority complex exhibited by some classical music fans is enough to make me puke.

 

[Wombat]

Silly OP, anyhow. What were you thinking, Amir?

It seems that thread titles that end in a question mark often become an opionated mess.

 

[Nango]

For years and years I was not attracted to classical music. I would find it without flow and rhythm that other types of music. So about a year and half to two years ago I decided to give it a strong effort. I asked for best classical music for me to experience and lots of great suggestions poured it.

It had a remarkable effect on me. It easily and rather quickly shattered the barriers that were there and I started to like and follow tons of classical music. Don't want to say that I am a classical buff but I say I went from enjoying 0.1% of it to good 20 to 30%. To this day it surprises me that this happened and all it took was exposure and staying with it for a few weeks.

That brings me to this wonderful Ted talk by Benjamin Zander. His aim in this talk is to get everyone to like classical music. I think he succeeds at the end with a great lesson on focusing on the flow than the individual notes. The rest of the talk while a lot of fun, didn't quite hang together for me. But was educational.

It is 20 minutes. Give it a try. It is a super uplifting talk with tons of energy and of course great piano music performance. It is titled, "The transformative power of classical music | Benjamin Zander":

Having only heard about it what I totally was unaware of was about a Symphonic Orchestra supporting a rock band. This live act with the Plovdiv SO joining Anathema was a huge revelation to me. Addictive!!

 

[Sal1950]

Silly OP, anyhow. What were you thinking, Amir?

That is was. Why not have one for "Can you get everyone to like, rock, blues, country etc?" Why single out Classical.

Having only heard about it what I totally was unaware of was about a Symphonic Orchestra supporting a rock band. This live act with the Plovdiv SO joining Anathema was a huge revelation to me. Addictive!!

Oh my, where you been? Try some Moody Blues, Emerson Lake & Palmer, ELO to start.

 

[Wombat]

https://www.google.com.au/search?so...q=orchestras+and+rock+bands#spf=1577527548114

 

[Nango]

That is was. Why not have one for "Can you get everyone to like, rock, blues, country etc?" Why single out Classical.

Oh my, where you been? Try some Moody Blues, Emerson Lake & Palmer, ELO to start.

All that 70's & 80's stuff Deep Purple, ELO, Palmer, even Yello, sounds "old fashioned" and outdated to me, I can't listen to that stuff anymore and enjoy. It is like it is.

 

[Wombat]

All that 80's stuff ELO, Palmer, even Yello, sounds "old fashioned" and outdated to me, I can't listen to that stuff anymore and enjoy. It is like it is.

Notwithstanding, you were oblivious to some 50+ years of rock and orchestra collaborations. Your admission.

That's OK.

 

[Sal1950]

All that 80's stuff ELO, Palmer, even Yello, sounds "old fashioned" and outdated to me, I can't listen to that stuff anymore and enjoy. It is like it is.

You must be a youngster.
That's fine, there's plenty more around.

Speaking of genres for hi fi listening, I wish there was more modern Big Band/Swing around. I've recently gotten into Gordon Goodwins Big Phat Band recordings thru his multichannel offerings. What fun to play back on a good 5.1 system, turn it up and let it rock! Try Swingin For The Fences to start.

 

[Nango]

You must be a youngster.
That's fine, there's plenty more around.

Speaking of genres for hi fi listening, I wish there was more modern Big Band/Swing around.

Big Bands etc., that is over thank Spotify & Co., too low the fees and earnings for too many members, can't work anymore.

 

[Theo]

All that 70's & 80's stuff Deep Purple, ELO, Palmer, even Yello, sounds "old fashioned" and outdated to me, I can't listen to that stuff anymore and enjoy. It is like it is.

Does classical music sound "old fashioned"? I would think that some 70's music do age very well (F. Zappa for example).
About hifi, I agree that classical music is best when played on a good system (apart from live...), but I find modern rock/pop music to be also very demanding (when well recorded....) : reproducing the attack of a snare drum at the proper level is quite challenging isn't it?

 

[Theo]

Quoting the OP : "can you get everyone to like jazz music?"

 

[Nango]

Does classical music sound "old fashioned"? I would think that some 70's music do age very well (F. Zappa for example).
About hifi, I agree that classical music is best when played on a good system (apart from live...), but I find modern rock/pop music to be also very demanding (when well recorded....) : reproducing the attack of a snare drum at the proper level is quite challenging isn't it?

I think it is more the recording tech with much less options than today. I have tons of older albums incl. The Who, Pretenders, Stones, U2, Wishbone Ash, but today they sound all like boring to me, despite the fact all were/are great artists. Will definitely try the new The Who.

 

[Theo]

I think it is more the recording tech with much less options than today. I have tons of older albums incl. The Who, Pretenders, Stones, Wishbone Ash, but today they sound all like boring to me, despite the fact all were/are great artists. Will definitely try the new The Who.

So you're saying that it's not the music score itself, but the recording which is boring?

 

[Frank Dernie]

I don't believe that's true. I have never heard a devote of any popular form of music make the kind of remarks I often hear from classical music fans. "theirs is the only serious music, the only music deserving of high fidelity reproduction, the only music that can be used to judge quality of playback" etc etc etc. Many Classical music fans look down on everyone else and consider them selfs the superiors for being so.

Don't feel like the lone ranger or that your special in this respect either. I don't have but one or two friends who's interest in music extends beyond what they were listening to when they were teens and just a bit beyond. They know nothing about music that isn't restricted to maybe a single decade and a very narrow field of genre. Most will listen to say 60s or 70s or 80s rock but talk about or play some thing later, or play some blues, country, progressive rock, etc and they are lost and have no interest in hearing it.. How many friends do any of us have outside of those we communicate with via the internet, that have any interest in a High Fi system at all?
Bottom line is that we in the HiFi community all have our preferences and there is way more than enough to go around.
But the superiority complex exhibited by some classical music fans is enough to make me puke.

Your experience is almost the opposite of mine. Maybe things are different in the USA to here in the UK.
I get plenty of people here being offensive about classical music, particularly trained voices (ones that are powerful and controlled enough to fill an auditorium without an amp).
Loads say classical is boring, as if they are the arbiter of what is boring.
Have you heard the video of the great Kanye West "singing" "Bohemian Rhapsody"? His voice is out of tune and a pitifully poor range but with lots of electronic studio aids he has got popular, rich and famous with the music he produces.

 

[Nango]

@Theo Yes, I think so. I liked a lot. But they had their time.

 

[Wombat]

Big bands bread and butter were the old nightclubs and dance halls. They are gone.

Charlie's modern tribute:

https://www.discogs.com/The-Charlie-Watts-Orchestra-Live-At-Fulham-Town-Hall/release/1126702

 

[Theo]

@Theo Yes, I think so. I liked a lot. But they had their time.

Not a vinyl fan, then?

 

[JJB70]

I have seen snobbery from classical music fans, and inverse snobbery from those who seem to hate it based on what they imagine classical music says about social attitudes and standing. I think both prejudices are wrong, music should be approached and judged as music, whether or not you make an emotional connection, find joy in it or artistic merit should be based on its musical merit (or otherwise).

 

[Nango]

Not a vinyl fan, then?

When I moved in 2010 to a different country I destroyed around 500 vinyls, some retained my wife (incl. an old Thorens!), around 500 went into the trashcan. Shame on me!!!