Classical music and musicians

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How many WrongPlanet members are seriously into classical music? How important is music in their lives?
I don't know how I could exist without music. Apart from simply being beautiful to listen to, it is also 'therapeutic' .... such a great help if you are going through difficult times, or just feeling low. I particularly like baroque music (especially J S Bach, with his highly structured counterpoint ...is that something that might particularly appeal to Aspies, I wonder?) but I also enjoy some early music, and some from the Classical period. I am not into Romantic composers such as Chopin, or much 20th century stuff, apart from the odd item here and there.
As for performers, I have a particular passion (= obsession, perhaps!) for the playing of the late Canadian pianist, Glenn Gould (Yup, hence my username although I am female). Such clarity, such ecstasy...Luckily for us, -in view of his early death - he left many recordings (he retired early from the concert stage and devoted himself mostly to the recording studio, regarding this sort of music as a distinct art form on its own). He was a fascinating man ; and also, many writers have suggested he was an Aspie himself.
What music / musicians do other people admire?

Yes! Yes! Yes! Bach & counterpoint in particular!

I love Bach's music and I am particularly fascinated by his fugues. Counterpoint generally makes so much sense to my brain ~ I think it is the detail ~ the very idea that a whole piece can be generated from the tiniest detail treated contrapuntally is fascinating. And who is the interpreter of Bach I identify with most? ~ Glen Gould. The first time I saw him play on TV I knew he was like me ~ head down close to the piano, oblivious to the world, playing & humming his way through the glorious counterpoint. He was definitely AS.

Sound patterns generally mean a lot to me and I am passionate about music. I like Baroque, Classical and some Romantic but Bach will always remain my favourite.

I enjoy some classical music, as well as a bit of romantic and opera. Verdi absolutely rocks! Bach IMO isn't classical, he's from the Baroque period. Baroque is one type of music that I absolutely dislike. Classical's nice.
But Rap really gets me going.

I love classical music, except for many 20th century atonal works --- I can't stand the 12-tone stuff and struggle to appreciate Stravinsky, although I'm all right with Shostakovich and Bartok. I am a sucker for Beethoven, but otherwise I don't have a favourite style and listen to Baroque, Classical and Romantic with abandon. Too much Mozart makes me sick.

yay, wowbagger! ANY mozart makes me sick.

i do like much contemporary classical stuff though.

favourites (here we go): debussy, duruflé, strauss (richard), arvo part, reich, fitkin, more or less anything pre-palestrina, vaughan williams, stockhausen, glass, bach, some handel (but only to sing, not to listen to).... oh dear - once started, i can't stop!

V

Music is my life and love. I just got a complete set of Beethoven Piano Sonatas as a birthday present .
But I don't stop with "classical" (I hate that term when it's used generally like that, don't you?).
Maybe unfortunately (who knows), I live in a time of what I like to call "hyped-up progress", so I need music to counter this - this is when "pop" comes into play. However I'm more into the alternative side of pop (and often the darker side ) Some of my heroes of "pop" music include (please forgive me) Beck, Aphex Twin, Henry Rollins, The Smashing Pumpkins, Underworld and probably many more. Oh and I've been getting into The Velvet Underground recently....so, so good.
For me music is up there with food and water.

[quote="Captain_Brain"]
But I don't stop with "classical" (I hate that term when it's used generally like that, don't you?).


Yup I see what you mean, although I don't particularly dislike the term.It's convenient, although perhaps not strictly accurate.
I have used the term in a general way, not just for music in the style of the 'classical period', (as distinct, say from early music, baroque, Romantic, Impressionist, atonal, minimalist....whatever) but it does seem it is quite usual to use this term thus to distinguish this category of music from rock, jazz, country etc etc...
.Would you like to suggest a new term for the category as a whole? In the UK I have heard it referred to as "Serious" music but I really don't like this, because it sounds as if it is trying to trivialise other types of music. People are serious about the music of their choice whatever it is, and it can all be a very important part of their lives!

I could not live without music, especially classical music. I particularly enjoy Brahms, Bach and Mozart.
But I also listen to some other kinds of music, like poprock.

Glenn - I'm sorry if it looked like I was dissing you. I never intended to. I guess I dislike the tightness and brightness of music of the classical period so when I hear the name Bach or Debussy under classical I get a bit angry.
A new term? I wouldn't know...Maybe "music music"?. It's hard to come up with a term.

Hi, Captain Brain! Thanks for the reply.Don't worry, I, wasnt offended, I knew you weren't being critical. I can't think of a really good "general" term either, but I'll keep trying. "Music Music' is fine. but perhaps each listener would want to steal the term for whatever type of music he or she held most dear themselves!

True, very true

When I started this discussion, I mentioned briefly how therapeutic music can be, if you are feeling tense or in low spirits. I also mentioned that the musician whose playing affects me most is Glenn Gould (Hence my username even though I am female!)Often, if I can't sleep, I will listen to one of his glorious recordings in the night. Here is a poem I wrote about this (maybe i should post it on the poetry and writing section, but it seems to take ages for things to appear there!) I am quite new to writing poetry and this is one of my early efforts, but I hope you enjoy it.


Night Music

Again I cannot sleep -
He shines in glory like a burning star
Slow rising from the midnight east; his face
Is sombre, dark. I cannot see his eyes
(In shadow, sea-dark, haunted) search afar
The solitude of his imagined space
Unbounded by strict lines of Earth . He tries
To share with me his dreams. I listen, rapt.
Cascades of icy notes, each one discrete;
A single tone hangs poignant on the air ;
Prelude to fugues of feelings, music-lapped
In waves of sound, at once both deep and sweet.
Such complex counterpoint of love and care!
Strong fingers seek each key, as if in play
Unlocking prison doors of nameless fear.
They set me free. They heal. They show new views
To be explored as dawns the coming day.
They stir a love this man can never hear .
I turn towards the sound and wondering,choose
Again. I cannot sleep

Music is desperately important to me. It suffuses every fiber of my being; I crave it, hear it in everything, pursue it, write it, play it. Or at least I used to--the past few years I haven't been able to find any music to listen to. That lets you know what a sorry state the fiber of my being is at.

i am so passionate about music i can't imagine a day without it.

i play about 9 instruments (i always seem to forget one or two!), classically trained on a few, have done lots of recording, mainly for friends, always looking for new stuff to listen to - BBC Radio 3 has a programme on weekdays nights called "Late Junction", which you can also listen to via the internet http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/latejunction/. i cannot recommend it highly enough - it has a vast range of musical styles, not just classical, and i only listen to it these days when i can afford a new CD - i ALWAYS hear something i just have to have!

music is an obsession which has remained constant throughout my life. a friend of mine says that buying CDs isn't a luxury for me, it's an essential, like books and food.

and then someone says, "What's your favourite piece of music?" what an insane question - do they have 3 years worth of time to listen to the answer?

V

If this works I am posting a piece of my music ~

MUSIC

ASparval wrote

Sorry, Asparval ...your link does not work - for me, at any rate. Perhaps this is because at present I am having to use a computer that is (by computer standards) positively palaeolithic!