Original event leading to interest in classical music ?

[ReedMan]

It sounds like we have quite a few classical music fans here. Looking back, what early event influenced your interest ?<P>For me, it was taking music lessons in 5th grade. Which led to exposure to classical pieces, performing with bands & orchestras, ... <P>Next...

[jrs]

Things came late in life for me. I was in my twenties. I was alone moving the dial around on the radio and stumbled upon the beginning of Franz Schubet's sym#8, "Great". I nearly freaked out, pummeled with high doses of awe and joy. That opened the door for me. The chemistry of my health has been a bit rickety since.

[serge urtizberea]

My dad was who got me into classical music (and Beethoven) in the first place when I was about seven. I am actually amazed how I was able to resist embracing pop music growing up when my brohter and sister would be listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Moist (my sister's fave), the whole hardcore rock age, the whole hardcore alternative age, the whole hardcore grunge phase, etc. However, I'm relenting somewhat; I have both of Britney Spears' albums for some reason. Her music (not her lyrics) is very catchy, somehow...

[thrillhouse]

ooo this is a good subject. For me, it was riding in my mom's volvo everyday and all she played was Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major. She played it so much, year after year that in the end, the Vivaldi cassette got burned into the Volvo cassette player. And now, those are two of my all time favorite pieces. I also started playing the cello in the 5th grade, but the Four Seasons and Beethoven's Violin Concerto has been drilled into my brain forever. I love it.

[Ernesto]

I could right a book about how I became interested in classical music because it took me 15 years to develop a taste. However, I will keep it short and sweet. When I was 16 I remembered how frightened I was after hearing the Requiem at the end of the movie Amadeus and wondered how could sound equal emotion? <BR>

[Sparky]

I grew up in a household with my parents, two aunts, and a grandmother, all of European extraction, and all living somewhat in the past. Their experience had included the great concert halls of Europe, and they knew little of popular North American music. As a result, I heard little pop music at home, but was exposed to lots of classical and opera works. I was even taken to symphony concerts on a regular basis<P>I've tried to give my own kids a similar exposure to the classics. However, they also have had a normal share of rock, Broadway, and jazz. With that foundation in music, they can now appreciate most genres of music, even though they have distinct preferences.

[Allyn]

My influence came from rock. As a younger guy, I listened to things like Black Sabbath and KISS (still do, actually). From there, I got into more "trained" and classically influenced bands like Kansas, Rainbow and Rush. At that time, I began to connect with music on a deeper level and began to understand more of the theory behind the cool tunes. I slowly lost interest in the simpler, more staight-forward rock bands and tended towards the ones that had some obvious understanding of composition. I then started to get heavily into YES, possibly the closest any rock band came to being symphonic. They are heavily influenced by Stravinski and Sibelius, as well as jazz, the Beatles, etc. They wrote true one-movement symphonies, anywhere from 4 to 25 minutes in length. I should really expand on them in another post! <P>When I started really studying classical music, and I began to hear things in the bands that I liked, like Kansas' use of fugue and Yes' thematic development, it fueled my passion for music of all types. I now have a rather huge CD collection of classical, jazz, pop, rock, folk, african, japanese, etc. All great stuff!<P>A great recent album is the newest Metallica live album, playing with the San Fran Symphony Orchestra. The orchestral parts are original (not just doubling the vocal line or whatever) and the orchestra becomes the 5th instrument of the band. It is absolutley intense. Highly recommended!

[Kylene]

My interest probably started in grade 8 when I first encountered procrastination in essay writing- nothing like a little classical music to make me focus. However, I would say that my interest was piqued in high school through band and orchestra (playing Holst and Orff sure gets you in the spirit), and from my final year when studying composers in depth.

[falconscry]

My earlies exposure to classical music spawned from being the loudest singer in chorus in 5th grade. I loved singing but didn't know how you controled it. So my music teacher made me a promise. If I went with her to an opera, I would see that you can control your voice. I'll never forget seeing Rigoletto. The players all seemed larger than life and the music just flowed, queit, loud, soft then harsh. From then on I wanted to sing like the "people on the stage". I never lost that passion and I never will.

[shostakovich]

For me it was the old Lone Ranger programs on radio. William Tell to begin and end, Les Preludes around the commercial break, and The Hebrides Overture frequently. There were several other classical snippets that I've tracked down over the years. But I couldn't find them ALL. About 10 years ago a book, by a fellow "Lone Ranger music" fanatic, came out. A good number of the "excerpts" were not excerpts. They were written snippets, enough like classics to fool anyone. I was finally able to put the quest to rest. But it was fun.

[Michael]

I was first introduced to "classical" music (I hate that term!) by the comedy duo, Morecambe and Wise. In the mid sixties, they made a movie called "The Intelligence Men". It was a mildly amusing feature, but quite a lot of the funny shenanigans of the two comedians took place against a production of "Swan Lake". In those pre-video days, I often went to see the same film five or six times.<BR>In this case, I found myself enjoying Tchaikovsky's music more than the comedy, so I decided (to the horror of my Beatle-loving friends) to invest in a recording of "Swan Lake". That lead to Tchaikovsky's last two symphonies which I rather enjoyed at the time.<BR>A more knowledgeable friend kept telling me to try Beethoven, so I finally gave in and bought a cheap recording of the "Pastoral" Symphony. I was an expert at this stage, of course, and my first reaction on reading the sleeve notes was that this guy Beethoven clearly didn't know much about writing symphonies. It had five movements instead of the correct amount of four - and the first movement was described as "happy and thankful feelings on arriving in the country" when everybody knew that a symphony should be about death and despair (as in Tchaikovsky's Pathetique).<BR>I was very quickly put in my place by Mr Beethoven .... and I have, I am glad to say, remained in that place!<P>Michael<BR>

[~Leslie]

I was blessed to come from a very musical family, on my mothers side. My Grandfather liked classical music. My Mom enjoyed a wide variety of music and I grew up hearing it daily. <P>Christmas Eve was always the best. We went caroling , came back and danced our butts off to the Beatles and the Zorba soundtrack.<BR>I heard Handel's Messiah enough as a child that I couldnt wait to sing it in the high school choir.<P>Classical music exposure in my elementary school was rough. The kids were disrespectful and disruptive. <P>It wasnt until high school that the level of student interest generated into something wholesome and fun. <P>I always tried to keep an open mind. I explore everything. Thats why it would be easier to list what I dont like, then what I do.~<BR> <P>

[barfle]

Until I was in my mid-twenties, I thought Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, et al, were pretty boring stuff, having misspent my youth on Beatles, Beach Boys, and such. I was working at an audio manufacturer and surrounded by audiophiles (whose knowledge of both music and technology put me to deep, deep shame). One day several of us went to one of my coworker's house and he played "Switched on Bach" for us. Way, way, way cool! After getting my own copy (quadraphonic, of course), and playing it until I could almost hear both sides at once, I decided to find out what the "original" sounded like. Needless to say, the hook was set and even though I still like my '60s R&R, my love for orchestral, vocal, and chamber music keeps growing.

[Luis]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by serge urtizberea:<BR><B>My dad was who got me into classical music (and Beethoven) in the first place when I was about seven. I am actually amazed how I was able to resist embracing pop music growing up when my brohter and sister would be listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Moist (my sister's fave), the whole hardcore rock age, the whole hardcore alternative age, the whole hardcore grunge phase, etc. However, I'm relenting somewhat; I have both of Britney Spears' albums for some reason. Her music (not her lyrics) is very catchy, somehow...</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Oh - my - God !! Britney Spears!?<BR>You have both Britney's albums and not even one from Mozart? I cant even conceive that! (Sometimes is hard to be consequent with my relativism, sorry!)

[~Leslie]

Serge, For once let me say that I am utterly <BR>flabberghasted. I've heard of guilty pleasures<BR>but I'd rather be locked in a closet with Celine,<BR>then post that woman's name in here. <BR>Why? Cos she is the very symbol of what is wrong with the music industry today,<BR>same as the dreaded Kenny G. <BR>I guess that makes me an elitist,<BR>ah well, such is life to the<BR>left of center. <BR>Serge, I've decided we need to do a Clockwork Orange experiment on you. <BR>We'll show video films of Eminem, Britney<BR>and Kenny G , and then see them recieving their pathetic Grammy awards,<BR>while pumping you up with Mozart in the headphones. <BR>~Affectionately,<BR>

[JasonK]

My first experience was a two pronged experience when I was 5. I can vivdly <BR>remember being taken to an open performance of Handel's Messiah by my cousin. <BR> I was completely in awe and overwhelmed with the power of the voices. It <BR>gave me a chill that revisits me everytime I hear the Chorus till this <BR>day.....awesome.<P>Two weeks later, I was taken to a Tiffany exhibition at the Chicago Art <BR>Museum. I remember listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Pachelbel's Canon <BR>in D in accompaniment to the exibition. I had absolutely no idea what it was <BR>at the time, the music just somehow spoke to me. It felt right...even at age <BR>5. I just knew it was special. <P>That love has stayed with me for the last 25 years, and I know that awe will stay with me for a lifetime.<P>Ohhh, and by the way, the Beatles are not a waste of time, they are a splendid journey of a different sort. Remember folks, single mind, leads to single experience...and that is a shame in itself.<P>"In the end, the love we take, is equal to the love we make."<P>

[~Leslie]

Jason, I'm not sure of what's going on here,<BR>but I'll bite.<BR> Who said the Betales were a waste<BR>of time? Do you realize this is an extremely sensitive topic in Beethoven forums?~

[Luis]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ~Leslie:<BR><B>Jason, I'm not sure of what's going on here,<BR>but I'll bite.<BR> Who said the Betales were a waste<BR>of time? Do you realize this is an extremely sensitive topic in Beethoven forums?~ </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I think nobody said that. So I'll say it right now!: The Beatles are a total waste of time (in my humble opinion). But this means, of course, that I would waste my time listening the Beatles, because I (I) don't recieve nothing from them. But of course this is not your case <BR>

[JasonK]

See Leslie,<P>Now two have uttered the great heresy... both Luis and Barfle. Listen, while I yet climb on my soap box yet again!!!!<P>It is great to like one form of music, but they are not necessarily mutually exclusive. You can be a fan of both classical and pop, etc..... How would we know that Ludwig would not enjoy pop today....answer, we do not know!!! This is one time in life when you can serve two masters without the guilt. You do not have to forsake one for the other. I never understand why one has to disparage<BR>one art form to appreciate another (except if it is John Tesh ) ......I mean, really people, we are the enlighted...aren't we? <P>All I want to know is, who are these Beethoven and Tchaikovskys guys everyone is referring to and why does everyone keep calling them Pathetique? What's the deal here? How would you like to be called Pathetique....I think not!! Ohhh the horror!<P>[This message has been edited by JasonK (edited 01-04-2001).]<P>[This message has been edited by JasonK (edited 01-04-2001).]<p>[This message has been edited by JasonK (edited 01-04-2001).]

[barfle]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JasonK:<BR><B>See Leslie,<P>Now two have uttered the great heresy... both Luis and Barfle. Listen, while I yet climb on my soap box yet again!!!!<P>It is great to like one form of music, but they are not necessarily mutually exclusive. You can be a fan of both classical and pop, etc..... How would we know that Ludwig would not enjoy pop today....answer, we do not know!!! This is one time in life when you can serve two masters without the guilt. You do not have to forsake one for the other. I never understand why one has to disparage<BR>one art form to appreciate another (except if it is John Tesh ) ......I mean, really people, we are the enlighted...aren't we? <P>All I want to know is, who are these Beethoven and Tchaikovskys guys everyone is referring to and why does everyone keep calling them Pathetique? What's the deal here? How would you like to be called Pathetique....I think not!! Ohhh the horror!<BR></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Jason, what do you mean by "heresy?" You will note that I still enjoy my old pop music, as well as classical. My reference to misspent youth was due to my tunnel vision about music during those naive times. Never did I say that pop music was any less enjoyable, important, useful, good, or any other favorable term than any other type of music.<P>