Question Of The Day - Saturday, September 18th

[tigerontheprowl]

Good morning everyone!

This question has to do with music. In my music class in university, we are taking a close look at all the classical composers. So....

Do you listen to classical music? If you do, who is your favorite classical composer?

Mine is a toss up between Chopin and Tchaikovsky. I like them both.

 

[catsallaround]

Rarely...Only if I end up on it while driving. I also listen to other languages while driving at times

 

[kailie]

At times when I want to relax, sure, but I don't really know one composer from the next truthfully.

 

[sk_pacer]

Oh dear, so many to choose from!! I like your choices, Tiger, but also Beethoven, Handel, Liszt and many others and have a fondness for Strauss. I learned to appreciate, rather than just like, at the same place you are, although that was 40 years or so ago.

 

[butzie]

No, there are no words so I cannot sing to it.

 

[pookie-poo]

I work with a surgeon who listens to classical music when he operates. I like some of it, dislike others. I don't really know which ones are which composers, so I couldn't tell you! He also listens to opera, again, I like some and detest others.

 

[tara g]

I don't. Sometimes if I'm somewhere and hear it, it can be nice.

 

[larussa]

Originally Posted by sk_pacer

Oh dear, so many to choose from!! I like your choices, Tiger, but also Beethoven, Handel, Liszt and many others and have a fondness for Strauss. I learned to appreciate, rather than just like, at the same place you are, although that was 40 years or so ago.

I have a few CD's of the ones you mentioned here. When I'm in the mood for it I do listen to them, some are really beautiful. There are so many movies that use this music and when you listen you are reminded of these movies and you say to yourself, ah that is where I heard this before.

 

[capt_jordi]

Every now and then! I usually listen to
Dvořák: Symphony # 9
Tchaikovsky
Holst
Sousa

I was a band kid so I had to listen to it! LOL! And Play it! My freshman year of high school our field show was Symphony #9. It almost killed me! Many times!

 

[rubsluts'mommy]

I used to work at the Virgin Megastore in SF, and worked part of my time in the World and Jazz area and the other half in Classical. This, mind you, was back when they were separated. My favorites are definitely Chopin, Bach (Cello Suites get me every time), and Satie.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by butzie

No, there are no words so I cannot sing to it.

There's an article, and I'm sure TigerOnTheProwl has probably read it, that the author talked about how this tends to be common among Americans. That instead of hearing vocals as just another instrument many get hung up on catchy lyrics that they can sing to. They went on to talk about how it affects how popular certain genres are now, such as Jazz.

I'll listen to a lot of music, including Classical. (I don't think a person can be a prog or power metal fan and not like classical

) I haven't listened to enough, though, to really pick any favorites... or maybe I simply can't pick since I problems picking favorites of anything.

The only music I can't stand: pop, rap, and country - because I cannot block out the complete stupidity of the lyrics in most of it.

 

[sk_pacer]

Originally Posted by butzie

No, there are no words so I cannot sing to it.

Not true - most short classical pieces have words and some long ones do as well; one short with words is Beethoven's Ode to Joy and a long one is Handel's Messiah. These men made their basic living composing popular songs and doing commission work, putting hymns to music - at that time many were chants or just spoken, the symphonies, etc were just the topping that we all hear about

 

[sk_pacer]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I'll listen to a lot of music, including Classical. (I don't think a person can be a prog or power metal fan and not like classical

) I haven't listened to enough, though, to really pick any favorites... or maybe I simply can't pick since I problems picking favorites of anything.

The only music I can't stand: pop, rap, and country - because I cannot block out the complete stupidity of the lyrics in most of it.

There actually is a lot to be said for the old country music - therein lie the roots of rock and roll. It springs directly from country and blue grass music. The old pop stuff is great, shows the beginnings of the combining of the two aforementioned genres and the lead into rock. If one tears rock down further, there are glimmers of gospel and delta blues in there as well.

That said, I can't stand rap, and the new country and pop - they are basically canned music, done by people that can't sing two notes on key in a row, all cut and pasted stuff. The last distinctive country music female voice was Shania Twain, and male was Garth Brooks. For pop, you have to go back even farther to probably Cher and Barry Manilow.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by sk_pacer

That said, I can't stand rap, and the new country and pop - they are basically canned music, done by people that can't sing two notes on key in a row, all cut and pasted stuff. The last distinctive country music female voice was Shania Twain, and male was Garth Brooks. For pop, you have to go back even farther to probably Cher and Barry Manilow.

The classic stuff isn't bad. I don't mind classic country - it doesn't make my head hurt with lyrics about drinking and being a redneck.

(is that really something to celebrate?)
Pop depends, even some more modern underground pop is ok but could it be called pop if it's not popular?

I never liked Shania Twain, sure her voice was distinctive but I found it annoying, same with Garth Brooks.
Though, maybe I should add that I don't really like most new rock that gets played on the radio, either. It suffers the same problem that new country does.

 

[sk_pacer]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

The classic stuff isn't bad. I don't mind classic country - it doesn't make my head hurt with lyrics about drinking and being a redneck.

(is that really something to celebrate?)
Pop depends, even some more modern underground pop is ok but could it be called pop if it's not popular?

I never liked Shania Twain, sure her voice was distinctive but I found it annoying, same with Garth Brooks.

The underground stuff used to be called progressive - we actually had a progressive rock show on regular AM radion, many years ago. In those years, it was artists like Velvet Underground, Lou Reed (solo), Uriah Heep, and others that escape me at the moment.

Annoying aside, you could TELL the voices apart then but now, for example, you cannot tell the difference between Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, or any of several dozen female country or pop singers - they all sound alike in voice, rhythm, in almost every way. Male artists are no different - all sound the same, and that is NOT good entertainment.

 

[strange_wings]

^Auto-tuned to "perfection". I actually prefer to listen to classic rock (a lot of them are still around and releasing) or metal, there's still a lot of distinction in the voices there.

 

[-_aj_-]

Yeah i love it!!!!! I love Bach and Grieg!!!!

 

[pookie-poo]

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

Yeah i love it!!!!! I love Bach and Grieg!!!!

Oh yes! Edvard Grieg....I love the music of the Peer Gynt Suite. Just spent a while listening on YouTube!

 

[starryeyedtiger]

Some of my favorites: LÃ[emoji]169[/emoji]o Delibes, Johann Pachelbel, Vivaldi. Nothing is more beautiful than a gorgeous piece of music!

 

[krazy kat2]

I love it! But, as another poster said, I don't know one composer from the next. There is a piece called Danse Macabre that I particularly love, and Prokofiev's Cinderella.