Why don't people like classical music?

[Hubster]

Good post Hubster. I agree with everything except the comment about the soprano vocals, as I find soprano's hitting their high notes to be rather annoying. (It's simply too high pitched for my taste)

I used to feel the same, but it also depends on the Opera, and the subjective matter... Nevertheless, the spectacle of a woman hitting such notes and singing with such natural beauty is an awesome spectacle.

I used to find the mens' singing annoying, but after watching Amadeus (namely the scene in Don Giovanni where the commander comes down the steps to the stage, combined with rises and falls of string sections), I was reduced almost to tears... the combination of story, beautiful music and incredible vocal work in Opera is something I am finding to be truly beautiful and emotional.

Again - while I love Metal more than any other music, classical / opera is taking me to planes which no other music can enable me to travel to, both aurally, technically and emotionally.

Bring on November! (my first Opera attendance!!!)

 

[Majesty]

I don´t like (or rather don´t enjoy) classical music mostly because I haven´t got the time,knowledge of music or attention span to do so.
Also most classical music I have been exposed to during my life-time have been either dancable cheerful little "fun" pieces or just utterly boring without direction.

 

[Thanatopsis123]

I don't find classical as many of you do. Terribly complex and inaccesible? Requiring time and dedication in listening? Not at all in my opinion. I've always found it to be very straight forward and lacking in subtlety. That isn't always a bad thing and can result in very powerful music.

I could go on but again it simply comes down to differences in perception. It does annoy me that so many of you think it's not only superior music but takes a superior listener to appreciate it. Get over yourselves.

 

[Hubster]

I don't find classical as many of you do. Terribly complex and inaccesible? Requiring time and dedication in listening? Not at all in my opinion. I've always found it to be very straight forward and lacking in subtlety. That isn't always a bad thing and can result in very powerful music.

I could go on but again it simply comes down to differences in perception. It does annoy me that so many of you think it's not only superior music but takes a superior listener to appreciate it. Get over yourselves.

It's not that it takes a superior listener, that's not it at all. I don't think anyone is implying that you have to be "elite" to listen to this music, but it does require patience and concentration, something which isn't very induced by today's music (in general).

Classical music is FULL of subtlety! It is full of everything you can imagine: light, dark, peace, violence, happiness, sorrow, life and absolute death.

I really believe it covers the whole spectrum with ease.

Classical music, like art, takes time and thought to appreciate. Again - it's not that you have to be a brainchild or something to do that, just depends on the individual, some people can't be bothered with it and that's cool, nothing wrong with that.

 

[The Devil's Steed]

I used to feel the same, but it also depends on the Opera, and the subjective matter... Nevertheless, the spectacle of a woman hitting such notes and singing with such natural beauty is an awesome spectacle.

I used to find the mens' singing annoying, but after watching Amadeus (namely the scene in Don Giovanni where the commander comes down the steps to the stage, combined with rises and falls of string sections), I was reduced almost to tears... the combination of story, beautiful music and incredible vocal work in Opera is something I am finding to be truly beautiful and emotional.

Again - while I love Metal more than any other music, classical / opera is taking me to planes which no other music can enable me to travel to, both aurally, technically and emotionally.

Bring on November! (my first Opera attendance!!!)

Yes, the subjective matter does make a difference. I still find it annoying, however, it's possible to respect it and be amazed by it, but still be annoyed.

To be honest, I use to find all opera vocalists singing voices to be annoying, however, my taste apparently matured without me realizing it as my uncle recently gave me a copy of Wagner's Ring Cycle (the Solti version), and I enjoyed some of the vocals quite a bit. (Alberich, in particular) I've only heard the first opera so I need to listen to the rest to hear the rest of the characters to get a full grasp on it. I also enjoyed the vocalist behind Loge quite a bit.

I have yet to explore many operas myself; I've been exploring the Ring Cycle alone to be honest, however, I've watched Amadeus recently and I have to agree, the Don Giovanni scene was wonderful. I downloaded the opera rather quickly afterwards due to how impressed I was, but I still need to sort out the files now to listen to it (it's tagged horribly)....and find an English translation of the libretto, which shouldn't be too difficult.

I completely agree with your final statement, it does the same for me.

By the way, I've added you on MSN messenger.

 

[infoterror]

Short answer: people don't like classical because they don't get it.

Longer answer: they don't get it for many reasons, but usually, it's a lack of brain capacity.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

I don't find classical as many of you do. Terribly complex and inaccesible? Requiring time and dedication in listening? Not at all in my opinion. I've always found it to be very straight forward and lacking in subtlety. That isn't always a bad thing and can result in very powerful music.

I could go on but again it simply comes down to differences in perception. It does annoy me that so many of you think it's not only superior music but takes a superior listener to appreciate it. Get over yourselves.

What metal do you listen to that's subtle? And what classical music have you listened to that isn't?

 

[Thanatopsis123]

Off the top of my head...Skepticism for one. As for classical that isn't, all that I've heard. Including all the "greats" such as Bach, Beethoven, Strauss, Stravinsky, etc. I'm pretty sure I've even gotten around to hearing some like Wagner, Schoenberg, and Bartok.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

What exactly do you mean by subtle?

 

[infoterror]

What metal do you listen to that's subtle? And what classical music have you listened to that isn't?

Question 1:

Burzum
Graveland
Demilich
Atheist
Emperor
Immortal
Gorgoroth

Question 2:

Mendelssohn

 

[Thanatopsis123]

Not overt. I find the ideas in classical to be so obvious it's as if the composer were assuming the listener to be retarded and in need of being clubbed over the head with them. But even more than in this general fashion, I find classical to also be lacking in subtle touches.

I'm always willing to get things more of a shot. If you know of any specific pieces you think I should try, throw them out there.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

I guess I'm in the wrong forum to bash metal anyway, but a lot of metal does just seem to play a riff and repeat it over and over. While as a lot of classical music may hint at a theme and later on put it out there in its entirety.

I'll give a relatively obvious (obvious in the sense its easy to hear) example. In Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra in the first movement he presents the main theme early on but he then later states the theme and plays with it in brass counterpoint.

I don't know if thats the kind of subtlety you're thinking about but I think its neat.

I've taken composition lessons and my teacher was always saying that if you're going to take a song this way you should prepare it before hand in any subtle or not so subtle way.

If you're daring enough you could try George Crumb's Black Angels. It's a real avant garde piece and its quite jarring through most of the piece but there are little instances of tonal music like the sequence dies irae and schubert's death and the maiden.

I'm trying to think of a piece you might generally like...perhaps Peteris Vasks string quartet no. 4.

 

[infoterror]

I find the ideas in classical to be so obvious it's as if the composer were assuming the listener to be retarded and in need of being clubbed over the head with them. But even more than in this general fashion, I find classical to also be lacking in subtle touches.

I find your critique of Mendelssohn to be dead on.

I suggest Brahms, Beethoven and Schumann.

Vivaldi is as you describe, but his method is different; more like sonic texture (early ambient).

In most classical music, there is the idea that one introduces a theme and then develops it, rather than pretending to hide it through clever but shallow ways as in, for example, metalcore or jazz.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

I don't really see what's wrong with Mendelssohn. Grant it I've only taken the time to listen to his string quartets and his octet.

 

[the alumnus]

I don't really see what's wrong with Mendelssohn. Grant it I've only taken the time to listen to his string quartets and his octet.

some people might not like him because he was a jew.

i don't like him because he was too much like mozart; a lighthearted wunderkind. i prefer my wunderkind somber.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

I prefer some Mendelssohn to most Mozart.

In a planet-sized nutshell, jazz was a reinterpretation of classical through blues scales, twisted chords, and vague modular guidelines designed for the purpose of improvisation. It's quintessentially the fusion of classical structure and folk concept.

The best part of classical music is that it accomplishes everything a piece of art should: it has depth, expression, and transcendence. Yet, the simplest folk song can unseat the grandest symphony when the concepts of purpose and taste become involved. Such is the miracle of music. Classical is simply the polar opposite of folk.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

some people might not like him because he was a jew.

i don't like him because he was too much like mozart; a lighthearted wunderkind. i prefer my wunderkind somber.

I'd reccomend listening to Mendelssohn's 6th string quartet.

 

[Valtiel]

I love certain classical and certain classical compositions, I can't stand most of it because it's too cheery and peppy...

 

[Valtiel]

They lack moral character - the motivation to rise to an occasion. Instead, they prefer watered-down crap (Cannibal Corpse, Nirvana, Opeth, Ani DiFranco, Tool, 50 Cent, etc) because it's convenient and easy.

How in the name of all that is holy and dark can Opeth be watered down crap, they are one of the most progressive, complex, melodic, depthful, and almost classically composed metal bands in existents. Explain this to me???

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

I love certain classical and certain classical compositions, I can't stand most of it because it's too cheery and peppy...

Why do you think that is though? Most of the music I listen to is not happy and I bet most of the people around here don't listen to happy music. Why is that do you think?

Sorry to get off topic but I've always wondered why I and certain people would be more fond of supposedly 'unhappy' music.