tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980672.post114567767220882264..comments2023-10-08T08:38:09.714-04:00Comments on Musical Perceptions: How much should we hear?Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286095156825716887noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980672.post-1145899514152873052006-04-24T13:25:00.000-04:002006-04-24T13:25:00.000-04:00That is excellent, Scott.I think people respond di...That is excellent, Scott.<BR/><BR/>I think people respond differently to classical music, and I think that is fine. Not everybody walking in the door has to have the kind of emotional and analytical reactions I have. If they enjoy the music and performance, that is sufficient. Some will want to learn more about what they hear, others won't.<BR/><BR/>The masterpiece-schmasterpiece stuff also doesn't bother me. A particular piece won't speak to everybody. I have my own idiosyncratic list of works and performers I just can't stand (or can't stand to hear One. More. Time.). I would be surprised if I'm alone in that. ;-)<BR/><BR/>I agree strongly that repetition and familiarity are important factors in taking in a big, new, or complicated piece. I was able to write as much about Dr. Atomic as I did on one hearing because I know John Adams's style and I took a lot of notes during the premiere.<BR/><BR/>It is also true that people simply respond to different things in music and get hooked for different reasons. A friend of mine went to the opera for the first time during the 2004-5 SF Opera season, then <I>bought tickets to the Seattle Ring</I> - which he loved. You just never know!Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980672.post-1145803154031874012006-04-23T10:39:00.000-04:002006-04-23T10:39:00.000-04:00Good post, Scott. You get at several important po...Good post, Scott. You get at several important points, not the least of which how getting into a piece of concert music is similar to getting into good works of art in other art forms. You left out a very important one in today's world: movies.<BR/><BR/>Movies share the temporal dimension of music and good ones require multiple viewings to apprehend.<BR/><BR/>I look forward to your discussion of the masterpiece-schmasterpiece syndrome.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12939881701345686354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6980672.post-1145683388401535062006-04-22T01:23:00.000-04:002006-04-22T01:23:00.000-04:00When I was an undergrad and first started attendin...When I was an undergrad and first started attending concerts, this used to really bother me. For starters, I wasn't used to sitting still for so long while listening to music, and I needed to increase my "stamina" and attention span. But more importantly, I thought I had to soak in every note. Now I'm content to let the sound wash over me from time to time. I've also realized that I usually prefer smaller ensembles--the sound is a little more transparent. <BR/><BR/>Listening to a recording before attending is a great idea. So is score study, or attending pre-concert lectures. <BR/><BR/>Very thought-provoking post.Terminal Degreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523014953046778630noreply@blogger.com