'Getting' classical music

[ardcarp]

Mrs A has a close friend with whom she does a weekly walk...using exploring wildlife (birds and flowers) about which both are passionate. However, the friend simply does not 'get' classical music (using the word 'classical' in its widest sense). Neither does Mrs A 'get' pop. Neither can comprehend the other's tastes, and in particular neither Mrs A nor I can understand how even the most 'soothing and relaxing' Classic FM type of stuff can pass the friend by, completely unmoved.

This causes no friction whatsoever in the friendship, simply incomprehension. My question is, does anyone need to be immersed in the Western Classical Tradition from childhood to have any appreciation of our sort of music? Or do many begin to appreciate at least some of it later in life?

Partly answering my own question, we both knew a very highly skilled retired pattern-maker for Rolls Royce who was not brought up with classical music but who developed a great love...a passion even....for Grand Opera. Puccini was his favourite. He pronounced him as Pew Sinny, and Madam Butterfly was always flying from his usually open windows.....not to mention Lar Bow Heem.

Any suggestions, anyone?

[Joseph K]

My question is, does anyone need to be immersed in the Western Classical Tradition from childhood to have any appreciation of our sort of music?

Definitely not, I would say. But, evidently, it's not for everyone.

[Petrushka]

Mrs A has a close friend with whom she does a weekly walk...using exploring wildlife (birds and flowers) about which both are passionate. However, the friend simply does not 'get' classical music (using the word 'classical' in its widest sense). Neither does Mrs A 'get' pop. Neither can comprehend the other's tastes, and in particular neither Mrs A nor I can understand how even the most 'soothing and relaxing' Classic FM type of stuff can pass the friend by, completely unmoved.

This causes no friction whatsoever in the friendship, simply incomprehension. My question is, does anyone need to be immersed in the Western Classical Tradition from childhood to have any appreciation of our sort of music? Or do many begin to appreciate at least some of it later in life?

Partly answering my own question, we both knew a very highly skilled retired pattern-maker for Rolls Royce who was not brought up with classical music but who developed a great love...a passion even....for Grand Opera. Puccini was his favourite. He pronounced him as Pew Sinny, and Madam Butterfly was always flying from his usually open windows.....not to mention Lar Bow Heem.

Any suggestions, anyone?

I once had an uncle who was - ahem! - very working class, liked his beer and fags and could be seen down the pub playing darts most nights of the week. Totally against this stereotype, however, he absolutely loved watching the opera on TV, couldn't get enough of it. I was staggered when he told me, as if it was a slightly guilty secret, which it probably was. You had to know him to understand how completely out if kilter this was to everything else in his life and 25 years after his death, I still find it something of a mystery.

[RichardB]

does anyone need to be immersed in the Western Classical Tradition from childhood to have any appreciation of our sort of music?

Well I certainly wasn't.

[pastoralguy]

I’ve been working night shift in the care home where I’m employed as a staff nurse and we have two residents who have Classic FM on all night. On nights when we are short staffed I have to help with ‘the rounds’ which consists of changing the position of those who can’t do it for themselves as well as, ahem, changing the pads of those who are incontinent of both types of waste products…

It always amazes me that the carers I work with are completely unmoved by the wonderful sounds that emanate from the CFM rooms. Slow movement of Bach’s ‘Double’ violin concerto, The adagio of Mozart’s K.488 piano concerto, Eine Kleine Nachtmusic goes for nothing. It might as well be white noise. I do wonder how people can be so impervious to such glories when I’m listening so intently. Is it lack of musical education or is it seen as ‘posh’ music that bears no relation to their lives?

Obviously, I say nothing but it seems so strange that two people can be so different in their responses to music. I’ve no idea why.

[RichardB]

I think there are very many people who just aren't used to actually listening to music at all, whether it's "classical" or anything else, and this applies not only to music. But the factors behind who responds to what music are an intractable mystery. There are the influences of nature and nurture, but also randomness. Why did I become irresistibly attracted to classical music when I was about 12? There was nothing in my background to encourage it, and I knew absolutely nothing about this music until music classes in the first year of secondary school (comprehensive I might add). I didn't take music after the first year but I think that's when it took root. On the other hand, when the teacher was introducing different historical styles of music he put on a record of Stockhausen and said "but this isn't really music". So clearly I didn't hang on his every word.

[Bella Kemp]

It is a mystery. I remember at the age of 12 or so being intensely moved by the opening of Mozart's 40th symphony when our music teacher played it at school, and not understanding why the other children in the class fidgeted and joked. My family, incidentally, was deeply unmusical, apart from a bit of hymn singing in church. As a young music teacher I was constantly trying to find ways to help young people 'get' classical music. Some did, but most did not. As a profoundly religious person, I believe great music gives us a glimpse of God - but accept that view may have gone out of favour since about 1727. In his book Real Presences, George Steiner, though, sets out his belief that great Art does connect us to the ineffable spirit.

[hmvman]

In my circle of friends I'm definitely the odd one out when it comes to music and I think they view my love of classical music as a bit of an amusing oddity. But then I'm completely unmoved by the pop music they listen to.

My primary school headmaster played classical pieces from records at morning assemblies but I didn't get seriously into classical music until I was 15. My parents weren't great classical enthusiasts but had two or three classical LPs. Interestingly, my partner's 15 year-old nephew has just got into classical music and likes opera and Mahler.

[Mandryka]

Any suggestions, anyone?

Yes. When I don’t enjoy a piece of music I always do the same thing and it hardly ever fails. I wait until no one is around, I close the curtains, I put a recording of the music on, and I dance to it.

[Serial_Apologist]

I’ve been working night shift in the care home where I’m employed as a staff nurse and we have two residents who have Classic FM on all night. On nights when we are short staffed I have to help with ‘the rounds’ which consists of changing the position of those who can’t do it for themselves as well as, ahem, changing the pads of those who are incontinent of both types of waste products…

It always amazes me that the carers I work with are completely unmoved by the wonderful sounds that emanate from the CFM rooms. Slow movement of Bach’s ‘Double’ violin concerto, The adagio of Mozart’s K.488 piano concerto, Eine Kleine Nachtmusic goes for nothing. It might as well be white noise. I do wonder how people can be so impervious to such glories when I’m listening so intently. Is it lack of musical education or is it seen as ‘posh’ music that bears no relation to their lives?

Obviously, I say nothing but it seems so strange that two people can be so different in their responses to music. I’ve no idea why.

My guess is that if music is constantly on as a sort of backdrop to everyday doings it can sort of merge in to become indistinguishable, so that only a catchy tune will draw someone, and then possibly with time, a while roomful of people, indeed a community, into singing along. I think possibly for me it must have first come as a sudden occurrence out of the blue =- since when I've had this idea that to be gripped the first sounds have to strike home, and then the child will be wanting to repeat what will have been a pleasurable aural experience of a recogniseably patterned kind. One day he or she will wonder what it is that is producing this sound or these sounds people call music. Later still he or she will begin to notice differences between styles of music, as I did, having from a very early age (maybe four) noticed that the themes of the Strauss waltzes that quickly became singable earworms had a joyful uplifting effect, and gone on to notice how the final Mozart piano concerto had a calming quality in its first two movements which was in stark contrast with the emotion-provoking qualities of the Schumann piano concerto. That was the starting point of my own classical musical appreciation.

[Bryn]

I don't so much 'get' classical music, it 'gets' me.

[richardfinegold]

I got the bug when I was about 14. My parents had a few albums and while this was height of the ‘Classic Rock’ days I wanted something to listen to without words, and that was still attractive musically, to listen to as I did my homework. Eventually I became so enthralled that listened to the music and stopped doing my work. I tried jazz for the same purpose and it just didn’t resonate.
My wife is a Cancer Nurse. She got the bug when she was around 40 and they started playing Classical in the waiting area to calm people. We met a few years later and Music was a big part of our lives there on. So in my experience it can happen any time

[gradus]

In my circle of friends I'm definitely the odd one out when it comes to music and I think they view my love of classical music as a bit of an amusing oddity. But then I'm completely unmoved by the pop music they listen to.

My primary school headmaster played classical pieces from records at morning assemblies but I didn't get seriously into classical music until I was 15. My parents weren't great classical enthusiasts but had two or three classical LPs. Interestingly, my partner's 15 year-old nephew has just got into classical music and likes opera and Mahler.

My background too.

[Petrushka]

We had the usual record playing during school music lessons (including Petrushka, I recall!) but nothing much made an impression. I loved the sound of the military band in my childhood (and still do) but joining the local church choir opened up a new world of music. However, the real catalyst that sparked my love of classical music was my great interest in history and especially the Second World War.

I was reading the standard biographies of Hitler from around the age of 15 and was intrigued by the mention in them of this chap called Richard Wagner. At the same time, quite by chance, I caught the Prelude to Act 3 of Lohengrin on Radio 2 (!) played by the BBC Concert Orchestra which was broadcast on May 23 1970. It struck me like a bolt from the blue and everything suddenly came together. I begged my bewildered mother to get me a recording of the Lohengrin Act 3 Prelude for my 16th birthday two weeks later. She did (LSO/Dorati on a Fontana LP SFL14501 for those interested, with a lovely picture of Linderhof on the cover) and I've never looked back.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... I remember at the age of 12 or so being intensely moved by the opening of Mozart's 40th symphony when our music teacher played it at school, and not understanding why the other children in the class fidgeted and joked. My family, incidentally, was deeply unmusical, apart from a bit of hymn singing in church...

In my case, that same Mozart symphony was the catalyst. But before that, I had the influence of my parents. My mother played the violin and was a good singer. My father played the piano, and his brother played it extremely well. I started playing the piano by ear, in octaves, when I was eight, and started having lessons at 9. But when asked to play Mozart’s Minuet in F (K2), I hated it and said I wished Mozart had never lived and wanted to give up playing the piano. My parents weren’t going to stand for that nonsense, so I continued with the lessons. But a few months later, the BBC came to the rescue, with a Home Service children’s programme about Beethoven. Afterwards, my father made the most of the opportunity and played side 1 of a 78 rpm recording of Mozart’s 40th (VPO/Furtwängler), and the rest is history. I wanted to be a classical musician from then on!