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Sunday, January 15. 2017

Have to hear it a few times


I can "get" popular music fairly quickly, but with "classical" music - hate that term - it takes me longer. My basic music education was unfortunately interrupted and it is difficult to understand adult music without some guidance. That's why we love Bob Greenberg.


One of our Christmas presents this year were Metropolitan Opera tix with dinner.


Being musically retarded as I am sure some of our readers are, I need to listen to a piece several times before I have the privilege of hearing it live. There is no way that I can get the music or the singing the first time around and I have not enlisted the help of weed for that in many, many moons.


We have Gounod's Romeo et Juliette tix coming up soon, so we are both listening to various productions on YouTube and on the Met's site. A daughter said "Don't listen to the end or you won't be surprised."


Golly gee, it's purty music.  Here's one.




Posted by Bird Dog in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 15:32 | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0)

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I have never appreciated opera or much of the music of the theatre but I had a gifted school teacher who somehow managed to influence a love for the orchestra. The Blue Danube, even pieces by the orchestra leaders of the 50's and 60's or even current pieces like that found on a YouTube search of Piano Guys and Beethoven's 5 secrets. They are playing at Trumps inaugural.
#1 indyjonesouthere on 2017-01-15 17:08 (Reply)
I didn't have any music education and cannot really learn an instrument or sing a tune. After getting burned out on rock (classic and modern), I found The Dead, which of course led to country music. Jazz came in and out between phases. Finally, I learned to love orchestral music. It took many years of listening to it before I could identify with the carious composers. I'll never be an expert, but I can now usually ID a Beethoven even if I've never heard it, Same for Mozart and a few others. It's so much deeper and enjoyable than pop music.

I don't smoke anymore, but I do wonder what it would be like to smoke some weed and sit down for a nice live performance of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony.
#2 Jack Walter on 2017-01-15 17:54 (Reply)
I'm the same way except for Puccini. I can sense the loveliness of his music on a first hearing and my appreciation for its beauty and complexity deepens with repeated listening. Verdi can take a few times and Wagner definitely takes more than a few times. But now I've sat through three Ring Cyles (two on the Met HD broadcast and one live with the Washington National Opera) and each time his music stirred something deep within me.

I'll also be attending a performance of Romeo et Juliette. I'm looking forward to a beautiful afternoon.
#3 Les on 2017-01-15 20:19 (Reply)
I love Puccini's Tosca. The music is beautiful and there is the happy ending.
#4 Ray on 2017-01-17 13:41 (Reply)

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