Classical Music lifts us

[Bobadohshe]

Seems like every time I crack open my FB feed or Twitter there's a barrage of news about how greedy the world is and how we're trashing the planet. Even the maelstrom of FB is a neverending (but necessary) humblebrag (that I myself am guilty of). Nuclear fish and government conspiracies. It's a constant hustle and so easy to get negative about the future of everything.

 

Thank God for the pure bliss of great music. Now this goes for any music that moves you to be sure, but for me, the true greatness is in the Classical Masterworks.

 

Sit down and play or listen to some great classical music - It doesn't have to be the hardest thing in the world - and the bullshit is washed away. Music is entirely objective and above any human corruption of it. It's just different frequencies of pressure waves vibrating the air, and even though it was made by men, sometimes for unscrupulous reasons or with a political message, the music itself endures beyond that.

 

Just some extemporaneous thoughts as I take a quick break from working on some Mendelssohn. I'm going to get back to it now.

[Mark Zeger]

Except Pachebel's Canon. Deeply depressing.

 

Bobby, Padres fans are going to LOVE Mendelssohn.

[GovernorSilver]

Great post, Bobby!

 

I'm working on Beethoven's Pathetique, Movement 2. Sounds easy to play but there are enough challenges to me, including those hand stretches.

[marino]

Good thoughts Bob!

 

About FB - I have endured as a Facebook member for just a few days before shutting down the page and canceling every trace.

(funny thing, during these few days I've met again an old girlfriend - who is now my girlfriend again! Life is strange... and I guess Facebook works sometimes)

 

About Patetique's Adagio, I always tell my students that it can be considered as a graduation test (or a rite of passage if you will) to higher pianistic spheres. I'm absolutely merciless with them about phrasing, balance, pedaling etc. on that piece.

 

 

[I-missRichardTee]

]Seems like every time I crack open my FB feed or Twitter there's a barrage of news about how greedy the world is and how we're trashing the planet. Even the maelstrom of FB is a neverending (but necessary) humblebrag (that I myself am guilty of). Nuclear fish and government conspiracies. It's a constant hustle and so easy to get negative about the future of everything.[/b]

 

Thank God for the pure bliss of great music. Now this goes for any music that moves you to be sure, but for me, the true greatness is in the Classical Masterworks.

 

Sit down and play or listen to some great classical music - It doesn't have to be the hardest thing in the world - and the bullshit is washed away. Music is entirely objective and above any human corruption of it. It's just different frequencies of pressure waves vibrating the air, and even though it was made by men, sometimes for unscrupulous reasons or with a political message, the music itself endures beyond that.

 

Just some extemporaneous thoughts as I take a quick break from working on some Mendelssohn. I'm going to get back to it now.

 

You are no doubt from a younger generation than myself. Let me tell you, you have no idea how true your words, both about Higher music, and the internet-born "hustle" ( indeed) of the green movement, and conspiracy this and that, and every fool and his momma, get to regurgitate their groundless opinions for the world to see, hear, and add their own variations to . Amen to JS Bach, and Felix M for uncovering him.

 

[I-missRichardTee]

Good thoughts Bob!

 

About FB - I have endured as a Facebook member for just a few days before shutting down the page and canceling every trace.

(funny thing, during these few days I've met again an old girlfriend - who is now my girlfriend again! Life is strange... and I guess Facebook works sometimes)

Are you saying what I believe you are saying: basically.. FB is for the birds? If so, I agree; with rare exception, FB is a hustle. We are fortunate if we have 2 true friends in this world.

[Synthoid]

About FB - I have endured as a Facebook member for just a few days before shutting down the page and canceling every trace.

(funny thing, during these few days I've met again an old girlfriend - who is now my girlfriend again! Life is strange... and I guess Facebook works sometimes)

Are you saying what I believe you are saying: basically.. FB is for the birds? If so, I agree; with rare exception, FB is a hustle. We are fortunate if we have 2 true friends in this world.

 

True... thing is, most of my family uses Facebook. I don't spend much time there and that makes me the odd man out, but I prefer real phone conversations and hanging out with real people.

 

By the way, Twitter is for the birds.

 

 

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/twitter-logo.png

 

 

[Bobadohshe]

Are you saying what I believe you are saying: basically.. FB is for the birds? If so, I agree; with rare exception, FB is a hustle. We are fortunate if we have 2 true friends in this world.

 

Not exactly, but in the ballpark.

 

I think FB has lots of merits. Keeping in touch with friends, wishing someone well, and being exposed to funny/enlightening content can all be positive things. It also has power as a very real and useful marketing tool.

 

But how often do I find myself reading tons of bum out and/or ill founded news or falling into the useless trap of self comparison despite myself? How often do we find ourselves judging others or questioning their motives for posting this or that. Or just wasting time on the damn thing in the first place? Way too often.

 

I think you have to be smart with FB both with how you use it and be aware of what it does to your own mindset and attitude. If the net result of your being logged on is that you are worse for it, then why the hell use it.

[Bobadohshe]

Except Pachebel's Canon. Deeply depressing.

 

Bobby, Padres fans are going to LOVE Mendelssohn.

 

I actually play bastardized classical music on that gig sometimes. A Fantasie Impromptu / Angry Birds medley against the Orioles happened, no joke.

[Synthoid]

I think you have to be smart with FB both with how you use it and be aware of what it does to your own mindset and attitude. If the net result of your being logged on is that you are worse for it, then why the hell use it.

 

That can apply to online forums as well. I gotta say, though, that I enjoy the daily banter we share here.

 

Of course, it would be nice to get together for a beer once in awhile.

 

 

 

 

[Malpaugh]

Great post. I usually have the public radio classical station on in my car. I find it especially soothing driving home late at night after a gig. Once after a gig our band was packing up and I had Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music playing just trying to chill. Then the bass player pipes up and says, "Turn that shit off. It reminds me of a funeral." Different strokes I guess.

[Dave Ferris]

Just some extemporaneous thoughts as I take a quick break from working on some Mendelssohn.

 

Perhaps pieces from "Songs without words" ? I've worked on a handful of those in my life. Some of the most beautiful music ever written for piano.

 

It doesn't get any more "real" and "pure" then Bach's WTC. I was working on some stuff out of Bk. I this morning that I hadn't played in some time. I usually practice the ones I've worked up in Bk. II. Selected preludes & fugues from Bk. II can be longer and take time to really play through, almost like mini-concertos. Need to dust off the "Italian Concerto" too.

 

A perfect day for me would be 2 hours on the classical-

45-60 minutes on Bach. And an hour to 1:15 on either the Chopin or Debussy Etudes.

 

An hour on transposing jazz lines to all 12 keys. 45 minutes working on chord voicings and maybe 30-45 minutes blowing through tunes and generally trying to keep my repertoire sharp.

 

An hour to 90 minutes on my vocals. 30 minutes on my lesson, which are scales and patterns and 30-60 working on the tunes.

 

Throw in a 6-8 mile run and it's definitely, mission accomplished for the day.

 

Not a FB, Twitter guy. I feel bad enough spending time here and pianoworld.

[Theo Verelst]

At the risk of for the occasion sounding a bit like a nincompoop: I may have to locate Beethoven's Pathetique at teh high resolution source HDtracks in some nice interpretation (also important, isn't it, unless I'd try a mathematically made MIDI file and neutral synth on it), and store that on my oil-suckling 200 Watts of energy wasting system to listen to (which then includes the amps and lights and is immediately also a TV, internet server, browser, reading station, media server, etc.).

 

Seriously, there are, since the Greek, of course also considerations about sound waves, even to the point of wether music is justified or not. I've worked on instruments based entirely on differential equations, I mean formally algebraically stated ones, not some approximation scheme, I suspect strongly I (and probably others before me) could come up with some general differential equations about resonating sounds and general audio wave progression.

 

T.

 

[GovernorSilver]

I like the version of Beethoven's Pathetique Mvt. 2 that was performed by Ingolf Dahl for the movie "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" but I haven't been able to find a recording of the full sonata as played by Dahl, if such a thing exists.

 

When I practice the piece, it does have a way of washing away thoughts of Facebook, forum talk, tech/geek stuff, etc. from my head, until it's just me and the piano.

[CEB]

Right Now I am in to pretty stuff. Claire de Lune, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Edvard Grieg's Lyric Pieces. I haven't even open the Gottschalk and MacDowell collections I bought a few month ago at a music store going out of business sale. I was supposed to be working on an American Composer project but I guess it is on hold until I get remotivated.

[opdigits]

I like the version of Beethoven's Pathetique Mvt. 2 that was performed by Ingolf Dahl for the movie "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" but I haven't been able to find a recording of the full sonata as played by Dahl, if such a thing exists.

 

When I practice the piece, it does have a way of washing away thoughts of Facebook, forum talk, tech/geek stuff, etc. from my head, until it's just me and the piano.

Funny, ... I get that from "Mustang Sally", and especially enjoy it as I'm driving home from a gig playing it on my battery powered keyboard while FB'ing to all my 1,000's of true "friends" whilst drinking a bottle of Jack with a Coors chaser. Those times of the night are perfect, except for all those sober morons who haven't a clue how to drive.

 

[Joe Muscara]

Of course, it would be nice to get together for a beer once in awhile.

http://blue-funk.com/NonBandPictures/smileys/beer.gif

 

We do, regionally. Then there is Summer NAMM, Winter NAMM, and others get togethers that are harder to search for.

 

Which one you go to depends on what part of PA you're in. I know some have gotten together in NY, MA might be close enough to you, or if there's another Midwest hang. Then there are times when someone like kanker or B3-er is on tour and in your neck of the woods, you can sometimes get a mini-hang.

[steadyb]

I hear Bill Cunliffe thinks Bill Evans is much better than Beethoven.

[ProfD]

Excellent post Bobby

 

I cherish having the ability to sit down and play music. It is my panacea.

 

I don't believe I would trade being a musician for the Playboy mansion and all of the bunnies in it.

[steadyb]

I don't believe I would trade being a musician for the Playboy mansion and all of the bunnies in it.

 

Let's not get carried away.

[Brettymike]

I'll have the bunnies and mansion thanks.

 

 

Brett.

[Bosendorphen]

Right Now I am in to pretty stuff. Claire de Lune, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Edvard Grieg's Lyric Pieces. I haven't even open the Gottschalk and MacDowell collections I bought a few month ago at a music store going out of business sale. I was supposed to be working on an American Composer project but I guess it is on hold until I get remotivated.

Does the Gottschalk collection include "The Banjo?" Just curious.

 

For me playing the Clementi I learned when I took lessons always relaxes/inspires me.

[GovernorSilver]

I like the version of Beethoven's Pathetique Mvt. 2 that was performed by Ingolf Dahl for the movie "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" but I haven't been able to find a recording of the full sonata as played by Dahl, if such a thing exists.

 

When I practice the piece, it does have a way of washing away thoughts of Facebook, forum talk, tech/geek stuff, etc. from my head, until it's just me and the piano.

Funny, ... I get that from "Mustang Sally", and especially enjoy it as I'm driving home from a gig playing it on my battery powered keyboard while FB'ing to all my 1,000's of true "friends" whilst drinking a bottle of Jack with a Coors chaser. Those times of the night are perfect, except for all those sober morons who haven't a clue how to drive.

 

 

We all want to be steadyb

[Threadslayer]

Well, just to be odd man out... Even though I have studied classical music formally (music major)and privately and enjoy playing classical pieces on the piano, I have always found that listening to classical music makes me nervous and mildly irritated - exactly the opposite effect experienced by most people. I have considered the possibility that it is the rigidity of the "staight eighths" that causes me to squirm in my chair, but haven't delved much deeper into it than that.

[mate stubb]

Screw classical, baroque rulez dudez!

 

[Synthoid]

Of course, it would be nice to get together for a beer once in awhile.

http://blue-funk.com/NonBandPictures/smileys/beer.gif

 

We do, regionally. Then there is Summer NAMM, Winter NAMM, and others get togethers that are harder to search for.

 

Which one you go to depends on what part of PA you're in. I know some have gotten together in NY, MA might be close enough to you, or if there's another Midwest hang. Then there are times when someone like kanker or B3-er is on tour and in your neck of the woods, you can sometimes get a mini-hang.

 

I'm way down here in the southeastern corner of PA--quite close to Maryland--so NY or MA would be a hike.

 

Well, maybe someday...

 

[Joe Muscara]

I'm way down here in the southeastern corner of PA--quite close to Maryland--so NY or MA would be a hike.

Then maybe the Mid-Atlantic Hang would do. Sometimes someone from NY or such makes the trek so you might be able to tag along.

 

(Are you anywhere near Ridley Park? I have a friend from there that I met when we both went to Maryland. In fact, a bunch of people I'm friends with from college are from the Cheasapeake City area in MD, which may not be far from you, I'm not sure.)

[Synthoid]

In fact, a bunch of people I'm friends with from college are from the Cheasapeake City area in MD, which may not be far from you, I'm not sure.)

 

Now that's close... yes.

[Joe Muscara]

Hell, I met my wife in Chesapeake City. She's not from there, but we were both there for a wedding of one of the aforementioned friends.

[NoahZark]

Well said, Bobby. And if, while listening to said classical masterworks, one happens to find one's self simultaneously consuming a pint or two of Guinness (a/k/a the nectar of the gods), well, then, I don't know what Heaven is like, but I imagine that's pretty close (especially if a few of them bunnies from the Playboy Mansion are nearby).