Classical Music Background

Non-Phish General
#12

Maybe it’s me but I’ve always felt that Beethoven was light years ahead of his other composers. Other songs (I won’t call them “compositions”) are meandering with no rhythm or connection between parts…he always seemed to do well with that. Of course I’m just some bum that’s how I feel. I always bust out of of “the thoven” when I’m feeling down.

And whenever I see the name “Wagner” I ALWAYS pronounce it as “Vahgnah” like the composer. Like “Robert Wagner” is “Robert Vahgnah” to me. Yes, I know, I need help.

Stevo

#13

i like it from time to time. I’m an entirely self-taught musician so to say that it has an influence on me would be a stretch but i do appreciate it.

#14

“Don’t hate it, but usually don’t seek it out”

#15

I went through a phase where all I bought was Classical music, and I did manage to amass quite a collection. Those Naxos recordings are just so cheap. For the price of one regular c.d., I could usually buy like 4 of those c.d.'s. I was always mostly into the more Romantic era pieces with my favorite composers being Mahler, Shostakovitch, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Dvorak, and of course Beethoven. I like big, over the top symphonies mostly, though when it comes to Beethoven anything is good.

I can’t say with any degree of certainty what percentage of my overall music collection the “classical” music makes up, but I’d say probably somewhere in the 10 - 15% range. I have lots of classical on vinyl because if you go to some big record sales you can often find some damn good recordings for under a dollar.

I still throw on the occasional classical recording when I’m cooking or reading or even gaming, but I’m just not as into it as I once was. My personal most favorite classical piece ever has got to be Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”…particularly that second movement and I think the theme from that movement is reprised in the fourth movement as well.

#16

Don’t hate it/don’t seek it out. Like Jaw, I’m self taught and saying it’s an influence is a huge stretch. First half of YEM is about as classical as I get.

Classical music has never appealed to me in any real sense. Nothing not to like about the actual music or anything … I just think their song titles and album covers suck, right?

#17

This is such a small sample that I don’t believe any statistical conclusions can be drawn from this, but it’s at least interesting to note that there is some connectivity between an appreciation of classical music and an appreciation for Phish’s.

I mean it was always kind of obvious to me since it takes a certain proclivity to ‘stay’ with a composition like Reba, Fluff or YEM, understanding the changes in the composition, being able to follow the common melodic threads, and appreciate it over the expanse of ten or twenty minutes of pretty sophisticated musical complexity. Most classical pieces require the same sort of listening capability.

I was just wondering whether this 2-1 ratio holds up with larger samples of the fanbase. I also wonder how much of this has to do with educational level as well. Wonder if Phish Inc has ever done any marketing research on its customers. Definitely would like to see some of that data. Phish profiling, hah.

#18

^Well Fone, I can tell you this, my taste for classical music certainly helped me get into phish at a time when all I had ever heard about them was bad comments from fellow musicians and friends (all of whom I later discovered had never given phish the time of day). I was lucky enough to meet one guy who really appreciated Phish for what they are, and he let me hear my first 20+ minute YEM. After it was over I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. One of my first comments was, “man, these guys have some musical training…i mean…that composition was intense!” Sure enough, I was right. Most of the boys had been to music school. I was immediately in love…

and then I found five dollars.

#19

^^i think the opposite is true for me. Phish expanded my appreciation for classical music.

#20

Best, of all the 4:33

#21

I went with the 'Don’t hate it, but don’t seek it out" answer. I enjoy listening to it on the radio at work when we’re in the truck.

For some reason, three of our better radio stations got shit-canned for christian rock stations. So we’re limited to what we have to choose from, and classical is very soothing.

#22

‘Like it every once in a while’

A bit on NPR every once in a while is always welcome. Changes the mindset.

I only listen to it in the car, though. Tends to fend off road rage, perhaps…

#23

HA!!! About 10 years ago I watched Der Ring des Nibelungen on PBS. It was 4 hours a night for 4 nights. 16 hours of music for one good tune that only lasted 5 minutes. That made Coventry seem like Big Cypress… Anyway, if I can stick with Wagner, I can sit through any '94 or '95 Dead or Phish on a crappy night.

#24

^I bought a copy of Das Rheingold on vinyl some years ago, listened to it once following the liner notes, but never did it again. Just played the orchestral sections that interested me.

What’s most interesting to me about Reekard Vahgner is his concept of the lietmotif. He developed the groundwork for so much of the movie and theater music that followed. John Williams Star Wars music is a perfect example of the use of Wagner’s concepts.

#25

^I agree completely. I feel like his use of those lietmotif concepts ultimately helped shaped what we recognize as film score music. In his operas, he would often attribute a certain theme to an event, place, or character. This theme would then repeat itself with variation based on the mood of that character or the weather at that location. It added life to the opera and placed melody on important aspects of the story.

#26

see? i knew my taste was impeccable.

::adjusts monocle, straigtens asgot, sips warmed schlitz from a martini glass, cues “Opening Title” from the John Williams masterpeice: E.T.::

#27

i enjoy me some good classical from time to time

normally i will just find some tab’s and play the song on the guitar, that has always been a great way for me to relax when I’m all wound up

#28

And now class, can you name at least two Phish songs that provide prime examples of contrapuntal texture? (5 points).

#29

I take a stab…

Asse Festival/Guelah
Landlady
Reba

?

#30

You know, I was thinking about vocals when I asked this question, but you may be right about Guelah, I’ll have to listen to it again. Landlady not, and I’m not sure but I don’t think in Reba. I’ll need to listen to it again because it goes so many places, it just might.

#31

of wha…?