Music in the family
People whose sensibility is destroyed by music in trains, airports, elevators, cannot concentrate on a Beethoven Quartet. -Witold Lutoslawski, composer
Music in the Family
Music is the language of feeling, and people who are not exposed to different kinds of great music, each with its own dialect, can never learn its excitement and power. The way to learn the language of music is to listen, and complex music requires focused listening.
I have been told that Classic Arabic poetry is one of humanity’s great cultural treasures. But if I were forced to sit and listen to someone recite Arabic poetry for an hour and a half, my tears would be tears of boredom, not enchantment. I don’t speak the language, so the recitation, no matter how beautiful it might be to speakers of Arabic, would mean nothing to me.
You will not be moved by music whose language you don’t understand.
If you are not familiar with classical music, you may have a number of misconceptions about it and about the people who love and perform it. Classical music is not for soothing the rough edges of your day. Classical music, properly performed and properly listened to, leaves you in tears or brings you to the edge of your seat.
What is called classical music covers a time period from before 1500 to the present. It is emphatically not one kind of music, but many. Musical art, like visual and literary art, is divided into stylistic/historical periods, and each period has a unique vocabulary and emotional emphasis.
By the early years of the 20th century, music had begun diverging into many branches, and today’s classical composers write in an enormous variety of styles, borrowing from and extending the work of earlier classical composers. Contemporary composers often incorporate rock, jazz, blues, and ethnic styles into their work, just as Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Chopin, Liszt and most of the other familiar names in classical music borrowed from the popular music of their time.
How can we introduce this music into our lives?
1) Attend my Beethoven recitals.
2) Get on music presenters’ mailing lists and start hearing live music. For families with children, I recommend the San Francisco Symphony’s family concerts. Sign up now, because these concerts sell out early. You should also look at Cal Performances, the Berkeley Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Performances, San Francisco Opera, Berkeley Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra (free!), San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and the New Century Chamber Orchestra. There are many other wonderful presenters that I have not listed here. Note that some of these organizations are primarily devoted to new music.
Also go to some youth ensemble concerts; hearing these talented and hard working young people play will inspire you and your children. You can start with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra, and the Oakland Youth Orchestra.
3) Build a library of classical recordings. If you don’t have any, start with a few basics. You can find lists online, using search terms such as “classical CD guide”, or “building a classical library”. Buy books such as the NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection, The New York times Essential Library: Classical Music, and the Gramophone Classical Good CD, DVD and Download Guide. Novices may want to start with the NPR and New York Times guides.
YouTube has a very large collection of performances online. The sound quality varies from unlistenable to sort of listenable. To make sure you get the best sound, click on the gear symbol below the video and choose the highest quality. Video quality and sound quality are linked.
Sound quality matters. You should if possible output the sound through a good stereo system. This music is complex and should be heard at full volume, and demands the best fidelity possible.
4) Classical music, since it is usually more varied and complex than other music, requires more attention from the listener. It is not background music. You may want to listen to it while doing other things, and this may even be a way to ease yourself into the process. You are likely, however, to miss a good part of what’s going on.
People who have fallen in love with classical music often start with one piece that captures their attention, which they then listen to obsessively for a month or more.
4) Listen, at least once, to From the Top, an NPR program featuring some of the country’s top young performers and composers. It’s funny, silly, and exciting. What I appreciate above all is how it humanizes the kids. Find local broadcast times here.
Zzrit la facillum init lut dol oret ullame tuero odet lor adit, com modet tatummy niam dolort onu llaore te dolor in estrud et dunt iure te feugiam velit praese exer aute mcommodit dolorer.
