# Contemplative music to keep focused while reading? Like Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart?



## Nicholas (Jan 6, 2011)

Hi everybody! This will be my first post here, and I come with a very specific question. I hope you will bear with me, as it may be quite easy for someone with the right knowledge. ;-)

What I am trying to do:

I am studying mathematics by means of my own library and curriculum. Traditionally I have spent a great deal of time tracking down or skimming books/papers in order to build motivation for a question and to plan an attack on it.

Because I have too many unrelated ideas in my head by the time I sit down and analyze just one idea by, for example, reading a discursive work (i.e., one that spills a great deal of ink but is well motivated) like Euler's 'Introductio in Analysin Infinitorum', I found that a chorale piece like Mozart's 'Ave Verum Corpus' does wonders to put the act of reading and theorizing in the foreground of my mind (much more so than does silence, by which my mind loses it's concept of time, I focus too intently on the words I see in front of me, and I miss the forest for the trees).

What differentiates this Mozart chorale from most classical works with which I'm familiar* however, is that it leaves the background of my mind undisturbed. Whereas a complicated Bach organ piece does well enough to keep me going on a tedious and largely empirical task like computer programming, the presence of definite notes (and, oh boy does Bach have lots of notes!  ) decimates any subtle ideas bubbling in the back of my mind. So it only seems logical that that the gradual, soothing chorale melodies of this Mozart piece is more conducive to a contemplative mood. I find the Mozart piece so natural to my ears that I almost don't notice it's there. 

Interestingly enough, I originally came to the Mozart piece through the work of Hans Zimmer for the film 'The Lion King'. His melodies for the film are based on Ave Verum Corpus. One might suggest that film scores would work for my purposes. On the contrary, the suitable portions of the entire score are probably too short. It would be more fruitful to look for full compositions by classical composers, probably with a large chorale component.

I have considered church hymns. From what I've listened, it seems a solo singer's gay proclamations are often too easily picked up from the dangerously sparse orchestration. Though perhaps the right collection of hymns, that are not joyous, will do.

I don't think I can do with Brian Eno or Phillip Glass. For the music to be unnoticeable, it also has to be musical, or else I am distracted by the sounds in my ears. If it meanders like a Brian Eno piece, I begin to 
listen for wonder of where the composition is going. On the other hand, I find Vangelis' 'Memories of Green' to be just great: perhaps what I'm looking for is a variant instrumental, relaxed blues, or even mellow jazz without a rhythm section. From what I've heard, other Vangelis pieces would be good, in a pinch.

I'll also mention that the slow movement of many Romantic-era concerti and symphonies seem to do the trick. Perhaps the composer was attempting to subdue the listener in suspense of a fiery final movement. The second movement of Brahms piano concerto no. 1 comes to mind (again, from my limited knowledge).

Although, I keep thinking that Mozart or the like has some vault of utterly subdued and drawn-out chorale music, and that I won't have to jury-rig a medley of slow movements of larger pieces....

Thanks for reading (really -- that was long)!
Nick

* I'm mostly only familiar with emotional Romantic-era piano concerti, sonatas, and nocturnes -- just for pleasure.


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## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

I think you get distracted by more familiar works because you've been aquatinted with it and like the music, so you focus more on the music. You're able to focus more on pieces that aren't as immediately accessible or exciting, because the music creates a sort of comforting barrier from the outside world that lets you focus on what's in front of you. Get a CD of light classical music is my suggestion... something like Haydn symphonies, where you really have to listen to appreciate, but if you just keep it in the background it's very unassuming.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

If slow music/movements seems to do the trick, just listen to those. I'm actually the opposite of you, I never use classical music as "wallpaper" music. I generally read and do study without any music going, classical or otherwise. The most "activity" I do whilst listening to music is playing games on my mobile phone or doing a soduku puzzle. I've got this device that emits sounds of waves crashing on the shore, I use that if I want some background noise. These things are called "sound spas" and have a variety of sounds - eg. ocean, rain, wind chimes - and actually might be something useful to you as background noise (not music) for your study...


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## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

I'd go with renaissance if anything.

But really I can't listen to music without paying attention to it.


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## Nicholas (Jan 6, 2011)

I'll mention first that in the interem I stumbled upon some chorales by Rachmaninoff that seem to show promise:










And, for reference, here are Mozart and Vangelis:










Nix, thank you for the reply!



> I think you get distracted by more familiar works because you've been aquatinted with it and like the music, so you focus more on the music.


You're definitely right that easily recognized melodies or themes might draw one into the development of the composition. But, if the composition isn't very dynamic, what is recognized is more of a 'mood', and there isn't much to anticipate and thereby distract.



> You're able to focus more on pieces that aren't as immediately accessible or exciting, because the music creates a sort of comforting barrier from the outside world that lets you focus on what's in front of you. Get a CD of light classical music is my suggestion... something like Haydn symphonies, where you really have to listen to appreciate, but if you just keep it in the background it's very unassuming.


Thanks for the suggestion! I might be careful, however, in selecting the piece, as memorable melodies aren't the only distracting element of music... I believe that most symphonies are too dynamic even instrumentally, i.e., drums or strings come and go.

Andre, thanks for the reply as well.



> If slow music/movements seems to do the trick, just listen to those. I'm actually the opposite of you, I never use classical music as "wallpaper" music. I generally read and do study without any music going, classical or otherwise. The most "activity" I do whilst listening to music is playing games on my mobile phone or doing a soduku puzzle.


I actually turn off the music when I have a serious question in need of answer, which I try to muster it with sheer thought or computation. On the other hand, much of the time I am instead reading a protracted section, usually with immediate comprehension of its constituent parts, where it is most critical not to quickly work out any immediate problem in sight, but instead to heighten my "medium"-term memory as I try to assimilate the author's abstractions, and then try to guess the author's motivation and play with any questions that bubble up. You might now see why I am looking to be put in a sort of trance 



> I've got this device that emits sounds of waves crashing on the shore, I use that if I want some background noise. These things are called "sound spas" and have a variety of sounds - eg. ocean, rain, wind chimes - and actually might be something useful to you as background noise (not music) for your study...


I think that ambient noises do better to put me to sleep than to heighten focus.  Though I will give you that they filter out annoying creaks and other sounds without much fuss.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

I like your avatar: Leonhard Euler. I first studied _Euler's Identity_ when I was 17 to 18 years old and thought what a damn brilliant formula that was.


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## Nicholas (Jan 6, 2011)

> I like your avatar: Leonhard Euler. I first studied Euler's Identity when I was 17 to 18 years old and thought what a damn brilliant formula that was.


Thanks. You wouldn't be alone for admiring the man, who literally invented large swaths of what we consider mathematics today, and was able to do so with very elementary methods.

I've already mentioned Rachmaninoff, and now you've exposed me as an admirer or Euler. I'm also a huge fan of Kolmogorov... so I guess I'm in danger of being accused beig in love with Russia.


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