# Glad I found Ya!



## Muddy (Feb 5, 2012)

I am 52 years old. (sob) I discovered classical music when I was 17. I have embraced the Big 3 for decades. Still do and likely always will. 

But discovering this site and reading the posts and opinions of people more musically educated than myself has been a great gift. First, it has focused my attention on Schubert. That incredible genius will never be unappreciated in my book.

Also, Bruckner. I believe that one of the greatest experiences in life is discovering new music. In the case of Schubert, for me, there is so much new music to treasure. For Bruckner, as of tonight, there is one movement. But tonight, at this moment, I wouldn't trade it for the world. The Adagio from the 8th Symphony. I read of this movement in the Favorite Slow movement thread. Or something like that. I have been listening to it for about 2 weeks. I have the Gunter Wand version. It IS MAGNIFICENT! There are moments that make me cry. 

So glad I found you all! Thanks!


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

Glad you found us too! I also have profited much from reading the forum as it has introduced me to a lot of music I might not have tried. The site has some very good members who know a lot but please don't be afraid to join in discussions just because there may members more educated. Everyone has something to contribute no matter their knowledge level.

Kevin


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## Andy Loochazee (Aug 2, 2007)

35 years seems rather a long time to have taken to discover such a well-known piece as Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, and then only through the auspices of this forum.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Andy Loochazee said:


> 35 years seems rather a long time to have taken to discover such a well-known piece as Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, and then only through the auspices of this forum.


Maybe the focus before was quite narrow, the big three whoever they may be. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven?

It would be interesting to note how people's musical experiences developed and why the choices were made that were made. Same for how their particular collections of recorded music came to be.


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## Andy Loochazee (Aug 2, 2007)

Moira said:


> Maybe the focus before was quite narrow, the big three whoever they may be. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven? It would be interesting to note how people's musical experiences developed and why the choices were made that were made. Same for how their particular collections of recorded music came to be.


I assume he meant Bach, Mozart, Beethoven. I like these composers too, and have most of their works, the most important of them in several versions. But I had moved on well beyond these three within a couple of years of first taking up an interest in classical music in my mid-teens. After about 5 years I had embraced dozens of other composers covering virtually the whole period of classical music history, whilst concentrating mainly on baroque, classical, romantic, impressionist. Since then I've filled most of the remaining gaps, with the exception of post-modern, which I'm still working on. I came to this forum several years ago, well after I had attained a respectable familiarity with the main classical repertoire, and don't use this place as a source of education. I'm mainly intrigued by some of the things people say, and I'm very occasionally motivated to comment or seek clarification, even though I suspect that I know the answer in advance.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

You're just blessed by the knowledge of these forums!

Nice to meet you. I find talkclassical this year, and it helped me find some good music and expand my knowledge.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Aye up..Muddy :tiphat:
The only problem with forums like this is your spending on music recording rockets! I've spent £1.98 this week alone!


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## Muddy (Feb 5, 2012)

I wasn't clear. The Big 3 are Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, and they have been my favorite composers since I was a teen, but I did not mean to imply that I listened *only* to them. Of course I was familiar with Schubert, with his 8th and 9th symphonies, his Trout quintet, his last piano sonata. This forum, however, convinced me to listen to his famous song cycles, his piano trios, several of his other sonatas and the somehow overlooked String Quintet, and because of that, Schubert has blossomed in my ears.


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## Andy Loochazee (Aug 2, 2007)

Muddy said:


> I wasn't clear. The Big 3 are Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, and they have been my favorite composers since I was a teen, but I did not mean to imply that I listened *only* to them. Of course I was familiar with Schubert, with his 8th and 9th symphonies, his Trout quintet, his last piano sonata. This forum, however, convinced me to listen to his famous song cycles, his piano trios, several of his other sonatas and the somehow overlooked String Quintet, and because of that, Schubert has blossomed in my ears.


All now perfectly clear, but overlooking the String Quintet, D 956, was an important miss. One of the best versions of this is by the Hollywood Quartet. I have dozens of versions of this work but allthough this one is in mono it's truly brilliant, and one that used to be highly recommended. Yes indeed, his earlier piano sonatas and piano trios are extremely good, as too are many of his piano duo works, and works for violin and piano (try D 934). You shouldn't overlook his sacred music. The last Mass, D 950, is a treasure, and a good one is by Sawallisch/Dresden Staatskapelle.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Badinerie said:


> Aye up..Muddy :tiphat:
> The only problem with forums like this is your spending on music recording rockets! I've spent £1.98 this week alone!


Yes, that is a lot.


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

Well, I at least can't be blamed for made members spend money. Composers and works I suggest probably nobody will find anywhere.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Yeah,...I really don't think there's anything as too long a time to discover a piece of music. Some people,...MOST people will go through life without ever having even sat through an entire performance of Beethoven's fifth symphony or Mozart's 40th even though they know the intros their whole lives. I've done some deep digging in classical but the very reason I even sought out this place was because I clearly felt I was missing something and also because I wanted to (for the first time in my life!) be able to talk about works I treasure with people that treasure them as well. And I'm glad I found TC! I have learned so much music in such little time here. Stuff I've heard, even, such as the Prokofiev symphonies and Sibelius and Dvorak that I never really cared for much the first couple times around,...well, just seeing some of these folks' passion for the works simply forced me to give them another whirl. In many cases it has been the same outcome as the first time around. But in others, I have discovered gems that will give me many coming years of delight. Thanks again.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

kv466 said:


> I have learned so much music in such little time here. Stuff I've heard, even, such as the Prokofiev symphonies and Sibelius and Dvorak that I never really cared for much the first couple times around,...well, just seeing some of these folks' passion for the works simply forced me to give them another whirl. In many cases it has been the same outcome as the first time around. But in others, I have discovered gems that will give me many coming years of delight. Thanks again.


Well said. That's been my experience also. I've been exposed to many pieces by TC members which I now love that I'd previously passed up because my old professors snubbed their noses at them.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

The Big 3 - Mahler, Bruckner, Scriabin.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I always thought the Big Three were Schoenberg, Berg and Webern?


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

Everybody knows that the bid three were Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. It's teached at school !.


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

Muddy,

You love Schubert.

I like you.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Hello Muddy & welcome to the forum.

Well I think the *Big Three* are Verdi, Rossini, Bellini & Donizetti; and opera fans can't count.


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

sospiro said:


> Hello Muddy & welcome to the forum.
> 
> Well I think the *Big Three* are Verdi, Rossini, Bellini & Donizetti; and opera fans can't count.


In opera, the big three are Mozart, Verdi, Wagner...

That's not per _me_, that's per *Daniel Barenboim*, who's had some substantive hands-on experience with opera.

At any rate- apologies for the digression... to the extent that your discoveries have been aided by the conversations we've had on this forum, I'm sure we're all happy.


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## GoneBaroque (Jun 16, 2011)

You have a good version of the Bruckner Eighth in Gunter Wand who is the master at Bruckner. But to my mind almost his equal is Herbert Blomstedt.


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## Andy Loochazee (Aug 2, 2007)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I always thought the Big Three were Schoenberg, Berg and Webern?


 Just when I thought I knew what was going on, you go and spoil it. I thought he meant that he first discovered classical music when he was 17 but got side-tracked into big 3 game-hunting (chasing elephants around Botswana, lions around Tanzania, and such-like) until he was 52. Thanks to this forum he's off all that now and has settled down to the more sedentary pursuit of cultivating his earlier interest in classical music. Isn't it funny just how mistaken one can be?


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## Muddy (Feb 5, 2012)

peeyaj said:


> Muddy,
> 
> You love Schubert.
> 
> I like you.


Ha, I like you too Peeyaj. Actually, some of your posted Schubert selections were instrumental in my increased esteem for that great composer! So thanks.


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## pasido (Apr 2, 2012)

Muddy said:


> I am 52 years old. (sob) I discovered classical music when I was 17. I have embraced the Big 3 for decades. Still do and likely always will.
> 
> But discovering this site and reading the posts and opinions of people more musically educated than myself has been a great gift. First, it has focused my attention on Schubert. That incredible genius will never be unappreciated in my book.
> 
> ...


I had the same experience with Bruckner's 8th symphony, but with the Scherzo. Such a magnificent work.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

All you fans of Bruckner's 8th - there seems to be a lot you, and I'm glad you guys exist, but: go listen to his other symphonies, too! NOW!


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

Xaltotun said:


> All you fans of Bruckner's 8th - there seems to be a lot you, and I'm glad you guys exist, but: go listen to his other symphonies, too! NOW!


But Bruckner's 6th and 7th > 8th!

His 3th, 4th, 5th are also great. I should listen more to 1,2 and 9.


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## Muddy (Feb 5, 2012)

Xaltotun said:


> All you fans of Bruckner's 8th - there seems to be a lot you, and I'm glad you guys exist, but: go listen to his other symphonies, too! NOW!


I agree, and I will. But his symphonies are so long, it takes awhile to truly absorb them, at least for me. I was away for a week and unable to listen to that glorious adagio. I am correcting that as I type. Sublime!


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## Muddy (Feb 5, 2012)

This fits in the current thread but also deserves a separate thread. I have been gushing over the music of Schubert and Bruckner, thanks to my discovering this site. But has anybody else ever experienced this:

I have been listening to Bruckner for about 4 weeks straight. Not much of anything else. Tonight I loaded some absolutely sublime Schubert Lieder, and I thought, "Why the hell have I been listening to those long, gut wrenching symphonies when I could have been listening to this piano and this vocal, absolute perfection, and not an hour long!" 

My question being, is it easy or common for others to change direction like this? After hearing the first few minutes of Schubert, I realized that Bruckner was shelved for now. Am I just bi-polar?


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Schubert lieds are nice, but disposable. You'll be back to Brucker before too long.


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

Couchie said:


> Schubert lieds are nice, but disposable. You'll be back to Brucker before too long.







or






Couchie, you choose! Dmmit..


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

peeyaj said:


> Couchie, you choose! Dmmit..


One is nice, the other is _where time turns into space_.


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## Merve (Jun 7, 2012)

Muddy said:


> My question being, is it easy or common for others to change direction like this? After hearing the first few minutes of Schubert, I realized that Bruckner was shelved for now. Am I just bi-polar?


It's very easy and common, you are definitely not bi-polar  Your love for both will even out over time, I think you should wait weeks/months/years before you decide you truly love/hate some music.

That's like happily eating pasta for weeks and then suddenly craving rice; and upon eating the rice wondering how I could have eaten pasta for so long!!! Happens to me all the time


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