# Which do you listen to most? - Baroque, Classical etc.



## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

The title is fairly self explanatory. Which period (Early, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th-21st Century) do you listen to most?
I am asking purely out of curiosity, not to prove a point.*
For me - my tastes were previously mainly in Classical-period music, but have now shifted more towards more modern music - Adès, Schnittke and the like.

*I shouldn't really have to say that, but...


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

18th century, so that means High Baroque, Classical, the foundations of all classical music.


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## Fagotterdammerung (Jan 15, 2015)

Can 20th century be an option? I seem to listen to so much from that century, both in terms of the tail end of Romanticism, Impressionism, various Modernist trends, etc. It makes up 90% of my listening, but no one style of composition dominates.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

When I am alone, I listen to modern (or post-modern) music most.

When I am with my wife, baroque most.

Though in the end, it's got to be pretty close. I definitely don't neglect any eras - _not even the poor old Renaissance_!


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Fagotterdammerung said:


> Can 20th century be an option? I seem to listen to so much from that century, both in terms of the tail end of Romanticism, Impressionism, various Modernist trends, etc. It makes up 90% of my listening, but no one style of composition dominates.


Yes, 20th Century would be an option - I would call it Modern but it started 115 years ago, so it's not really.


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

Romantic and Modern mostly, with a glass of Baroque to wash it down.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I only occasionally listen to Ancient/Medieval/Renaissance music. In the Baroque and Classical eras, I am quite fixated on only the usual composers, but I listen to them quite a bit; however, they share their air time with a huge slew of composers from the Romantic and Modern eras. It is the newer composers, say the past 30-40 years, who get neglected, since I really don't know many, although I regularly sample works.

Imagine a pear: thin and long at the top, only gradually becoming thicker, then suddenly thickening greatly to form a massive globe, and abruptly slimming down to nothingness at the bottom.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

MoonlightSonata said:


> Yes, 20th Century would be an option - I would call it Modern but it started 115 years ago, so it's not really.


I'm a little worried about this terminological muddle that is developing. We might actually be entering a world in which "modern," "post-modern," and "contemporary" are regarded as distinct labels for discrete and successive eras.... I can only hope that "contemporary" does not in turn give way to something like "the lately era."


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

science said:


> I'm a little worried about this terminological muddle that is developing. We might actually be entering a world in which "modern," "post-modern," and "contemporary" are regarded as distinct labels for discrete and successive eras.... I can only hope that "contemporary" does not in turn give way to something like "the lately era."


Then what? The post-lately era? The "now" era? Post-post-modern? :lol:


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

MoonlightSonata said:


> Then what? The post-lately era? The "now" era? Post-post-modern? :lol:


Maybe one day we'll find all such labels reactionary, and go for "the pre-subsequent era."


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Romantic and 20th-21st Century. And JS Bach.


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## Fagotterdammerung (Jan 15, 2015)

science said:


> I'm a little worried about this terminological muddle that is developing. We might actually be entering a world in which "modern," "post-modern," and "contemporary" are regarded as distinct labels for discrete and successive eras.... I can only hope that "contemporary" does not in turn give way to something like "the lately era."


Maybe we need to switch languages. That's how "Art Nouveau" gets away with being a distinct stylistic period.

I do feel that 1890-1910, 1920-1940, 1950-1970, etc. were quite different and distinct eras in music that all get labelled "Modern".

I also find it interesting that if you read really old music literature ( i.e. from the 1800s ) they tend to start "Modern" at Wagner, reserving "Romantic" for Schubert, Mendelssohn, and that generation.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Bach and 20th century -- but probably not the "right" 20th century for some.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

MoonlightSonata said:


> Yes, 20th Century would be an option - I would call it Modern but it started 115 years ago, so it's not really.


1890 - 1975 = later romantic overlapping modern starting at 1890 / 1975 - present = contemporary.

20th century:
late romantic / later 'modern' romantic / 
_______modern / contemporary

Sure its an option. That is where I find myself most often.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Fagotterdammerung said:


> Maybe we need to switch languages. That's how "Art Nouveau" gets away with being a distinct stylistic period.
> 
> I do feel that 1890-1910, 1920-1940, 1950-1970, etc. were quite different and distinct eras in music that all get labelled "Modern".
> 
> I also find it interesting that if you read really old music literature ( i.e. from the 1800s ) they tend to start "Modern" at Wagner, reserving "Romantic" for Schubert, Mendelssohn, and that generation.


"Romantic" once applied to Mozart, and I'm not sure how much further back but almost nothing would surprise me.

Maybe that's how to do it. We can push all the eras up. Let "classical" cover Haydn to Schumann, "romantic" Wagner to Schoenberg, "modern" Boulez to yesterday, and today we can start afresh with "postmodern."

I don't know if we in the pre-successive era can get away with the language switch strategy in the manner our more naive predecessors. Perhaps it will work when Chinese becomes the dominant language in the high culture world, and we can use transliterations of the English terms.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

The Romantic is my favorite period, along with the early modern. I listen to music mainly from 1810-1920. Music from the 19th century makes up most of what I listen to. 

Of course, Mozart is one of my most listened-to composers, so it varies, but I'd say a good 75% of the classical music I listen to regularly was written in the 19th century.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Mostly romantic and forward in time.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Baroque, slightly ahead of Early Music.


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

For me, it is mostly 19th century in its entirety and the 'Romantic-rooted' works of the 20th century (to around 1940).

Mozart aside, I listen to extremely little pre-19th century music. And of course I haven't even scratched the surface with the 20th/21st centuries.

There's work to be done.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

brotagonist said:


> Imagine a pear: thin and long at the top, only gradually becoming thicker, then suddenly thickening greatly to form a massive globe, and abruptly slimming down to nothingness at the bottom.


An almost perfect description of my listening habits, but instead of Mr Brot's end of nothingness, my pear ends in a constant growth zone! Growing unevenly in an inconsistent pace, but still growing! 

/ptr


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

For me it's mostly music from 1685-1750; the glorious music of J.S. Bach.

Late Baroque.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I still listen to a little over 400 years worth of music, but 20th century seems to be the focus. 

In the 1960s it was large scale romantic symphonies. In the 70s progressive rock. In the 80s, almost exclusively baroque (with metal a runner up). In the 90s a return to large scale symphonic works. In the aughts and the blossoming of the internet and mp3s with less reliance on the radio, I went a little wild into everything, finally currently exploring composers I never thought I'd get, which means mostly the moderns and beyond.

How nice that I can still enjoy all those other genres too when the mood strikes.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

I think I listen to most eras equally.
Although I've been listening to a lot of earlier music recently - My Vivarte, Archiv and DHM boxsets give me plenty to explore.

And rarely a day goes by when I don't listen to at least one work from the Renaissance or before. 

So right now - it's everything with emphasis on early.
In a couple of months I'll probably bring my musical periscope to bare on another era.


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2015)

It's strange. When I started on this lark not so long ago if I had said what my expectation was regarding this, I would (in my complete ignorance) have said something like "I don't know which composers or periods I'll like till I hear them but it probably won't extend to the modern tuneless rubbish." Fast forward to now and after listening to a fair range, my favourite composers are from the modern era. I enjoy the older stuff in varying degrees but so far (with the exception of Bach) it's the tuneless rubbish I'm enjoying the most.
Odd why I had this expectation, perhaps that's the prevailing vibe? I noticed at a guitar recital the other day the guitarist introduced a piece and said it was written in the 1980s and quickly added "don't worry it's tuneful" sort of comforting comment.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Nowadays probably:

1.Late / Wagnerian / Lisztian Romantic
2.Mozart
3.Pre-Wagnerian Early Romantic
4.Relatively "Moderate" forms of Modernist music (Bartok, Impressionism, late Scriabin etc.)
5.Baroque


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

1. Romantic.
2. Classical.
3. Baroque.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

I would say my listening tends toward the very picturesque 20th-century composers/ compositions (so not Stockhausen or Boulez), that are more visceral than intellectual........with very hefty doses of Wagner.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Very roughly an even split between Romantic and 20th c. with classical and late baroque third and fourth respectively.


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

My main interests are French music beginning with Saint Saens about 1850; then down through the 20th Century with Faure, Ravel, & Debussy through Ibert. Then I switch over to American music: Copland, Bernstein, Barber, Gershwin, Hanson, Griffes....


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Weston said:


> I still listen to a little over 400 years worth of music, but 20th century seems to be the focus . . . finally currently exploring composers I never thought I'd get, which means mostly the moderns and beyond.


That's been me lately. Though I've been spending more time in the Renaissance than the Baroque and Classical. But I've noticed that constantly trying new or new-to-me 20th Century works has tended to deflate my tires, even making me think of abandoning the old jalopy for some of that new-car-smell pop stuff. A couple days ago I got excited over the new Taylor Swift song. Ouch! It's time to get out some Beethoven and get back on track.


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## Überstürzter Neumann (Jan 1, 2014)

Nowadays I find myself returning again and again to the symphonies of Anton Bruckner. 
Apart from that I mostly listen to music from the classical period.


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## LancsMan (Oct 28, 2013)

Well I try and listen to all periods, but have a habit of phasing my listening so for several weeks I tend to listen to music from the same era. I've just had a spell of 20th and 21st century listening and yesterday went back to the 'romantic' era, but only for a brief excursion. Medieval music is somewhat limited in my collection, but enjoy it greatly and I really should expand this era.

Despite having a significant collection of romantic era music I find these days large tracts of this music less than enthralling. But I'm having a Brahms night tonight!


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Manxfeeder said:


> That's been me lately. Though I've been spending more time in the Renaissance than the Baroque and Classical. But I've noticed that constantly trying new or new-to-me 20th Century works has tended to deflate my tires, even making me think of abandoning the old jalopy for some of that new-car-smell pop stuff. A couple days ago I got excited over the new Taylor Swift song. Ouch! It's time to get out some Beethoven and get back on track.


It's always nice to come home after a long vacation in parts unknown. That's the feeling pulling out the old Beethoven gives to me. But then I'm rebooted so to speak.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Bach and 20th century -- but probably not the "right" 20th century for some.


I can't stand that alternative-universe twentieth century stuff!


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

For the last year or so it's been mostly pre-1600 and post-1900, plus some Bach, Mozart, Schubert and Brahms.

I'm not up on contemporary music at all, which is partly why I wish it would be played more.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Ingélou, are you deliberately diluting the meaning of your "likes" so that you not liking some post will be interpreted as an insult?


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Dim7 said:


> Ingélou, are you deliberately diluting the meaning of your "likes" so that you not liking some post will be interpreted as an insult?


It is nice getting likes from Ingelou.
Then there is nothing wrong with encouraging other uses to mention their personal musical preferences.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Everything. I try to be as democratic as possible.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

albertfallickwang said:


> Everything. I try to be as democratic as possible.


In that case stick to rigid serialism - the only kind of music in which all the notes are equal.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

I think a bulk of my music favorites come between the years 1770 and 1970
More specifically, I'd say my favorite eras are the Romantic and Modern eras


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm an omnivore; but it's mostly modern 20th century. But I listen to a lot of *Beethoven *and lately I've been concentrating on Romantics, esp. *Robert Schumann. *Sometimes my listening is determined not by time-period, but by instrument. I want to hear solo piano more and more. Sometimes by artist: singers or pianists, or composers. I'm really very flexible. Lately, *Messiaen's* piano music.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Sloe said:


> It is nice getting likes from Ingelou.
> Then there is nothing wrong with encouraging other uses to mention their personal musical preferences.


Of course I have nothing against Ingelou liking all of MY posts automatically


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## pianolearnerstride (Dec 17, 2014)

I listen to Classical mostly and the Baroque... Romantic music feels bloated to me.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Dim7 said:


> Ingélou, are you deliberately diluting the meaning of your "likes" so that you not liking some post will be interpreted as an insult?


I don't use 'like' simply for 'agree'. I use 'like' for lots of reasons - maybe that I think it's an honest opinion, or the post has a sliver of wit, or so on; sometimes it's just a way of telling other people that I've read the thread.

If I haven't liked a post, it might mean that I totally disagree with it; or that I don't like the post's negative implications.

Or it might simply mean that I've missed it during a senior moment!


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Ingélou said:


> I don't use 'like' simply for 'agree'. I use 'like' for lots of reasons - maybe that I think it's an honest opinion, or the post has a sliver of wit, or so on; sometimes it's just a way of telling other people that I've read the thread.
> 
> If I haven't liked a post, it might mean that I totally disagree with it; or that I don't like the post's negative implications.
> 
> Or it might simply mean that I've missed it during a senior moment!


What a "like"-able philosophy!


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

MoonlightSonata said:


> What a "like"-able philosophy!


I can't wait to read Ingélou's upcoming book "On 'Likes' and their moral, metaphysical and sociological implications"


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Don't forget the turpsichorean too. 

Now back on topic: I listen mostly to baroque and early music, but I try lots of other things, generally in the course of exploring Talk Classical. 

What has the thread discovered so far? Is there a favourite era among TC members?


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Ingélou said:


> Don't forget the turpsichorean too.
> 
> Now back on topic: I listen mostly to baroque and early music, but I try lots of other things, generally in the course of exploring Talk Classical.
> 
> What has the thread discovered so far? Is there a favourite era among TC members?


Looks like they're listened to fairly equally.


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

1. Romantic.
2. Classical.
3. Baroque.
4. Quattro Primo

What’s that last era ? 

It’s the music composed in the 4-digit prime years.





1009, 1013, 1019, 1021, 1031, 1033, 1039, 1049, 1051, 1061, 1063, 1069, 1087, 
1091, 1093, 1097, 1103, 1109, 1117, 1123, 1129, 1151, 1153, 1163, 1171, 1181, 
1187, 1193, 1201, 1213, 1217, 1223, 1229, 1231, 1237, 1249, 1259, 1277, 1279, 
1283, 1289, 1291, 1297, 1301, 1303, 1307, 1319, 1321, 1327, 1361, 1367, 1373, 
1381, 1399, 1409, 1423, 1427, 1429, 1433, 1439, 1447, 1451, 1453, 1459, 1471, 
1481, 1483, 1487, 1489, 1493, 1499, 1511, 1523, 1531, 1543, 1549, 1553, 1559, 
1567, 1571, 1579, 1583, 1597, 1601, 1607, 1609, 1613, 1619, 1621, 1627, 1637, 
1657, 1663, 1667, 1669, 1693, 1697, 1699, 1709, 1721, 1723, 1733, 1741, 1747, 
1753, 1759, 1777, 1783, 1787, 1789, 1801, 1811, 1823, 1831, 1847, 1861, 1867, 
1871, 1873, 1877, 1879, 1889, 1901, 1907, 1913, 1931, 1933, 1949, 1951, 1973, 
1979, 1987, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2011.


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

I listen to the classical period most, baroque and romanticism are tied for 2nd.


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## Fagotterdammerung (Jan 15, 2015)

ahammel said:


> I can't stand that alternative-universe twentieth century stuff!


But 1950s Berg was the _best_ Berg! ( Shame about Britten and the falling piano, though... )


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## OFecteau (Jan 20, 2015)

""I'm sorry I wrote you such a long letter; I didn't have time to write a short one." Blaise Pascal

I am going to forego any attempt at feigned sophistication in the company of those who know much more than I and go for honesty. Try something new.

I started listening to Classical music in 1987, listening to the FM station out of San Mateo (I don't know if its still there; haven't listened to radio since starting to collect CD's). I listened until I found something I really enjoyed, which happened to be the 3rd movement of the Schumann Piano Concerto. From that starting point, I began to explore both the piano and the concerto form. Haven't stopped since, splitting my listening time between Classical and the blues.

Despite all that time, I have not strayed far from that period from Bach to Mahler, with exceptions of the Russians (Prokofiev and Shostakovich). For me, it has more to do with the instruments. I fail to appreciate the harpsichord; it is not until the fortepiano that I begin to get interested. 

When all is said and done, I come back to two quotes about Mozart: The Verdi ("The despair of my youth; the comfort of my old age") and one referenced in this forum recently that it begins and ends with Mozart.

I seem to find all I need, all I can handle, in Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Beethoven, Liszt, Paganini and Schumann. And Brahms holds a special place for me. 

I know I should try to go both back and forward, chronologically, from where I find myself "stuck", but if not adventurously curious, I am nonetheless content.

Now back to one of my 15 recordings of the Brahms B-flat Violin Concerto.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

If I were to plot a histogram of #number of pieces vs decade, it would probably be a bell curve centred near the turn of the last century. I've catalogued most of my music on an Excel spreadsheet and I've calculated that the median year of my collection of music is 1910. All of this means that most of the music I listen to was written between 1870 and 1930, give or take a few years.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Fagotterdammerung said:


> But 1950s Berg was the _best_ Berg! ( Shame about Britten and the falling piano, though... )


Bah! Bizzaro-Mahler and his solo piano miniatures, anti-Schoenberg and his mediaeval homophony revival, and all that complicated Pilihp Ssalg stuff is trash, as far as I'm concerned. You can have it!


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

I'd say the lion's share of my listening goes to the Romantic Era, beginning with late period Beethoven and Schubert and ending with Late Romanticism.

My other favorite era would be the Modern Era (Debussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Bartok, Webern, Berg, etc.)

- List of Romantic Era Composers (Wiki)

Note that the list "includes a substantial number of composers, especially those born after 1860, whose works cannot be conveniently classified as "Romantic"."

It contains different periods such as the Classical/Romantic period, composers who overlap like Beethoven, Schubert, and Hummel. Early Romantic (Berlioz, Mendelssohn). So on and so on.


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## OboeKnight (Jan 25, 2013)

I tend to dwell mostly in the Romantic era, although I've been doing tons of early music listening to pass my music history exam  all those Renaissance pieces starts to sound the same after a while...gahhh.


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## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

1st tier
Modern, Late Romantic and Romantic (not necessarily in this order)

2nd tier
Baroque, Classical and Contemporary (same as above)

3rd tier
Renaissance

4th tier
Medieval


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Stavrogin said:


> 1st tier
> Modern, Late Romantic and Romantic (not necessarily in this order)
> 
> 2nd tier
> ...


Wow! A discerning omnivore! :tiphat:


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

20th-21st Century
Baroque (J.S. Bach, mostly)
Romantic
Early


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

I do not know.

It varies from day to day. My tastes are so broad I can not pick one period.

As far as number of recordings, the top ten composers in my library are:

Beethoven
Liszt
Britten
Stravinsky
Hindemith
Holst
Chopin
Barber
Vivaldi
Carter

The highest living composer is John Corigliano who is thirty-third.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Bach and 20th century -- but probably not the "right" 20th century for some.


Ken, I know where you are coming but 90% of us who listen to 20th century music believes that there is no such thing as "unright" 20th century classical music.


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

I listen to music of the most recent 100 years 90% of the time.


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