# Playlist of Relaxing Classical Music



## TomDickson (Sep 2, 2014)

Hi guys,

I've made a playlist of relaxing classical music for my friends and I thought this might interest the forum.

The emotions music evokes are subjective, so I've used the objective definition of low arousal (e.g. slower tempo & minimal dynamic variation) & positive valence (e.g harmonicity & consonance from a common practice perspective) for relaxation. Also I've excluded vocal works and pieces involving digital instruments.

If your interested or have any recommendations of pieces to include or remove let me know...although there is over 5hrs of music so no pressure :lol:

This is the link,
Classical Music for Sound Health https://play.spotify.com/user/gaelenthomasdickson/playlist/17pjjrHwT3nno3LszvWerp

Enjoy 

Thomas


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Perhaps I can add these to my overnight classical for sleeping (which is not as insulting as it may sound).


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## manyene (Feb 7, 2015)

As a persistent insomniac I prefer the spoken word (one speaker,soothing voice) to get to sleep. Classical music keeps me awake.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Having read myself to sleep over a lifetime, all I have to do is crack open a book and read about half a paragraph and I'm off, but I'm convinced soft music gives me more memorable dreams.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Classical music should only be "relaxing" to those who detest it.

My apologies to the OP, but I find classical music to be incredibly stimulating. The day I find it relaxing, is the day I'm ready for a nursing home.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

hpowders said:


> Classical music should only be "relaxing" to those who detest it.


Eh? I'm listening to Mozart's Flute Quartets right now. Dare I say they're...relaxing? I suspect Mozart wouldn't object.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I disagree and believe Mozart would look down on you, but wouldn't insult you as he's seen this layman's reception to his music quite often as opposed to a connoisseur's reaction, and if you told Beethoven you found his music "relaxing", you would hear curse words you never even knew existed!

If I was a composer and someone told me he/she found my music "relaxing", I would be seriously pissed off!!!

You want relaxing? Listen to Percy Faith's greatest instrumental hits.

Imagine someone coming up to Arturo Toscanini after a concert and telling him one found his performances relaxing!


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

hpowders said:


> I disagree and believe Mozart would look down on you, but wouldn't insult you as he's seen this layman's reception to his music quite often as opposed to a connoisseur's reaction, and if you told Beethoven you found his music "relaxing", you would hear curse words you never knew even existed!
> 
> If I was a composer and someone told me he/she found my music "relaxing", I would be seriously pissed off!!!


I know this is the attitude we're supposed to have, but why try so hard? Let people have their fun.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

science said:


> I know this is the attitude we're supposed to have, but why try so hard? Let people have their fun.


Have your fun...but NOT with any music I compose!!!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

hpowders said:


> I disagree and believe Mozart would look down on you, but wouldn't insult you as he's seen this layman's reception to his music quite often as opposed to a connoisseur's reaction, and if you told Beethoven you found his music "relaxing", you would hear curse words you never even knew existed!
> 
> If I was a composer and someone told me he/she found my music "relaxing", I would be seriously pissed off!!!
> 
> ...


I'm not sure Mozart's flute quartets are comparable to much Beethoven or Toscanini's performances, but evidently that's not important. In any event, if you run into Mozart please tell him that his flute quartets make me all tense and aggravated and looking for my Alka-Seltzer, if that'll make him feel better, OK? :lol:


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

For me music needn't be stimulating at all times. I believe in the full spectrum of intent, and also the need for contrasts. Loud / soft. Fast / slow. Tension / resolution. Why not stimulating / relaxing? I find Ligeti's Lux Aeterna relaxing. Relaxing does not necessarily equal boring.


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

I tend to associate relaxing music with inattentive listening. i suppose it doesn't have to be that way, but it seems that all those relaxing CDs and playlists are intended as background music or music to fall asleep to. 

That being said, if people want to use it for those purposes, they're entitled to.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

hpowders said:


> The day I find it relaxing, is the day I'm ready for a nursing home.


You'd be a horrific person to be in a nursing home with, mentioning fortepianos and Persichetti every other hour.


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## Genoveva (Nov 9, 2010)

For me "relaxing classical music" conjures up a picture of over-played highly popular music. There's a ton of it played every day on many classical music stations. I believe that in the UK the "Classical Fm" radio station still has a daily programme dedicated entirely to music so described, and they have produced a top 50 CD of the stuff.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

hpowders said:


> Have your fun...but NOT with any music I compose!!!


Too bad for you, I'll do whatever I want with it!


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

Avey said:


> You'd be a horrific person to be in a nursing home with, mentioning fortepianos and *Persichetti* every other hour.


I can see the confused look on the nurse's face at this request now: "I'm sorry, we don't serve that here, but we have macaroni on Wednesdays!"


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Ah, tonight I lay back on my divan and relaxed to the Well-tempered Clavier. So relaxing! I adjusted my toga slightly and spoke to the half-clad beauteous young girl waiting on me: "Peel me another grape, Pochatong."

And of course she did, placing it lovingly into my mouth. Just ripe, fabulous! And the music was so relaxing...

Was there somebody here who didn't like relaxing music? Oh well.


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## Guest (Oct 6, 2015)

Of course, music is our servant. Just like girls. Half-clad, of course. 

And equally of course, our servants do our bidding lovingly.

And no sass from our servants, either, as per this exchange: 

"Have your fun...but NOT with any music I compose!!!"

"Too bad for you, I'll do whatever I want with it!"

Indeed.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

I prefer my Schoenberg fully-clad, thank you very much!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Fret not, Anon, I'll be thinking of you as I luxuriate. In passing, of course.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Avey said:


> You'd be a horrific person to be in a nursing home with, mentioning fortepianos and Persichetti every other hour.


LOL!!! I would be on the Premium Plan-a private room with all my recordings of Persichetti Piano Sonatas, Mozart keyboard concertos on fortepiano and Bach's WTC-harpsichord only!!!
With any luck, I wouldn't get to meet any of the other inmates!!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

science said:


> Too bad for you, I'll do whatever I want with it!


Okay, fine! What I don't know won't hurt me!!


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

some guy said:


> Of course, music is our servant. Just like girls. Half-clad, of course.
> 
> And equally of course, our servants do our bidding lovingly.
> 
> ...


Yes, indeed. The music is made for you, not you for the music.

And let's once again return to honesty. If anyone is in the role of the lower class here, it is not you or hpowders or anyone else affecting these romantic poses, but me. And you'll have to live with my "sass" because it isn't 1847, alas for you. We are all equal now, on paper.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

science said:


> Yes, indeed. The music is made for you, not you for the music.
> 
> And let's once again return to honesty. If anyone is in the role of the lower class here, it is not you or hpowders or anyone else affecting these romantic poses, but me. And you'll have to live with my "sass" because it isn't 1847, alas for you. We are all equal now, on paper.


Not worth getting riled up about. I don't want you going back to that 23 digit password for logging into TC anymore! :tiphat:


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Averaging about 4.5 hours of sleep a night these days, I'd be a danger to my fellow humans if I got any more relaxed.

(this thread made me go try to find a clip of the old "SCTV - Perry Como Still Alive" routine)


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Vesteralen said:


> Averaging about 4.5 hours of sleep a night these days, I'd be a danger to my fellow humans if I got any more relaxed.


That's not ok, dude! My heart goes out to you. I hope you are able to get more sleep soon!

I used to live like that.... I know you've got to do what you've got to do, and life happens, but it just isn't the right way to treat your body or your brain.

If I found a religion someday, one of my "I'd rather you didn't"s will be "I'd rather you didn't skimp on sleep."


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

science said:


> That's not ok, dude! My heart goes out to you. I hope you are able to get more sleep soon!


It's not a choice, sadly. Going for a sleep study this Thursday night.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I guess I feel I can be stimulated and listen closely yet feel relaxed. Certain works that were inspired by and sweep me away to snow-covered mountains or oceans and rolling waves. Those are all relaxing images to me. 

If I listen to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony with it's Scene By The Brook for instance, I feel relaxed, although maybe relaxed is the wrong word, "peaceful" might be a more apt description, but it's a relaxed feeling I guess. I don't feel terror or tension or like I'm on the edge of my seat although some works do that.

I admit I'm not always listening for every woodwind entrance, or trumpet blast, etc. Sometimes I just listen to themes and melodies that make me feel happy or sad or excited or peaceful or whatever.


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## TomDickson (Sep 2, 2014)

I think relaxing classical music (like classical music in films) is a great gateway for people to get into classical music.

I also think everyday use of music is just as important as active listening. The environments we surrounded ourselves with are full of unpleasant construction & traffic sounds that background music can mask out.

Beethoven might not like this, but his music portrays an intended emotion, it does not necessarily evoke it. On top of this, time and context change. Lets just hope we don’t have another Greensleeves ice-cream truck incident


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

TomDickson said:


> I think relaxing classical music (like classical music in films) is a great gateway for people to get into classical music.


No. Passionate and fiery classical music that one would not forget right after the first listen, is.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

SiegendesLicht said:


> No. Passionate and fiery classical music that one would not forget right after the first listen, is.






























Absolutely.

I cut my teeth on classical music with Abbado's _Alexander Nevsky,_ 'and' Respighi's _Pines of Rome_, 'and' the Shostakovich _Eleventh_, 'and' the Solti _Ring_- literally.

I had an older friend who played this for me and I was 'immediately' hooked.

- You have to have 'fierce' in your blood though.


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## Harmonie (Mar 24, 2007)

I really don't understand how people find classical music 'relaxing'. I suppose being 'relaxing' just isn't one of the reasons I listen to music. Sure, I do listen to music to kick back and relax, but the type I'm listening to doesn't tend to matter for me in that case, it's just listening to music that I like that helps me relax.

Like hpowders, I cringe when someone mentions classical music as 'relaxing'. It's not so much that they find some pieces they listen to relaxing that is the issue, it's as if they're mentioning that's ALL classical music is, when there are so many pieces that are more intense than any rock I've ever listened to, and others that have such an incredible depth of emotion that calling it 'relaxing' is not only insulting but completely missing the point and value of it.


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## TwoPhotons (Feb 13, 2015)

There are literally thousands of "Relaxing" classical music playlists and compilations available out there, why not try something different? Say, a playlist of excerpts from Stravinsky's early ballets, or movements from Mozart's piano sonatas (not just "Easy" sonata), or a mix of Debussy, Ravel and Dukas. To me, labelling a bunch of classical music as "relaxing" or "angry" or "sad" does a disservice to the music because you're telling the listener how to feel. Like how, despite the later-appended title, Chopin's Etude Op.10 No.3 is not necessarily "Tristesse". Classical music is written to speak for itself.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

*Vaneyes' Top 10 Relaxing Recs

*Delius/RVW/Elgar English String Music, w. Barbirolli (EMI)
Honegger 'Pastorale d'ete' w. Lopez-Cobos (Virgin)
Severac Piano Works w. Ciccolini (EMI)
Mompou Piano Works w. Mompou (Brilliant Classics)
Catoire Piano Works w. Hamelin (Helios)
Roussel Piano Works w. Armengaud (Naxos)
Satie Piano Works w. Ciccolini (EMI)
Zemlinsky String Quartets w. LaSalle Qt. (Brilliant Classics)
Neapolitan & Italian Songs w. Di Stefano (Testament, Decca)
The Sicilian w. Alagna (DG)


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

hpowders said:


> Classical music should only be "relaxing" to those who detest it.
> 
> My apologies to the OP, but I find classical music to be incredibly stimulating. The day I find it relaxing, is the day I'm ready for a nursing home.


 "In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man. Every work of art causes the receiver to enter into a certain kind of relationship both with him who produced, or is producing, the art, and with all those who, simultaneously, previously, or subsequently, receive the same artistic impression."

I think what happens sometimes here is that when posing a question about "relaxing" music no one poses a question about " what is it for you the word " relaxing" ? because what I notice from different threads is that some people really think of it in a literal sense as a drug related substance which probably calms down overexcited nerve system/switching off mind/lessening stress of the day ( in short music being considered only as something very utilitarian) and for that any music is suitable which "the patient" thinks has this soothing effect on him/her.

the other thing is when music with its power to change psychological state of mind of a person, -makes one excited, feeling blessed, or upset, even frustrated or whatever else -equally has qualities to make one ponder and contemplate in other words lift up to a higher mental activities, may be even to think of deeper questions of existence. Here I don't say that during listening to this kind of music you start thinking about questions of being,forgetting about music, disregarding music itself and taking it only as a stimulus, the entering point of your reflections and music itself starts to be just a background of your thoughts and ceases to be an art and becomes just a pretext for our pondering ( if we think in this way it would be utilitarian view as well, only here we would use music as something stimulating for our thinking processes). I'm talking about the phenomenon where it is music itself that provokes us, leads us, gives us ideas, questions and provides with cues as well. Here it's music which is a main force, music that is above us . It's a content of such music that is existential and therefore is provoking a listener to think in a particular direction.Since there is lots of compositions with these qualities that is another meaning of being "relaxing" or going beyond our daily needs. "Relaxing" as not getting rid of all possible thoughts and worries, but rather bringing our mental processes to another higher level. For some it can be called as stimulating as well-thought stimulating. In conclusion almost for each individual person the meaning of the word "relaxing" must contain his/her own subtext. I think it's a matter of interpretation, so that for having a discussion on a subject it's better to make it clear what kind of meaning we are supposed to put into a word " relaxing", what we suppose by defining something as being "relaxing". But I guess at the beginning of this thread probably a "tranquilizing"/ drug-like effect of music was implied.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

helenora said:


> "In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man. Every work of art causes the receiver to enter into a certain kind of relationship both with him who produced, or is producing, the art, and with all those who, simultaneously, previously, or subsequently, receive the same artistic impression."
> 
> I think what happens sometimes here is that when posing a question about "relaxing" music no one poses a question about " what is it for you the word " relaxing" ? because what I notice from different threads is that some people really think of it in a literal sense as a drug related substance which probably calms down overexcited nerve system/switching off mind/lessening stress of the day ( in short music being considered only as something very utilitarian) and for that any music is suitable which "the patient" thinks has this soothing effect on him/her.
> 
> the other thing is when music with its power to change psychological state of mind of a person, -makes one excited, feeling blessed, or upset, even frustrated or whatever else -equally has qualities to make one ponder and contemplate in other words lift up to a higher mental activities, may be even to think of deeper questions of existence. Here I don't say that during listening to this kind of music you start thinking about questions of being,forgetting about music, disregarding music itself and taking it only as a stimulus, the entering point of your reflections and music itself starts to be just a background of your thoughts and ceases to be an art and becomes just a pretext for our pondering ( if we think in this way it would be utilitarian view as well, only here we would use music as something stimulating for our thinking processes). I'm talking about the phenomenon where it is music itself that provokes us, leads us, gives us ideas, questions and provides with cues as well. Here it's music which is a main force, music that is above us . It's a content of such music that is existential and therefore is provoking a listener to think in a particular direction.Since there is lots of compositions with these qualities that is another meaning of being "relaxing" or going beyond our daily needs. "Relaxing" as not getting rid of all possible thoughts and worries, but rather bringing our mental processes to another higher level. For some it can be called as stimulating as well-thought stimulating. In conclusion almost for each individual person the meaning of the word "relaxing" must contain his/her own subtext. I think it's a matter of interpretation, so that for having a discussion on a subject it's better to make it clear what kind of meaning we are supposed to put into a word " relaxing", what we suppose by defining something as being "relaxing". But I guess at the beginning of this thread probably a "tranquilizing"/ drug-like effect of music was implied.


When my brother tells me he finds Bach "relaxing", I think he simply means it puts hm to sleep. My father always had a classical music station on the radio when he was in bed. He used to snore triumphantly.

Needless to say, I moved far away from this "unstimulating" family as quickly as I could!


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

hpowders said:


> When my brother tells me he finds Bach "relaxing", I think he simply means it puts hm to sleep. My father always had a classical music station on the radio when he was in bed. He used to snore triumphantly.
> 
> Needless to say, I moved far away from this "unstimulating" family as quickly as I could!


hahahaha, yeah, it annoyed me tremendously when I used to see "Music that helps to fall asleep" ( not sure what was the title, may be it was just directly "helping to relax") or "music for concentration/studying" on youtube with a long playlist of pieces of Chopin, Bach, don't know whomever. well, now it doesn't bother me very much thinking about them, I try to keep my reactions calm and don't overreact :lol:

PS Radio station changes its repertoire


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

helenora said:


> hahahaha, yeah, it annoyed me tremendously when I used to see "Music that helps to fall asleep" ( not sure what was the title, may be it was just directly "helping to relax") or "music for concentration/studying" on youtube with a long playlist of pieces of Chopin, Bach, don't know whomever. well, now it doesn't bother me very much thinking about them, I try to keep my reactions calm and don't overreact :lol:


Helenora, you know what bothered me even more? Attending a concert or opera and hearing someone nearby snoring away.

Why do they even bother to come, I would think to myself. Oh yeah. For the "stimulating" experience.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

TomDickson said:


> I think relaxing classical music (like classical music in films) is a great gateway for people to get into classical music.
> 
> I also think everyday use of music is just as important as active listening. *The environments we surrounded ourselves with are full of unpleasant construction & traffic sounds that background music can mask out.*
> 
> Beethoven might not like this, but his music portrays an intended emotion, it does not necessarily evoke it. On top of this, time and context change. Lets just hope we don't have another Greensleeves ice-cream truck incident


You are new here aren't you?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

helenora said:


> hahahaha, yeah, it annoyed me tremendously when I used to see "Music that helps to fall asleep" ( not sure what was the title, may be it was just directly "helping to relax") or "music for concentration/studying" on youtube with a long playlist of pieces of Chopin, Bach, don't know whomever. well, now it doesn't bother me very much thinking about them, I try to keep my reactions calm and don't overreact :lol:


Late at night, when absolutely nobody is watching TV, there usually runs an infomercial of say "The 1117 Greatest Classical Selections". The narrator is some upper crust sounding otherwise unemployable, British actor guaranteed to intimidate and turn off any potential consumer. The selections sampled are usually in mediocre, dreary ("relaxing"?) performances and I'm left sitting there at 2:30 AM asking myself "Is this some kind of joke?" It's actually quite insulting, given what I know about the music I love.


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

hpowders said:


> Helenora, you know what bothered me even more? Attending a concert or opera and hearing someone nearby snoring away.
> 
> Why do they even bother to come, I would think to myself. Oh yeah. For the "stimulating" experience.


:lol:very....stimulating!!! so, then we are to blame MUSIC for not achieving its goal as to awaken those personalities from their perpetual "relaxing" state of mind


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

hpowders said:


> Late at night, when absolutely nobody is watching TV, there usually runs an infomercial of say "The 1117 Greatest Classical Selections". The narrator is some upper crust sounding otherwise unemployable, British actor guaranteed to intimidate and turn off any potential consumer. The selections sampled are usually in mediocre, dreary ("relaxing"?) performances and I'm left sitting there at 2:30 AM asking myself "Is this some kind of joke?" It's actually quite insulting, given what I know about the music I love.


then I'm not surprised at all they run this "show" in the middle of the night because it's aimed at insomniacs who ARE their potential consumers and the thing is "how to bore them .....but no, no , not to death, but to sleep " so that they could realize the potential power of omnipotent CLASSICAL performances. But seriously , it looks like a conspiracy against particular type of music...in this case "greatest classical".


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

helenora said:


> then I'm not surprised at all they run this "show" in the middle of the night because it's aimed at insomniacs who ARE their potential consumers and the thing is "how to bore them .....but no, no , not to death, but to sleep " so that they could realize the potential power of omnipotent CLASSICAL performances. But seriously , it looks like a conspiracy against particular type of music...in this case "greatest classical".


The Hollywood elite present classical music in their films similarly to how they depict adults in the presence of their omniscient children-dull, stupid and unstimulating. I believe the majority of those involved in cinema productions would vote for classical music as "relaxing" at best.


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

hpowders said:


> The Hollywood elite present classical music in their films similarly to how they depict adults in the presence of their omniscient children-dull, stupid and unstimulating. I believe the majority of those involved in cinema productions would vote for classical music as "relaxing" at best.


yes, interesting remark. That's exactly what was mentioned here before "I think relaxing classical music (like classical music in films) is a great gateway for people to get into classical music." It made me think of Kubrick's movies and the use of classical music in them, it was definitely different from others. Yet, still movie industry really uses music as something which has no value in itself and instead should be used as a nice accompaniment , musical decorations or at the best as a flavored coating over a cake.


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