# When you can't stop listening to a piece...



## Guest (Dec 22, 2015)

It seems a few works draw me in so much that I can't stop listening to the piece, and don't want to move on at all for a while... which may take 5, 10 or more listening of the same piece or set of pieces over and over again! When I turn off the music, I keep hearing it in my head during the day and I want to revisit it later, without getting tired of hearing the same piece again. 

So far that has happened with a few pieces, such as:

- Beethoven Cello Sonatas
- Beethoven String Quartets
- Dvorak Cello Concerto 
- Haydn Cello Concertos 
- Bartok Concerto for Orchestra and String Quartets 
- Mozart Piano Concertos 
- Brahm's Violin Sonatas and Piano concerto #1

My philosophy is to never leave as long as the piece draws me in... 

Wondering how others hear have the same experience and for which pieces.


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## Stirling (Nov 18, 2015)

I am a composer, so this normal - I want to see how it comes out.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I keep listening to the same piece so long as the desire is there. That could be 5 or 10 times, or it could be 100 times, though the greater number of listens will frequently be interspersed with other works. I once listened exclusively to Beethoven's Ninth for several weeks straight (had about 20 different performances). And I listened to Beethoven's Third for a week straight.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Yeah...

Then I realized what was going on, and I stopped. I "ration" a lot of music these days because of it. Because after I listened to something like 8 times in 8 days, I starting getting tired of it, but it wasn't the music's fault! It was _my _fault! So I took special care of the "worn-out" pieces of music I know, listening to them on occasion. Because I don't wanna wear it out if I did indeed love it so much.


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## Stirling (Nov 18, 2015)

To give an idea of what a composer means, consider mine Cello sonata number one, it is of a theme and variations. written over 15 years adding one or two variations to the original seven. I listened to it at least 500 times, and many of the fine composers of my day have done likewise with at least one of their pieces. a composer means listening to a fragment at least 50 or so times to get it right. saying eight times in eight days is nothing. consider the piece your obsessed with, now realize what the composer pours in two each fragment. and that is just for the unknown composers.


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## Dawood (Oct 11, 2015)

I listened to Beethoven's Symphonies on a loop, walking around London for about two days (obviously with sleep, food and shelter). 

It was ace


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I agree with Stirling that I want to know how it comes out. I need to hear things quite a few times for them to sink in. Likewise, as Huilunsoittaja indicated, I recognize that there are limits to enjoying a piece before wearing it out. I did go, like Florestan said, with Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for a week straight a few years ago. I don't think that one would ever wear out on me. On second thought, I don't think I'd want to risk it—there is too much other good music.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Does it really matter how many times one is listening to one piece?
I had once a "crush" on piano concerto no 17 by Mozart, plated it for months. to start the day.
Now it is my Brendel box each day on or two discs


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Stirling said:


> To give an idea of what a composer means, consider mine Cello sonata number one, it is of a theme and variations. written over 15 years adding one or two variations to the original seven. I listened to it at least 500 times, and many of the fine composers of my day have done likewise with at least one of their pieces. a composer means listening to a fragment at least 50 or so times to get it right. saying eight times in eight days is nothing. consider the piece your obsessed with, now realize what the composer pours in two each fragment. and that is just for the unknown composers.


When do you think you'll be ready to start work on Opus 2?


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## kartikeys (Mar 16, 2013)

Chopin Piano Concerto comes to mind immediately. Especially certain movements enthrall me. 
i feel it's your soul aching to repair or to communicate that makes you absorbed in music.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

This happens only rarely to me and to paraphrase what others have said, it's from wanting to understand the piece, to absorb or assimilate it, to almost _become_ the piece. Eventually I realize I never will absorb it, that probably even the composer couldn't, and I move on.

It's weird that it doesn't have to be famous pieces either. It's as likely to happen with fairly obscure "second tier" works such as Leó Weiner's Romance for cello, harp & string orchestra, Op. 29.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

There is a "cure". When you can't stop listening to a piece, go hear it in concert. Nothing beats the live experience, so afterwards you may feel less of an urge to listen to the same piece, at least temporarily. It has helped me a few times.


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## eonbird (Aug 21, 2012)

For sure. Sometimes I put pieces on repeat and feel that I could never get tired of such a thing. 

I've felt such a way with the pieces like the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto, Mendelssohn Piano Concerto, La Campanella, etc. etc. And, most recently, the rendition of Faure's Pavane by the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic.


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## CypressWillow (Apr 2, 2013)

"...age cannot wither...nor custom stale..."
Am I ever not in the mood for the Mozart Requiem? I can't think of a time when the thought of it popped into my head and I said no and listened to something else instead.


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## Klassic (Dec 19, 2015)

Life is too short not to listen to the music you love as much as you possibly can! I find the best music (and I'm sure many people will agree) is the music one has trouble assimilating at first. Lots of Mahler's music can be this way; Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht was this way for me. Lots of modern music is like this, but once it is understood it becomes precious. Listen to Mahler every day 100 times a day if it makes you happy.


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## PavolBrezina (Dec 24, 2015)

Then go to listen other piece


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## PavolBrezina (Dec 24, 2015)

OK now I can posting?


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## Guest (Dec 24, 2015)

Agreed with Klassic... squeeze every last drop and then move on to the next thing that excites you


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

DoReFaMi said:


> Agreed with Klassic... squeeze every last drop and then move on to the next thing that excites you


And if it was any good you will come back to it later.


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## Sherkel (Jul 27, 2014)

The Andante from Mahler's Second Symphony has been that piece for me lately.


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Since buying a box set of the complete works of JS Bach I have after all these years fallen in love with his cantatas. Some are beyond description and adjectives of the vocabulary of any spoken language. My favourite five at present are BWV 4, 7, 54, 62, 140. They are played almost on a loop with a few others thrown in on a rotation basis. If, like me, you have never bothered with Bach's cantatas and only listened to his secular works (which are of course on a different planet in terms of explanation also) then give them a chance; if you love Bach you will not be disappointed. 

I am though hoping and waiting for the news that the 100 or so canatas that were lost amazingly turn up in some attic in Dresden or Dunstable one day.


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## Alydon (May 16, 2012)

I have a handful of works I play more than others but I try and listen to as much as possible as not to miss out on a new discovery, hopefully.

One composer I listen to all the time is Bach and have a very strange relationship with The Well Tempered Clavier as this is a work I put on at home, in the car and watch as much YouTube footage of various performances as I can - in fact, I confess I'm obsessed by the work, and parts of it run through my head for long periods of time. What makes it worse is there are so many varied and great performances of the WTC & you have both the piano and harpsichord versions to consider. I became very OCD with Bach's violin partitas and sonatas but with the WTC I have reached another level and look forward to listening to the whole thing again in... about ten minutes time!


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

I usually listen to a work a few times before moving on. Especially if I haven't listened to it for a while. It can be a problem for the family if its something "weird" as they put it. Heh!


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## mstar (Aug 14, 2013)

I forewarn you: this is a no judgment post. Mstar is about to reveal a considerably embarrassing secret.

According to iTunes, I've listened to: 
Liszt's Liebestraum 79 times.
Rach's 2nd piano concerto 72 times. 
Rach's transcription of Bizet's Minuet l'Arlesienne 49 times. 
Schubert's Ave Maria 50 times. 
Liszt's Vallee d'Obermann 43 times. 
Schubert's Serenade 36 times.

The list goes on.


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