# My Classical Music Journey is stuck and moving backward



## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

About eleven years ago , I joined this forum. I was just a regular listener to classical music. After I joined TC, I was exposed to a very big universe of classical music. The most important discovery is I learn about less-mainstream composers, the modern era (post-Dvorak era...), the Atonal music! and many more. I listen all of them.

I know in art, we need to progress and learn how the art evolve into new style. The classical music is like progress from Baroque to Modern era. However, in this couple of recent years, I was stuck in my favorite era, the Classical era. In fact, I have stop listen to works beyond Romantic era for recent years. Later, I even moving backward, where I start dig more the late Baroque, then the mainstream Baroque era. I don't know, but after spending many years listening to music from 20th century, I really didn't feel too impressed. But when I listen to one of the Carl Phillip Emannuel Bach's flute quartet, I keep thinking, how can this so amazingly composed music never make it into mainstream. Also I wonder how legendary the composer from this era, using a 'limited' and 'repetitive' style, can still produced dozen of creativity. I mean, in modern era, there already an outside of box listener who can accept unusual thing. But in 1719, those patrons need music to relax themselves. Yet Sebastian created a Brandenburg Concertos that are so extravaganza.....

Thus my Classical music journey is stuck and moving backward ever since.....


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

I don't think you have much to worry about, J. You've given other eras a fair chance and now you've found your proper comfort zone, which is certainly no bad thing. Judging by the variety of baroque/classical composers you have shown to us on various threads I would assume that you have acquired an impressive amount of knowledge and understanding of that particular era - that in itself is its own reward.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

You probably right! I have actually research most of composers after I have found them. I read all their wikipedia article, then searching internet for more information. Usually, and this is interesting, there are many Amazon reviewer who shared unbelievably important information that added new dimension to the music I listened too. Meaning there are many classical geeks out there listen to the same thing. It just that I don't have enough musical background that enable me to expressed my listening experience in technical words.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I think there always comes a point when, with whatever we take up, we want to specialise and go deeper, be it art, literature, physical activity or whatever. When I was at university, I studied literature up to the present (which was then twentieth-century), but now I tend to stick to earlier epochs for poetry, the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries for preference, and to nineteenth century literary novels, when I'm not reading something much lighter.

When I joined TC nearly 6 years ago, I was hungry for knowledge and there was so much I didn't know, so I did ask for help, and got it, and tried lots of different things. Now, I just don't do as much or listen as much.

Please don't let your modesty about your musical background stop you from posting. If you have a spare moment, please do (if you haven't already) drop by my thread entitled For Love of the Baroque: https://www.talkclassical.com/52014-love-baroque.html?highlight=

Yes, I know - what a shameless plug. But I couldn't help it. 

You see, Baroque and Early Music are my main music interests (outside folk music) so I am very interested in what you think - there are many members on TC with great musical knowledge, and others, like me, who don't have much. But I still enjoy reading the posts of others and trying out what they recommend.

And though you don't listen to modern music so much now, I am also interested in what you like there. Maybe the modern pieces that you liked - given your liking for baroque music - will turn out to be pieces that would suit my inexperienced ear.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

Ingélou said:


> ............
> And though you don't listen to modern music so much now, I am also interested in what you like there. Maybe the modern pieces that you liked - given your liking for baroque music - will turn out to be pieces that would suit my inexperienced ear.


I'm actually searching for revival Baroque-kind of music in modern times. I guess there are easier to redo Baroque music rather than Classical music.

For modern composers there are many I like actually. SOme of recents piece I really like is from Holst. Apart from the Planets, there is Suite in Eb and Suite in F, Moorside suite, St Paul suite etc.

In the chamber section I like most of Russian fellow, Shebalin, Myaskovsky, Taneyev. It seems that I like more modern music from outside central Europe, which is Russian and the west is UK. Maybe because their folk music is added more distinguished elements that I can easily grasp.


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