# Your age and contemporary music



## myaskovsky2002

I love it.

Martin, I'll turn 60 on December the 12th.


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## Fsharpmajor

You mean contemporary classical music, as opposed to contemporary music in general? I've cast my vote based on that assumption. I do like quite a lot of contemporary orchestral classical music.


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## myaskovsky2002

Fsharpmajor said:


> You mean contemporary classical music, as opposed to contemporary music in general? I've cast my vote based on that assumption. I do like quite a lot of contemporary orchestral classical music.


Yes, contemporary classical. Rarely I talk in this forum about Pop or Rock...


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## Manxfeeder

I'll listen to anything if it's good.


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## myaskovsky2002

Manxfeeder said:


> I'll listen to anything if it's good.


GOOD is an ambiguous word...Don't you think so?

GOOD for *you* is not necesarily good for John, Peter, Mary....etc. And it is difficult to say if it is GOOD if you don't listen to it, n'est-ce pas?

Martin, ennuyé

Nobody is older than 99 here? I hope! They will say I was limited!

A list of musicians who lived long:

following is a list of centenarians - specifically, people who became famous as musicians, composers and music patrons - known for reasons other than their longevity. For more lists, see: Lists of centenarians.

Name

Lifespan
Age
Notability

Frances Adaskin
1900-2001
100
Canadian pianist

Robert Alexander Anderson
1894-1995
100
American composer

Irving Berlin
1888-1989
101
Russian-American lyricist and composer

Ralph Berkowitz
1910-2011
100
American composer and classical pianist[1]

Bernard Bierman
1908-
103
American composer[2]

Slim Bryant
1908-2010
101
American country music singer and songwriter[3]

Henri Büsser
1872-1973
101
French composer

Irving Caesar
1895-1996
101
American composer

Elliott Carter
1908-
102
American classical music composer[4]

Giacobbe Cervetto
1682-1783
100-101
Italian-English cellist

Alice Chalifoux
1908-2008
100
American harpist[5]

Gina Cigna
1900-2001
101
Italian soprano[6]

Orlando Cole
1908-2010
101
American cellist[7]

Hugues Cuénod
1902-2010
108
Swiss tenor[8]

Annette Richardson Dinwoodey
1906-2007
100
American Latter Day Saint vocalist

Roy Douglas
1907-
103
British composer

Hellmut Federhofer
1911-
100
Austrian musicologist[9]

Lionel Ferbos
1911-
100
American jazz trumpeter[10]

Anthony Galla-Rini
1904-2006
102
American accordionist

Manuel García
1805-1906
101
Spanish music and singing teacher

John Gerrish
1910-2010
100
American composer[11]

Peggy Gilbert
1905-2007
102
American jazz saxophonist

Sidonie Goossens
1899-2004
105
English harpist

Roy Henderson
1899-2000
100
English baritone

Alice Herz-Sommer
1903-
107
Czech pianist[12]

Dolores Hope
1909-2011
102
American singer and philanthropist[13]

Mieczysław Horszowski
1892-1993
100
Polish pianist

William Manuel Johnson
1872-1972
100
American jazz musician

Maurice Journeau
1898-1999
100
French composer

Abdul Rashid Khan
1908-
102
Indian musician[14]

Mykola Kolessa
1903-2006
102
Ukrainian composer

Margaret Ruthven Lang
1867-1972
104
American composer

Johnny Lange
1905-2006
100
American Academy Award-nominated songwriter

Paul Le Flem
1881-1984
103
French composer

Conrad Leonard
1898-2003
104
British pianist and composer

Huey Long
1904-2009
105
American jazz singer[15]

Lawrence Lucie
1907-2009
101
American jazz musician[16]

Wade Mainer
1907-2011
104
American country music singer and banjoist[17]

Draga Matkovic
1907-
103
German classical pianist

Sir Robert Mayer
1879-1985
105
German born British philanthropist

Blanche Honegger Moyse
1909-2011
101
Swiss-born American conductor[18]

Marcel Mule
1901-2001
100
French classical saxophonist

Magda Olivero
1910-
101
Italian soprano[19]

Leo Ornstein
1893-2002
108
American pianist and composer

Uncle Charlie Osborne
1890-1992
101
American Appalachian Mountains musician

Ernest "Doc" Paulin
1907-2007
100
American brass band leader

H. Owen Reed
1910-
101
American composer, conductor, and author[20]

Elsa Respighi
1894-1996
101
Italian composer, singer and wife of Ottorino Respighi

Rosa Rio
1902-2010
107
American organist[21]

Edmundo Ros
1910-
100
Trinidadian musician, vocalist, and bandleader[22]

Olga Rudge
1895-1996
100
American violinist and mistress of Ezra Pound

Joseph Salemi
1902-2003
100
American jazz trombonist

Teresa Saporiti
1763-1869
106
Italian soprano[23]

George Beverly Shea
1909-
102
Canadian-born American gospel music singer and songwriter[24]

Nicolas Slonimsky
1895-1996
101
Russian-American composer and conductor

Jenő Takács
1902-2005
103
Austrian-Hungarian composer and pianist

Bill Tapia
1908-
103
American musician

Tillit Sidney Teddlie
1885-1987
102
American hymn composer

Roman Totenberg
1911-
100
Polish-born American violinist and educator[25]

Orrin Tucker
1911-2011
100
American bandleader and composer[26]

Stanley Vann
1910-2010
100
English composer[27]

I'll add Leo Ornstein died at 110!
I love his music.

:lol:

Martin


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## Guest

myaskovsky2002 said:


> GOOD is an ambiguous word...Don't you think so?
> 
> GOOD for *you* is not necesarily good for John, Peter, Mary....etc. And it is difficult to say if it is GOOD if you don't listen to it, n'est-ce pas?
> 
> Martin, ennuyé


But in terms of determining what he will and will not listen to and enjoy, then the subjective nature of the word "good" is absolutely appropriate in the context of your poll.


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## myaskovsky2002

DrMike said:


> But in terms of determining what he will and will not listen to and enjoy, then the subjective nature of the word "good" is absolutely appropriate in the context of your poll.


I think you're right!

P.S. I don't like necessarily *good music *(music that almost everybody love)... I consider myself as a bit "different" in terms of music. So, *good for me *is not necessarily good for others...Capiche? E.g. I hate La Traviata. People consider me weird for this matter.

Martin


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## Klavierspieler

I would be fifteen and dislike the majority of contemporary music.


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## Ravellian

Age 22. I dislike contemporary music that alienates listeners either by (1) being needlessly complex, or (2) trying to achieve novelty by some strangeness of sound.


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## myaskovsky2002

Ravellian said:


> Age 22. I dislike contemporary music that alienates listeners either by (1) being needlessly complex, or (2) trying to achieve novelty by some strangeness of sound.


Needlessly complex? Wasn't Bach complex for his time? I agree, novelty is not necessarily good. As Einstein said...everything is relative. LOL

Martin


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## Manxfeeder

DrMike said:


> But in terms of determining what he will and will not listen to and enjoy, then the subjective nature of the word "good" is absolutely appropriate in the context of your poll.


Well said.


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## Ukko

I didn't 'pick a number' in the poll, because it's 'either-or'. Well, that and I'm not sure what 'contemporary' signifies. If it is restricted to the 21st C., I haven't heard hardly any of it. One of my 'internet friends' sent me samples of Finnessey's music -_ Red Earth, Lost Lands, Keroiylu_, and repeated hearings get something across to me. Another internet friend (Nic Hodges, you may know of him) sent me one of his CDs of avant garde music, and it was hopelessly beyond my ken.

For what _that's_ worth - Septuagenarian Bob


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## myaskovsky2002

Hilltroll72 said:


> I didn't 'pick a number' in the poll, because it's 'either-or'. Well, that and I'm not sure what 'contemporary' signifies. If it is restricted to the 21st C., I haven't heard hardly any of it. One of my 'internet friends' sent me samples of Finnessey's music -_ Red Earth, Lost Lands, Keroiylu_, and repeated hearings get something across to me. Another internet friend (Nic Hodges, you may know of him) sent me one of his CDs of avant garde music, and it was hopelessly beyond my ken.
> 
> For what _that's_ worth - Septuagenarian Bob


Contemporary means contemporary *with us*. XXth and/or XXIst (*)

(*) I thought everybody could have understood this, n'est-ce pas? I assume most of the people here were born in the XXth century, am I wrong? and we're still alive (dead people are not allowed to vote)...We are in the XXIst century, aren't we?

:tiphat:

Martin


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## mmsbls

I'm not sure how to vote. I certainly like some contemporary music, but on average I like it less than music before 1900 or so. There are pieces that I moderately or strongly dislike; whereas, for music before 1900 there are hardly any that I dislike (that doesn't mean that I like all the pieces). 

I'm also not sure how others have voted. I'm tempted to vote that I dislike contemporary music, but that only applies to certain kinds of contemporary music. Could I get a clarification?


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## HarpsichordConcerto

Ravellian said:


> Age 22. I dislike contemporary music that alienates listeners either by (1) being needlessly complex, or (2) trying to achieve novelty by some strangeness of sound.


In other words, stuff that gives you "dis-utility".  You're right. And I also agree with member mmsbls about enjoying some, but the hit-rate of enjoyment compared with other periods are not as high when it comes to contemporary music (say, music written post WWII / 1945). Please don't mis-read this as saying "I hate all contemporary music", which is not true. I even have operas written about ten years ago that I enjoy, and some chamber music written a few decades ago too that I like. But unfortunately for me, it seems the farts and green alien music from planet Uranus disturb that very often. :tiphat:


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## Polednice

myaskovsky2002 said:


> GOOD is an ambiguous word...Don't you think so?
> 
> GOOD for *you* is not necesarily good for John, Peter, Mary....etc. And it is difficult to say if it is GOOD if you don't listen to it, n'est-ce pas?
> 
> Martin, ennuyé


Good for me is _always_ good for Mary.


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## Couchie

From these early results we conclude hearing ability deteriorates rapidly after age 40.


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## myaskovsky2002

mmsbls said:


> I'm not sure how to vote. I certainly like some contemporary music, but on average I like it less than music before 1900 or so. There are pieces that I moderately or strongly dislike; whereas, for music before 1900 there are hardly any that I dislike (that doesn't mean that I like all the pieces).
> 
> I'm also not sure how others have voted. I'm tempted to vote that I dislike contemporary music, but that only applies to certain kinds of contemporary music. Could I get a clarification?


If I were you (I'm not you) I'd say that I rather dislike it...Let's say a friend offers you his musical collection..all XVIII and IXXth century...Would you be pleased? If another friend now offers you his collection, exclusively XXth and XXIst century , would you be pleased? In both casses you're not allowed to sell these collections. I think here you have the answer.

Sincerely,

Martin



Couchie said:


> From these early results we conclude hearing ability deteriorates rapidly after age 40.


Au contraire, my friend! I believe you don't like it! I love it!

Martin


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## Almaviva

I'm 54 and I voted that I like it, but I should say that my exposure to it is almost exclusively limited to opera.
I generally liked very much most modernist and contemporary operas that I've seen.
I'm not as sure if I'd like the purely instrumental kind of contemporary music because its often fractured nature in my opinion matches well the often tragic libretti of contemporary opera, but may be less pleasant to me without the support of the plot.
Still, I can probably safely vote for "like it" because I tend to find the sounds interesting, even in the purely instrumental parts of contemporary operas.


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## Krummhorn

Well, I'm certainly happy to see that six others checked the 51-65 box ... Ok, I am 63 and appreciate neo-classical music, assuming that (for me) to be 'contemporary' in definition here. 

Kh


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## samurai

Lars, I'm right there with you, buddy!


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## Huilunsoittaja

I dislike a lot of contemporary, but I also love a lot of it, so I can't say I overall hate it.


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## Sid James

I'm same as with many people, I like some of modern/contemporary and not others. But it's the same as with any era, eg. how is it that I "connect" with Berg's _Wozzeck_ a great deal but almost to zero level with Wagner's _Gotterdammerung_? & through growing up, through my parents, I was only exposed the the older pre-1900 stuff, that's what they listened to on the main. On the other hand, in the area of chamber repertoire, I'm happy with virtually anything, but I do enjoy some things more than others, but not really depending on whether it's newer or older or whatever.

Maybe Martin should have made a poll simply asking eg. "do you like contemporary music?" and giving options like "yes," "no," & "sometimes" or "depends." But anyway, it's good to get discussion of this going. But Martin, Andre Rieu isn't on your list! How can you say you like contemporary music? You have to like what I like, all contemporary lovers have to like the same things, don't they, to be "legit" or "kosher?" :lol: ...



Couchie said:


> From these early results we conclude hearing ability deteriorates rapidly after age 40.


:lol: ...

...Or seriously, maybe flexibility of taste, going beyond your usual boundaries, being more natural than ideological with music/the arts, just letting your hair down a bit, etc. I'm surprised by these results, but in a way I'm not. Some of the concerts I go to which include both older and newer (chamber) music have a fair amount of grey hairs in the audience (at some places, they're the dominant group, eg. middle aged and seniors, maybe some of them come for the Beethoven and sit through say the Shostakovich or new Australian music? I don't know, but none of them leave at interval or play tricks like that). With experience comes a sense of wisdom, or it's supposed to come (but reality often doesn't match up with theory, of course)...


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## violadude

I turn 20 on the 10th. Those of you that don't know my position on contemporary music haven't been here very long.


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## regressivetransphobe

Categorizing music by whether it's contemporary or not in a poll like this is like categorizing it by what color shoes the musicians wear. Some of it is amazing, some is terrible, some is somewhere in the middle.


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## Taneyev

I'm 69, and dislike any music that omit melodic/harmonic beauty as fundaments and objectives to get. Of course those are totally subjective concepts, but I recognize beauty when I hear it.


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## myaskovsky2002

If it were possible, I could have done a continuum...That means...that we could have measured better the people who like it (the contemporary classical music) a bit...but not too much, etc. I really couldn't. But this is maybe better than nothing.

Paká, bye, au revoir


:tiphat:

Martin


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## starthrower

violadude said:


> I turn 20 on the 10th. Those of you that don't know my position on contemporary music haven't been here very long.


You have a good handle on a wide variety of music for someone your age. I hadn't even begun to explore orchestral music at that age. That said, I've become a more adventurous listener as I've grown older. I can't really pinpoint the reasons I'm drawn to certain types of music. I've always liked modern/contemporary music in the jazz, rock, and classical genres, but I enjoy a good amount of older styles as well.


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## dmg

33, and I like a little bit of everything. I do not usually say 'I dislike this category of music' as there's usually something that will appeal to me in any category.


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## Klavierspieler

violadude said:


> I turn 20 on the 10th. Those of you that don't know my position on contemporary music haven't been here very long.


You mean like me?


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## Chris

I've voted Dislike on the grounds of what I did, or rather failed to do, the week before last.

We have a local chamber concert society which arranges a concert once a month. Last month they engaged a young Australian pianist. I stayed away on the grounds that

1. the program included Oliver Messiaen

and worse,

2. it included music by a _living_ (gasp!) Australian composer I had never heard of.

It wasn't just me. I was talking to one of the committee members afterwards. He told me they had warned the pianist the regulars would stay away but she refused to change the program. In the event only 90 people turned up.

I wish I'd gone now, because I've since discovered the unknown Australian music is on Youtube and it's really good. The composer is Carl Vine and the pianist was performing his Sonata no. 1.

I don't regret missing the Messiaen though.

Here's a bit of the Carl Vine:


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## Vesteralen

My voting finger is paralyzed.


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## joen_cph

*Messiaen* is also this.





And this.


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## myaskovsky2002

violadude said:


> I turn 20 on the 10th. Those of you that don't know my position on contemporary music haven't been here very long.


20? I'd suggest you'll change your avatar! I thought you were so old.........LOL

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

Vesteralen said:


> My voting finger is paralyzed.


Next poll...Should we kill Vesteralen? Will you vote then? LOL

Martin


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## ooopera

violadude said:


> I turn 20 on the 10th. Those of you that don't know my position on contemporary music haven't been here very long.


That's today! Happy birthday!


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## myaskovsky2002

violadude said:


> I turn 20 on the 10th. Those of you that don't know my position on contemporary music haven't been here very long.


Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Martin


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## Chris

joen_cph said:


> *Messiaen* is also this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And this.


These are beautiful. I think I may have made an over hasty judgment on Messiaen.


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## myaskovsky2002

Klavierspieler said:


> I would be fifteen and dislike the majority of contemporary music.


Is there any hope?

OR you will grow up and do like it OR you're going to die without discovering nice stuff.

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

It was interesting to verify that the 51-65 group of age is the most fan of contemporary classical music. That indicates something, MAYBE we are more open minded than very young people...I'm happy to "hear" that.

Martin, 59 and 3/4


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## Guest

I'll be 56 in a month. The older I get, the less I enjoy contemporary music, especially the more extreme pointillistic pieces or those with extended playing techniques. Composer Anders Hillborg has a great term for that sort of music: "Sado-modernism"!! (I think his music is a bit extreme and seemingly pointless, actually.) I don't mind dissonance per se, but I need a _little _ melody and form. Schnittke, more recent Penderecki--that's about as far as I can enjoy these days.


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## Sid James

Chris said:


> ...
> We have a local chamber concert society which arranges a concert once a month. Last month they engaged a young Australian pianist. I stayed away on the grounds that
> 
> 1. the program included Oliver Messiaen
> 
> and worse,
> 
> 2. it included music by a _living_ (gasp!) Australian composer I had never heard of.
> 
> ...I wish I'd gone now, because I've since discovered the unknown Australian music is on Youtube and it's really good. The composer is Carl Vine and the pianist was performing his Sonata no. 1.
> 
> I don't regret missing the Messiaen though.
> ...


I haven't really connected with Vine's music for whatever reason but I do like Messiaen's a lot. I heard his _Quartet for the End of Time _last year live and found it very moving. It was one of the works that got me into the more recent repertoire.

I suppose what your experience shows is that it's good to keep the door open, or partly so, for such new things. So maybe the pianist was doing a worthwhile thing playing newer music, eg. giving people the option to hear that instead of the usual things.



Kontrapunctus said:


> ... I don't mind dissonance per se, but I need a _little _ melody and form. Schnittke, more recent Penderecki--that's about as far as I can enjoy these days.


I have no problem with that, at least you like _some_ music that's younger than the pyramids of Egypt!...


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## myaskovsky2002

Vesteralen said:


> My voting finger is paralyzed.


LOL...Just your finger? It is not that bad though. LOL


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## myaskovsky2002

Sid James said:


> I haven't really connected with Vine's music for whatever reason but I do like Messiaen's a lot. I heard his _Quartet for the End of Time _last year live and found it very moving. It was one of the works that got me into the more recent repertoire.
> 
> I suppose what your experience shows is that it's good to keep the door open, or partly so, for such new things. So maybe the pianist was doing a worthwhile thing playing newer music, eg. giving people the option to hear that instead of the usual things.
> 
> I have no problem with that, at least you like _some_ music that's younger than the pyramids of Egypt!...


I've just bought the Australian piano CD. I just loved Vine


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## Guest

Martin, to answer your question, "No."

I began to like contemporary music when I was in high school, but I wasn't really hooked until I was 20. So if you had done this poll in 1972, I would have checked the 0-20 box. If you had done this poll in 1982, I would have checked the next box, and so on.

I think it has to do more with what you want out of music (or what you want out of yourself, for that matter) than it does with how many years it's been since you were born. The farther I get from 1952, the more new music I want. I also find, to be fair, that the farther I get from 1952, the more old music I enjoy as well.


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## Iforgotmypassword

I'm 22 and I quite enjoy contemporary classical/ "art music" 
I'm very interested in the forefront of music where all genres seem to begin to meld together, such as jazz, electronic music and traditional western classical music, traditional eastern classical, and even at times metal.


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## myaskovsky2002

Iforgotmypassword said:


> I'm 22 and I quite enjoy contemporary classical/ "art music"
> I'm very interested in the forefront of music where all genres seem to begin to meld together, such as jazz, electronic music and traditional western classical music, traditional eastern classical, and even at times metal.


mmm....mmm...mmm...

Martin...Martin


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

The oldies have it.................


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## LezLee

I’m 77 and about 80% of the classical music I enjoy and play most is 20th -21st century.


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## Ingélou

Aged 65-99 and I like/DISLIKE contemporary music, depending on how it sounds.


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## Barbebleu

At some time all music was contemporary. :lol:


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## Tristan

I'm 21 and I rarely listen to music composed after 1960. 95% of the classical music I listen to was composed before then.

That's all I can say.


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## Klassik

Ingélou said:


> Aged 65-99 and I like/DISLIKE contemporary music, *depending on how it sounds*.


I listen to Classical era music even if, or especially if, it sounds terrible!


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## hpowders

Will the posters from 2011 please come Bach and revise your ages? Previous posts, invalid.


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## Klassik

hpowders said:


> Will the posters from 2011 please come Bach and revise your ages? Previous posts, invalid.


Yes, we need to know which ones are dead and, thus, worth dating.


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## hpowders

Klassik said:


> Yes, we need to know which ones are dead and, thus, worth dating.


Nothing like the intoxicating aroma of _formaldehyde_ to stimulate the senses and _preserve_ what's left of a long-term relationship.


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## Klassik

hpowders said:


> Nothing like the intoxicating aroma of _formaldehyde_ to intoxicate the senses and _preserve_ what's left of a long-term relationship.


Well, it beats the aroma of a naturally decomposing body if nothing else.


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## hpowders

Klassik said:


> Well, it beats the aroma of a naturally decomposing body if nothing else.


Some folks see great beauty in a decomposing body. California. Where else!


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## Klassik

hpowders said:


> Some folks see great beauty in a decomposing body. California. Where else!


California: Home to happy cows and happy corpses. Granted, my corpse would be happy under those conditions.


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## Pauli91FIN

I am 29 years old and do not generally _dislike_ music from any era. Only a few works become true classics and I think that's why many people think contemporary music is mainly bad. Well, we can't know which works from 2020 will still be available for performing and/or listening and well-known in 2120.


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