# How do you listen to cycles?



## CDs (May 2, 2016)

Some people here have mentioned that they have listened to a 'X' cycle over the weekend. And I'm wondering how they do it. So when you listen to a cycle how do you do it? Do you listen to it while doing work around the house? While driving? Or do you simply listen to the music and nothing else?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

CDs said:


> Some people here have mentioned that they have listened to a 'X' cycle over the weekend. And I'm wondering how they do it. So when you listen to a cycle how do you do it? Do you listen to it while doing work around the house? While driving? Or do you simply listen to the music and nothing else?


If for example I do want to hear Brahms, I see the box and take what I like to hear at that moment .
Just put the disc in a player and push : start.:tiphat:


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I recently posted in another thread that I listened to the entire Prokofiev Symphony cycle but I didn't do it over the weekend, it took me longer than that. I wait until I feel like I'm in the right mood then sit and listen to the music not doing anything else. Sometimes I'll listen to an entire Symphony in one sitting, sometimes I break it into movements.


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

It depends on what you mean by cycles.

When it comes to opera, particularly Wagner's _Ring_ cycle, I take each opera at a time, and don't listen to the whole series at once. It is just too long for me to enjoy it uninterrupted. The vagaries of life precludes this. I will usually schedule time, late at night, to listen to each opera. Sometimes I will listen to a song-cycle of Schubert's ( _Winterrieise, or Die Schöne Müllerin_ all at once, because each song works with the others.

If when you mean by cycles is a series of symphonies or concertos by a single composer, then I definitely don't listen to them all the way through. Although I love Haydn, listening to all 104 each after the other would be a task beyond my listening constitution. I might try Franz Schmidt's, but not Bruckner's in one go.


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

I also try to listen to each piece all the way through, and tend not to pick movements out.


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## Martyn Harper (Jan 27, 2016)

I usually have several cycles on the go at any one time. I start with the first disc of the cycle (let's say Prokofiev symphonies) and listen to it twice over two evenings. Then on the third evening I listen to whichever disc I have reached from another cycle. Then on the fifth evening I move onto the disc I have reached from another cycle. It may be a several weeks before I move on to the second disc of the Prokofiev symphonies cycle. I always listen to the cycles in the order that they are presented in the box set. Currently I am working my way through the symphony cycles of Mahler (Bernstein); Beethoven (Haitink LSO live): Atterberg (Rasilainen); Vaughan Williams (Haitink); Tchaikovsky (Pletnev); Prokofiev (Neeme Jarvi). I am also currently listening to other cycles such as Villa Lobos complete Choros and Bachianas Brasileiras; Beethoven String Quartets (Gewandhaus Quartets); JS Bach Complete Keyboard Works (Ivo Janssen); and JS Bach Cantatas (Karl Richter).


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## Varick (Apr 30, 2014)

I rarely have the time to listen to "hours" at a time. I usually listen to most of my music while on the computer. Like now, I am listening and comparing the Beethoven Piano Concertos between Arrau, Fleisher, Perahia, & Hofmann (I find Fleisher's performances of these to be amongst the best I've ever heard. Hofmann is no slouch either).

I wish I had time to sit and listen for hours at night on my stereo uninterrupted but alas, I am married.

V


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Varick said:


> I rarely have the time to listen to "hours" at a time. I usually listen to most of my music while on the computer. Like now, I am listening and comparing the Beethoven Piano Concertos between Arrau, Fleisher, Perahia, & Hofmann (I find Fleisher's performances of these to be amongst the best I've ever heard. Hofmann is no slouch either).
> 
> I wish I had time to sit and listen for hours at night on my stereo uninterrupted but alas, I am married.
> 
> V


My first marriage, which lasted 20 years but seemed much longer, was good for record collecting. Since I tried to avoid my spouse as much as possible, and she hated Classical Music, I sure did a lot of comparative listening. My current marriage 12 happy years that have flown by, not so much.


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## EarthBoundRules (Sep 25, 2011)

I just buckle up and take it. Length doesn't concern me as I'd be listening to other music anyway, so might as well finish the cycle.


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