# The Great Gate



## shsherm (Jan 24, 2008)

We are all lovers of classical music or we wouldn't be reading the entries in this forum. I began to enjoy classical music as a child and by high school was a fan. My friends and I would listen to each other's LPs on our high-fi sets and later stereo players. My gateway piece was the Light Calvary Overture by von Suppe. I was taken to a children's concert by the Chicago Symphony when I was around six years old and immediately began my lifelong love of this kind of music. The radio shows of the day had classical theme music like the William Tell Overture for The Lone Ranger, the overture to Donna Diana by Reznicek for Sargeant Preston of the Yukon, For the Love of Three Oranges by Prokofiev for The FBI in Action, and around 1950 on TV Les Preludes by Liszt for the serial Flash Gordon. Then in around 1952 Victory At Sea appeared on TV with that wonderful music written by Richard Rogers and scored by Robert Russell Bennett. I was 10 at the time. The question I am asking everyone is where did your interest begin and which music ignited your interest in great music?


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## BuddhaBandit (Dec 31, 2007)

Funny that you titled this thread "The Great Gate", because the piece that initially got me fired up about classical music was Mussorgsky's *Pictures at an Exhibition*, and especially the last movement, "The Great Gate at Kiev". I first heard Pictures when I was around 10 (original piano version, played by Horowitz) and my musical life has never been the same.


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## SamGuss (Apr 14, 2008)

When I was little, I could only listen to "approved" music. Which consisted of country music, ballads and classical music. At the time I would most often listen to ballads or country. And if my mom was home, I could listen to disco and 60's folk rock.

As I got older I was allowed to go my own way with music but with a condition. I had to listen to various types of music and not just one or two types. I got into heavy metal, classic soul, pop music and soft rock the most. I ended up buying Dvorak Symphony No. 9 to appease my dad who was bugging me "why didn't I have anything classical". I liked the cover. I ended up actually liking it, but for the most part could do without classical. Here and there I would pick up a piece and usually didn't like it. Dvorak was still ok - if not right down good.

I literally listen to all forms of music. There is only a couple of forms I don't care for - and even then there are exceptions. My girlfriend is a huge classical music fan and used to sing in choral choir and plays piano. Obviously she really like choral music, piano concertos, requiems and barque. All this ment nothing to me though really until one day she was explaining on how she perfered certain orchestra's to certian pieces based sometimes on the heritage of the music being played; for example she really perfers an European or Russian symphony to play mainstays like Tchaikovsky versus American symphonies.

This actually stuck with me and so I decided to at least research classical music a little bit so I could at least carry on a partial discussion with her. One of the first things I learned was that classical music was broken into several types of classical music. This perked my interest enough to start YouTubing the various styles and get a feel for them. I discovered to my surpise I actually really liked some periods and styles. From that moment I've been hooked.

Each day I try to listen to something new I haven't heard before and with someone as new to classical as me, that usually means something "basic". I am sure one day I'll look back and think "hmm I considered that good?" - to a degree I am already experiencing that (Thank you Harnoncourt for bringing Dvorak to a new level for me!) - but for now I am enjoying each step I take.

Part of this is building my classical collection. I've only been doing this for a few weeks now, but I am buying about 2 pieces a week right now - sometimes more. I am looking forward to the B&N sale of buy 2 get 1 free classical CD's here in May. I am also expanding my knowledge and collection on the computer as my girlfriend is building her collection upwards again and so I am getting exposed to her styles, while collecitng and identifying my own.

For the moment I am into classical and romantic period symphonies and concertos (especially cello and violin) the most, with some other stuff like Mahler and Requiems thrown in. I am collecting mostly staples and typical beginning stuff, though I am proud to say that my last few purchases and moving forwards I am getting what is mostly considered "great" recordings or at the least considered above average. I am sure this will even get more strong as I go. My girlfriend is already declaring me a future classical snob (which she says with some pride) - though quite honestly, I just like the best of what is available.

I also know I will be getitng multiple versions on many pieces and have a couple of those already - though in those cases it's "various artists" vs Karajan, Kiebler, ect. It is definately a new passion and hobby of mine and this site in just a couple of short weeks has become one of my main tools for learning more about all of this and so a big thank you to both older an newer members who are acitve here.

Sam


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## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

I have written about my introduction to classical a couple times here on the TC forum but I like telling the story... 

Last year my family and I were in England as part of the celebration of John Smith/founding of Jamestown Va.
Part of my work was to create a piece of music to be played in concert with the London Mozart Players. 3 concert's plus educational workshops with LMP and myself was the begining though a rough begining. I had not worked with an orchestra prior to this.

We had no time to practice the piece together so our during our first concert it seemed/sounded like we were in two different universes. I think it was uncomfortable for both the orchestra and myself. My portion of the program was just before the break...I did not pay attention to the second part of the program. I think I was outside talking.

The next day we had workshops with several hundred children. Here I had the opportunity to play my music and interact with the children in a way that I am familiar. This gave LMP an example of my style of music. We also had a chance to interact with each other on a personal level which I think is so important when playing music together.

This nights concert was much more comfortable in fact we clearly were in the same universe  Still did not hear the second part of the program...

The third day the gate opened!

We did workshops and talked and laughed. Several of the LMP member's purchased my CD. We had lunch together. That evenings concert was wonderful and quite an emotional experience not only for me but member's of the LMP as well as the audience. We got a long standing ovation.
The second part of the program which I listened to was Tchaikovsky's Serenade for String's. Watching them play was what struck me first. I did not hear the music ...it was as if I was watching a ballet. Each musician played their instrument-no they danced their instrument and each if they were dancer's could have been on stage alone. Collectively it was truly phenomenal!!! When I allowed myself to hear the music they were dancing (playing) I was touched some place deep. For month's the only music I listened to was Serenade for Strings. My family got tired of it and they encouraged me to get some new music. I have been obsessed/posessed by this music ever since (last July). 

I am very fond of Baroque-my latest listening obsession is Tomaso Albinoni! 

I have been expanding that original piece of music trying to make a body of music from it with a classical feel to it. I do not read or write music so ...
Working on some grant's which will bring one of the LMP musicians to the state's to hang out with me and create music. If we get the $ for this to happen it will include $ to tour..

Also just got my oboe yesterday....all kind's of gate's opening or at least un-locked


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

To quote myself... 



opus67 said:


> In my case, I really don't know, actually! As you may know, one gets very little exposure to this form of classical music in this part of the world, but whenever I heard a snippet of an orchestral piece (or something based on these principles), I enjoyed it. As a kid, I was exposed to O Fortuna, (a tiny part of) Mozart's 25th symphony, the finale of Beethoven's 9th, etc. through TV adverts. (without knowing it, of course.) Also, one of the famous film composers adopted a lot of stuff from Baroque music, especially Vivaldi and Bach - something I found out after my "discovery." A couple of years ago, I came across this trivia about Mozart reproducing the score of the Miserere from memory. (The date was Jan 26th, 2006, if you must know, and I was 20 years plus a few months old.) I said to myself, "Well, this Mozart guy seems interesting. Why not explore more of his music and see what the fuss is all about?"  Till then, I had heard only the names of a couple of composers and nothing more. Having begun my journey in the "Age of the Internet," I discovered internet radio stations. I found one in Feb' '06, and I haven't looked back ever since. I joined internet message boards and started learning more from experienced listeners and enthusiasts. Fortunately, there are stores here that stock a few hundred CDs in their 'Western Classical' racks. This music has definitely been one of the greatest discoveries in my life, and I hope to continue to discover more.
> 
> And I'll quit boring you now.


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