# Morning Commute & Classical Music



## kg4fxg (May 24, 2009)

Do you find that you listen to classical music on your way to work in the morning? My commute is about an hour to the big city. With fresh cup of coffee in hand and iPod connected to stereo I search for that piece of music that will wake me up.

Can you suggest pieces that help you wake up in the mornings? This would not be the best time to listen to Bach's Goldberg Variations. Seriously, if you listen to classical music on your commute to work what do you like to hear in the morning?

Many Thanks


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Something that gets you singing. Nothing too introspective. Some Gershwin, perhaps..


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## Clancy (Mar 14, 2009)

It's cliché but some Beethoven wouldn't go amiss, the first and second symphonies would do nicely. Dynamic, stimulating, but still familiar music that won't overtax in the morning.


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## kg4fxg (May 24, 2009)

The other day it was Copland for me. Enigma Variations was sort of putting me to sleep. Even love Cecilia Bartoli got all of her albums. Some good suggestions, I had some Gershwin on the other morning!


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## bdelykleon (May 21, 2009)

I like Dvorak's Slavic Dances.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Night on Bare Mountain always does the trick for me.


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## Faenval (Jun 1, 2009)

Shostakovich's 11th, 4th movement. With the exception of the quiet English horn solo, that's sure to wake you up.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

I actually do not enjoy listening to classical on the way to work. In fact, I don't listen to much classical in the car at all. I feel like I can't give it the attention it deserved. I listen mostly to talk radio in the car.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Tapkaara said:


> I actually do not enjoy listening to classical on the way to work. In fact, I don't listen to much classical in the car at all. I feel like I can't give it the attention it deserved. I listen mostly to talk radio in the car.


I'm the way. In fact, I don't even listen to the radio in the car. When I'm driving, I focus on driving, nothing else.

I see people trying to do too many things when they drive. Saw a woman on the road the other day, she was talking on her cell phone (which should be outlawed), putting on lipstick, smoking a cigarette, and turning around talking to her kids. Needless to say, I think she needs to be locked-up.


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## JustAFan (May 5, 2009)

Recently, the Biber Mystery Sonatas, and now I'm working my way through a series of Haydn quartets - I find introspective works are a great way to deal with the frustrations of driving. Last thing I need is anything to increase the amplitude of my emotional reaction - listening to anything at all aggressive or even expansive is a bad idea, for me anyway.


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

Mirror Image said:


> Saw a woman on the road the other day, she was talking on her cell phone (which should be outlawed)...


 It's outlawed out here where Tapkaara and I live...

Anyways, Hoyt and Betsy on KDFC Classical 102.1 wake me up with there interesting little conversations sometimes, but then the Baroque music comes on, off it goes... I wonder why classical stations like Baroque music so much! Often, I would hear Four seasons, then a commercial break, then Four seasons again...


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

airad2 said:


> It's outlawed out here where Tapkaara and I live...


I forgot California outlawed it. How about Governor Arnold Swarchenegger? Boy has he screwed your state up.


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

Mirror Image said:


> I forgot California outlawed it. How about Governor Arnold Swarchenegger? Boy has he screwed your state up.


Yeah... what a terminator. Stupid Sacramento: Prop 1A, 1B... what the f. Nothing has even been carried about yet. Not to mention Prop 8. Must we go to the supreme court over everything?


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

airad2 said:


> Yeah... what a terminator. Stupid Sacramento: Prop 1A, 1B... what the f. Nothing has even been carried about yet. Not to mention Prop 8. Must we go to the supreme court over everything?


And hasn't he almost bankrupted your state?


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

airad2 said:


> Not to mention Prop 8.


Ummmm, no comment.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Tapkaara said:


> Ummmm, no comment.


I take it you're a big fan of your governor as well?


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Mirror Image said:


> I take it you're a big fan of your governor as well?


Not particularly. But this is probably not the place to discuss politics!!


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Tapkaara said:


> Not particularly. But this is probably not the place to discuss politics!!


No, of course, not, but I just thought I would throw that question in there.


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## David C Coleman (Nov 23, 2007)

Tapkaara said:


> I actually do not enjoy listening to classical on the way to work. In fact, I don't listen to much classical in the car at all. I feel like I can't give it the attention it deserved. I listen mostly to talk radio in the car.


This is me as well.. I'll sometimes have a light classical station on..or pop (oldies).....


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

kg4fxg said:


> Do you find that you listen to classical music on your way to work in the morning? My commute is about an hour to the big city. With fresh cup of coffee in hand and iPod connected to stereo I search for that piece of music that will wake me up.
> 
> Can you suggest pieces that help you wake up in the mornings? This would not be the best time to listen to Bach's Goldberg Variations. Seriously, if you listen to classical music on your commute to work what do you like to hear in the morning?
> 
> Many Thanks


Definitely this is me... lug my iPod touch or iPod Classic with me on the bus and Trax ride to downtown every single day. It's a blessing!


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

You know you're pushing actually active threads off the front page when you revive all these long dead threads for a one-sentence response directly to the OP, and ignoring all other content - right?


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## prevost (Jan 28, 2014)

Huapango by Jose Pablo Moncayo


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Tapkaara said:


> I actually do not enjoy listening to classical on the way to work. In fact, I don't listen to much classical in the car at all. I feel like I can't give it the attention it deserved. I listen mostly to talk radio in the car.


That describes me exactly.

There is no form of music that I listen to, be it classical, jazz, prog-rock, avant-garde, etc, that does not deserve full attention, in a quiet environment, where all the subtleties, details, hall ambiance, dynamics, sound stage, etc can be appreciated.

I hardly ever listen to music as background while doing some other activity, including driving, except for long trips. But then, not too many forms of music I listen to are conducive to background listening.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I can't see anyone normal listening to classical music on a bus or train commute.
Once the other passengers hear what's coming through the ear pods, you will be sitting alone, as they move away...far, far away.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

hpowders said:


> I can't see anyone normal listening to classical music on a bus or train commute.
> Once the other passengers hear what's coming through the ear pods, you will be sitting alone, as they move away...far, far away.


That's only if I bring my Grado open-can earphones and pump my Wagner out on the Trax very loudly. And actually I have played classical music before in my earphones and had some people come up to me and ask, "Who's that?" "Wagner" and then I get a chance to chat with them all about it. Good edification there indeed.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Retired now, but when I was driving to work I usually put on string quartet cd's.


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## carlmichaels (May 2, 2012)

I used to plug in my iPod as well but found it time consuming and potentially distracting selecting music during the drive. I'm now quite content to listen to Martin Goldsmith (Symphony Hall) make the picks for me on SiriusXM. I don't like every selection of course, but his voice and manner have become almost as welcome a part of my day as the music.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Actually I admit that I was using Pandora a lot two years using an iPhone but then I just realized that it was easier and less of a battery hog to load up my iPod classic and spin music that I wanted to hear instead.  Plus I can mix things up a lot more accurately without any worries of being stuck with interjecting advertisements in between pieces.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

hpowders said:


> I can't see anyone normal listening to classical music on a bus or train commute.
> Once the other passengers hear what's coming through the ear pods, you will be sitting alone, as they move away...far, far away.


And just why would you care?

I would not listen to classical music on the bus or subway for a different reason - the noise would drown the music out. On the way to work I usually listen to metal (helps to wake up too!) or to audiobooks.


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## pianississimo (Nov 24, 2014)

I make a new playlist for my iPod each day. My bus commute is just over an hour. I then have 20 minutes or so in the office to listen before anyone else gets in. I don't always go for the lively wake-up kind of music, but if I'm expecting a tough day then Beethoven always helps. 
I do hear other things over the music but that happens most of the time. Only at home with my Sony headphones on - rather than the iPod earbuds - can I block out all other sounds. 

Today's playlist is Angela Hewitt playing Chopin, John Lill and the BBC SO playing Tchaikovsky, Eva Knardahl playing Grieg, Tatiana Nikolayeva playing Haydn with the Lithuanian State Chamber Orchestra. The latter is as good a defence against a cold foggy morning on the bus as I can imagine


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## motoboy (May 19, 2008)

C.P.E. Bach
Comodo from M3
Overture from the Flying Dutchman or any Rossini


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

It won't wake you up so much but you'll be too scared to close your eyes again.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Another really good commute music that gets me going is Bach's cello suites which I know has been very upbeat and keeping me energetic.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

I walk to work, it's just down the block from me. *But* if I have to go into town, I've found that a classical music radio channel helps keep me awake.


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