# You Stopped What You Were Doing? (Music)



## michael walsh (Sep 6, 2009)

As far as you can remember what were the first pieces of classical music that caused you to actually stop whatever you were doing? Mesmerised you listened, entranced? Perhaps you played it over and over again? 
Mine were Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.2. (Adagio). Another was Wagner’s Overture to Tannhauser. Full blast, of course! I have moved on but they are still firm favourites.


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## Ignis Fatuus (Nov 25, 2008)

I'm ashamed to say that but I think it was the Jaws soundtrack .... I was petrified.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st movement, as performed by Wendy Carlos on synthesizer. Believe it or not, it was on the local classical FM station sometime in 1968. I was twelve. 

I liked classical before that, but that was the first thing that made me stop everything and really listen. Though I have moved on to love the more traditional instrument settings and hundreds of years of evolving musical styles, I still enjoy a good old cheesy synth rendition of a baroque work now and then when no one else is around.


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## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

Weston said:


> Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st movement, as performed by Wendy Carlos on synthesizer. Believe it or not, it was on the local classical FM station sometime in 1968. I was twelve.
> 
> I liked classical before that, but that was the first thing that made me stop everything and really listen. Though I have moved on to love the more traditional instrument settings and hundreds of years of evolving musical styles, I still enjoy a good old cheesy synth rendition of a baroque work now and then when no one else is around.


Alright, so I had to go on a youtube synthesized Bach quest because of this...


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## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

Similar threads:

http://www.talkclassical.com/1214-where-did-you-start.html

http://www.talkclassical.com/2422-how-did-you-discover.html


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

michael walsh said:


> As far as you can remember what were the first pieces of classical music that caused you to actually stop whatever you were doing? Mesmerised you listened, entranced? Perhaps you played it over and over again?


No question ...

_Symphonie Concertante_ by Joseph Jongen, for Organ and Orchestra.

Still has the same mesmerizing effect today as it did many years ago.


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## maestro compositore (Nov 21, 2009)

Mozarts Requiem... Ive heard the Kyrie only about 50 times, but the introit about 300 in the past 6 months... I can recite every part of the kyrie from memory on the proper octave within very close range of the actual key...


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## nickgray (Sep 28, 2008)

It's the way I listen to music - in a sort of a semi-concentrated state, but sometimes music takes a strong grip on me and for a while I fully concentrate on it.



> Ive heard the Kyrie only about 50 times, but the introit about 300 in the past 6 months


holy crap... and I thought 20 times can be too much for most pieces, unless they're >40mins long or so.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

I don't know if I've ever had that experience exactly. I don't think I'd stop what I'm doing because music is what I do, you know? That and study scriptures. It seems to me that you glean more from the scriptures when you listen to different music and read the same verses again.

But no, I don't think music has stopped me either from studying music or reading scriptures.


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

Music tends to grow on me rather than hit me all at once; but it definitely happened to me with *Spiegel im Spiegel*, by Arvo Part:






The title means 'Mirrors in Mirrors.' I find the piece absolutely mesmerising.


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## Ignis Fatuus (Nov 25, 2008)

Fsharpmajor said:


> Music tends to grow on me rather than hit me all at once; but it definitely happened to me with *Spiegel im Spiegel*, by Arvo Part:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ah yes, I remember my mum almost crashed the car when that came on the radio


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## maestro compositore (Nov 21, 2009)

ya... ive heard the piece enough.. now im really getting into Schubert's 8th


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## colin (Sep 7, 2009)

Bizet's Menuetto


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## Cortision (Aug 4, 2009)

The Dance of the Knight's From Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet is one piece I can think of, and Spiegel im Spiegel as has already been mentioned. The are many others that have made a big immediate impression on me but I can't remember whether or not I stopped in my tracks. 

One piece which recently impressed me is Concertino in A minor by Bacarisse (For guitar and orchestra. It may not count as an important 20th Century piece, being an 'easy' piece but it has beautiful melodies and it made me appreciate the beauty of the guitar as an instrument.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Brahms's Third Symphony and Tchaikovsky's Sixth are ones that immediately spring to mind, but it has obviously happened a lot throughout my life of discovering new music...


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## Sorin Eushayson (May 10, 2009)

michael walsh said:


> As far as you can remember what were the first pieces of classical music that caused you to actually stop whatever you were doing? Mesmerised you listened, entranced? Perhaps you played it over and over again?
> Mine were Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.2. (Adagio). Another was Wagner's Overture to Tannhauser. Full blast, of course! I have moved on but they are still firm favourites.


I think Mozart's 40th was the first to really do this with me. I bought a rather generic disc of his music and that sumptuous opening movement really stirred the spirit!


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

I vividly remember when I first heard *It's Gonna Rain* by Steve Reich.

It will stop you in your tracks *for sure*. 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x90h1r_steve-reich-its-gonna-rain-part-1_music


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## maestro compositore (Nov 21, 2009)

Sorin if you enjoyed that.. one of my new personal favorites of his is Serenade in c min canone... its not quite as grand a piece but its beautifull... a breathtaker of his also canon wise is his 4 puzzle canons my favorite Incipe Menilos...

also Faure's Pie Jesu is beautiful... so very peaceful... and misere me deus i cant even begin to describe


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## lricardo (May 17, 2009)

I remember that one morning I was preparing to go to school, and I heard my dad was watching the TV, he was watching a performance of Dvorak's 9th. Symphony, I couldn't help but stop everything I was doing and sit to watch, it was the first time I heard a complete symphony in my life, and the beginning of my love for classical music.


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## dmg (Sep 13, 2009)

There's a video game or two where I stopped playing just so I could listen to the background music.


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## AmateurComposer (Sep 13, 2009)

I did not stop what I was doing, because what I was doing was listening to Mozart's Symphony Concertante for violin and viola. I was and still am especially impressed with the second movement, which, to my taste, is way above Mozart's standard compositional style.


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## maestro compositore (Nov 21, 2009)

above Mozart's standard style? so beyond perfection?


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Maybe it isn't predictable like so much of Mozart's work (to my ears, and with a few amazing exceptions). I really _must_ check this out! Hope springs eternal.


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## maestro compositore (Nov 21, 2009)

4 puzzle canon kv 73


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