# Listening Marginal Utility



## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Are there works you can listen to any time of day, any day, and evey day?

Are there works you used to love that you just can't into anymore even after a long break?

The ones I can't get enough of is Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, Bartok's Music for Celesta Percussion and Strings, Mozart's Piano Concerto 27.

Some of the ones I used to love but can't get into anymore are Beethoven's 5th, Mozart's Jupiter, Bach's B Minor Mass, Mendeelssohn's Violin Concerto. Is this because they fulfilled something in me, that it becomes no longer necessary to me, I wonder?


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

I drained all the juice out of Pictures at an Exhibition and Night on Bald Mountain decades ago; also the Dvorak 9th and Sheherazade . Don't need to hear them again. The two Liszt piano concertos I hear only very, very rarely. Saint-Saens piano concertos also do not ring my bell. Everything else I liked then, I like now.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Classical or non, once a day or less seems to be optimal for me. The tunes need a little bit of bounce-back period, but if I like something today, I'll probably still like it tomorrow.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The ones I can't get enough of is Beethoven piano concertos 5 and 3, Mahler ( 2-8) chamber music played by Pavel Haas Quartet and Quatuor Ébène, last but not least my favourite voices / Fleming/ Sutherland / Popp, to name a few.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Phil loves classical said:


> Are there works you can listen to any time of day, any day, and evey day?
> 
> Are there works you used to love that you just can't into anymore even after a long break?
> 
> ...


I don't think so. There's a time and a place for lots of music but no one piece of music should be there all the time. That woud be like torture.


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## Überstürzter Neumann (Jan 1, 2014)

I can listen to any of Bruckner's symhonies whenever.
As for not listening to, I can't think of so much. But as a Norwegian I am a bit overfed on Grieg's piano concerto and the music to Peer Gynt, both of which were among my first loves in music.


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## Robert Gamble (Dec 18, 2016)

For me, it's a more general pattern. If something's "earwormy" I love it and play it very often. And at some point, my brain's had enough of it and I can't stand listening to it for awhile.

The good news is, I now recognize that and can compensate. For instance, I love the 4th movement of Beethoven's 9th, and Dvorak's New World Symphony gets in my head too. Bach's Cello Suites definitely qualify too. Often times I really want to play it, but I hold off. I wait until I no longer have the obsession. That way it stays relatively fresh.

As far as the original question, with classical music, I think I could listen to Vivaldi anytime, and probably Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique. Maybe some Sibelius (5th symphony). Pretty much anything by Haydn - great for background OR really focusing on it.


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