# How to listen to a symphony?



## Dedalus

What way should one listen to a symphony in order to get the most out of it? You can take this to be as profound or trivial as you want. I'm curious to know what people think.


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## PetrB

Attentive listening, straight through, without trying to make out "a story" to it, without diligently trying to detect its architectural plan, etc. -- while trying to have some kind of good time of it -- would be really the only way to approach.

Like what you heard? Listen again... immediately or just another later time... and again. Then you can begin to notice 'the other things.'


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## brotagonist

I've discussed the placement of the feet in relation to the loudspeakers and more in numerous threads, so I won't go into it in more detail here 

PetrB sums up pretty much exactly what I would say: *listen attentively!* Try to approach the music without any preconceptions and do nothing but listen, putting your entire attention into the listening.

It can be a lot to take in at one go, so you will likely need to give the disc a few spins. Sometimes I repeat immediately, sometimes later on in the day, sometimes over the course of a few days. It is unlikely that you will _get it_ in one listening.

If you feel you are not up to it, you might, in a pinch, break up the symphony into its movements until you have got a general grasp of them all; then, once you are ready with sufficient time and the appropriate frame of mind, give it a go straight through.


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## Lukecash12

With both ears open, starting at the beginning until you reach the end. If there are multiple movements, go to the next track, and then... press play.

But seriously, listen to it more than once. If you like to read then maybe read about it. But, some things come only with time and experience. You can never expect just how much your thinking is going to change.


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## DiesIraeCX

I have to recommend PetrB's advice. I advise going in with an open mind, try not to get stuck up on preconceptions so you can honestly determine if you like it or not. If you don't "get" it the first time but you think there's something there that you liked or caught your attention, give it another try. Don't give up on it, it may eventually end up being one of your favorite symphonies! That has happened with me more than once, the symphonies that take a bit of "digging" are the most rewarding ones.


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## Weston

The same way one watches a movie or reads a novel, from beginning to end. If it's Mahler or Bruckner, I may need an intermission. I do like to read annotations before or after, but not during.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

From beginning to end, without trying to make a story out of it, architectural plan.....all really good points and I second all of them!

Also what might be useful (for people only beginning to listen to symphonies) is in addition to listening to things like Beethoven's 5th, Brahm's 4th etc. take a listen to some very early symphonies as well from the 1740s to 1760s and take notice of what melodies you hear and when you hear them and how they are presented in order to really notice the very specific use of _form_ in these works. The structure (form) is something which is hugely important in basically every symphony you'll ever come across.


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## thetrout

I am having a job like this with Mahler. I have his 4th and 9th and I am yet to get into either. His 4th just seems to consist of a bunch of tricks with the orchestration, random bells and whistles without any cohesive melody. Still, I will plug away.


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## Mahlerian

thetrout said:


> I am having a job like this with Mahler. I have his 4th and 9th and I am yet to get into either. His 4th just seems to consist of a bunch of tricks with the orchestration, random bells and whistles without any cohesive melody. Still, I will plug away.


Like all of Mahler, it's anything but "random" or "trickery". The music is very melodic (thanks to your post, all of the wonderful melodies from the work are going through my mind right now) and the orchestration serves the content rather than obscuring it. That said, the melodies are varied on every appearance, and the complex polyphony and counterpoint can make it difficult to take in all at once, but it's sure worth the effort!


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## thetrout

Do not worry, I will keep trying. Are the 4th and 9th a good place to start?


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## Mahlerian

thetrout said:


> Do not worry, I will keep trying. Are the 4th and 9th a good place to start?


The most popular Mahler symphonies are the 1st, 2nd, and 5th. Maybe going to those first might help.


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## Dedalus

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> From beginning to end, without trying to make a story out of it, architectural plan.....all really good points and I second all of them!
> 
> Also what might be useful (for people only beginning to listen to symphonies) is in addition to listening to things like Beethoven's 5th, Brahm's 4th etc. take a listen to some very early symphonies as well from the 1740s to 1760s and take notice of what melodies you hear and when you hear them and how they are presented in order to really notice the very specific use of _form_ in these works. The structure (form) is something which is hugely important in basically every symphony you'll ever come across.


Would you have any suggestions for particular symphonies from 1740s to 1760s?


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## Blancrocher

Great responses by everyone. I'll just mention what I think is a very good introduction to listening to symphonies, Michael Steinberg's "The Symphony."









Selling used on Amazon for $0.01 plus shipping, at the moment.


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## marienbad

This might be heresy ,but I just put the disc on and play it over and over as I am doing something else . Let the music do its work . Then after a few days I just sit and listen from start to finish . Usually I am going to a performance in the near future . I am the same with everything Symphonic,Opera,Chamber. the lot.

Works for me.


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## DiesIraeCX

Mahlerian said:


> The most popular Mahler symphonies are the 1st, 2nd, and 5th. Maybe going to those first might help.


I must say, after hearing the 5th symphony, I'm actually a bit puzzled as to why it is considered one of the Mahler symphonies to start with. I kinda think it's a tough one to crack compared to some of the others, like #1 and #2, as you mentioned.

I used to be in the group of people that struggled with Mahler and from reading other people's opinions at the time, it seems that they struggled with the structure of his symphonies (and not so much the tone, mood, or length). It seems that #6 would be even more accessible than #5 as it's one of Mahler's most structurally tight symphonies. I personally am still trying to understand #5, which means I get to give a couple more listens, which is always a good thing! I've said before that the symphonies that I don't understand right away sometimes end up being among my favorites. Perhaps that'll happen with #5.


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## techniquest

I know it's probably not correct, nor fashionable, but I listen to music because I want to enjoy it, in the same way that I sit down to watch a movie. I don't listen intellectually; I listen emotionally.
I would suggest approaching any symphony in this way - don't feel that you have to listen over and over and struggle with it because there is a _need_ to understand it; if you don't like it then leave it alone and listen to something that pleases you rather than stresses you. Maybe one day, you'll revisit the 'difficult' symphony and it will capture you in a different way. We all develop as we get older and just as we might one day find ourselves suddenly liking a particular food or drink that we used to not like, we can find ourselves appreciating certain pieces of music that previously eluded us.
As for Mahler 5 - I simply don't like it. I'm not about to force myself to listen to it; I'll just listen to his 3rd, or 2nd, or - as I did the other evening - his 7th. I like those


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

DiesIraeVIX said:


> I must say, after hearing the 5th symphony, I'm actually a bit puzzled as to why it is considered one of the Mahler symphonies to start with. I kinda think it's a tough one to crack compared to some of the others, like #1 and #2, as you mentioned.
> 
> I used to be in the group of people that struggled with Mahler and from reading other people's opinions at the time, it seems that they struggled with the structure of his symphonies (and not so much the tone, mood, or length). It seems that #6 would be even more accessible than #5 as it's one of Mahler's most structurally tight symphonies. I personally am still trying to understand #5, which means I get to give a couple more listens, which is always a good thing! I've said before that the symphonies that I don't understand right away sometimes end up being among my favorites. Perhaps that'll happen with #5.


I have similar sentiments regarding Mahler's 5th. I will proceed to download a score and see where that takes me with it.


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## thetrout

The orchestration in Mahler's 4th is wonderful. It is full of colour. I just am struggling with recalling any memorable passages. But, I only listened to it once.


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## Mahlerian

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I have similar sentiments regarding Mahler's 5th. I will proceed to download a score and see where that takes me with it.


I did an analysis on my blog:
Intro
Movement 1
Movement 2


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## hpowders

How to listen to a symphony?

Try it without typing a post, reading a book, magazine or program notes,"studying", driving a car or texting ones friends.


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## Lord Lance

Avoid at all reading on the program or the "suggestive" themes. You will have a biased listening experience.

If the work is baffling, no less than six - and for larger scale works 12 - listens. I had the same experience for Bruckner's Ninth and Fourth and all of Mahler and all of Bruckner and well, Beethoven's Ninth... A lot of works. It is near impossible to understand in two or three listens. Stick around, persevere. Avoid breaks. Listen in one go without interruptions. Environmental noise at zero.

Oh, and seriously, don't read liner notes.

<Mahler 2 took me twelve or so listens to become familiar. There is something new in every listen - ditto for Bruckner 8. They don't call 'em masterpieces for no reason.>


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## hapiper

I am in the same boat regarding Mahler. I keep trying to like them but have a hard time getting through any due to the length and the complexity I guess. I like the first but beyond that I have trouble. I keep falling asleep during the second <g>


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## maestro267

I will reiterate the idea of listening to the whole work from beginning to end. If it's anything under an hour or so, you could certainly do it without a break. But I tend to break the longer works (say, those that spread over 2 or more CDs) into more manageable portions, but still with only the brief breaks between parts. You don't want to lose the momentum or the mood of the journey you are in the middle of.

I've found liner notes have really helped me to grasp what the composer means. Music can be used to evoke events, emotions and feelings. Not all music has to be abstract. And a programme gives music extra depth. So by all means, read the liner notes. Follow along with text/libretto if it's a vocal work.


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## SixFootScowl

Dedalus said:


> What way should one listen to a symphony in order to get the most out of it? You can take this to be as profound or trivial as you want. I'm curious to know what people think.


I think it pays to listen to the symphony many times until it becomes very familiar. That way you will have heard most of the intricacies. One listen and you will miss so much, unless you have a very focused attention span and can indeed focus entirely into the music. Still, it pays to l isten multiple times. If I am going to a concert, I like to do a lot of listening of the piece being played so that it is familiar when I hear it live. I think that way you don't miss as much.


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## hpowders

Florestan said:


> I think it pays to listen to the symphony many times until it becomes very familiar. That way you will have heard most of the intricacies. One listen and you will miss so much, unless you have a very focused attention span and can indeed focus entirely into the music. Still, it pays to l isten multiple times. If I am going to a concert, I like to do a lot of listening of the piece being played so that it is familiar when I hear it live. I think that way you don't miss as much.


Yes. For many of us, it takes time to absorb the new sound patterns.

What I find works best, like when I was first encountering the Schoenberg Piano Concerto is listen to one movement exclusively 3-4 times; then the next; then the last; then graduate to listening to the entire piece 3-4 times.
Then forget about it for a week or two and come back to it and play it and given this time off, it seems the brain has finally absorbed the entire piece.

This happens to me quite often. After listening to a new piece for a while, I simply then put it away and come back to it after a few weeks. Piece absorbed.


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## padraic

Echoing others, repeated listens is all that can be done. Often times a new listen will bring new appreciation for a particular movement, for example. Agreed that this is all done best with minimal distraction. Some of the best epiphanies happened when it was just me and my headphones.


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## SixFootScowl

When I went at Beethoven's third, I relentlessly listened over and over, probably 30 times. I was on vacation and recall standing on the ocean beach with it playing in my ear. It finally led to whole Beethoven symphony cycles--now there is something it takes a lifetime to really get to know.


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## superhorn

You should listen to symphonies , and classical music in general , the way porcupines make love - very carefully !


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## Becca

“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland


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## Haydn man

With longer works I find that listening to one movement at a time with a short break helps me concentrate better. Once I have listened to a movement a few times and it is becoming more familiar I then go for the full work.
I suppose it doesn't really matter in the end how you listen, as long as it works for you


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