# Are You Ok with Splitting Mvts?



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Must you see the whole work, or are you ok with seeing individual mvts as separate works?


I struggle with this, I always want to hear works in full, but sometimes when making playlists I only want one mvt.


I struggle with OCD though.


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

Never, never, never!

I will occasionally not finish a longer work, but I will pick it up at a movement break and finish it. I never set out to listen to just one movement of a long work.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Must you see the whole work, or are you ok with seeing individual mvts as separate works?
> 
> I struggle with this, I always want to hear works in full, but sometimes when making playlists I only want one mvt.
> 
> I struggle with OCD though.


Always the whole work, like now I am spinning Schubert looking forward to hear: Ständchen, D. 920 for Alto solo, Male Chorus & Piano but I hear the tracks before and afteri t always.


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## John Zito (Sep 11, 2021)

Oh yeah, I have absolutely no qualms about indiscriminately dipping in and out and sampling choice bits and bobs.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Must you see the whole work, or are you ok with seeing individual mvts as separate works?
> 
> I struggle with this, I always want to hear works in full, but sometimes when making playlists I only want one mvt.
> 
> I struggle with OCD though.


I often listen to Classical music on random play, and different movements from different works are shuffled one after the other.

It's fun - I don't get hung up on this question. Who is going to stop me?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

SanAntone said:


> I often listen to Classical music on random play, and different movements from different works are shuffled one after the other.
> 
> It's fun - I don't get hung up on this question. Who is going to stop me?


I like to do that with the Mozart 225 complete set.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

MatthewWeflen said:


> Never, never, never!
> 
> I will occasionally not finish a longer work, but I will pick it up at a movement break and finish it. I never set out to listen to just one movement of a long work.


This. The only exception is opera, where I can enjoy "bleeding chunks" compilations in addition to complete works.


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

To answer your main question, I don't think it is a very healthy way to music all the time, and can lead to laziness in your listening habits, reducing your ability to hear works in their entirety as intended. It is better to listen to whole works with breaks between them, on a good sound system, not earphones or earbuds but with the naked ear if possible. Which brings me to a point I would like to make.

If you are talking about playback options, splitting movements sucks, but so does having it all in one big file. That's why I dislike MP3s, downloads and LPs and only listen to Classical on CD if I can help it. LPs pretty much necessitate a break in the music, which is TOTALLY unacceptable in a piece like "The Alpine Symphony", for example, which plays through from beginning to end. I refuse to go back to the bad old days and will not compromise on this point. With MP3s you have to chose one long movement or broken up, but a lot of digital music might have pops between sections, especially if they are not saved at FLAC or 320 kps. On the other hand, if you have the music all in one file, that has problems too. This causes massive storage issues of its own, as these files, especially FLAC, can be HUGE files of absurd size. FLACS are often saved in one long movement and this makes long pieces hard to access section by section. Streaming means you don't actually have the item and you are out of luck if you aren't subscribed or they drop a particular recording or artist from their roster. You also need an internet connection or you're out of luck. With vinyl you can't really do that type of listening at all, or with great difficulty.

Bottom line, with CDs you get the best of all worlds. Good sound, ease of access to different sections without unwanted interruptions or glitches, along with liner notes and cover art (smaller than LPs but still there). When it comes to Classical music I don't like the LP vinyl revolution very much because it doesn't really serve this type of music as well as CDs. With CDs you can play randomly or program within the CD, but not to the same extent as streaming or MP3. You will need an MP3 playing device or a streaming service for that, but don't make a habit of only listening to music that way. Trust me, it diminishes your respect and enjoyment of what you ARE listening to at that moment. 

As for playback devices for CDs, a Blu-Ray or DVD player is not an ideal way to play them. A dedicated CD player plays back a CD better than video players do, because of the digital analog converters in CDs. Many times a Blu-Ray or DVD will skip the first few seconds at the beginning of a track for this reason. And for Cripes sake, DON'T get conned into buying cassettes! This format has NO redeeming qualities at all and is to be avoided at all costs.


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## Tarneem (Jan 3, 2022)

yes I do have the tendency to listen to single movement simply because I don't like the other movements of the piece, for example Mahler's 6th ain't my cup of tea, but I do admire it's 2nd movement. 


and actually in a lot of times I swap movements, for example I arranged the 2nd movement of Mahler's 9th symphony to be in the middle of the first and last movements of his 3rd. I know it's a sin... but this is how I enjoy things lol


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

It was only for a few years but I grew up with long movements sometimes split among LP sides, e.g. the slow movements of Beethoven's 3rd and 9th, fortunately I encountered Bruckner and Mahler only after CDs were introduced, so I first thought of this when I read the title.

I usually do not listen to single movements of multi-movement works. With exceptionally long pieces or with oratorios and operas I will often split them but usually not by cherrypicking or skipping but listening to one act/section today, the next one tomorrow. Rarely "cherrypicking" might the way to go for comparisons.
However, with some collections or cycles I have no hesitation to listen to some pieces only, e.g. the two long Schubert lied cycles, other lieder collections and similar cases of pieces published and usually recorded as a collection but actually consisting of separate pieces. The only cases where I can remember making the 1990s analogue of "playlists" was programming the CD player for 10 or so favorite Lieder from Schubert or Mahler when I didn't have time or didn't want to listen to a whole disc/cycle.
I even think that many large collections/cycles like Well tempered Clavier are appreciated better in smaller sections, not necessarily only one P&F at a time but maybe 5 or 6, certainly not all 2+ hours of it in one go.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Must you see the whole work, or are you ok with seeing individual mvts as separate works?


It depends. No strict rules.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

premont said:


> It depends. No strict rules.


My answer as well.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

The sense of excitement of Bruckner's scherzo movements makes them mini orchestral works on their own.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

premont said:


> It depends. No strict rules.


In my early days of ripping, I used iTunes' "join tracks" feature to forever make sure the entire work was a single track. This was a mistake. I did it to allow me to shuffle complete works, but I realized at some point that I rarely use the shuffle feature for classical. (I often use it when playing e.g. Scott Ross's box of 555 Scarlatti sonatas.)

But I will listen to a single music when I want to come to grips with it. For instance, several years ago I did a close comparison of five Beethoven piano sonata cycles. I would listen to the five recordings each movement, one by one, with sheet music open. It was a worthwhile enterprise.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Must you see the whole work, or are you ok with seeing individual mvts as separate works?


If I'm listening at the gym while working out, I usually skip the slow movements.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

jegreenwood said:


> But I will listen to a single music when I want to come to grips with it. For instance, several years ago I did a close comparison of five Beethoven piano sonata cycles. I would listen to the five recordings each movement, one by one, with sheet music open. It was a worthwhile enterprise.


Yes definitely. I have often done the same, even when listening to Beethoven's piano sonatas, an area of particular interest to me.


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## juliante (Jun 7, 2013)

I used to be strict with myself on this and always listen to the whole piece. Partly because i felt to do otherwise is doing the composer a dis-service, also because listening to the whole piece is generally a better experience. And also some personal snobbishness that "I am a serious listener who does not do classical pops compilations". 

But recently i changed my mind - there are some pieces where i really love one movement but can really do without the others, they add nothing to my experience. But my rule meant i avoided these pieces and was hence missing out. So i now have a (fairly small) Spotify playlist of single movements. And jolly nice it is to dip into on occasions. My other consideration was that it is not unusual for a symphony to be a patchwork of ideas and tunes from an extended time period that the composer has put together. So why can't i unpick that and curate my own experience occasionally?


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I listen to individual movements all the time....i llisten to whatever i want, in any order or format i desire...


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

Always the entire composition with one notable exception. Mahler. I will usually listen to the first three movements of his 2nd symphony ("Resurrection") and move on before the sung portions, and will listen only to the first movement of his 6th symphony and move on. Sorry, not a fan of the rest of the compositions. I know this is considered heresy to the legions of Mahlerians out there. Sorry!

I will listen to the entirety of his 4th symphony. One entire symphony and two "bleeding chunks", that is about all I will listen to from Mahler. Sorry, not a big fan.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Most of the time I avoid not to listen to multi-movement works in their entirety, as I tend to see them as single structures, but I can make some exceptions sometimes if I'm particularly fond of a certain moment of the piece in question and I have little time or if it's very long, like it is the case with operas/oratorios (but even then I will try to hear single acts in their entirety). Sometimes I'll also skip secco recitatives as I tend to find them boring (somehow I have no problem with spoken dialogue though).

So, overall my response to the OP would be a big *no*, save for very specific cases.



> I often listen to Classical music on random play, and different movements from different works are shuffled one after the other.


This is the way _not_ to do it in my opinion, as the macro, global structures of multi-movement works won't be perceived if we keep hearing music as random chunks.


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## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Always the whole work!

The same for the other genre I like, jazz. Always the entire album.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I do this sometimes with the _Der Abschied_ movement from Mahler's _Das Lied von der Erde_. I'll just listen to this movement and not the rest of the work. It's 30 minutes long (roughly) and a work within itself. As I said, I don't do this often, though. I always try to play through an entire work.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

When working: Doing analysis, lesson preparation, other work related activities? Individual movements.

Listening for pleasure? Complete works.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Is the original question talking about at-home listening on recordings or in concerts? In years gone by, it was quite common for orchestras to play only one movement from a symphony. The second movement of the Beethoven 7th, the third from Raff's 5th were very popular and excerpted all the time. I've played - regrettably - some concerts in recent years where conductors have done this, or worse, omit a movement or two for some inane reason. A Schumann 1st with no second movement sticks in my mind. 

At home there are several things that work quite well alone and I do put on sometimes: the scherzo from Amy Beach's symphony is a terrific little piece. And the finale of the Mahler 9th is quite good all by itself.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I am wondering since yesterday, if you do listen to Debussy's : Pelleas, ( you had that time) can you sit it out in one session I wonder?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


> I am wondering since yesterday, if you do listen to Debussy's : Pelleas, ( you had that time) can you sit it out in one session I wonder?


I have watched it in one sitting before on youtube.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Rogerx said:


> I am wondering since yesterday, if you do listen to Debussy's : Pelleas, ( you had that time) can you sit it out in one session I wonder?


Colour me confused. It's about two and a half hours (2 CDs), so about average for an opera. What's the issue unless you don't like Debussy? In which case, why bother to listen at all.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Art Rock said:


> Colour me confused. It's about two and a half hours (2 CDs), so about average for an opera. What's the issue unless you don't like Debussy? In which case, why bother to listen at all.


Because there was a tine the Captain could not get enough of Debussy's Pelleas, very legit question in that respect.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Ah, well, you did not address the Captain in your post, hence the confusion.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Almost always a complete work, even if I don't enjoy the movements equally. The only exception I can recall is the finale of Bruckner's 8th; after a promising opening fanfare it's a lumbering mess, and a real anticlimax following one of Bruckner's greatest adagios.


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## Ganz Allein (Mar 26, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> Almost always a complete work, even if I don't enjoy the movements equally. The only exception I can recall is the finale of Bruckner's 8th; after a promising opening fanfare it's a lumbering mess, and a real anticlimax following one of Bruckner's greatest adagios.


I used to feel the exactly same way about Bruckner 8, but I just got Jochum's Dresden recordings for Christmas, and his recording has made the finale click for me. I highly recommend it if you haven't heard it! I used to always either skip it, or tough it out and feel let down at the end, but it's exciting to finally be convinced of the work as a whole!

Anyway, if I have time, of course I'd prefer to listen to a whole piece, but especially for shorter drives in the car I listen to individual movements all the time!


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

If I hear a single movement, it's like hearing just a verse or just a chorus of a pop song. It's still enjoyable, but it's not what I will usually do if I am planning out the music.


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## John Zito (Sep 11, 2021)

bharbeke said:


> If I hear a single movement, it's like hearing just a verse or just a chorus of a pop song. It's still enjoyable, but it's not what I will usually do if I am planning out the music.


I think of it like a favorite scene from a movie. Sometimes I want to sit and watch the whole thing, but sometimes I just want to go on YouTube and sample my favorite bit.


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## golfer72 (Jan 27, 2018)

I sometimes do individual movements especially with long pieces. Ive been listening to Mahler 7 lately but just the first and last movements by themselves. The inner movements I dont care for


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

As a professional organist I will, at times, play specific movements from organ literature mainly due to time constraints. There are many wonderful organ sonatas that have an Adagio section that is perfect for a church service meditation or prelude. To play the entire sonata (15 to 30 minutes) is not practical in a church service setting. 

This weekend I am playing the Fugue from one of the prelude and fugues of Bach. To play the entire prelude and fugue would require 10 minutes, and with another service right after the one I play, time does not allow for it to be played in its entirety. 

As for listening, I always strive to listed to the whole as to parts of a composition ... although I do have favorite movements and will repeat it because I enjoy it so much. Even when arriving home if there is a piece playing on the radio I will pull into the garage, shut the car down, and continue to listen until the end of the piece!


Kh


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