# Should we worship the music of the Baroque and Classical eras so prominently?



## Oscar South (Aug 6, 2020)

As listeners and appreciators of music — absolutely yes.

As students of music, working to bring our craft to the highest level — without question.

As creative individuals, seeking to express ourselves without repeating others — a definite yes.

With a view to understand the lives and times of those musical innovators who brought us here — goes without saying.

How does the music of these eras relate to you, your personal work in music and the circumstances of your life an an individual engaged in musical activity?


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I don't think it's cool to worship any kind of music.

FWIW, music of the baroque and classical periods isn't appreciated very much on TC.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

In answer to the OP - no!


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Oscar South said:


> How does the music of these eras relate to you?


Bach has always been almost an obsession with me. I have dozens of Goldberg Variations recordings, followed closely with the Well-Tempered Clavier. His B Minor Mass was an early discovery and I still listen to it probably once a month. This year I started listening to Handel operas, what a world of music.

About five years ago I was way off into the music of the 18th century, Haydn mainly, but Mozart and early Beethoven as well. I listened to nothing but this music, and usually on period instruments. I still have a lot of affection for this period, but I spend more time these days with early music and new music.

I still will listen to a Mozart opera, or a Haydn string quartet or baryton trio.


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

Bach in particular is a major inspiration for me. I spent many hours learning about and practising counterpoint from the 16thC through to Bach's highly developed technique which has links back to the Palestrina School. So for me, it's not just a listening habit, early and Baroque music are also a compositional paradigm that as a formative influence was important. Corelli is also a personal favourite.

As a result, I will often listen to earlier music and baroque before classical and romantic music. I think it's the musical purity of the expression that appeals to me, expression that isn't overburdened as much as it was soon to become.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

My signature speaks everything. :tiphat:


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## JAS (Mar 6, 2013)

Worship is a problematic word in this context. It suggests an extreme form of adoration, which I don't think applies.


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## Oscar South (Aug 6, 2020)

Thanks for the replies so far. Yeah I agree that 'worship' was the wrong work for this meaning. Can't edit it anymore but I'm glad that most contributors have seen past the slightly poorly chosen terminology and been able to articulate well thought out replies.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

As a listener, I think the baroque and classical eras are vastly overplayed and frankly overrated. My local classical station plays so much baroque - it's boring as heck. No one wants to listen to Scarlatti harpsichord music in drive time! Then almost all of Sunday is given over to baroque. Then there's that Mostly Mozart stuff - there's another composer who is grossly over exposed. But the funny thing is that as a performer, I know why Mozart is so popular with players: the man knew how to write for the orchestra. The parts just fit in the fingers correctly. I may not like to listen to Mozart (or Haydn and company), but it's very gratifying to play the music. String playing friends say the same thing about baroque music - the composers knew the instruments and the parts are well written and enjoyable to play, compared say to something like the Prokofieff Classical Symphony, which may be fun to listen to, but is a horror show for violinists.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

You always listen through other peoples ear it is why baroque sounds boring to you, I started classical with Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and crowned Baroque, it was a 23y years long process. Because you will never take any grain of mind to listen to anything at all, all you want is immediate thrill and catchy cheapy stuff. You love no music, you only love yourself.


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## JAS (Mar 6, 2013)

mbhaub said:


> As a listener, I think the baroque and classical eras are vastly overplayed and frankly overrated. My local classical station plays so much baroque - it's boring as heck. No one wants to listen to Scarlatti harpsichord music in drive time! . . .


I do, but then I like harpsichord music, and I hate traffic.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

As for the fun thing, there are loads loads of people who can play violin or piano to peasants everywhere, and most of them almost never play baroque, and sound very fun. Fun, it is all about the prize and complaints from those enemies of music. I am sure nobody force it down your throat like people do in Russia and China and NK, it is from someone who have to endure all kinds of propagandas and still holds onto his own little freedom in music. The western left always like to play the annoyed big boy I know it all along, it just looks cool to them, nothing far away from my local street thugs, thugs have telepathic complexes across the world and still thinik each of them is so special, it is what I call as boring. Do not worry. I was a fighter in my school it is how I maintain my head-strong character all along without being a stooge to the bullies and thugs, I know the thuggy minds too well, though my fists and my mind as well. I know how to treat these patients.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

The worship thing is hard to define, only in baroque I find the purest joy in music. Beethoven and most later romantic music are not bad, they impart vastly different kind of joy, some thing like accoustical comfort. Not the harmony and motifs that please, but the process of chemistry of moods romantic music induces. Romantic string quartets put me to sleep in my school days, I am grateful for them. To baroque, it is a kind of wake up call, funny I never play baroque like childhood to bedtime, it hardens me, encourages me, on the very contrary to its girly impression on people, I become ever hardened in courage through baroque.


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