# Anybody ever change his/her mind?



## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Internet forums are great because they give folks an opportunity to communicate with other people with similar interests. And a forum like this one is very usefull to learn about composers, performers or even genres and periods in music history we ignored before. But I wonder if anyone has actually ever CHANGED his/her opinion about (as opposed to been introduced to a composer/performer which I imagine happens quite often) a composer or performer because of the arguments of someone else. Like - you previously hated the music of Dinizotti, Vavildi or Tschoikavsky, but member X has convinced me otherwise?


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I believe there have been posts that are changing my mind about Eglar.  

Oh, I certainly did not hate his music -- it just had not spoken to me yet.

I once had a teacher who thought another term for changing your mind is "learning." If only politicians would change theirs once in a while . . .


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2008)

I like to think that my mind is flexible but the older I get the more set it seem to become
but if some thing that you read on a post seem to ring true then eventually it will sink in


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## ecg_fa (Nov 10, 2008)

Not exactly   . Though if somebody is really enthusiastic about someone or
something, then I might check that out again or at least find something to respect.
Like at the other, 'pop' forum of Gaston's-- I've come to have more respect for
Abba for their pop craftsmanship-- even though I really still don't like 'em.  

There are some composers that I initially didn't think much of but who impress me
more lately. Ives is one for example (he is often difficult, but also very direct at times,
and impressive I think); Handel who I often really love now at first
I found just pompous, repetitive/dull; and I'd have to say Bartok, whom I never liked
at first. But there a good friend (musician) had me listen and also showed me some
rhythmic things on piano from his 'Microcosmos' (as well as my own struggling with
some of that) that did help me to change my mind.

Ed


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## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

Certainly. As a newbie, I get a ton out of the commentary by others about what they love. It inspires me to open my mind about things. Case in point: I used to hate opera, but now I'm currently watching the complete Ring cycle


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## Yagan Kiely (Feb 6, 2008)

Not on forums, but people in real life have - same thing really.


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## Kuhlau (Oct 1, 2008)

Weston said:


> I believe there have been posts that are changing my mind about Elgar.


Been following the 'Edward Elgar' thread, then. 

Has my mind ever been changed? Yes ... but I can't remember specifically how this came about. I just know that persuasive arguments in posts on several classical music forums have caused me to alter my opinions, either because my thinking was modified or, in some cases, completely overturned.

FK


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## phoenixshade (Dec 9, 2008)

Changed my mind outright; no. I need to see hard evidence on most matters before I'll change my mind.

However, people have convinced me that strongly held opinions may be ill-informed. My recent discussion with Yagan Kiely in the Shostakovich forum has continued (in a much more civil manner on both of our parts) in PMs... and although we still have points of contention, at least I can understand _why_ he sees things differently, and admit that I may hold certain opinions a bit too inflexibly.

I think it's almost unfortunate that it went to PMs, in fact... once we got past the snarky comments, the discussion has been interesting.


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## Kezza (May 13, 2008)

I have come to appreciate Chopin a bit more not only from this forum though but also the influence of my girlfriend who really loves him. And I heard a performance of his nocturne in E min (I think lol, can't remember what key) and I enjoyed more than the times that I head it before.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

ecg_fa said:


> Not exactly   . Though if somebody is really enthusiastic about someone or
> something, then I might check that out again or at least find something to respect.
> Like at the other, 'pop' forum of Gaston's


Brenda's, you mean.  



> I've come to have more respect for
> Abba for their pop craftsmanship-- even though I really still don't like 'em.


Well, nobody's perfect, Ed.



> There are some composers that I initially didn't think much of but who impress me
> more lately. Ives is one for example (he is often difficult, but also very direct at times,
> and impressive I think); Handel who I often really love now at first
> I found just pompous, repetitive/dull; and I'd have to say Bartok, whom I never liked
> ...


I've never really properly checked out the music of Ives but I've always loved Handel's. Bartok is a composer I struggled with for awhile but I can be pretty stubborn. I knew he was great and important so I didn't accept that I didn't like him much. I forced myself to listen to his work until I actually started to enjoy it.


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## Guest (Dec 20, 2008)

The best Ives I've heard was "A Frog he would a wooing go"


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## ecg_fa (Nov 10, 2008)

I like 'Frog Go a Wooing Too'-- actually a lot of his songs . My fave Ives are
the symphonies (particularly the Dallas Symphony recordings recently) and the 
'Concord' Sonata-- Gilbert Kalish's version, and Pierre-Laurent Aimard's (actually that whole 
Ives album w. Aimard, Susan Graham singing songs too). Amazing record I think.

Ed


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