Classical Music Mayhem!!

When I think of "background music" I usually think of music that people put on as a sort of audible wallpaper, something light and unsubstantial to fill the room. I think, however, that there's a difference between listening to great music while taking a walk or having a snack and sticking something on as a sort of white noise that you're not really appreciating; the latter seems a slap in the face to the music and the composer thereof.

Eh I disagree. That just seems a bit pretentious to me. It's up to me how I choose to listen to my music. Personally I think it'd be more of a slap in the face to a composer to not listen to it at all than to say "Well since I can't devote all my attention to the music right now I'll not listen to anything at all."

But it's equivalent to using a Dürer etching as a cupholder, is it not??? Seems to me like it's very disrespectful to the composers who put so much time and effort into their music to simply relegate their works to a sort of "audio fill-in" status. I'm not against appreciating and enjoying music throughout the day, but there are some who think all music is good for is to accompany a good book, never giving it any real consideration.

But who are you to tell me how to enjoy my music? If we take what you're saying to it's logical extreme you'd be asking us to not do anything else at all while listening to music. 100% concentration on the music and that's it.

I think music can be enjoyed on many different levels and if you get enjoyment out of it than it's not being disrespectful to the composer at all.

I tend to agree with this statement, certainly for music pertaining to be art, which should demand the attention as opposed to being mood music for the dinner parties of the middle-classes. Of course we have to deal with the fact that what is background music to one individual may be highly stimulating to another, but speaking for myself (something I'm good at) the term 'background music' is a derogatory one.

So long as you're not using the original Durer etching! We live in an age of recorded music so nobody's feelings get hurt if you're not paying full attention. I'm like smileyman- I can play the same piece in different contexts- either in the background or under complete scrutiny. If you hung your Durer etching on the wall of your bedroom you wouldn't feel compelled to stare at it intently all of the time you were in your bedroom. There would be moments when you would contemplate it and moments when it would just be in the background of your consciousness- you wouldn't take it off the wall and put it in the drawer every time you weren't contemplating it. If a person enjoys venerating a thing to the point of ritual and that enhances there experience of a work of art then great but once again I agree with smileyman about being wary of pretentiousness creeping in. I know several headphone listeners who whilst giving there rapt and complete attention to the great work of art have also got one eye on the TV, or flicking through a magazine, or thinking about what is for dinner, or the girl they like at college... I've never met a genuine music lover who existed at any one of these extremes. Anyone who doesn't suppose that listening to music is an activity all it's own just isn't really a music lover- but what right minded person would choose to dwell at either extreme. If I'm listening to Beethoven's piano sonatas whilst typing this post am I disrespecting Beethoven or belittling his music? I would pity anyone who thought so- genuine music lovers tend to live with their music as much as possible I feel.

Well since you mention it I never listen to any music while I'm posting here, unless I am reviewing the music I am typing about.

Of course in your case another issue has to be considered in all this. Your idea of a good Beethoven sonata performer is Brendel, and considering Brendel has the propensity to strip all the meaning and dynamism from Beethoven's sonatas one may draw the conclusion that what you are listening to is not really Beethoven as it should be - and I know well that Beethoven as it should be makes for very poor background music.

On the other hand Brendel has made some recordings of some of Beethoven's other solo piano music that I am quite satisfied with. Whether they would make good background music I leave for you to decide, but would it be possible for you to turn your attention to the topics on Beethoven's Op76 and Op89..?

Yeah, that really bothers me also. But most people aren't trained in the art of listening. In fact, most people are raised to think that music is either a background activity or an accompaniment to dancing.

Coming closer to home, it also bothers me personally because I don't always have time to sit in solitude, score in hand, draining every drop of inspiration from a composition which took months, maybe longer, to write. In fact, most times I don't.

I'm reminded of a scene from Casino Royale, where the Secret Service is trying to convince James Bond to come out of retirement, and suddenly at, I think, 3:00 he terminates the conversation with, "At 3:00, it's time for Debussy" and he walks away. So the Secret Service blows up his piano room.

And that's my world; my music room is always being intruded upon by the real world. So I fit in what I can and hope the memory of the masters isn't too tarnished. But I hope Heaven has a listening room.

The place to go for background music lovers...

http://www.origenmusic.com/background-music.html


Enjoy!