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The joys of being a newbie………

It’s interesting to compare the traffic of my two music blogs – Catchagroove, the anything-but-classical one, has had a surprising number of “hits”. This one, however, is certainly the classical annex. Kinda how years ago, in Manhattan and Paramus, the main Tower Records stores would have a Classical Annex next door – a whole different building dedicated to nothing but classical music. Sad to say that back in the day -  I never ventured into the classical side of Tower Records. But even from a distance it seemed kinda – quiet! So it is with this blog. Not as much traffic. But, as it happens, this works as a bit of a writing experiment for me, as well as a musical discovery experiment.

For the past few years I’ve done a lot of listening, collecting, thinking, reading and theorizing. Sometimes I get down about how little I know and whether or not I ought to bother keeping up a blog about something I know so little about.  I grew up on popular music. These days I can be pretty intuitive when it comes to rock, blues and jazz. The first time I heard Tom Waits was on the radio – I think it was “Step Right Up”. I had, prior to hearing his music, only READ about Tom Waits – descriptions of what his music was like. When I heard that song on the radio, even before they announced who it was – I knew what I was hearing was Tom Waits, based entirely on what I read about him. Yet – as of right now, I might struggle to tell the difference between a Mozart or Schubert symphony. I’m just not that savvy yet. Eras I’m better at. Individual composers……….eh, I’m workin’ on it!

Yet, what I lack in sophisticated and scholarly appreciation I try to make up for with unbridled enthusiasm. I’m just eating this stuff UP. Just tonight I listened to no less than three full Mozart symphonies – 25, 40 and 41. Considering the brevity of these pieces, well – compared to a typical Mahler or Bruckner symphony, Mozart’s are brief indeed – it’s like eating POTATO CHIPS. So there you have it – I have compared Amadeus to junk food. I may be lowbrow, but darnit – I’m SINCERE! Of course this kind of enthusiasm is open to ridicule, especially from those who would be able to tag those Mozart pieces as nothing but “warhorses”. Yet, for me, they aren’t warhorses at all. In fact – part of the excitement is due to the fact that this is NEW STUFF for me.

And therein lies the justification for my blathering on here. Quite frankly I would LOVE to read the reflections of someone hearing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band” for the first time in middle age. In fact, it’s a bit of a sad reality for me knowing that I will never be able to hear that great record afresh – I heard it so long ago and so frequently that the whole thing is etched into my consciousness (even the mono mix, though I didn’t discover that until I was in college – exciting experience indeed!!). Yet, there is a whole world of so-called classical music that, while certain pieces may be overplayed to some, aren’t overplayed to me. It’s that excitement of musical discovery that leads me on from composer to composer, from piece to piece, from orchestra to orchestra and so on…………………..

In fact, the variety of variables involved in the listening experience of “classical” is enough to keep a listener busy for a lifetime – even with individual pieces: conductors, orchestras, recording techniques. Like how Bernstein recorded two different versions of Tchaikovsky’s 4th – one in the late 50, one in the mid-70s. What on earth for? Well, when you can get both for $1 apiece it creates an interesting evening’s worth of sonic debate. And if I manage to discover some arcane reason for recording the same piece twice in one lifetime I get excited. Matter of fact, I spent a number of hours this past weekend playing Glen Gould’s two recordings of the “Goldberg Variations” – the 1955 and 1981 ones – back and forth ……… back and forth. And you know what? The 1981 version was basically slower. Ah, but it was more than that. Although it was technically the same notes on the page – apart from the recognizable melody lines – the two renditions really did sound like two different beasts altogether.

Glenn Gould 1955

Glenn Gould 1981

So, it’s great being a newbie. Most everything sounds pretty fresh to me, even if I have heard some melodies before. More often than not, recognizable melodies were taken out of their original context so hearing them in their proper, original form is a blast! Ah, I’d better watch out or I’ll start sounding like this guy:

Personally, I’m closer to this guy:


But I dig “classical” music just the same as good rock and roll. Maybe if I keep writing here I might discover why. Or at least make attempts at understanding the intangible appeal. Next time, I’ll get more into what I think I DO know, if I know anything at all. Until then – happy listening!