Classical Convert

The Benefit of No Opinions

One of the problems people face when getting into classical music is that it is sometimes hard to form independent opinions about a piece, particularly if they are negative. This is of course because of the untold piles of pre-established opinions which have been heaped and draped and taped across every major composition by generations of critics. Not so fond of Beethoven’s ninth? Well then you are an uncultured fool, say the decades of beardie and serious-looking music-reviewers, musicologists, musicians.

It is hard to form an independent opinion.

For example, one of the first composers I got into was Mendelssohn. Unfortunately, not soon after discovering him, up popped a selection of liner notes describing his music as not very serious, and him as essentially a second-rate composer. This kind of description is really disheartening to read after you are just getting your teeth into the music. You have erred. You do not have the correct taste. You should like Beethoven and Bach and Brahms a lot more than you do.

This insidious background of previous opinions has been particularly hammered home to me recently after listening to — and liking a lot — a composer who has had little to nothing written about him. I would like to say that this lack of opinionizing has not affected me not once, not a bit, not slightly: but that would be disingenuous. I guess I still feel like a bit of an outsider to the sphere of classical music, and not having that hint of external validation nags away in the background.

It’s kind of silly really. Music appreciation should be a subjective thing (shouldn’t it?) and it really shouldn’t matter whether other people appreciate your chosen choice of piece. I think that it is somewhat telling as to the attitude and atmosphere of the classical music genre that I still feel this way after several years of listening. Sure, all musical generes are like this to somewhat extent (”What do you MEAN, you don’t like the Beatles?!”) but the classical music world seems degrees snobbier.

Tags: classical music, ryabov

A Bit of T and V

Not tele- and vision, but that sexiest of movements, the theme and variation. I fucking love theme and variation form. It’s got this ultra self-confident air to it: “Check it out guys, one theme! In your FACE, sonata.” It’s even sexier when it’s paired up with one single other movement to make a complete piece. Examples: Beethoven’s last Piano Sonata (No. 32, Op. 111); Prokofiev’s 2nd Symphony. Both of these are favorites, and their monumental movemental construction I think plays a role. They are different. Standoutish.

A new addition to my dual movement/T and V collective is the 4th symphony of a mostly non-existent Russian composer called Ryabov. I came across him via the Naxos radio streams and, having stored his name in the mental like-to-buy box for a few months, recently purchased the one and only CD of his I have found which is easily available. It’s going well so far. He’s got Russian right through him, and he’s experiemental without getting too far from Romantic traditions. In other words, he reminds me of a more modern (he’s 58 years old) Shostakovich.

Aside from the Naxos CD, basically the only other information I have on him is through his rather horribly dysfunctional website. Be prepared for cyrillic 404s.

Tags: classical music, ryabov