As a general rule, there are a few things that every gentleman must be able to do. For example, know how to wear a three-button suit, know how to waltz, tie a windsor knot, mix the perfect gin and tonic and among many other things, be able to discuss classical music.
So how do you talk about classical music? Well, very much the same way as you would discuss Mumford and Sons, Radiohead or Ke$ha. What do you like about it? What do you not like? It's as simple as that.
The tricky part is being able to listen to and appreciate the intricacies of classical music, which can be a lot like picking out the subtleties of a quality Merlot.
Just like appreciating a new wine (or beer) try starting with something that you know you might like. For example, when I started out, I was all about chant-like choral music. This led me to the music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
If you know you like the kind of music that you hear in movie soundtracks, start with your favorite soundtrack and follow the rabbit trail. I am in love with the soundtrack from the 1999 movie “American Beauty” which was composed by Thomas Newman, who went on to do the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed “Road to Perdition.” Listen to this composition from “American Beauty” and see if it’s for you.
But maybe you don’t need to be eased into anything, and can jump straight into the classics. If you feel like it, look no further than one of the great works of the late Romantic Period of music; Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor.
(Part 1)
(Part 2)
The trick to appreciating classical music is to actively listen to it, as if you were soaking in an actual performance. Listen to the nuances of the piano, voices and instruments. Notice the passions and emotions expressed in the movement of the melodies and harmonies. And if you find yourself in a gentlemanly situation in which you are discussing classical music, go for more than just name-dropping. It is much more interesting to be able to describe a piece of music than to simply list off composers that you can remember.
Finally, while YouTube is an excellent resource to quickly find free recordings of excellent music, nothing can compare to buying a high-quality recording to own and replay at your leisure. For this purpose, I heartily recommend buying either a CD recording, or a high-quality MP3 recording. I find Amazon to be an excellent resource for this, as their MP3 tracks are very affordable, and easy to download.
For now, happy listening!
Next post: 5 tasteful, wearable accessories.
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