Calling Classical Musicians/Classical Music Lovers?

[Claeroplane]

I play clarinet and intend to pursue a degree in performance and I'm sort of curious to see if there are any other INTPs who obsess over classical music as intensely as I.

If so, what's your favorite era and who is/are your favorite composer(s) and piece(s)?

 

[tepellian]

I'm pretty sure I don't obsess over classical music in general, but one of my first choices is certainly Ravel, and I think I like any piece of his I've ever heard. The complexity and brilliance make his music amazing to listen to, and sometimes a good challenge to understand all its components clearly.

 

[EnigmaticSoutherner]

Through no choice of my own, I endured a 2 hour lunch with a Plaintiff's lawyer / acquaintance today...(fyi if you dont know Plaintiff's lawyers are the antithesis of INTP) and although I have work to do at the office, I simply cannot return having just endured such misery and so I stopped by the house...and am (more to the point) enjoying a 1964 recording of Virgil Fox playing the Jn.Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia...

The talk of where Mr. Plaintiff lawyer ate lunch, how expensive the wine he drinks is, where he dines in Aspen, et al put me in a foul mood....an hour of music therapy should have me good to go ...

 

[Otherside]

To achieve success as a classical musician would probably be an ideal reality for an INTP with that interest. I sometimes listen to classical when relaxing but it's on the radio and often I don't know exactly what's playing, so I can't offer any opinions as to preference. Good luck to you though.

 

[Le Samourai]

A degree in performance? That's interesting.

I play an instrument(not classical) but I've always thought that it could be integrated into some form of classical music.Music composition interests me more than performance tho.

On topic:

Satie Gymnopedie 1.

 

[DragonsAreForever]

Oh yes, I'm in love with classical music. My current favorite is by Chopin. It's adagio 153. It makes me feel dead happy and free.

I'm also learning to play piano.

 

[MsAnthropy_Indefatigably]

I can't tell you all the names, but certain classical music (or music of that era) really calms me and/or riles me up inside. A few of my favorites are all well known pieces and then there are a few pieces (recently produced) that I love as well... I'll just make a short list:

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor- Bach
Moonlight Sonata- Beethoven
Air on A G String- Bach (tickled by its use in an American Dad episode)
Bibo No Aozora- Ryuichi Sakamoto
Finality- The Roots (which is barely a song, but it's so powerful in its barely 2 minutes of existence
Sail To The Moon- Christopher O'Riley (classical piano remake of Radiohead song)

Speaking of which, I am really into remakes of rock songs into classical pieces. It's like hearing the music all over again in a wonderful other way. I love strings and piano (always wanted to learn the violin, but too expensive of an investment for me right now) so, I love Vitamin String Quartet and Christopher O'Riley's stuff...not to mention i LOVE Radiohead!

 

[BridgeOfSighs]

I wouldn't consider myself obsessed but if I were to chose a favorite composer it'd be Tchaikovsky or Chopin.

Pieces that I tend to listen to are:
Clair de lune by Claude Debussy
Summertime-Gershwin (not technically classic...I've been told)
La vallée des cloches - Ravel
Rienzi -Wagnar
Four Seasons - Vivaldi

 

[Manic]

I thought I'd revive this thread since there don't seem to be too many classical music fans on here, which surprises me. Maybe it's the age group. Anyway, I have no training in music and can't play any instruments but I've been a big classical music fan for about 35 years. My interest has bordered on obsession at times, but that's true with many other subjects as well.

It's hard to pick favorites because all of the major composers in every era and genre have a lot to offer. Moreover, my tastes have changed over the years as I've expanded from the original Mozart craze of my youth. But Bach is the be all/end all of Baroque music as far as I'm concerned and Beethoven is the man in the Classical era. For the Romantics it's hard to choose but I particularly love Chopin, Brahams, Tchaikovsky, and Schubert. I like a lot of the Impressionistic music of Debussy, Ravel, and de Falla. For later in the 20th century it's Bartok and Shostakovich.

Of the major composers, I'm not a big fan of Wagner, Schumann, Stravinsky, Liszt although, of course, I recognize the brilliance/genius.

And there is so much more to discover...

 

[Vidi]

About 3/4 of what I listen is classical music (not a period, but just in general). I can be quite obsessive about particular composers or just pieces at times. Preferences sometimes gradually shift. On occasion I can be quite obsessed about certain music performed by some particular musician, i.e. 3rd Rachmaninov's piano concerto I prefer played by Horowitz almost exclusively, and Schubert's piano sonatas (D960 especially) and Chopin's 2nd piano concerto by Arrau, 2nd movement my favourite was just superb. I've listened to Schubert's sonatas performed by Kempff, but just couldn't connect, that is until I'd heard Arrau's version.
I have no musical training, so my judgment on this matter is not probably very informed. Although one of my friends who went to study music seriously told me once, that I'm lucky just to listen to music performance without having to analyze all the time the technicalities in connection with it, especially when listening to music during the performance. Yes, probably this is fool's paradise, I don't know

 

[Architect]

I was a professional clarinetist when younger, and moved on to science mainly because one, the amount of growing and learning I was getting from the clarinet was a dying exponential and two, the job prospects. The generation ahead of me was waiting to get into the symphonies, so my chances were even lower than extremely low.

Otherwise I'm a classical music snob, I don't listen to anything else. When younger my preference highlights were Carl Nielson, Shostokovitch, Wagner and Mahler (I tended toward the big symphonic). As an adult with money I bought a top notch grand and play the piano. My tastes now tend toward the chamber, particularly Chopin (obviously I never got to play when younger), Rachmaninov and the like.

If you haven't heard it try Quatuor pour la fin du temps - Quartet For the End of Time by Messiaen. I wanted to play the clarinet part when I was younger but didn't get around to it. As an adult I'd like to take the piano part.

 

[CLOfriendOSE]

I study opera in undergrad, and am looking at degrees in speech pathology for grad school.

Opera is one of those pursuits that really never gets old. Between learning the languages, the philosophies, the harmonic languages, vocal styles/ornamentation, physically perfecting technique/refining the body...it's, when done well, in my opinion, the epitome of live artistic expression. (I, too, studied a plethora of woodwind when young, but, as Architect stated, the returns decrease exponentially...)

My listening experiences really depend on the repertoire I'm workin through.

I love me some Ravel, Prokofiev, Wagner, Mahler, Berg, Schoenberg. I like studying/performing Webern, but I don't listen to much of his work. Same with Bartok (with the exception of Bluebeard's Castle). I also tend to sing a lot more lieder than I listen to, with the exception of Strauss.

I love early music, so Machaut, Tallis, Ockeghem, Palestrina, Hildegaard Von Bingen...they have a special place in my heart.

 

[Iman Lavender]

I would have to say that Ravel's Jeux D'Eau is my favorite piano piece. However, Claude Debussy is my absolute favorite composer of the impressionistic era. I'm a vocal performance major, so Eric Whitacre leaves a strong impression on me as well.

 

[~~~]

No, but because you will all be audiophiles tell me what your favourite custom earphones are so that I don't have to do the research.

 

[Vidi]

^
Ditched all the earphones I had couple of years ago. I was quite happy with my Sennheiser for the home listening, but when moving around I used those in-ear earphones what was most of the time, until I started hearing funny noises in my ears afterwards, that resembled tinnitus. I would use earphones now only in most dire circumstances if I were forced to land a pilot less plane or similar. I've read somewhere that continuous heavy use of earphones can cause ear trouble after approximately 5 yrs of such use... I think it was about 6-7 yrs before I'd got my major scare.

 

[Intellect]

I love classical music. My favorite composers are Bach, Schubert and Beethoven.

The complexity of Bach's music has always amazed me. Here's an example from his Musical Offering:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUHQ2ybTejU

I also plan on learning to play violin one day. Seems like the perfect instrument for someone who loves a challenge. The beautiful sound of any instrument in the violin family is unmatched, in my opinion.

 

[Vladimir]

I like classical music a lot, and am involved in various musical activities, but I don't think I will pursue it professionally.

 

[~~~]

Thanks @Vidi. I'll have to look into that.

 

[fissionesque]

I almost exclusively listen to classical music, though I won't write off any other genres. I'm a music major studying piano and composition (as well as a bit of voice). I'd have to say that my absolutely favorite composer is JS Bach. I've been working a lot on his Partitas lately. I'm working the first movement (toccata and fugue) of no. 6 in E minor, the minuets I and II of no. 1 in B flat, the gigue of b flat, the the preambulum of no. 5 in G. This probably one of my favorite performances of No. 6.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bL2qhrGeJA&list=FL6ehBWO_pua9ciZDcUVyk3w&index=1

Also, check out this performance of Tombeau de Couperin by the Amazing Angela Hewitt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mgw8pV4iPM

 

[Anaximander]

I've considered learning to play the piano.

These are some of my favourite pieces:

O Magnum mysterium (I'm not sure this counts as classical music.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn5ken3RJBo

Violin concerto in E minor - Mendelssohn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUQD6Rr2M8&list=PL4EED24F10A0A3CF3&index=10

1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky (With a choir)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYnCCWsfx3c&list=PL4EED24F10A0A3CF3&index=13

Ein Deutsches Requiem - Brahms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkNM8cbT_G0

 

[clarinet-cigarette]

Are we... the same person? I'm also a clarinet player planning on doing a performance major. I'm primarily looking at going to Indiana University, as I would also like to major in Chemistry or something related.
Mahler would have to be my favorite composer. Symphony 9 mvt. 1 is just amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6zVcO3VxVc

 

[GodOfOrder]

I love classical music, and I am a violinist.

I tend to love the Baroque era the most, and then the classical era, and as far as actual music is concerned I tend to love to listen to and play solo works and chamber music more than anything else.

My opinion is given a considerable bias due to the instrument I play. Bach is my undisputed favorite composer, and his Violin Partita No. 2 is my favorite classical work. The Final movement of this work , the Chaconne I consider the greatest musical work of all time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBJPVnJ8m-Y