Listening habits of the Mahler populace

[justininsf]

I'm just curious about the other members here and how they listen to music.

When I was younger, in my teens and early 20s, I would just listen to music with headphones, not doing anything else.  Sometimes I would read along with the score, but even using your eyes can be distracting to your brain when you are trying to listen to music.  That's when I listened to most Mahler, I was so excited to get a new Mahler recording back then.

Now, as I am older, and have many more responsibilities and headaches in my life, I find I that I feel like I no longer have the time to do such an activity.  If I do set aside some time to try to just listen to music, responsibilities and tasks start creeping into my mind, my attention is drawn away from the music.  Now I usually listen in the car while driving.  Or sometimes while doing paperwork, but for sure my mind is NOT on the music.


So I think we can agree that it is ideal to just sit and listen to music for the best experience.  But I'm curious to know how many of you out there actually can do this nowadays.

[perotin]

When I was younger, in my teens and early 20s, I would just listen to music with headphones, not doing anything else.

same here but now (I'm on my late 20s) I listen to music often when I'm sitting with some books on a couch. And sometimes I take headphones to bed (when there aren't any pretty women lying next to me ) and spend late nights with music.

[Constantin]

Call me a crazy purist, but I have to give my full attention to the music.

Otherwise, to me, I'd be disrespecting it and treating it like "elevator music."

Yes, I know we get busy.  But I feel I absolutely have to devote my full attention to a musical piece.

OK--sometimes I have the music on headphones when I walk my dogs, but I want my mind almost entirely free to concentrate on the music.

But maybe that's just me!

[merlin]

Same for me.  I am not interested in background music, so I give it my total attention.  Otherwise, I prefer silence.

It does take commitment, though, especially with M2 and 3, but these are my favorites of his works.

I listen through my system speakers -- no headphones. And I unplug the landline and turn off the refrigerator!

[justininsf]

Call me a crazy purist, but I have to give my full attention to the music.

Otherwise, to me, I'd be disrespecting it and treating it like "elevator music."

Yes, I know we get busy.  But I feel I absolutely have to devote my full attention to a musical piece.

OK--sometimes I have the music on headphones when I walk my dogs, but I want my mind almost entirely free to concentrate on the music.

But maybe that's just me!

Oh I totally agree.  My point is that my life is not managed well enough to allow that sort of time commitment and isolation.  I envy that state!!!!!

[consul]

I sink into my chair and press play.

[waderice]

I look at it as what a particular individual has encountering him/her at particular stages in their life.

Demands of family, such as how much the spouse will tolerate having to hear Mahler (particularly if that individual doesn't like Mahler), sharing responsibilities of bringing up kids, tending to needs of the earlier generation (senior parents and senior in-laws) - these are all intervening factors placed on the listener of Mahler.  It's not easy getting through a Mahler symphony or extended song cycle without some family need or external interruption intervening to cause one to push the "pause" button.

Years ago, when I was raising a son and taking him to his sports and school events, those took me away from the stereo.  Now that he's on his own and I'm retired, all I have to do is to go down into the basement to my "culture cave"  and put on a Mahler (or other composer) LP, tape, or CD.  I can even turn up the volume louder in the house I'm presently in as opposed to the one I used to be in, where I had to either turn the volume down or use headphones.

Wade

[Roffe]

I read a lot while listening (and I read a LOT), I can turn the reading off when I come to a oassage that I really want to just listen to. I can only do this with music that is very familiar to me, for instance all of Mahler and Beethoven. When I just listen, I normally prefer playing a DVD or something from YouTube, so I have something to rest my eyes on (if I want); sometimes I sit in the dark and just listen, and let the music sweep me away and get very emotional (for instance in Der Abschied or M9 finale).

Roffe

[Damfino]

I guess I mainly listen while reading. Sometimes, I just put the music on and listen; but due to time constraints, I often find I have to multitask a little. I listen through my home theater speakers, and can crank it as loud as I want at home. At work, I listen to a portable XM radio or CD player at my desk (but that is not a big enough sound for Mahler). If I am very familiar with a work, the distraction of reading does not interfere, as I am now experienced at reading and listening at the same time. As Roffe says, I may put the book down during my favorite passages.

There is a danger to multitasking while listening. I think it delays the process of learning a piece of music. My wife still does not "get" certain major composers or works because she does not give them enough undivided attention.

I also listen in my vehicle; mainly Sinatra.

[justininsf]

I don't think true multi-tasking is possible, if you are listening to music while reading or while doing something else, your mind's attention will only be on one thing at any given moment.  You can go back and forth between the two, and maybe even flitter very quickly between the two, but you cannot concentrate on two things literally at once.

I feel if I listen to music while doing something else it for sure diminishes the musical experience.

[wagnerlover]

I too prefer silence to background music.  That said, I sometimes multi-task to the detriment of the listening experience.

With music I love, I try to sit down and listen, and if I have a score, sometimes I'll follow along.  I don't know why but sometimes I think I actually hear more when I'm reading the score at the same time.

Last night I fell asleep with the radio on (WQXR, New York's only classical station).  I woke up (at about 3:45 a.m. and the radio was still playing) and my first reaction (after about 1.5 seconds) was that it was one of Strauss's Four Last Songs.  Pretty soon, though, I realized it was the last  movement (Der Abschied) of Lied von der Erde.  I could tell that it wasn't a rendition I'm familiar with (I'm familiar with about four or five).  This proved to be true when the announcer gave the credits at the end:  Bavarian Radion Symphony under Maazel with Waltraud Meier.  He didn't mention a tenor so I suppose they only played the last movement. 

db