Opinions

I just finished my score study of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. I know I am flying way to fast past these scores... but for me to get them all in, I need to truck through them. Basically, I take notes on them and their composer as I listen to the piece... then I do some research on the form/keys of the piece. Then as I am listening with the study score in front of me, I also follow form of the piece. The problem is that I can't devote all my listening time to choral masterworks. Perhaps I should. But not only do I need to do other work related things (like listening to octavos), but I also have music I love to listen to that isn't choral master works or choral octavos. I love listening to the Avett Brothers and Ingrid Michaelson, but sometimes I really miss listening to "lesser" music like the Backstreet Boys or Ace of Base. I love this stuff- it is the first music I really connected with so it transports me to a different place in time, a simpler way of viewing the world and frankly a whole lot less depressing. So, I listened to Beethoven this morning- and now I'm listening to the Backstreet Boys. Later today I need to study Stravinsky.

Beethoven was great, by the way!

So today's real musing is about opinions. It seems that I generally like all music. I have never sung or conducted a piece I didn't like. I have never spent any amount of time with a song I did not end up liking, from Sufjan Stevens to Steve Reich. At times I have wondered if I need to be more discerning- or try to find a way not love just about every piece of music I come in contact with. It seems to me that people can do that and in a way I am envious of this. I have friends who will hear a piece of music they have sung before and exclaim, "Oh! I can't stand that song. I had to sing it once." I have heard some conductors express indifference or even displeasure with a piece. But I have never had those reactions. On the other hand, I recognize this is a blessing. It allows me to love all the music I put in front of my ensembles and share that with them. It also makes singing much more pleasant, as I can't imagine singing a song I didn't care for.