#because along the way you've learnt to pick out the important bits that'll make up your personal preferences | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

usagibaba · 2 years ago

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no, literally. i love opera, i have loved opera for more than a decade, deeply and truly, but i distinctly remember a time when i absolutely despised it. before my grandma taught me what to listen for--better yet, how to listen to it--it was just a long, boring session of indistinguishable screaming. you absolutely can enjoy classical music without any sort of formal training or initiation or anything ridiculous like that, but we should be clearer about the fact that there's only bangers because we have developed the taste for them. it requires patience and it requires a bit of an open mind. the bangers are just a treat.

the whole attitude of “get into classical music because it’s full of BANGERS and it’s COOL” is just like. a bit misguided imo. like yes there are bangers, but it also does in fact demand patience, and humility, and focus, from the audience. i think it’s more honest to admit that—and emphasize that the emotional payoff is absolutely worth it!!!—than to try and sell classical music as a theme park or whatever.

#idk i have a LOT of opinions about this apparently #grannyposting #no but for real this is my big thing because if my grandma didn't sit next to me in the auditorium #and didn't ANNOYINGLY yell-whisper at me that hey #this is the most famous aria. this is called a cadence. can you hear the softness of the harp?#i would absolutely still hate opera #and im NOT saying that you need someone to explain it like that or god forbid go to school to be able to get it #im just saying that it's harder to get into than we make it sound #and that's because it does require a bit of patience and a bit of dedication #and a lot of listens to pick out the layers #and then suddenly you have your favourite bangers #because along the way you've learnt to pick out the important bits that'll make up your personal preferences #anyways.

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