A friend of mine recently went to a classical concert and was apparently dozing off for most of it. Earlier that very day, I was rediscovering Brucker’s Symphony No. 7 thanks to Seiji Ozawa and Berliner Philharmoniker.
Then it hit me. Up until two years ago, I didn’t get classical music at all! I’d tried to listen to Bach and Beethoven and all the good music, but to no avail. I’m still definitely not an expert, but I do thoroughly enjoy it now.
So, the question is why many of us don’t have classical works on our musical palate, and how we can change that.
The Modern Problem with Classical Music
My friend guessed it had something to do with our shortened attention spans, and I agree! Before I got into classical music, I always found myself waiting for it to “get good.” Does that resonate?
Let’s do a little experiment! Bring to mind a hit pop song of your choice. It probably has a catchy beat that starts right away, and the singer usually doesn’t take their sweet time either! The main part of the track starts from the moment you hit “play” and ends after 3 or 4 minutes. The album for that song probably has 8 or 10 songs, and is about 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Now, compare that to Brucker’s Symphony No. 7, since I already mentioned it. It consists of four tracks (technically called “movements”) with the lengths of 20, 22, 10, and 12 minutes! You could probably listen to five or more pop songs, each telling a different story, in that first movement alone.
It’s a little bit like reading a book vs. listening to the Blinkist summary of the same book. You may get the point faster, but there are so many things that you’ll miss along the way. Add to this that you probably paid for that Blinkist subscription, so you’d also get to the next summary right away, giving yourself little to no time to ponder the ideas from the first one.
I still believe the problem isn’t so much about the content or catchiness as it is about length, and the patience it takes to sit down and listen to a piece of classical music. Many of us (myself included) lead increasingly hectic lives, and we might always feel like we don’t have time for this or that. So, a pop song that validates how you’re feeling in that space of 3 minutes seems to make more sense.
That said, I personally can’t live without music for long, so I always make time for it. And classical music is hands-down much richer than a lot of new productions, otherwise those pieces from 1890 would be forgotten like that hit album from 2012.
So, if we make time for music, how do we fill some of it with soulful classical pieces?
Steps to Start Listening to Classical Music
I have three main tips here that have gotten me into classical music. You can treat them as steps, but only the third one is strictly necessary. Let’s go to each in turn!
Go to an Artist You Love
My easiest recommendation is to follow a composer or artist in classical music that you love, or whom intrigues you. Always been curious about Bach? Go ahead and look up his best work! Love Renée Fleming? Explore some of her lesser-known work.
The beauty of this approach is that you’re not forcing yourself do anything at all. You’re just listening to an artist you already admire.
Many people don’t have artists who have done classical work, and that’s okay. Let’s go on to the next section!
Find Classical-Inspired Artists
There are many artists out there whose work has been influenced by classical music. Among the artists you know, think of those who aren’t foreigners with full orchestras and rich harmonies. The music of these people may not be classical, but it should serve as your launchpad! Let’s go to two example figures.
Hans Zimmer: Orchestral Music Galore
Most people know dear Hans Zimmer with Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), or The Dark Knight trilogy (2005-2012). He’s also won two academy awards for The Lion King (1994) and Dune (2021). I absolutely love him and his tons of other work! I even have a post about the music of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Zimmer’s work falls into the Stage & Screen genre, i.e. the music of movies, series, and video games. The part that introduces you to classical music is when he uses full-fledged orchestras and time-tested soundscapes. He does it all the time, by the way. He has even re-created orchestral versions of pieces that were originally electronic!
Enya: An All-Time Favorite
Everyone knows the beloved Irish singer and composer. Enya is closer to pop than Zimmer, but she’s always kept elements from classical and Celtic music. You may know her with Orinoco Flow, Only Time, or even May It Be from the first The Lord of the Rings movie. I highly recommend her if she hasn’t been on your radar, classical music or otherwise! One album I particularly recommend to a stranger is The Very Best of Enya.
How Does This Help?
You may be wondering how exactly will these two artists or others like them (like John Williams or Ludovico Einaudi) will help give you a taste of classical music. Their music is so very different, after all!
Keep in mind that at this point, I’m more concerned with lengthening your attention span in music and getting you into instrumental pieces. I don’t necessarily want you to jump into listening to a string quartet right away.
But the next tip is all about making that leap! Ready?
Install Idagio
You should definitely try this one, regardless of the two previous tips. Idagio is a nice little platform like Spotify or Deezer, but solely for classical music!
For someone who’s just getting started, I encourage you to explore two of the app’s spaces:
- Editor’s Weekly Picks: I’ve never loved Deezer editors’ picks, but I always listen to those on Idagio. Whenever I’ve listened to one, I’ve found myself with numerous new favorite tracks and one or two entire albums to buy!
- Play My Mood: Feeling Optimistic? Melancholic? Angry? Pick your mood and listen to it expressed in classical music. Two or three years into using the app and I still find this amusing!
Use these two tools enough and eventually, you’ll develop a feel and an ear for classical music. Note that the platform also has tons of new music in the classical genre, so you’re not just listening to Mozart and Tchaikovsky.
Idagio is available for free on the web, Android, and iOS. You can’t skip tracks in the free version, you’ll hear Idagio’s own subscription ads in between every two or three tracks, but the music quality is decent.
Bonus Tip: Go to a Classical Concert Near You!
Now that you’ve been listening to more classical music, you’re ready to attend a classical concert! If you find one near you and you’re lucky, even a classical duet will stick with you for a while.
TL; DR
We don’t listen to a lot of classical music because our attention spans (for music or otherwise) have waned. Here are my tips for you to start listening to classical music:
- If you already have a favorite artist in classical music, double down on their music.
- You may also elect to listen to classical-inspired artists with longer build-ups and instrumental pieces like Hans Zimmer, Enya, John Williams, Ludovico Einaudi, etc.
- I strongly recommend Idagio, a music-streaming platform built for classical music! Specifically, check out their weekly editors’ picks and mood player.
- When you feel like you can sit through a symphony, look for classical performances near you and go see for yourself!