Jazz for aficionados

******FWIW, my main interest is in classical music. While still fairly ignorant, I know just enough to enjoy participating in those threads in which I do have considerable exposure, and some knowledge, so long as the thread is not just about personal favorites and the best of whatever.**********

Going from Jazz to classical is like going from the frying pan into the fire. If you are reluctant to speak your mind in a Jazz forum , you will really be inhibited in a classical setting.
Of course, you can take solace from the fact that most of the other posters probably don't know what they are talking about. So you needn't be bashful. In my 'opinion', few of us are qualified to critique folks like the top tier Orchestras and Conductors. They end up doing just what you seem to be trying to avoid. Just saying what they like. Stating their opinions!! Which is what I do.

Cheers

*****post them in declarative sentences *******

A simple, well written declarative sentence, is to an 'audiophile', what kryptonite is to Superman.

Cheers

Hi Rok2id - would learning more be a double-edged sword? As Frogman said, it might, however what you appreciate and enjoy, your enjoyment of will only increase. Also, you would never have to listen with the kind of critical ear that a professional must. Sometimes it is indeed extremely difficult for us to turn this off. But that is because it is our profession, our very lives. And also, if we are listening to a recording that is our favorite of a particular piece, the joy we get from it is that much greater. One exception is that most musicians do not like to listen to recordings of themselves, at least solo recordings, as it is almost impossible not to be extremely self-critical. I sometimes experience this when I listen to the recordings of all of my orchestra's concerts, which I must do because I am on the broadcast committee that decides which parts of which concerts will make up the radio broadcast of it. I must separate my own performance and that of my section and consider the performance of the group as a whole. So I have become somewhat more used to this than perhaps many other musicians would be.

What I really meant in my post was learning more about the music itself, to increase your enjoyment of it, as opposed to using that knowledge to judge performers. You will enjoy all ten of your Beethoven 7 recordings even more, if you learn more about how the piece is constructed. This is a totally separate thing from any one conductor/orchestra interpretation of the work.

One further comment I would have is that although I understand what you mean when you say going from classical to jazz is like going from the frying pan into the fire, I would say that I think what Frogman and I both have been trying to say is that these genres are not as far apart as most think. It is certainly much closer to it than say rap or techno or things like that. Many forms of jazz are much closer to classical than say rock as well. Jazz is certainly the only other genre of music that comes anywhere near having the harmonic variety that classical does, and melodic variety too, for that matter.

Messrs. Frogman & Learsfool:

I mentioned LvB's 7th due to the horn playing. I was trying to say, that I could 'blissfully' enjoy them all, while you might be grimacing and frowning on a few. Seeing as how you are a horn player.
This is a example of the 'ignorance is bliss' thingy.

BTW, the horn is One of my favorite orchestral instruments. Must be that childhood Lone Ranger thing.

Cheers

Rok, I was wrong about that music, it originated from Dallas Texas, not Poland; that makes it USA born, they just had a polish audience and were performing in Poland.

Enjoy the music.