Do You Understand Music?


First I want to describe something that repeats happening with me when I listen to the relatively new music to me.

There are a few examples that I want to describe:

1. I've acquired a rare CD of Cluster "One Hour" which contains one track that lasts exactly 1 hour. No matter how hard I've tried to listen to it as whole i was getting tired or just simply did not understand what's going on and was postponing a listening to the next session. Next session something similar happens and in curiosity I'm just trying to fast-forward to the last minutes of the track to hear how it ends. After few more trials to torture myself i quit and exchange this CD to the different offered by one of my best friend(Wobble-Parker). He digged in(meaning was able to listen the whole hour) from the third listening session and reviewed this music as one of the most magnificient projects created by Cluster for what I envy him to have a patience to understand.

2. Nearly the same thing happend with double CD album "Cobra" which is a project of John Zorn.

Some years ago I couldn't understand Ornette Coleman but now I realize that his music is like surrealistic art and has a divine presence. Same I can tell about Kronos Quartet.

Please share with me if you had a similar situations. Would you listen to the music that you don't understand? Would you try to understand it? Would you honor a "different" music and accept it as an art?

For me I'd rather listen to what I do not understand and try later-on to understand instead of just simply go to the Wiz and buy some Ricky Martin or Marc Anthony...
128x128marakanetz
i have found,especially with classical music,that it helps to learn as much as possible about the composer.his life's ups and downs play a big part in his music.pieces that when first heard are difficult,become understandable and accessible,there is a trancendance and makes the experience of music more enjoyable.just my opinion.
Rout9, How would you analyze Alfred Schnittke ups and downs in his music?
I believe that he's one of the pioneers of avant-grade and musical abstractions. Isn't he great?
i'm not familiar with his works,but you are in agreement with what i'm saying.works that seem difficult came be understood[trancended]if we can know at least a small part of their lives.obviously this always can't be done,but that's part of the fun.i don't comprehend everything i hear,but i usually get something out of a work.