Friday, November 18, 2005

iPod

One of the best things about the iPod is all the classical music I have on it. I think most people use the iPod as a way to listen to singles - the shuffle mode (and the Shuffle) certainly lend themselves to that. That was actually one of my concerns about getting one: how weird and wrong would it be to sandwich the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 7th between Madonna and Will Smith? Some people like that kind of juxtaposition, but I have limits.

But despite those concerns, as we've established, I gave in to the Apple marketing machine and got one. And it turns out to be great for my classical experience. Today at work I've listened to two complete piano concertos - one by Grieg and one by Schumann. A few days ago I listened to all of Orpheus and Euridice and Peer Gynt. (Talk about your juxtapositions - refined 18th century opera followed by wild late-19th century romanticism.)

These are all from CDs that I own. But I almost never fish them off the shelf, especially since my stupid Aiwa stereo stopped working, and I certainly don't bring them to work with me. So I'm finally getting to listen to them, and it is good stuff.

The Schumann just ended, so I'm switching to Einojuhani Rautavaara's sacred choral works. Because a little contemporary Finnish music is just the way to end a Friday afternoon.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

C'mon - nobody really like classical music! sidewayssmilingface

towwas said...

Yeah, I pretty much just write about it so I can send potential employers/boyfriends to this site and they'll think I'm more refined than I actually am. [burp]

Stacey Pelika said...

Did the CD player just stop working in your Aiwa? Because that's happened to everyone I know with that stereo (me, J.Po, and about four other people). I still have mine (purchased circa 1990), and just play my iPod through it - before I got Podified, I played my Discman through it. Twenty years from now, I will probably be playing some sort of hologram live-performance system through it or something.

towwas said...

Heh. I remember that the Crapwa you guys had in your living room couldn't play CDs - I actually have a different model, but it's been quirky about CDs for a while and a few weeks ago I stuck a tape in, and that was the last straw. If I plug it in, the tape deck makes a horrible noise.

Annie said...

Hurray, someone else who knows who Rautavaara is!!!!!

I listen to my iTunes on shuffle, sometimes, and it goes like this:
Andalusian Oud Music - Said Chraibi
Adagio Cantabile - Beethoven Violin Sonata 6
Upgrade - Deltron 3030
Somewhere across forever - Stellastarr
Sonatine - Ravel (Martha Argerich)

Yes, it's terribly jarring, and I definitely prefer to listen to whole classical works rather than having them shuffled, but sometimes it's fun and crazy to listen to these funny things side by side. Ooooh, what Schumann/Grieg concerti performances did you listen to? I love Murray Perahia doing the Schumann. DI-VINE.

J.Po said...

Add my current roomie to the list of people with Crapwa CD crappy crap.