~How to Listen~
(Part 1)
I recently had this discussion about how difficult it was to just “dip a toe” into Classical Music because it’s so vast and it’s unknown where or how to even start. Pop music today is so easy, pick your favorite band and listen to what they play or vice versa via favorite song. Hence, this 2-part newsletter about how to get started in the classical realms.
Listening to classical music can feel like entering a vast landscape—you can approach it through composers, performers, or individual pieces, each offering a different doorway into the art. Let’s explore these paths:
🎼 Composers: The Architects of Sound
- Why start here: As writers, Composers give you the “blueprint” of the music. Each has a distinct voice—Beethoven’s stormy intensity, Debussy’s shimmering colors, Bach’s intricate counterpoint. Listen for their specific sentence they are trying to share with you throughout each of their pieces; it’s there! (and then tell me about it, I love this stuff!)
- How to listen: Choose a composer whose style resonates with your mood. For example:
- Bach for clarity and structure.
- Mozart for elegance and balance.
- Rachmaninoff for sweeping emotion.
- Benefit: You begin to recognize patterns across their works, deepening appreciation of their creative language.
🎹 Performers: The Storytellers
- Why start here: A performer interprets the score, shaping tempo, dynamics, and emotional tone. The same piece can feel radically different depending on who plays it.
- Examples:
- Yuja Wang’s fiery virtuosity vs. Mitsuko Uchida’s introspective clarity.
- Leonard Bernstein conducting Mahler vs. Herbert von Karajan conducting Mahler.
- How to listen: Compare recordings of the same piece by different artists. Notice how phrasing, energy, and emotional weight shift. I love doing this to see the difference!!
- Benefit: You discover that classical music is alive, not fixed—it changes with each performer’s vision.
🎶 Pieces: The Emotional Entry Point
- Why start here: Sometimes it’s best to dive into a single piece that speaks to you, regardless of composer or performer.
- Examples:
- Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat Major for intimacy.
- Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 for drama.
- Debussy’s Clair de Lune for atmosphere.
- How to listen: Focus on the journey of the piece—its opening mood, development, climax, and resolution.
- Benefit: You connect directly with the emotional arc, without needing historical or technical context.
🌟 How to Choose What to Listen To
- Mood-based: Pick music that matches or transforms your emotional state.
- Curiosity-based: Explore a composer you’ve heard of but never listened to.
- Comparison-based: Listen to the same piece by different performers.
- Story-based: Choose works tied to historical events or personal narratives (e.g., Shostakovich’s symphonies under Soviet censorship OR try Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture and listen for the Russian victory over Napoleon’s invasion)
✨ In short:
- Composers give you the architecture.
- Performers bring it to life.
- Pieces offer direct emotional connection.
Each path is valid—you can wander between them depending on whether you want intellectual depth, interpretive variety, or pure feeling.
Now here is one of my favorite performers: Yuja Wang
She is a Chinese-born American pianist, renowned for her dazzling virtuosity, charismatic stage presence, and bold artistic choices. (I also love her outfits!!) She is considered one of the most exciting classical performers of the 21st century, blending technical brilliance with emotional intensity. Yuja is known for her fearless interpretations of composers like Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Beethoven. Praised for combining technical precision with emotional honesty, her performances are both electrifying and deeply human.
Yuja Wang embodies the modern classical superstar: virtuosic, daring, and unafraid to push boundaries in both music and presentation.
Listen specifically for her voicing (Choose a piece, then find a different performer doing the same piece, and you’ll see what I mean! She’s pretty excellent)