Recently, a friend posted something on Facebook that initiated a flood of replies from her FB friends. The friend in question is a prominent and highly respected professional musician, and the gist of her post was to express her “guilty pleasure” of loving a handful of well-known orchestral compositions. She sheepishly listed several of those familiar pieces, aka “warhorses.” To a person, we all replied with some variation on the same theme: don’t apologize for liking what you like, AND there are good reasons these compositions are well-known and well-loved. It’s because they are enjoyable!
The whole exchange illustrated a long running tussle I have noticed that can occur between people who are experts and, well, almost everyone else. (It’s not unique to the classical music world, either.) Maybe it’s a different way of looking at the world in general — some of us see the things we learn and experience as part of a greater whole or continuum, while others see the world in a more linear fashion, passing milestones without “looking back.”
So, some who are experts in classical music and are familiar with a vast repertory mainly want to hear music they’ve never heard before. They perceive those so-called “warhorses” as redundant, and unnecessary to hear again. They forget that few people have their level of expertise or familiarity with the repertory. It’s a normal human inclination — we assume our peers have the same frame of reference.
One of the most important lessons I learned when I started in classical music broadcasting is that every time we broadcast a piece of music SOMEONE is hearing it for the first time. Yes, even Bach’s BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS and Vivaldi’s FOUR SEASONS. They are beautiful, exciting, entertaining and lasting works of art, and people like them. What’s wrong with that?
I enjoy revisiting lots of things I’ve experienced before — not just music, but also books, movies, restaurants, recipes, and vacation destinations. I welcome the comfort and familiarity, as well as the anticipation of experiencing them differently on the next pass. I also seek out and enjoy the discovery of new things! I love the BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS and FOUR SEASONS, and I’m equally thrilled to learn about composers and music I’ve never heard before.
Which camp do you fall in? Are you someone who prefers the familiar or do you prefer to experience the new and unknown? What are some of your musical “guilty pleasures”?