Is this normal?

[nadia goh]

This is the situation. When I play a piece like Chopin's Prelude No.15 and some of his other pieces, I don't feel like playing pieces by other composers. I don't even even feel like talking to others too. I can't play Mozart's variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, a piece that I'm currently learning (among other pieces) because my heart is not into it. I'm scared that I'll turn into a psycho because of this.

[commissiona]

Hi, ridiculousmeme!


I believe I had a similar problem once, so let me see if I can relate.

For a period of about 10 years starting when I was 11, I was the Schroeder of Gustav Mahler for I nearly listened to that one composer and one composer only.  At the time I did not like any kind of pop music, and rarely listened to other composers because they were either too early (pre-Mahler), or I resented contemporary and later composers because they didn’t much sound like Mahler (despised Sibelius), I guess thinking they were understudies of him or incompetent because they couldn’t replicate his all-encompassing ideas (talk about one snobby little kid).  All I did to explore other composers is to try and find other composers that sounded like Mahler, but to no avail (although I credit that to building my composer and repertoire knowledge greatly).

Note that he only wrote 9 numbered and complete symphonies, so you can imagine how restrictive that is, yet I was perfectly happy with it although it drove my parents nuts.  Eventually I realized for someone who loves music as much I as do, I need to start to understand and appreciate and enjoy all the other great music that’s out there.  My approach, however, probably was questionable, as I actually restricted my Mahler listening for a long while, which kind of rebounded later because of that as I had a 2nd large Mahler only phase for a little while.

Is it a serious problem?  Not sure, today I have around 20 different recordings of every symphony and nearly 40 recordings of the 6th alone, so you be the judge.  I tell you one thing, I probably know about his music more than the most hardcore Kiss fan knows about Kiss!  However, I didn’t become a ‘psycho’ nor did it cause me to be criminally insane in any way.  So in some respects it was actually healthy, as it ultimately led me, when I was ready, to explore other kinds of music out there, and not only that, but to become pretty darn knowledgeable for an amateur, especially anything Mahlerian.

So, in my opinion from my own experiences, I can see two things come from an all-Chopin diet, you become some kind of awesome Chopin expert/interpreter, and in due course I think you will maybe not exactly get bored with Chopin, but will have a yearning to explore other music with a very eager disposition.

If you really think it’s a serious problem, perhaps try a variation of this.  Not too long ago, I didn’t have much of a liking for Haydn, I figured the little I listened to I found rather dull, and was still in my last Mahler phase.  I knew they called him the Father of the symphony and the string quartet, was prolific, wore a periwig and today is buried with two heads (this is true), which was about it. 

I’m not sure exactly why, although I have a tendency to be drawn to the unfamiliar, I just decided to read a good book on him.  At first I wasn’t really too engaged in the project, but the more I read I became increasingly involved as the seemingly dismal composer actually had a pretty interesting life, not to mention a beautiful personality and was an unconditionally kind man.  I became so enthusiastic that when I got the 2nd part of the book about the music, I had to listen to a recording of ever work discussed while reading about the analysis of each work.  By the time I was finished, now with the knowledge of the man and the different periods of his composition and the why this and that etc…, I have to admit that he is now one of my favorite artists, which is excellent as there is so much there to appreciate!  I even went as far as finding a portrait of him that I now hang over my piano as sort of a constant source of inspiration for me.

So, depending on your goals for excelling at the piano, ultimately I think it’s healthy to broaden your horizons, but whether you do that naturally or unnaturally, either one is bound to occur, and I don’t see a huge problem for you. 

I apologize if all this seems too unspecific or lacking in direction (or point!), but I don’t think I should tell you if you recent habits are good or bad but just give you an idea of how such a similar quandary evolved in my own development.  Hopefully we get some other responses to this as I’d like to see how they turned out.

Also, I may be in exactly the same boat as you because from a keyboard playing sense, I think I’m starting to play too much Scarlatti these days !


Have an excellent 2012!

------------------------------------------------------------
Playing/Learning:
Haydn: Sonata in C No. 35
Mozart: Fantasia in d, K. 397
Scarlatti: K. 1, 380, 443
Blasco de Nebra: Sonata V
Handel: Fantasia in C G.60
Couperin: La Reville Matin
Rameau: La Dauphine
Bach, Vanhal, more Scarlatti, and thinking about Beethoven.

[nadia goh]

hi commissona!
 
thanks for the reply! i guess we share that similarity in collecting recordings of our favourite pieces by our favourite composer! i collect many videos from youtube by martha argerich, rafal blechacz, krytian zimerman, yundi li and yulianna avdeeva for Chopin piano concerto 1! and i am learning it without my teacher's knowledge.. i know it's too early for me to learn because i'm such a newbie in classical piano. i wish i could turn back the time and enroll myself in piano lessons at an earlier age.

well, after reading your comment, i think it's okay to go on a 'Chopin-diet' for a while. I guess until i feel like playing other pieces, i should just put my best effort learning his works.

p/s: i don't hate mozart at all. i'm not in love with his music yet,i suppose.

 

[megadodd]

I guess the same thing happened to me a while ago. It was just recently that I got out of my "diet". It's not damaging for sure, but it is really good to have a broad perspective about things (in general as in piano studies). But you have all your life for that don't you, do what you love right now. I just downloaded about 500 works from different composers to my iPod and everytime I go by bus or travel somewhere I just put the playlist and random, if I hear something I like I'll remember it and if I like it alot, I'll start listening into some of his other works.

[hermanberntzen]

Sometimes this happens to me to,
When i play Robert Schumann which is one of my favorite composers i feel like only playing him..
And when i play Frederic Chopin i think Oh, This is wonderfull! And about Franz Liszt sometimes i can think that he's late pieces are so wonderfull that i should learn them all! But for the moment i know what im gonna learn and i haven't taken it to far,
When it comes to which composer's i do like to play the most i know for sure that i feel comfortable playing Johann Sebastian Bach.. For me he's pieces has many options for me to play it, nor fast or slow!

Regards,

[jtguru]

There is too much music out there, and life is too short, to be playing things that you don't want to play. If right now you don't want to play works from anybody but Chopin, by all means play nothing but Chopin.

[ajspiano]

I have always obsessed upon a particular artist or composer and listened/played their music exclusively for an extended period, the composer usually changes every few months and I begin a new obsession..  it ranges from chopin, to cole porter, to the red hot chili peppers, to metallica.

If right now you like chopin play chopin. You'll either be satisfied and happy (which is why we play in the first place) forever, or eventually you'll move on to something new.

[outin]

This is my "problem" too. I am very selective in my musical taste and when I like something I like it with a passion. I do have several favorite composers (Chopin, Franck, Scriabin and Scarlatti), but unfortunately most of them have written nothing that is easy to play...so I either have to struggle with material that is a bit over my abilities or play something that I don't really care about

[nadia goh]

thank you everyone for the replies. i feel better now I love music!

[unholeee]

You are as loopy as me, I bought a piano about a year ago because I always wanted one as a child. And after hearing Chopin in the pianist movie...

Nocture op 20 was the first piece I ever learnt, not moonlight sonata nor fur elise - despise - or greensleeves. Just thinking about how I had both hands loaded up in youtube and constantly pausing and rewinding to memorize and play is tiring.

I then went on to learn waltz 34 no 2, 64 no 2, 64 no 1. polonaise g sharp minor.. which sounds pretty impressive straight up. until you learn I didn't even know what a minim or semiquaver was HAHA

I started with a teacher 3 months ago and am on a level 2 grade book and it is very boring compared. But I felt I would miss out on something if I didn't get a foundation. I asked how to get a specific passage sounding even, but she said just don't -  She doesn't like me playing Chopin, or referring to him as ''chop-in''. But I look forward to being able to attempt ballade 1 and fantasie impromptu after I gave up the first time around for being too hard.

Since then I've found some Rachmaninoff (especially), Bach, and Mendelssohn that I can say I didn't dislike.

This post doesn't offer any constructive advice. You could try take solace in possibly annoying your neighbours or family with such plain pieces.

Also classical music always reminds me of psychos, you know the guy in the movie is absolutely insane when classical music accompanies the killing.

[larapool]

Also classical music always reminds me of psychos, you know the guy in the movie is absolutely insane when classical music accompanies the killing.

Ah, yes, A Clockwork Orange... classic!

[roseamelia]

Are you saying is it normal to be learning only one composer? If you are I would suggest that would be normal because if you don't like those other composers then your fine.