When listening to a brand new work

[m1469]

When you are listening to a brand new work that you have never heard before, what is the first thing you listen for?  Is it any different than how you might listen to a work you're familiar with but are hearing a new artist play?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

That's a good question...

Hmmmm, I don't really listen for anything.  When I finally got my hands on Carl Vine's 2nd sonata, I was so exited I just sat there listening to it.

It wasn't like I expected anything, I just listened to it to see if I would like it or not.

[j_menz]

I think it depends somewhat on whether I am familiar with the composer more generally or the style/genre/ouvre concerned.  The more it fits into that, the more preconceptions I have, I suppose.