My boyfriend likes to listen to classical music... does that mean he's smart?

not now but later wrote:

800 dude wrote:

If you want to learn about classical music, there's an incredible "Great Courses" audio series by Robert Greenberg called "How to Listen to and Understand Great Music." It's aimed at people with no prior understanding or music experience, and it incorporates lots of recordings along with the lectures. I listened to the second edition of it one summer during college when I was sorting mail, and it opened up a whole world to me.

Thanks for the suggestion. Apparently it's $350? That's a lot. I don't doubt it's great, but that's a lot. I will keep it in mind though. Really.

I ripped it off CDs from the public library. I'm sure it's also available used for a fraction of the original price. (People listen to it just once.)

Against my better judgement, please permit a response. It's a big day for me, being called "pretentious," "a prick," and "pompous" in the span of several hours. I suppose I might be a prick, but the other two seem to come out of the blue. I said I've been listening to classical music and attending performances for many years. I did not claim to be smart, or even know much about classical music. I only meant to tell the OP that in my experience, women who have attended concerts with me sometimes feel like they are supposed to know something about classical music. I certainly don't feel this way, any more than I think you are supposed to know anything about rock music in order to attend a concert by a rock band. Listen, be open to the experience, see what you like. As I said, there is no test.

As for my suggestion that young men invite their girlfriends to see a symphony orchestra, I only meant to suggest to some of the young men out there that their girlfriends might appreciate it if they showed some effort, made some plans, offered something special and a little out of the ordinary. And again, don't be put off by thinking you have to have some special knowledge or expertise to go to see the symphony. You don't. I did not mean to suggest, as El Q does, that there is likely to be some erotic payoff at the end of the night. Maybe just do it to show the girl you appreciate her.

Finally, I know I am howling into the wind on my final point, given long standing behavior on such message boards, but really, some of you guys should apologize to the OP, particularly thefellow who told her to keep her mouth shut. It's a really despicable remark and I hope it's deleted. Try to show a modicum of maturity and respect.

JohnODonnell wrote:

Against my better judgement, please permit a response. It's a big day for me, being called "pretentious," "a prick," and "pompous" in the span of several hours. I suppose I might be a prick, but the other two seem to come out of the blue. .

You forgot to mention patronizing in your longwinded, tedious response.

You are right and I stand corrected: I was called "patronizing," not "pretentious." Thanks for making such a valuable contribution to the discussion. I'll cop to "tedious" if it makes you feel any better. Have a nice evening.

Skuj, I agree that the B Minor Mass is tops in the realm of music (and all art, for that matter, IMO) and Suzuki's recording is tops. St. Matthew Passions is pretty close, though.

It means he likes classical music.

Next question?

why did you take my handle after my first post here?

Cool. I really need to delve into St Matthew Passion. Love love love Bach. A recent trip for me. Well Tempered Clavier by Schiff is another favourite. Bach wrote a fckin ocean of supreme music....it's mind boggling.

David Brent wrote:

Skuj, I agree that the B Minor Mass is tops in the realm of music (and all art, for that matter, IMO) and Suzuki's recording is tops. St. Matthew Passions is pretty close, though.

I would put his IQ at about 130.

Listening to Jean-Philippe Rameau as I write this. Great stuff and worth a listen. Also agree that Bach is amazing.

As to the OP's boyfriend: taste in music doesn't determine IQ, although of course very few intelligent people listen to Nicki Minaj or Iggy Azalea. That stuff is corrosive to brain cells.

that this is the last comment that let me suggest posted.

... let me suggest has left the building.

JohnODonnell wrote:

You are right and I stand corrected: I was called "patronizing," not "pretentious." Thanks for making such a valuable contribution to the discussion. I'll cop to "tedious" if it makes you feel any better. Have a nice evening.

You wanted to be called pretentious, but no, you're just patronizing.

Good day.

The real question here is are girls impressed by guys who listen to classical music?

I think they would be much more impressed by guys who can actually play classical music. It takes a huge amount of dedication to get that good, and a huge amount more to make a career out of it.

I agree. There is nothing special about listening to, and appreciating, any kind of music. Yet we all know pompous blowhards who tout there affection for free jazz, prog rock, noise, classical, or whatever. But such people are below the true open-minded music fan.

Creating music is the real epicenter of the art form.

You might agree with my previous post, but I don't agree with yours. It shows that you are quite pompous too.

They say it takes one to know one, brother.

raffy wrote:

They say it takes one to know one, brother.

Do not presume to be my brother.

"Your" troll?