Can it be that we’ve been in lockdown for 50 days? It doesn’t seem possible.
However, onto the more joyous topic of music. My parents only listened to classical radio, on WQXR and WNCN, and on records. My father, a Juilliard-trained pianist, was particularly enamored of Schubert, Brahms, and Mendelsohn. And then there was Beethoven. He was in a whole other category.
While, for me, Tchaikovsky was somehow much more accessible, I found Beethoven complex and overwhelming. My love for him would not develop until adulthood. With the exception of the Symphony Number Six, the “Pastorale,” which I found simply sublime. As a New York City kid, the Pastorale took me to places I had never been and exposed me to sounds I could only dream of.
All these years later, it has the same effect on me. Thankfully, I’ve spent a lot of time in the country, so I can safely say I appreciate it even more.
On some level, I’ve been collecting classical albums my whole life. If I have only two to pick, the above serve as a gateway to all the others that would come with time.
