Bach and other CDs

It amazes me how I have not written even a single blog about what can be almost described, at times, as a life-cosuming passion - Music.

Yesterday I was at the Palisades Shopping Center in New Jersey on my way back to home from Jersey. Stepped into Best buy for a customary 'quick look'. I thought ill check on the Classical section for some symphonies of Bach and Ludwig Van Beethoven. These have aroused my interest in recent days - well I'd always been the kind who is much into popular music but say classical music is too much for them, because they can't 'grasp' the intricacies well.

I think the singular piece of music that changed it and made me want for more was - Toccatta and Fugue by Bach. To describe the feeling I had when I listened to it the first time, it was 'I think this will haunt me for the rest of my lifetime'. Sheer musical un-controlled brilliance.
Went on to search and read about Bach, beethoven, about what is a Fugue, whats a Minuet ...still eager to hear more, know more ...Like Beethoven's 9th (listening currently).

So the question really - why is classical (vocal/instrumental) music so hard on people to taste, to feel and enjoy? I think it's just a lazy excuse!
Probably one reason is that the popular music around you comes with titles, with fixed identifiers, with names of the artists with which your BRAIN can identify and relate with. Compared to that, if I put you through a listening session of Beethoven's 9th symphony, you might feel un-connected in minutes.

At the risk of sounding ethereal, here is my thought about that (and an attempt to dissect the experience I had when I first listened to the Fugue mentioned above)
When you listen to a classical music symphony, you really let your mind forget where you are (ideally close your eyes) and start noticing the emotions that it's generating in you. In other words, if your brain can't relate or identify with the classicality, you let your heart think. With some interest thrown in, you can make an attempt to find out more about what instrument is it, and in which 'movement' that's creating those goosebumps in you. After a couple of listenings, you'll be able to predict the next following progressions and able to enjoy the whole symphony. You'll want to come back to it more and more...

Ah, come to think of it, would you not be better off if you listened to ANY music like this? ..........Hardly holds good with 'Headbanging-with-heavy-metal' ehh? :-)
(Murali, do you headbang with that loud music in your room? tee hee)

So, back to Best buy. I expected I might need to pay a bomb because the classical music CDs might be over-rated. To my dismay, they were badly under-rated!
I bought 4 CDs (2 of Bach and 2 of assorted artists - Ludwig Van Beethoven, Mozzart, Schubert, Haydn, Schumann, Bartholdy; i'll be honest, Iven't heard the last 4 artists myself). These 4 CDs cost me 10 bucks! I mean is this the way Americans respect the pioneers of Classical music!? In my state of disapproval, I hurried to the counter before they changed their mind on the pricing.

Recommendation: Listen to the Fugue I've mentioned above and let me know how you 'felt'!