Classical Music Lovers: When Do You Put Away the Xmas Music?

[stopbush]

First, I should explain: I have a really large CD collection (over 9,000 CDs), mainly because I've been in the music biz for years. Because of that, I keep most of my collection in the garage and move CDs into a smaller revolving CD case in my dining room for near-term listening.

As we decorate the house the weekend after Thanksgiving, we start listening to Xmas music fairly early, so by yesterday, I had pretty much had my fill of Messiah, Xmas Oratorio, Robert Shaw Xmas, Mitch Miller, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme and myriad other holiday favs.

Today, I put all the Xmas music away and pulled out the Johann Strauss, Lanner, et al - the genre of music that gets played on the annual New Year's Day concert from Vienna (BTW-Riccardo Muti conducts the 2004 event). I'll spend the rest of the week listening to the Vienesse bon-bon rep, Die Fledermaus etc, as well as watching a few vids of past NYD concerts as a lead-up to next Thursday's concert broadcast.

So I ask - what's your practice when it comes to Xmas music listening?

BTW - I have a friend who has been known to listen to Xmas music into March (!), but that's because he's often performing in Europe during the Xmas season and doesn't get home until after New Year's. He feels he needs to celebrate Xmas in his own home, ergo the unusual listening habit.

[neebob]

1. I don't listen to Christmas music.

I don't like it! There, I said it. I enjoy The Nutcracker Suite and Handel's Messiah, but anything with singing about Santa or snowmen or chestnuts roasting makes me wanna puke! I listen to the same music year round. If I'm listening to the radio, I change the station a lot in the weeks before Christmas.

I don't know why I feel this way, and I've wondered if I'm the only one. I enjoy Christmas, but the music irritates the holy living heck out of me. I do love classical music, though.

[MrBenchley]

2. January 2nd it goes away...

Until then, I try to listen to some every day...especially Aaron Neville's Xmas Album....and Bing Crosby.

[BiggJawn]

3. Didn't even get it out this year.

None of it. Not even Caruso singing "Adeste Fidelius"

[Norbert]

4. I hardy even listened to any this year.

I was not in the mood, but that's another story.

Leroy Anderson, Lionna Boyd, the Boston and the Cincinnati Pops as well as the more pops Christmas music was untouched this year.

[rasputin1952]

5. Classical....

i could listen to anytime, any season, any place.

Everything else, like the Season, begins at Thanksgiving Night, and ends on 26 Dec. (I do keep lights up until 2 Jan though). Just the way it is with me I guess.

O8)

[Bertha Venation]

6. It's put away the day after Xmas.

Lots of Xmas music is excellent, but there's plenty of good music to enjoy year-round.

[stopbush]

7. I don't listen exclusively to Xmas music during the holidays.

I'd go crazy. Even with really excellent recordings of Xmas-y selections by Praetorius, Hely-Hutchinson, Gabrieli and the Baroque dudes, I have to throw in some Bruckner or French stuff to break up the musical sameness of the season.

I found that I listened to very few opera singer Xmas recordings this year - only Pav, Tebaldi and a historic disc from the Met. I don't know why that happened, it just did.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. I go by the liturgical year

playing the Wachet Auf cantata on the first Sunday of Advent and playing Christmas music till Epiphany.

Then it's back to regular programming, which is whichever of my hundreds of classical, world, jazz, and pop CDs I feel like listening to at the moment.

BTW, I don't like that Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire stuff either, and I've never figured out why Jingle Bells is considered a Christmas carol. There's nothing about Christmas in any of the verses, and in the Upper Midwest, there's enough snow for sleighrides through March in a normal year.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. December 26. Playing The Nutcracker any later is like chewing gum

after it's lost its flavor. It's the season IMHO that makes the music magic.