Music For 'Tin' Ears

I know Charly Haden does.

Sad news, Haim...

no cheers
Stefan

Poor old Smetana did too and there is a quartet of his (I think) which makes a direct musical reference to it. I can think the it would be worse than deafness for a composer and terrible for a music lover. I have musician friend who has it to a small degre, and she says it is worse when she is tired, and that wine does her no favours.

I don't fear blindness, and partial sight is inevitable in my case as retinal disease gradually will remove the central part of my vision, but deafness would be too much for me. When I was diagnosed, I joshed the nurse, saying that this was good news, as hopefully my hearing would get more accute as my sight became less so. Whilst that is common enough, she was aghast at my prioities, but I could hardly care less really! So long as I can get the gramophone going or get to concerts...

Good luck, Haim, and all the best from Fredrik

Had an inner ear infection in both ears earlier this year, which once cleared up left me with tinnitus for about 3 months. I couldnt sleep unless there was music or some other background noise to distract from the ringing. Thankfully it is back to normal but I feel for any sufferers out there.

I have to make sure my ears are regularly serviced. I still get a small amount of "hissing" sometimes. A loud session can bring it on as well.
I think I feel the same as you Fredrik re loss of sight vs hearing.

Howard.

I don't fear blindness, and partial sight is inevitable in my case as retinal disease gradually will remove the central part of my vision, but deafness would be too much for me. When I was diagnosed, I joshed the nurse, saying that this was good news, as hopefully my hearing would get more accute as my sight became less so. Whilst that is common enough, she was aghast at my prioities, but I could hardly care less really! So long as I can get the gramophone going or get to concerts...

Good luck, Haim, and all the best from Fredrik[/QUOTE]

Fredrik,

Hope your perfect hearing and sight stay with you for ever. They are both very important.

My Tinnitus showed up from nowhere. I woke up one day, eight years ago, with a ringing in both ears, and that was it. The doctor said that the cause of the condition was exposure to loud noises early in life. In my case, I had plenty of it, serving three years in the infantry with no ear protection what so ever. It was the same story with the doctor himself. He used to drive tanks in Viet Nam, and all the loud sounds of the engine and the canon never bothered him. When he reached to be forty, the ringing appeared.

So to all the music lovers: Don't play your music too loud!

quote:

Originally posted by sjust:
I know Charly Haden does.

Sad news, Haim...

no cheers
Stefan

Stefan,

Thank you. It is funny that you mention Haden. In a way, just as the Tinnitus forced haden to adjust his playing style (to a quieter more mellow sound), I changed my preferences a bit too, and I find myself listening more to chamber music and other small ensembles. I find most symphonies too bombastic for me now (sorry, Fredrik). I also avoid any live performance with heavy amplification which are too much for my ears.

Take it easy with the logans Stefan,

Regards,
Haim,

Dear Haim,

Just caught this again. I totally hate loud music, and if you ever follow my Threads they tend to be on chamber music, solo things, or the Baroque. I once went to a concert of the Gurelieder (spelling, probably wrong, and too tired to look it up), where Rattle and the CBSO were not just so loud I could not hear the solo soprano and tenorr at all, but the brass made my ears crackle. Ten minutes and I left during the music. No music is so valuable that I would tolerate it ruining my hearing. Rattle is not the sensitive genius he is given credit for, though the media love him for his silly hair and flambouyant style. What is accompanient about if it is not about supporting your soloists 'on a sea of salt water' to use E Swarzkopff's description, rather than drowning them in sheer unlistenable noise. Rattle the charlatan, after that, for me I am afraid.

I caution against loud music, but was ridiculed for it on times in the Hifi Room so I don't bother anymore. A friend who used to play bass in the Covent Garden Orchestra, where the trombones are right behing the string basses in the pit, now has permanent hearing loss in one ear, simply because of forty-five years of have a trombone blown straight into it. I know it depresses him even in his eighties. He has admitted it to no one beside me, because of the idea of a deaf musician and all that... apparently he never notied it coming and one day he reallised he could hardly hear through it at all. The other ear does for two now, and he will keep the secret to the grave I hope for his own sake.

Care and things should not get worse, I hope anyway.

All the best from Fredrik

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Haim,

Just caught this again. I totally hate loud music,

Dear Fredrick,

I brought up your name as a connisseur of symphonies and concertos, NOT loudness. My 21 years old daughter, who plays the French Horn, is alraedy experiencing ear ringing after sitting for seven years in the brass section of her school band.

May the force (of hearing and seeing) stay with us,

Good night (what time is it in England now?)

Haim

Dear Haim,

2:30 am, but I work 2 10 pm and am a night owl, at best.

If you want a laugh, in a nice and serious way, look at Hifi eupemisms etc in the Padded Cell, where James Hamilton and I have just had a lovely exchange on music and teaching. You will see what motivates me from it, and it may make you smile inwardly. In fact though it was a bit off topic it is surely why this Forum is nice, and James H sums it all up at the nd. Splendid.

All the best to you from Fredrik