John Dowland lute music played by Julian Bream. Lovely.
I actually find it quite hard to do anything else when classical music is on (except possibly dancing!). So I tend to separate listening and reading, though sometimes there is something on the radio. I find that anything after Beethoven especially is just too interesting to be background music, so I won't recommend my orchestral faves! Probably why I find earlier chamber pieces are best for relaxing to - they were often written to be played "in a chamber" ie as sort of private background music.
Ha, ha, yes, I see what you're saying about the background thing...wouldn't exactly call it background though as I find it helps me concentrate...I work in a sales office full of loud folk who love the sounds of their own voices but I get in an hour early and have an hour lunch and fill my time with reading. Was all going so well until I picked up a collection of essays by Immanuel Kant, which is taking me ages to get through and I've found that anything with strings just gets my brain going too fast...I find it's all about tempo and the full orchestra stuff is just way too interesting to read taxing philosophy, crammed full of words you have to explore all by themselves. I like orchestral more when I write at night though...classic FM usually ticks the boxes for me on that.
Thanks one and all though...lots on here already to pick and choose from...keep the thread going though... die sehr gute , ja!
We got to see him at Leicester Cathederal last year, hair on the back of your neck job. Also had tickets for Birmingham last week but was unable to go.
