After sharing his findings from his deep exploration of Winterreises,
Mitch Friedfeld asked, "What obsessions have other listmembers succumbed
to?"

My latest obsession: for about a month I listened to nothing but Haydn
String Quartets.  Occasionally in my music listening "career" I'm fortunate
enough to become obsessed with something.  Last winter I was obsessed
with Bach's music.

In both instances, I've only managed only to scratch the surface.  Becoming
familiar with Bach's music and Haydn's String Quartets is a life long
pursuit.

About Haydn's String Quartets: I can think of no other music composed
with as much confidence.  I'm amazed also by the limitless diverseness
of ideas contained in within the seemingly limiting parameters of the
Classical quartet.

I'm currently going through a Ravel obsession. His orchestration is
intoxicating.  I'm amazed how he could make something out of nothing,
i.e.  take very simple music (structurally, harmonically, melodically,
etc...) and make it mysterious, e.g.  "Valse Nobles Et Sentimentales"
-- or the way he could make dissonance sound soothing, e.g.  "Le Tombeau
De Couperin" and "Mother Goose".  I can think of no other composer who
accomplished so much with orchestration.

Who were the greatest orchestrators?  I was amused to once hear Karl
Haas say, as if it were fact, that the greatest orchestrators were
Berlioz, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Ravel.  It seemed kind of ridiculous to
me to pick those three and exclude so many others.  What about Tchaikovsky,
Elgar, R.  Strauss, or Shostakovich (or even Rossini, Bizet, or Johanne
Strauss Jr.)?

I always enjoy listening to music, but my peek enjoyment comes when I
discover and explore an "obsession".

I've rambled enough!

Mike Leghorn
Evanston, Il.