Here are some other suggestions for getting into classical music. They,
too, appeared in an article I wrote for the Arizona Daily Star.

1. Turn on the radio.

 In Tucson, that means KUAT-FM (90.5), a University of Arizona-owned
 station that programs almost 24 hours a day of classical music.  The
 station offers full-length works of a wide, constantly changing variety.
 In return, all you're asked for is a modest contribution at pledge time,
 which nine listeners out of 10 ignore.

 2. Listen to CDs.

 To get an idea of where to begin, refer to the accompanying list of
 suggested recordings. Dare to drop a few bucks at your neighborhood
 record store, or sample CDs free of charge at the public library.

 3. Watch videos.

 For novices and veterans alike, this is the best way to familiarize
 yourself with an opera's music and story.  If you watch a video a couple
 of times before a live Arizona Opera performance, you'll rely less on the
 helpful-yet-sometimes distracting surtitles.

 A few video opera titles await you in the Tucson-Pima Library system.  If
 you want to spend money, Opera World has one of the largest selections of
 mail-order opera videos; call (800) 99-OPERA.

 Videos are a less effective introduction to symphonic music, unless you
 want to figure out which solo instruments produce which sounds.

 4. Check out TV.

 To be sure, some of public television's programming is too commercial, too
 restricted to the New York scene, too linked to those interminable pledge
 drives.  (Did we really need yet another Three Tenors concert at World Cup
 time?)

 But generally, the musicianship is quite high.  And the music can be
 glorious.

 As for cable television, "Breakfast With the Arts," an A&E show that airs
 Sundays at 6 a.m., often profiles various classical musicians.  Tomorrow,
 pianist Jorge Bolet is scheduled to perform.

 5.  Read up.  The city's bookstores are full of introductory texts, from
 "Classical Music for Dummies" (IDG) to Donald Grout's scholarly "A History
 of Western Music" (Norton).

 For those who can read only one primer, however, I suggest Aaron Copland's
 "What to Listen for in Music" (Penguin).  The late American composer's
 concise and insightful descriptions of musical style and content make this
 manageable-length paperback a must-read for everyone.

 It pays, too, to read a CD's liner notes.

 6. Look it up.

 A lot of musical terms are in foreign languages, particularly Italian.
 And even the English-language concepts of that Music 101 course you took
 in the Dark Ages may have become fuzzy by now.

 To get a handle on all the lingo, consult Roy Bennett's "Music Dictionary"
 (Cambridge).  It defines everything from concerto to Klangfarbenmelodie
 with clarity and precision.

 If essay definitions are more to your liking, consult the engaging "NPR
 Classical Music Companion" (Marriner Books).  It's written by Miles
 Hoffman, a frequently heard violist and a commentator on National Public
 Radio's "Performance Today."

 7. Surf the Internet.

 Cyberspace is injecting new life into classical music.  Sites on
 composers, periods and organizations abound.

 The best places to begin surfing are the link-rich Classical Net
 (http://www.classical.net) and Classical Insites
 [Unfortunately, Classical Insites is no more.  -Dave]

 And don't forget to check out "A Timid Soul's Guide to Classical Music,"
 by my predecessor-turned-editor James Reel.  The URL is
 http://www.azstarnet.com/public/packages/reelbook/contents.htm

 8. Attend a lecture - in your car.

 The best one I've come across is "How to Listen to and Understand Great
 Music," a six-part Teaching Company course by composer and San Francisco
 Conservatory professor Robert Greenberg.  The program's price (the
 cassette version is $349.95, the video version $549.95) may seem a bit
 high.  But the precision, passion and quality scholarship with which
 Greenberg approaches his subject make it worth every penny.  Besides, you
 might be able to split the cost with a few other musically curious friends.

 Similar Teaching Company-produced Greenberg programs are available on Bach
 and the High Baroque, Opera, Beethoven and concert masterworks.  Call
 (800) 832-2412.

 9. Invite a musician to dinner.

 I've been writing about classical music since 1989.  In that time, I've
 never met a musician or composer who didn't like answering questions about
 music.  And - on occasion - some of what they say can be very insightful,
 too.

 10.  Start studying an instrument (again) or perform in an ensemble.  If
 you can't read music, join a choir for which auditions are not necessary.
 Of all music appreciation methods out there, performing is the best.

 Why? Because it forces you to discover the beauty of serious art music
 yourself, from inside the score.  And once found, that beauty sticks with
 you for a lifetime.

"Ken Keuffel Jr." <[log in to unmask]>