Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre is one of the greatest pieces ever written, IMO.
Sure.
Classical Music is great, and its amazing how much good music is still being composed. Sadly, People seem to think that after Schoenberg/Webern/Berg (maybe not Berg so much…) that Classical music as a whole became an academic exercise. So not true. There is still beautiful and appealing music being written all the time.
Not asian, but Tan Dun and Bright Sheng come to mind as two prominent important composers still writing today. Feldman’s minimalism is remarkably meditative and yet still listenable.
Honestly, I couldn’t attempt to list all the music I’ve been enjoying recently, although I think all you Yo Yo Ma lovers need to pick up Piatgorsky’s recording of Dvorak Cello Concerto - much more soulful and grounded. Yo Yo Ma did a lot to resuccitate Astor Piazzolla’s classical/tango music style and for that I think the world owes a debt of gratitude.
Some composers I really suggest checking out, who have both immediate appeal and reward the listener upon closer examination:
-Bela Bartok
-Paul Hindemith
-Eduard Tubin
-Luciano Berio
-Anton Bruckner (who John Williams stole most of his ideas from)
-Pfitszner (spelling is wrong…)
-John Zorn’s string quartets are difficult but accessible
More traditionally, my girlfriend has been playing the first Bruch Concerto, so thats been in my ears nonstop, and the third suite by Bach is beautiful. If anyone has the chance, or is looking to use a free CD from Columbia House, get the Edgar Meyer rendition of the Bach Suites - wow.
BTW: Anyone near richmond Indiana is welcome to come see the performance of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, Vaughan-Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and Sibelius 2nd Symphony this Saturday night. I got contracted to cover one of the bass spots for this concert. Its not Boston Symphony, but it is quite nice music nonetheless. Or if you’re in Bloomington come see Dvorak’s Carnaval Overture and Bruckner’s 4th tommorow evening at the music school.
MD:
You have to read the entire series! It’s not complete until you do. Right now I’m finishing off the latest book in the series “The shelters of stone” and it is so good.
Ayla definitely is a high-T woman. Actually you could say she is my IDEAL role model. She is strong both in body and mind, very smart, in tune with her surroundings and herself, confident, and adaptable to any situation. I would love to be more like her.
End Highjack
Classical music can stimulate the thought processes and help create enhanced mental clarity. It’s a nice change from the overplayed top fourty when you need to either relax and focus, or just relax and sleep.
Strauss is another of my favorites. And the Blue Danube was one song that I played when I was in the symphony orchestra (I played alto sax)… it’s such a pretty tune.
Cass:
Start of hijack again
I’m going back to the library this weekend to borrow The Valley of Horses again. Hopefully, this time I’ll finish it. Sigh, so many books, so little time.
Another thing I find interesting about these books is that they take us back to a time when God was a woman and female sexuality was revered. At one time a woman could have as many sexual partners as she pleased without being considered a slut. Imagine that.
End of hijack
Do I hear the strains of Ode to Joy starting?
I?m happy to see that there are so many lovers of classical music here. My friends are astonished to see that I have only two types of DVDs and videos at home. Opera and bodybuilding. Call me an oddball but I get the same kicks from watching a Wagner opera as I get from watching Ronnie Coleman?s training video. The word “heavy” applies to both.
Saw Amadeus as a kid, and briefly took piano lessons. I wanted to play like Tom Hulce, and instead wound up learning Mary had a Little Lamb. But I’ve loved classical music ever since. Beethovens 7th and 9th sym.
Bach - The Brandenburg concertos
Mozart- All of it, but I really love the overture from the Marriage of Figaro, and Figaros aria. About the only opera I really care for. The Jupiter symphony, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, the 29th symphony, and many more that I can’t remember.
Vivaldi- The four seasons
Rimsky-Korsakov -Scherazade, and didn’t he also do Peter and the Wolf?
I got to see Itzhak Perlman play, but I was only 10, so I didn’t enjoy it. Damn shame.
If anyone is interested in a great movie about Beethoven, check out Immortal Beloved. Gary Oldman, by far my favorite actor, gives a brilliant performance as Beethoven. The movie is largely based on fact (unlike Amadeus which is still an awesome movie). It contains one of my favorite cinematic moments: a deaf Beethoven leaning his head on the piano and playing the Moonlight Sonata.
Oh yeah, Gary Oldman is one of the greatest actors of all time!
Someone forgot to mention another great movie on a classical musician: Hilary and Jackie. It’s about Jacqueline DuPre, a very famous British cellist. She left her Strad to Yo Yo Ma, but YYM prefers Mos & Mos or so I heard. Unfortunately Hilary & Jackie couldn’t use Du Pre’s famous performance of Elgar Concerto because the producers upset the family by changing certain facts, so they ended up using YYM’s performance instead. Two VERY different styles, but both highly likable. I suggest that people listen to both versions. Du Pre sounds very uncontrolled and soulful, while Yo Yo Ma sounds very controlled and technical with amazing phrasing.
And the movie to watch if you’re a big piano music fan is SHINE. Rachmaninoff 3 (aka Rach 3) is the central piece used in the movie. Rach 3 is considered one of the best if not the best piano concertos ever written, and very difficult to play. (Actually I noticed a trend that almost all Romantic era pieces are technically demanding compared to the pieces from the Baroque and Classical periods, for obvious reasons.)
I also like a Chinese movie called TOGETHER, which is about a Chinese violinist prodigy (it’s fiction I think). I liked the ending a lot, and the passion of the finale. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto was used, and it’s technically very difficult. (a side note: when Tchaikovsky initially composed the piece, all the violinists said that it’d NOT be possible to play it as it’s too difficult. He dedicated the piece to the violinist who performed at the premiere of the concerto.)
BTW - almost everyone listed Beethoven’s Choral as their favorite. Did anyone listen to Herbert von Karajan’s recording of it? Some of my friends don’t like it as much since Karajan was a traditionalist, but I like it.
Wow! Thanks everyone for a great thread.
When I started it I didn’t do so with the intention of compiling a playlist. But, I’m going to print this and take it with me next time I go shopping for CDs.
Keep on rockin’. (figuratively that is)