Are there any fans of classical music on the board?
If so, let's get a discussion going!
Some of my favorite composers are Chopin, Paganini, Wagner, Bach and Liszt.
Are there any fans of classical music on the board?
If so, let's get a discussion going!
Some of my favorite composers are Chopin, Paganini, Wagner, Bach and Liszt.
"No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth." - Plato, Attributed
"Once one is caught up into the material world not one person in ten thousand finds the time to form literary taste, to examine the validity of philosophic concepts for himself, or to form what, for lack of a better phrase, I might call the wise and tragic sense of life." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Yeah, buddy! I love classical music. There's bunches of composers I like. Beethoven, Back, Liszt, Mozart, are a few of my favorites. I really like Liszt's hungarian rapsodies. I'm working on learning #2 on the piano.
Last edited by Weisinheimer; 02-24-2007 at 08:08 PM.
We already had a thread on this. Perhaps one of the moderators can merge them together. I love Mozart and Beethoven. But others too.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
"Love follows knowledge." – St. Catherine of Siena
My literature blog: http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/
A Feb 14, 2007 article in the NYTimes begins:OK, that quote was thought-provoking for me, not to mention really funny.The composer Ned Rorem maintains that everything and everyone falls into either French or German aesthetic camps. The French aesthetic favors lightness, texture and surface beauty; the German is concerned with rigor, depth and structure.
If you accept this (and if you don’t, Mr. Rorem would say you are German), then the Boston Symphony Orchestra has long been French...
So, to take at least momentarily his two divisions, here's a list of my favorite works for each aesthetic! For the French aesthetic, I love Ravel's orchestral arrangement of his own piano work, Le Tombeau de Couperin. This work exudes great French nuance and panache passion. But what is special about this work, for me, is the juxtaposition of its exotic, flashy orchestration and aforementioned delicacy with the early music of Francois Couperin! Not quite like salt and sweet, this combo is perhaps like unto fresh, salty ocean gusts?
As for the Germans, I wish that some church or group performed the appropriate Bach cantata every Sunday. Anyone else want to go? He's not exactly light listening, and I don't often put him in for mood music! While all artists deserve to be listened to actively, Bach's music perhaps more than those of many other ancient composers is best examined, enjoyed through the fullest use of the faculties.
Finally, another favorite of mine is the Fountains of Rome by Respighi. Ormandy and Philadelphia produced a recording of this work that is so good it elevates the quality of the work itself, if you know what I mean. The piece takes a few listens (weeks for me) to get used to, and after that, bliss. Well, would Respighi be German? What do you think?
quoniam nihil agere delectat, scribo
I hate to argue with that article (Lord knows I probably argue with The New York Times every day), but I was taught that classical music divides between Italian style and German style. Italian style is very lyrical and emotional while German is abstact and intellectual. Most musical terms are in italian, not French. Many of the great classical composers are either Italian or German.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
"Love follows knowledge." – St. Catherine of Siena
My literature blog: http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/
Just came back from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin starring Reneé Flemming and conducted by Valery Gorgiev (sp?). Absolutely amazing.
For the posters above, what about Russian music. In style I find Russian music to be very different in terms of style and instruments. Works by composers like Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, or Stravinsky.
As well, French music by composers like Debussy really stand out. I don't think it is really fair to divide music between German and Italian. There are plenty of other variations, and some composers get influenced from different places.
Oh! lucky youOriginally Posted by JBI
I'm partial to Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev, especially his Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, Op. 64b "The Montagues and Capulets" from "Romeo and Juliet"
I totally agree. Like Mozart, Schubert, and Haydn (Austrian), Dusik (Czech), Liszt (Hungarian)
Jinx!I'm partial to Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev, especially his Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, Op. 64b "The Montagues and Capulets" from "Romeo and Juliet"
~
"It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
~
Sounds great. I've never gone to an opera and would love to.
Love them all. Especially Stravinsky.For the posters above, what about Russian music. In style I find Russian music to be very different in terms of style and instruments. Works by composers like Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, or Stravinsky.
Oh I agree. I wasn't trying to stipulate that it was Italian and German and no one else. I was more reacting to the NY Times dividing it between German and French which makes no sense to me. Other than Debussy and Berlioz, I'm hard pressed to even to think of anyone else.As well, French music by composers like Debussy really stand out. I don't think it is really fair to divide music between German and Italian. There are plenty of other variations, and some composers get influenced from different places
Logos, I think Austrian and German tend to get lumped together, although I think I hear a difference. At least to my inexperienced ear.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
"Love follows knowledge." – St. Catherine of Siena
My literature blog: http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/
Hmmm... I don't know if I want to argue on behalf of Mr. Rorem's French/German duality or not. First, if I will defend it, I think I must preclude what it could not mean for me if I were to accept it: that all music really isn't as unique as Gr or Fr music, that all composers that are grouped as "French" sounds the same stylistically and all "German" composers are the same, nor that it means that a composer can't fall between the two, etc. I would, maybe, consider whether it is valuable as an aid to expressing succinctly some polar emphases in Western music.
Aside: I think you are right, Virgil, between France and Italy, the latter was the bigger player (perhaps the biggest of all) in the developmental days of the Baroque, and therefore in the flowering of the tradition of Western music. French and German, however are more polar styles than German and Italian, which may be why the composer Ned Rorem chose to use those two nationalities instead.
Of course, every school of composition, national musical tradition, or period has a unique style that is easily identified as being neither French nor German! And I might would argue that Russian is as disparate from French music as to German. (That would be a fun point to think about, perhaps!) The question is, though, does it aid our ability to evaluate and communicate perceptions of music when we introduce into our vocabulary the concept of "Frenchness" and "Germaness", with the terms meaning nothing more or less than those easily identifiable yet hard-to-express qualities which separates their aesthetics. In other words, does it help us understand and compare various composers' works better? Or, does it require too much explanation of what it doesn't mean to be worth the aid to expression that it adds?
quoniam nihil agere delectat, scribo
I love classical music. Motzart and Beethoven are my favorites, I however also love Chopin and Tchaikovski. I often find myself listening to these songs, and I just cry because it is so beautiful. There are very few things on this earth that affect me like music.
"Who are a little wise
the best fools be." John Donne
If a drop of water falls in lake there is no identity. But if it falls on a leaf of lotus it shine like a pearl. so choose the best place where you would shine..
I adore classical. I just saw Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet performed! It was AMAZING! I grew up listening to the music and I've always loved it, but to see it was truly fantastic. I also love Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Chopin is my easy listening music and I have a thing for opera.
Lost in silence.
The general ramblings and mutterings of a starving artist:http://www.online-literature.com/for...p?userid=27522
classical music's fab! Went to see Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet and it was SO fantastic.
I got to tell you, anyone who has ready access to live opera should count their lucky stars. I have absolutly no access to it, other than ordering cds from Sam Goody and online. And people here give you weird looks when you say you like opera. They don't understand it, its like they lack to capacity. You get shunned and mocked. Or at least I did in high school.
"Who are a little wise
the best fools be." John Donne
If a drop of water falls in lake there is no identity. But if it falls on a leaf of lotus it shine like a pearl. so choose the best place where you would shine..
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
