Classical Listening

[Wilde woman]

I remember my father blasting Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Copland from before I could speak. Then I was enrolled in piano lessons at five years old and violin lessons by age eleven. I was lucky that my piano teacher was also a theory buff. She sold her own line of music theory books so I got a solid foundation in music theory. My family couldn't afford to attend concerts all the time, so I've only been to a few my whole life. But I remember for my AP theory class, we got to go to the opera and symphony for free. The performances I saw there are still my favorites....Turandot by Puccini and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2.

I am a very poor piano player but I prefer playing Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze to any other piece in my limited repertoire.

Ditto! It's got such beautiful four-part harmony.

[Gladys]

And my own introduction to the world of classical music... beyond the exposure to Bach's choral music as sung in the Lutheran churches of my upbringing... would be the music of the Baroque era

My father and grandfather were choirmasters and pipe organists in the Lutheran church and, predictably, Handel and Bach were favourites. While Handel is consummately accessible, Bach demands more appreciation of polyphony to decode his melodic jumble, an appreciation I happily stumbled upon after a decade and a half of enjoying other classical music.

In particular, I discovered the peerless Bach Cantatas. A decade later, our church in the city began performing them monthly. Indeed, tomorrow morning we have:

Erwunschtes Freudenlicht (BWV 184) for 4 soloists, choir, 2 flutes, strings and continuo
Early Music Studio Baroque Ensemble and Early Voices (dir. Vivien Hamilton)

[Musicology]

Hi Gladys,

BWV 11
Lobet Gott in seinen Reiche
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn6wF...eature=related

BWV 9
Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OktSQ...eature=related

''To strip human nature until its divine attributes are made clear, to inform our ordinary activities with spiritual fervor, to give wings of eternity to that which is most ephemeral; to make divine things accessibly human and human things conscious of the divine; such is Bach, the greatest and purest moment in music of all time''. - PABLO CASALS (1876-1973)

Regards

My father and grandfather were choirmasters and pipe organists in the Lutheran church and, predictably, Handel and Bach were favourites. While Handel is consummately accessible, Bach demands more appreciation of polyphony to decode his melodic jumble, an appreciation I happily stumbled upon after a decade and a half of enjoying other classical music.

In particular, I discovered the peerless Bach Cantatas. A decade later, our church in the city began performing them monthly. Indeed, tomorrow morning we have:

Erwunschtes Freudenlicht (BWV 184) for 4 soloists, choir, 2 flutes, strings and continuo
Early Music Studio Baroque Ensemble and Early Voices (dir. Vivien Hamilton)

[Emil Miller]

Likewise, I was 17.

An early favourite was Brahms' monumental Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 - a work of heroic proportions and vision, like Schubert's Great symphony and Beethoven's Hammerklavier sonata.

Brahms - Piano concerto n°2. Mov 1 (part1)

I agree that Brahm's 2nd Piano Concerto is a monumental work, it had a profound influence on me from the time I first heard it. In fact it is the profundity in Brahms's music that has always attracted me. As a Germanophile I think his music epitomises the greatness of Germany and none more so than his first piano concerto; the last part of which is played here with great insight by Vladimir Ashkenazy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF5IyHls560

[stlukesguild]

My father and grandfather were choirmasters and pipe organists in the Lutheran church and, predictably, Handel and Bach were favourites. While Handel is consummately accessible, Bach demands more appreciation of polyphony to decode his melodic jumble...

I agree that getting a grasp of the complexity of Bach's use of counterpoint demands repeated hearings... and some study of the actual forms involved. But this is true of a lot of music. I did not fully grasp the structure of the classical sonata form until taking a music appreciation course. Beethoven's quartets certainly are every bit as demanding as Bach (to say nothing of Mozart's closing movement to the Symphony no. 41 which was inspired by Bach's use of counterpoint.) The broad and sprawling breadth of the structures of the music of Mahler and Wagner demanded a great deal from me coming off Bach and Handel and Mozart whose structures are crystal clear.

[Sebas. Melmoth]

Enjoying the Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets as realized by the great French clarinettest Gervase de Peyer with the Melos Ensemble of London, nicely paired on this Seraphim Classics reissue:

http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Brahms-...4633152&sr=1-3


It scarcely gets better than this...

[Emil Miller]

My father and grandfather were choirmasters and pipe organists in the Lutheran church and, predictably, Handel and Bach were favourites. While Handel is consummately accessible, Bach demands more appreciation of polyphony to decode his melodic jumble...

I agree that getting a grasp of the complexity of Bach's use of counterpoint demands repeated hearings... and some study of the actual forms involved. But this is true of a lot of music. I did not fully grasp the structure of the classical sonata form until taking a music appreciation course. Beethoven's quartets certainly are every bit as demanding as Bach (to say nothing of Mozart's closing movement to the Symphony no. 41 which was inspired by Bach's use of counterpoint.) The broad and sprawling breadth of the structures of the music of Mahler and Wagner demanded a great deal from me coming off Bach and Handel and Mozart whose structures are crystal clear.

Bach's music illustrates perfectly, Blake's words: "To see a world in a grain of sand." While Wagner and Mahler's works are posited fom the opposite viewpoint.

[spooky]

Hey, I've never been an opera listener(or watcher, or whatever), but I have a recording of Mozart's Don Giovanni which I am eager to listen.
Now dumb question: I have the translated libretto, should I read it as I listen to the recording? What would a normal opera listener do?

[stlukesguild]

Most librettos come with a synopsis that breaks the narrative down and gives you an overall concept of what to expect. Personally, I don't follow any set method. Sometimes I just listen to the opera all the way through taking in the piece as a work of music. Other times I follow along with the libretto. Perhaps the best method is to see the opera in real life or on DVD. This version is highly regarded:



Don Giovanni is certainly one of Mozart's greatest achievements... one of the greatest operas ever. The music and the masterful manner in which Mozart weaves the drama... the great librettos of Lorenzo Da Ponte... with the music was unprecedented. From the very overture, Mozart sets up the drama... and a theme he will return to at the climax. This concept of repeating a theme... a motif... is something Beethoven... and later Wagner... will make brilliant use of.

This version includes a bit of the opening scene... unfortunately without translation... but I feel it offers the best sounding overture available on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SotSKAYTyDw

Here is the inimitable Fritz Wunderlich... (one of the greatest singers ever... who died tragically young as the result of a freak accident) singing Il mio Tesoro... one of the more lovely arias from the opera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GbTm...eature=related

And here is another exquisite aria... Non mi dir bell' idol mio... sung by the marvelous Gundula Janowitz:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXG6z...eature=related

To my mind, the greatest moment in the entire opera is the climactic scene with the Commendatore. Don Giovanni in the opening scene has broken into the home of Donna Anna in an attempt to seduce her. She yells for help and her father, the great military figure... the Commendatore challenges him to a duel. Don Giovanni kills him and flees. Donna Anna and her fiance, Don Octavio are horrified and swear vengeance. Much of the opera follows their attempt to discover the Commendatore's murderer.

Later in the opera Don Giovanni and his servant, Leoporello are in a graveyard when they imagine they hear the voice of a statue... one of the tomb markers. The voice of the statue warns Giovanni that his laughter will not last beyond sunrise. At the command of his master, Leporello reads the inscription upon the statue's base: "I'm waiting for revenge against my murderer." The servant trembles, but the unabashed Giovanni orders him to invite the statue to dinner, threatening to kill him if he does not. (Duet: "Oh, statua gentilissima – Oh most noble statue"). Leporello makes several attempts to invite the statue to dinner but for fear cannot complete the task. It falls upon Don Giovanni himself to complete the invitation thereby sealing his own doom. Much to his surprise, the statue nods its head and responds affirmatively.

Later, Don Giovanni revels in the luxury of a great meal and musical entertainment (during which the orchestra plays then-contemporary late 18th century music. During this meal he taunts Donna Elvira... the woman who loves him... until she leaves hurt and angered. Suddenly we hear her scream. Leoporello goes to see what the commotion is and runs back terrified that the statue of the dead Commendatore has made good on his promise to join Don Giovanni for what will be his final meal:

I've yet to see a better Commendatore than the great Kurt Moll as he offers the unrepentant Giovanni a final chance to avoid his fate in Hell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK1_v...eature=related

[spooky]

Yes, watching the DVD after reading the synopsis seems to be the best idea for starting. I also think that reading the libretto simultaneously might disract from music too(for the first time listener at least). Now I have the Carlo Maria Giulini recording -many people say it's among the best- but I think I'll go with the DVD and listen to that later..Thanks

edit: oh and thanks for the details too, I'm gonna read them after my initial viewing =)

[Emil Miller]

This is the famous ending to Giordano's opera Andrea Chenier with a truly amazing finish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I4QYgRpAtQ

[Musicology]

Dimitri Shostakovitch
Symphony 15
Finale

Perhaps the most defiant, overwhelmingly victorious symphonic finale of them all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJY8...x=5&playnext=1

[Emil Miller]

Dimitri Shostakovitch
Symphony 15
Finale

Perhaps the most defiant, overwhelmingly victorious symphonic finale of them all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJY8...x=5&playnext=1

In musical terms, Shostakovitch is the historian of the Soviet Union, which is why he came close to being killed by the soviet system. His ability to parody the Soviet Union and ostensibly praise it at the same time is shown with his 5th symphony. He went on to compose a number of symphonies post Stalin, unlike Prokofiev, who died the same day as the Soviet dictator.

[stlukesguild]

Now I have the Carlo Maria Giulini recording -many people say it's among the best- but I think I'll go with the DVD and listen to that later..Thanks

Yes... the Giulini may just be the single best non-HIP* version of Don Giovanni.


* HIP= Historically Informed Performance and refers to current practices in performing older works upon instruments appropriate to the era, orchestras appropriate to those used by the composer, and performance techniques appropriate to the time based upon the latest musicological studies.

In musical terms, Shostakovitch is the historian of the Soviet Union, which is why he came close to being killed by the soviet system. His ability to parody the Soviet Union and ostensibly praise it at the same time is shown with his 5th symphony. He went on to compose a number of symphonies post Stalin, unlike Prokofiev, who died the same day as the Soviet dictator.

I've always had mixed feelings about Shostakovitch... but then again, I must admit to not being overly enthralled with Russian music in general. It can be overly "sappy" without the elegance and sophistication of French music or bombastic without the rigorous structure of the Germans. Still I do love Shosty's Cello Concerto, Preludes and Fugues, and most recently... his opera The Nose. Its sad that unlike Prokofiev and Stravinsky he never left the Soviet Union... to the detriment of his music. The audacity of his opera's The Nose and Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk stand along side the boldest works of Stravinsky... but were frowned upon by the state that wanted rousing patriotic music... the Soviet version of most Hollywood composers.

[Musicology]

‘What is most lovely speaks for itself’ - J.S. Bach

Cantata 42 (Bass Aria)

http://www.mediafire.com/?zuezj2tumzn