Classical music fans?

Post by **WampusCat** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:34 pm

Wow. Sigh. That was just what I needed today!

What an amazing performance.

Thanks!

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:48 pm

You're welcome!

It's even more exhilarating to play it than it is to hear it.

Post by **solicitr** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:40 pm

Ahhhhh, Brandy 3- the perfect musical perpetual motion machine, the dance of the elements, the music of the spheres..... there is something absolute about Bach above and beyond all others.

Post by **Crucifer** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:24 pm

I'm not so keen on the Brandenburgs myself...

I have yet to come across an organ work that I have disliked though!

And those cantati are spectacular.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:32 am

The Brandenburgs are a feast. No two alike. The 6th has no violins, just violas, cellos, and continuo—so when we got to that one, I was concertmistress, for the one and only time. Sic transit gloria mundi.

I have, frankly, yet to come across anything by Bach that I dislike. I could live inside the B minor Mass for days. And the violin partitas! Rachel Podger's recordings especially. One of those partitas (No. 2 in D minor) is described indirectly in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin series: Aubrey spends the whole book wrestling with bits of it, particularly the "great and inexplicable chaconne" that ends it. Almost 14 minutes long, and all thought.

Post by **Inanna** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:09 am

Primula Baggins wrote:No, it's right. But you grew up with the idea of pronouncing musical terms by Italian rules, whereas Mahima's running into it as an adult—so it must seem very odd to her.

Yes. Especially since concert is pronounced con-s-ert. But then, I wasn't surprised - English is English, even when it is Italian.

Post by **nerdanel** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 7:21 pm

So, I started this thread with the best of intentions, and am only now returning to it. I've really been making an effort to listen to classical music actively at work (which is really when I have uninterrupted chunks of time to enjoy new pieces). I decided that the way I wanted to start was to explore and revisit old and new violin pieces, since that's the instrument I most relate to (and still play from time to time).

This week's pieces have included:
- Joshua Bell's recording of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnol in D minor, a violin concerto bordering on a sinfonia concertante that I very much enjoy.
- Midori's recording of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major (why not listen to an official one)
- Lawrence Golan's recording of George Perlman's Israeli Concertino - not as complicated or old a piece, but it is fun to listen to a mini concerto with a clearly Jewish/modern flavor
- Yehudi Menuhin's recording of Paganini's La Campanella - La Campanella means "Little Bell" (so named because of the presence of a little handbell in the movement) and is the last movement of Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor. This is wonderful - this movement is like crack, and you will hum it all day if you listen to it a couple of times.
- Two recordings - by French violinist Christian Ferras and Italian violinist Salvatore Accardo - of Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor. This was actually a new piece for me - to be honest, I wasn't familiar with Sibelius' music at all (though vaguely was aware he had written seven symphonies), and I admit that I'm quite addicted. It turns out Sibelius was fairly influenced by Tchaikovsky's work, and given that I am quite addicted to Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, it's unsurprising that Sibelius' concerto is similarly destined to become one of my latest classical addictions. It's incredibly virtuosic and just slightly reminiscent of Tchaikovsky, but remains very much its own piece. I highly recommend it. I especially like that Sibelius teases you with little fragments of theme before building to a grand expose/final statement - it really frustrates me when composers treat you to grand themes early on in concerti, but never bring them back.

Is anyone else a fan of any of these pieces? Anyone listened to anything fun classically lately?

Post by **River** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:38 pm

Brandenburg 6...

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:02 pm

<gives River secret violist handshake>

I haven't collected much in the way of violin recordings beyond Bach. I love the Lalo, though—we played it in youth symphony once, but with an adult soloist, which I thought wasn't cricket. It was still great fun.

I may use your list as the basis for exploring further. There is so much out there.

Post by **Crucifer** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:09 am

Personally I don't like much of the Lalo (last movement is awesome), but I've played the Tchaikovsky and the Sibelius and both are incredible! Who was it that described the last movement of the Sibelius as 'a ballet for polar bears'?

Post by **nerdanel** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:59 am

You've played the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius? Wow, I have to say I'm impressed - those are technically incredibly demanding pieces. (The last piece I really worked on before my years-long classical hiatus was the Tchaikovsky, but I never got far enough to claim that I "played" it, and I've never played the Sibelius, needless to say, since I'm just now discovering it.) I didn't even know you played the violin - for how long have you played?

Post by **Crucifer** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:29 am

Ah... You misunderstand... I've played horn parts: first in the Tchaik and fourth in the Sibelius. I used to play the violin when I was much younger, but was no good so I took up the horn instead...

Mind you, those horn parts are no walk in the park either!

Post by **River** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:40 am

Playing the orchestra parts of concertos is fun. You kick back, do your thing, watch the soloist and think "Better you than me, sucka!!"

Or maybe that's just my violist mentality coming out.

Post by **Crucifer** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:42 am

I'd love to be able to play the viola, just to be able to play the solo part of the Walton viola concerto...

Mind you, the first horn part is pretty amazing too... It has it all: the sweeping melody, the cascading scales, the funky rhythms...

Post by **Elentári** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:31 pm

Crucifer - well met, fellow horn player (although I started with the clarinet!)

River wrote:

Getting an earful of trombone was almost enough to make me cry sometimes.

I agree, I had the same problem in our wind band. When they placed the timpani behind us as well I got the horn section moved to the other side of the room

Post by **Elentári** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:36 pm

River also wrote:

Playing the orchestra parts of concertos is fun. You kick back, do your thing, watch the soloist and think "Better you than me, sucka!!"

I know what you mean, and since Sibelius was mentioned earlier, I should say I once played "The Swan of Tuonela" and although the oboe solo is ravishing, it's too easy to fall asleep counting the bars rest in the horn part

Have any of our musicians got around to playing any of Howard Shore's LotR score yet? I have the three piano/vocals score books, and I'm hoping my eldest son will be good enough to play them for me one day on the piano.

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:09 pm

Violins eh?

Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending and the Tallis Fantasia are musts if you haven't tried 'em yet.
Bartok's Concerto for orchestra is pretty stunning and is less well known than it should be.
Franck's Sonata for Violin and Piano has the most heart rending melody.
Samuel Barber's well known Adagio is far sparer and more effective in its original string quartet IMHO. Indeed chamber music can fill your musical life if you let it. Try Beethoven's Grosse Fugue. He out-Hendrixes Hendrix in that!

Once you start there is no end to the road.

Post by **solicitr** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:14 pm

it's too easy to fall asleep counting the bars rest in the horn part

A constant occupational hazard for the trombones.

Post by **River** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:54 pm

I think the percussionists had it worse. Sometimes they don't even have to be on stage!

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:29 pm

Tosh, your list reminded me of an old love: the Cavatina from Beethoven's 13th string quartet. I found it as a teenager because it was included on the metal "record" attached to one of the Voyager spacecraft. The team picked it because they thought it conveyed yearning so vividly that even an alien might hear it. I think they might have been right.

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