The Classics thread.

[peteshimmon]

Just thought I might start this, a place for
folks to give a quick review of odd musical
classics that please them and might be of
interest to anyone not familier. To start..

Symphony no 1, "classical" Prokofiev.

Just 4 movements, quite short, total about
14 minutes. It is a very refreshing sound
that cheers you up. The Finale is quick and
urgent. And it is relaxing.

[Serenitude]

Bohemian Rhapsody, A Capella

http://www.groovygrooves.com/video/b...sody-a-capella

(I know, not what you're looking for, but this is great )

[Maksutov]

Originally Posted by Serenitude

Bohemian Rhapsody, A Capella

http://www.groovygrooves.com/video/b...sody-a-capella

(I know, not what you're looking for, but this is great )

That sounds a bit different with just voices. It would be nice if the audience would shut up.

Meanwhile:

Mahler: Symphony

No. 3 when I'm happy.
No. 9 when I'm sad.
No. 5 when things are crappy.
No. 6 when I'm mad.
No. 7 when nighttime's creepy.
No. 4 when I'm bad.
No. 8 when I'm weepy.
No. 1 when I'm glad.




And anything by Tchaikovsky when I need to take a nap.

[Tucson_Tim]

Two of my favorites, but they are not obscure:

- Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
- Mussorgsky: The Great Gate at Kiev

[Maksutov]

Originally Posted by Tucson_Tim

Two of my favorites, but they are not obscure:

- Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
- Mussorgsky: The Great Gate at Kiev

If you like those excerpts you should try Die Walküre (unless you're one of the folks who can't abide by operatic singing) and Pictures at an Exhibition. The music just before the "Great Gate" ("Baba-Yaga") is quite remarkable and in the same vein as the dynamic music of Night on the Bald Mountain. The Ravel orchestration is wonderful.

BTW, the Prokofiev and Mahler symphonies are anything but obscure, unless the reference was to those just getting into classical music.

[Nowhere Man]

Beethoven's 6th symphony.
The duet from The Pearl Fishers (Au fond du temple saint).

Fred

[mike alexander]

Romanian Rhapsody #1 by Enescu. Appeals to my Romany blood, of which I have none, but can pretend.

Procession of the Nobles, from Mlada, by Rimski-Korsakov.

Quiet City, by Aaron Copeland

Journey of the Sorcerer, by The Eagles. If Douglas Adams liked it, it's good enough for me.

The sound track from North by Northwest, by Herrmann.

[ABR.]

I hope I'm not crashing a private party...

I was inspired by the listings of Wagner and Mahler -- what, no Das Lied von der Erde? -- and then, after seeing Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, I feel compelled to add Dvorak's Nine Symphony.

While I'm at it, how about Franz Liszt's Les Preludes and Howard Hanson's 2nd Symphony?

[Maksutov]

Originally Posted by mike alexander

Quiet City, by Aaron Copeland

Is he related to that Copland guy who wrote (watch) Appalachian (State University) Spring (over Michigan to victory)? I'd be upset if he weren't.

Originally Posted by mike alexander

The sound track from North by Northwest, by Herrmann.

Wow, what a composer! His music for The Devil and Daniel Webster is outstanding. Ditto with Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons. The string orchestra music for Psycho has been ripped off ever since. Then there's the ultra-romantic but edgy music for Vertigo.

Plus he was a strong and early advocate of Ives.

Been missed for 32 years now.

[Maksutov]

Originally Posted by ABR.

I hope I'm not crashing a private party...

I was inspired by the listings of Wagner and Mahler -- what, no Das Lied von der Erde?...

Re Das Lied, I was limiting the list to the numbered symphonies for formal reasons.

A list that would include it would be seasonal:

Spring:

Das klagende Lied
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Symphony No. 1

Summer:

Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5

Fall:

Das Lied von der Erde
Symphony No. 9
Symphony No. 10

Winter:

Symphony No. 6

and astronomically,

Winter Solstice:

Symphony No. 7

Vernal Equinox:

Symphony No. 8

Summer Solstice:

Symphony No. 3

Autumnal Equinox:

Symphony No. 2

and for a couple of special dates:

May 18th:

Kindertotenlieder

July 7th:

Mahlerthon (complete works: Piano Quartet in A Minor to Symphony No. 10)

[mike alexander]

Yeah, Copeland is distantly related to Copland. Wasn't Copland a musical? Isn't my brain mouldering tonight?


I love the NBNW track because it's such a dare. Wonder if he was influenced by Ravel? And Bernard H wrote the ORIGINAL theme for the Twilight Zone.

[danscope]

Hi, So much music....and time to enjoy it....and take it with you.

I always enjoy a tune called " The Third Man Theme ". It was majically produced by a genius zither player by the name of Anton Karas, which majic carried through the entire film . I delight in hearing it always.

Best regards, Dan

.....Oh...and have you heard E. Power Biggs play Tocatta in Fugue in C#minor
By JS Bach? Good peice of music there.

[Maksutov]

Originally Posted by danscope

[Edit].....Oh...and have you heard E. Power Biggs play Tocatta in Fugue in C#minor
By JS Bach? Good peice of music there.

Not aware of any Bach Tocatta and Fugue in C Sharp Minor. He did write a number of clavier pieces that were Preludes and Fugues in C Sharp Minor.

Are you thinking of the Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565? It was often used in early horror pictures (The Black Cat, etc.) and is still a perennial favorite around Hallowe'en. An orchestral transcription by Stokowski starts off Disney's Fantasia.

[Maksutov]

Originally Posted by ABR.

I hope I'm not crashing a private party...

Of course not, all BAUT parties are public.

Originally Posted by ABR.

and then, after seeing Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, I feel compelled to add Dvorak's Nine Symphony.

Dvořák's Nine Symphonies (except for the last three) are greatly underappreciated, as are his various symphonic poems, my favorite of these being The Noon Witch (incredibly creepy, sinister (almost scientific!) music).

Originally Posted by ABR.

While I'm at it, how about Franz Liszt's Les Preludes

One of the few Liszt pieces I can listen to repeatedly.

Originally Posted by ABR.

and Howard Hanson's 2nd Symphony?

Wonderful work, not played that often anymore. At least the folks who produced Alien remembered it.

[soylentgreen]

I can't see Dvorak appreciated and not mention Smetana.

His "Vltava"...or Moldau depending on your atlas...is easily one of the most exceptional tone poems ever created. Vivid, lush and irresistable. The keen ear can spot his impact on film scoring just as quickly as traditional homageees like Prokofiev and Wagner. You can catch Bedrich as part of the classical scene's "Def Composer Jam" along with Beethoven and Gabe Faure.

Oh yeah...just about anything by Grieg floats my boat. The guy was Norway's musical equivalent of Mark Twain...right down to the look. As far as I'm concerned his is the epitome of the romantic piano concerto.

Originally Posted by Maksutov

Mahler: Symphony

No. 9 when I'm sad.

Mak, I'm positive I don't have to mention Lewis Thomas to you, right?

[Nicolas]

I feel compelled to add Dvorak's Nine Symphony.

I just had the ninth of Dvorak on yesterday. I've got 3 versions of it, unfortunately the best one for my taste only in MP3 and one version on a damaged LP. But anyway, I really like his ninth, front to end. Count me in as a Wagner and Grieg fan too, and quite some Mozart also really fits my taste. So far for obscurity...sorry.

Call it classical or minimalism as you wish, but I'm also a big fan of the music of Wim Mertens.

[Maksutov]

Originally Posted by soylentgreen

I can't see Dvorak appreciated and not mention Smetana.

His "Vltava"...or Moldau depending on your atlas...is easily one of the most exceptional tone poems ever created. Vivid, lush and irresistable. The keen ear can spot his impact on film scoring just as quickly as traditional homageees like Prokofiev and Wagner. You can catch Bedrich as part of the classical scene's "Def Composer Jam" along with Beethoven and Gabe Faure.

And one of the best uses of the "How Dry I Am" sequence in music, varying from major to minor as appropriate.

Originally Posted by soylentgreen

Oh yeah...just about anything by Grieg floats my boat. The guy was Norway's musical equivalent of Mark Twain...right down to the look. As far as I'm concerned his is the epitome of the romantic piano concerto.

In the Hall of the Mountain King is a classic example of "Music You Can't Get Out Of Your Head". It was used to great effect in the Peter Lorre film M. Funny that its first five notes, relative pitch-wise (a simple diatonic scale), are the same as the Smetana theme, if you start on the second "Moldau" note.

Originally Posted by soylentgreen

Mak, I'm positive I don't have to mention Lewis Thomas to you, right?

His writings often show up in my late night thoughts.

[Michael Noonan]

La Vie Parisienne by Offenbach.
It makes me feel good.