Classical Music!

[rossination]

I didn't realize it, but apparently there are some B&Bers who enjoy classical music (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3278)! What are your favorite recordings or works - opera, orchestral, chamber music, etc...?

I'll start: I'm a huge fan of string quartets. I love almost anything that the Emerson String Quartet records, especially their performance of Dvorak's 12th Quartet, the "American" quartet.

[mrob]

Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde, the Song of the Earth

Berg, Wozzeck, definitely an acquired taste!

Nearly anything Stravinsky or Copland wrote--I love the Music for the Theatre of Copland--its big, bold, athletic, sometimes even raw--very American.

Brahms' symphonies are gorgeous, rhythmically complex and rich sounding.

I only listen to Mozart, Haydn and the boys anymore when I need a musical "Q-tip."

The problem here is that when I try to limit it to my very favorites I inevitably forget some absolutely stunning music, and then I feel awful. I guess I'll get over it!:wink:

[rossination]

Wozzeck! Yeah! Awesome, Mitch. I love me some atonal music.

Here in Seattle we have the privelege of being around the amazing Stuart Dempster, who does all kinds of cool stuff with new music (as you probably know). The whole atonal thing takes some getting used to, but I totally dig it.

[EL Alamein]

Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Elgar. I love them all. My two year old daughter also prefers classical to modern. Whenever I put modern on in the car she tells me to turn it off. "I don't like it, Daddy. Play my moogis for me, pleeeeaaase!" Her "moogis" is classical and preferably Mozart. The first time she did that her mother looked at me and said, "She's definitely your child".

Chris

[JohnP]

Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Holzt...the list goes on.
Yeah I'm a junkie too....
John P.

[rschul2]

Stravinski, Grieg, Gorecki...oh and Holst too. Just too damn many to name.

[rtaylor61]

Bach, Wagner, Copland

Randy

[mrob]

I'm guessing the Holst-lovers were in band at some point? Either that, or they got hooked on The Planets?

If you like Holst, are you also fans of Vaughan Williams, Grainger and the rest?:tongue:

[jfm]

Bach's Concerto In A Minor For Violin, Strings And Basso Continuo (BWV 1041). There are few things I can say are my favorite, this is my favorite piece of music. Second to that are Glenn Gould's (1981 recording) Goldberg Variations.

[mrob]

I just had a doc student do her dissertation on Irish trad music--great stuff!!! One of my happiest accomplishments was getting her approved for a research grant to visit Ireland and hang out in pubs listening to Irish traditional musicians jam. Now that's a dissertation!

[ouch]

Camille Saint-Saëns's Symphony No. 3 in C minor 'Organ' is one of my favorites to show off an audio system. :tongue_sm

For the ultimate in deep, infrasonic bass, nothing beats Jean Guillou's organ transcription (Dorian recordings DOR-90117) of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, recorded at the Great Kleuker-Steinmeyer organ of the Tonhalle, Zürich. It is positively frightening.:eek:

[JMT]

I am actually currently taking a music class which fulfills my humanities requirement. I enjoy classical music, particulary the baroque period and the classical period. The class I am taking has also confirmed that I definitely prefer instrumental music to vocal performances when referring to classical music. That being said I also like jazz, blues and rock. I really have no opinion on pop music today because I never listen to it. I usually listen to NPR in the car and the local NPR affiliate plays local bands and classical music.

[Shane]

Bach, Brahms (symphony no. 4 is one of the best symphonies ever composed), Shostakovich, Mahler, Ravel, Schönberg, Poulenc (most underrated composer ever), Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Copland, Vaughan Williams (no one does British folk music better), Puccini, Verdi

[Kyle]

I am actually currently taking a music class which fulfills my humanities requirement. I enjoy classical music, particulary the baroque period and the classical period. The class I am taking has also confirmed that I definitely prefer instrumental music to vocal performances when referring to classical music. That being said I also like jazz, blues and rock. I really have no opinion on pop music today because I never listen to it. I usually listen to NPR in the car and the local NPR affiliate plays local bands and classical music.
I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but I likes me some jazz. I was first exposed to early jazz (20's thru 60's) from one of my master's courses. Every since then I have been addicted to it.

[JohnP]

I'm guessing the Holst-lovers were in band at some point? Either that, or they got hooked on The Planets?

If you like Holst, are you also fans of Vaughan Williams, Grainger and the rest?:tongue:
The cool thing to me about Classical music is that you can cherry pick it. There is no requirement you have Beethoven's entire "Album" to get the song you like....as for Holst(I always mispell these things) you nailed it with the planets, but primarily, the one on my el-cheapo MP3 player, is "Mars, Bringer of War" It is easy to listen to that and see its influence, for instance, on movie soundtracks.
I also like some of the old, cathedral style chorals...you know, the ones sung in Latin...now THOSE are about harmony....even if I do not know Latin to have any idea what they are singing, the sound is amazing. I have been listening to some wonderful pieces by Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria....look him up, he has some really really good stuff. Too bad he lived 400 years ago, as I am one of his latest fans.
John P.

[JohnP]

I am actually currently taking a music class which fulfills my humanities requirement. I enjoy classical music, particulary the baroque period and the classical period. The class I am taking has also confirmed that I definitely prefer instrumental music to vocal performances when referring to classical music. That being said I also like jazz, blues and rock. I really have no opinion on pop music today because I never listen to it. I usually listen to NPR in the car and the local NPR affiliate plays local bands and classical music.
Jim, I have noticed I had similar tastes (I steer clear of most Opera....Wagner does great until someone starts singing...) perhaps you could look up Sr. Victoria and listen to one of his works, the one I listened to last is called "O Magnum Mysterium" Yes, people are singing, but it is simply amazing....and I have recently been reconsidering if I am really against vocal music, or if it is just my dislike for certain styles...
Otherwise, for the most part I am with you and prefer instrumental music.
It would be interesting to see your thoughts on it, or perhaps, anyone here who speaks Latin, or whichever language the song is in, could sortof tell me the jist of what the song is. I THINK it is a religious song, but that's about the limit of what I can discern. I just know it SOUNDS wonderful, my copy of it sung by the Westminster Cathedral Choir...
John P.

[JohnP]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but I likes me some jazz. I was first exposed to early jazz (20's thru 60's) from one of my master's courses. Every since then I have been addicted to it.
Kyle, for a short time between high school and college, and for a little while in college, I played in a small stage band (I played trumpet/cornet interchangeably) but as that was 13 years or so ago, I have since been out of the loop, and do not know who the big names are now. I know in those days I was a huge fan of Wynton Marsalis, and Jazz was perhaps one of the places where the most innovation in instrumental music was happening, at least in those days...techniques I had not even remotely considered before...such as humming harmony while playing the melody on a trombone.....there are some people out there with amazing skill. Had I not seen it, I would not believed it.
Who in your opinion is producing the best jazz these days?
John P.

[rossination]

Kyle, for a short time between high school and college, and for a little while in college, I played in a small stage band (I played trumpet/cornet interchangeably) but as that was 13 years or so ago, I have since been out of the loop, and do not know who the big names are now. I know in those days I was a huge fan of Wynton Marsalis, and Jazz was perhaps one of the places where the most innovation in instrumental music was happening, at least in those days...techniques I had not even remotely considered before...such as humming harmony while playing the melody on a trombone.....there are some people out there with amazing skill. Had I not seen it, I would not believed it.
Who in your opinion is producing the best jazz these days?
John P.

I'm also a huge jazz fan. At the risk of hijacking MY OWN thread, I'd have to say Dave Holland (a British bassist) is doing some great stuff right now. There are tons more --- perhaps we should start a new thread??? :cool:

[JohnP]

I'm game....I also am starting to notice there are a LOT of former and current musicians on the board....wouldn't surprise me if it was the majority....
John P.

[Tito]

Oh wow... classical music.

1. Anything Yo Yo Ma!!! Cello Suite No. 1 G Maj is a good start, The Crouching Tiger stuff is great too.

2. When I was a kid my brother and I would listen to an old vinyl copy of Tchaikovsky's Overture 1812 over and over. We loved the Finale... Canons! Bells! Glockenspiels! Oh my!

3. Deodata: Also Sprach Zarathrustra

[rschul2]

I'm guessing the Holst-lovers were in band at some point? Either that, or they got hooked on The Planets?

If you like Holst, are you also fans of Vaughan Williams, Grainger and the rest?:tongue:
Don't get me wrong, there will always be a soft spot for the beautiful melody in Jupiter or even violent Mars, but I was thinking more along the line of Suite No. 2 in F's Song of the Blacksmith or Fantasia on the Dargason.

And of course I was in band all the way through college (excellent scholarships), but I think my favorite piece of all time to play was Respighi's Pina di Roma sp.??

As far as Vaughan Williams, Grainger and the rest...aah, I can take or leave them. I did once get to play with Wynton Marsalis. Cool story. When I was in jazz band in high school in New Orleans, we once had a concert and our fourth trumpet was sick, and he had a improvised solo in a piece called Computer I think. Anyway, our jazz director said he had a friend he could call that would be willing to sit in and play the cocert with us. Someone had metioned that our director was good friends with the Marsalis, but we all knew there was no way Wynton was going to be filling in on some lowly fourth part. Sure enough though, up walks Wynton Marsalis. We all were going to let him take the lead spot, but he said no and played the fourth part for an entire hour and a half concert. Needless to say his solo in Computer just blew everyone away. By the end we were all just like, "We're not worthy, we're not worthy." He was a really cool guy, and even came back and gave a master class to all of the trumpet players in jazz band. One of the coolest experiences of my life.

[Kyle]

I don't follow much that is more recent than the Big Band Era. I'm sure that there is a lot of current material that is excellent, I'm just unfamiliar with it.

[JohnP]

Wow Randy that is amazing, and actually, really cool, too.
No such cool luck for me....I think I would have died. I think the closest to celebrity to come to my band in high school, the former director used to play with John Philip Sousa's original band. As you might have ascertained, that was LOOOONG before my time. I grew up in the middle of nowhere...
John P.

[letterk]

I once played for the original Bush in my highschool band. That's the closest I've come to celebrities and music. This thread is taking a tangent.

[Hoss]

I was fortunate during my undergraduate schooling to have been within walking distance of Severance Hall (which had, at the time, a great night-of ticketing deals for students) during Christoph von Dohnanyi's tenure. At the time, he was aggressively programming works of 20th century Americans, and attending a performance of Carl Ruggles' Sun-Treader introduced me to a new realm of music, lead by two rather powerful American personalities:

Charles Ives: the "Concord" Piano Sonata, many of his songs, "Three Places in New England", "The Unanswered Question"

Carl Ruggles: Dohnanyi did a nice recording of Sun-Treader and Men and Mountains, but the 2 LP set of Ruggles' complete works (he was not the most prolific composer) by Michael Tilson Thomas is still the one to seek out (it really needs to be on CD!)

Other American composers that I enjoy are: Eliott Carter, Ruth Crawford-Seeger (too bad her politics crushed her creativity so early), Henry Cowell, Lou Harrison and George Crumb (his "amplified" string quartet Black Angels is nicely paired with Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" quartet on a recording by the Brodsky's).

Other 20th(+)-Century "modern" composers I have an affinity for include Brian Ferneyhough, Silvestre Revueltas, Leonardo Balada, Luciano Berio and Pierre Boulez (after his serialist period, where he was never able to successfully emulate musicality within the concept that Berg, Schoenberg, and Webern were able to achieve).

More traditionally:

J.S. Bach: just about everything, but especially the single instrument works (WTK, Cello Suites, Sonatas & Partitas for Violin, etc... on both period and modern instruments) and the choral works... he creates complex musical textures and layers that seem to have disappeared in music until the 20th century

Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartets and keyboard works (the Preludes and Fugues)

Modest Mussorgsky: his songs (esp. the "Songs and Dances of Death" and "Sunless" cycles), and operas (Boris Godunov, Kovanschina) in his own orchestration (not the re-orchestrations by Rimsky-Korsakov, etc. which lose the punch of the original)... all with a good Russian bass

Prokofiev's score to Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky"

Schubert's Lieder and chamber pieces

Antiphonal (polychoral) pieces from pre-Baroque to Bach (e.g. Brumel's "Earthquake" Mass)

So much of it depends on mental state (mood, ability to concentrate, etc.) that I have a hard time picking favorites...

Hoss

[yasuo200365]

I love music ...,
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 "Pastorale"
This recording by Bruno Walter is about as good as it gets:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002A7Q/qid=1151430237/sr=1-12/ref=sr_1_12/103-9515849-9420634?s=classical&v=glance&n=5174

The pianist Artur Rubinstein playing Chopin …, the Master.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00001O2TS/qid=1151432246/sr=1-16/ref=sr_1_16/103-9515849-9420634?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

Benjamin Britten Choral Works – Excellent record.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001HAHHS/qid=1151433465/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/103-9515849-9420634?s=classical&v=glance&n=5174

Regards
John

[Phog Allen]

I just had a doc student do her dissertation on Irish trad music--great stuff!!! One of my happiest accomplishments was getting her approved for a research grant to visit Ireland and hang out in pubs listening to Irish traditional musicians jam. Now that's a dissertation!

Aw Mitch, that's just evil. Getting payed to visit pubs and listen to trad music? Jayziz I'm in the wrong line of work boyo! It's been a near dream of mine to visit Eire and I want to spend a month there at least! I know it's expensive but how much Guiness can a guy consume each day?(I don't know, quite a bit if you're me) Who needs food when you have that? Well, I don't know, the bangers and mash are good and boxties of any kind are delicious. Other than that, I'll live out of sleeping bag if necessary. There's only two kinds of people in the world. Those that descend from the Irish and those who wish they did.:lol: :lol: Happily I fall into the former category.

Slainte!

Todd

[mrob]

Todd,

Thanks! She had a great time, wrote a terrific document, and is off to a great career.

And she drank a boatload of Guiness on the University's dime!

[mrob]

On a serious note, this thread has brought me a great deal of enjoyment--its just great reading such thoughtful, heartfelt posts about your feelings about and relationships with music. Classical, jazz, folk--its been a long time since I thought too much about these distinctions--which become pretty irrelevant depending on how you define them. :wink:

As a music teacher educator, it just makes me very happy to hear how important music is to a lot of you--I wish music teachers could read these posts and realize:

a. that what they do can be very important to their students for the rest of their lives, and

b. that its important to find out what kinds of music their students like, and give them the tools to understand that music better and more fully.

Thanks for making me feel more hopeful about my job.

[rossination]

Thanks for making me feel more hopeful about my job.

...and thanks for me making me more hopeful about my major! :rolleyes:

[Aky007]

My favourite is Mahler's symphony no.5.

[pcxpe]

Bach's Concerto In A Minor For Violin, Strings And Basso Continuo (BWV 1041). There are few things I can say are my favorite, this is my favorite piece of music. Second to that are Glenn Gould's (1981 recording) Goldberg Variations.

What can I say!
This is my kind of music to..And opera !!!

__________
Peter

[SSLStudio]

- Chopin ( cant help it the romantic melodies, though Chopin is way more complex and deep then just people think he is only the composer for romantic moods. just think 1 minute waltz or the funeral song everyone knows)

- Glenn Gould's (1981 recording) Goldberg Variations. magical recording hasnt been equalled ever since. brilliant interpretation.

-Beethoven whats not to like about him.

-Rachmaninoff - piano concerto nr 3- Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, Op.3, No.2

-Liszt - has some of the most out of this universe pieces and chord/melody structures that believes me to think he must have been the DEVIL

-Bach - The God himself. every note makes sense and has its place everyone knows the Organ piece Air. My teacher gave it to me to rewrite for the piano offcourse the long intro Note..uh Teacher I dont have a sustain on the piano that looooooong.

- Mozart -Das wunder kind. I think people in Africa in the deep jungle would like mozart they would recognize it ? :wink:

- Felix Mendelssohn " Songs without words "

-R Schumann " kinderszenen" (Scenes from childhood)" played by Horowitz gets me to tears


- Debussy I like the mystical world I feel when playing his pieces.

there are way more composers out there but at this moment these are the ones that come first to my mind, jazz spoken im a pianist of the school of Bill Evans he is my God some of his recordings are just so painfull to listen specially his late solo recordings when his heroine addiction withdrawal kicks in. IF you dont know Bill Evans id suggest as a starting point get the album
You Must Believe in Spring my fav song -> B minor Waltz (for Ellain)

reminds me I must hit my library tonight after work get out some Bill Evans cd's.

[mrob]

there are way more composers out there but at this moment these are the ones that come first to my mind, jazz spoken im a pianist of the school of Bill Evans he is my God some of his recordings are just so painfull to listen specially his late solo recordings when his heroine addiction withdrawal kicks in. IF you dont know Bill Evans id suggest as a starting point get the album
You Must Believe in Spring my fav song -> B minor Waltz (for Ellain)

If you like Bill Evans, you may also like some of the old Chet Baker recordings--Evans is the pianist on many of them. As a trumpet player, I just love Baker's sound and style--so smooth and pretty, not all the pyrotechnics of many other trumpeters--just pretty melodies and a gorgeous vocal quality to his playing. My guilt pleasures are the "Chet Baker with Strings" recordings--there are several available from the 60s, and they are sappy but pretty!

Sadly, another heroin addicted soul who died waaaay too early, and deprived us of lots of great music.

[Kyle]

Cool! I'm a Chet Baker fan and have the "Chet Baker with Strings" album. I had no idea who Bill Evans was. I will have to go back and re-listen to check him out.

[luvgravy]

I'm surprised no one has come out as a fan of classic Piobaireachd.

The soothing sounds are quite refreshing.

[mrob]

Cool! I'm a Chet Baker fan and have the "Chet Baker with Strings" album. I had no idea who Bill Evans was. I will have to go back and re-listen to check him out.

Yeah, Chet was the greatest. The epitome of cool.

As much as I love his horn playing, I really am blown away by his singing. The sound of his voice is the definition of androgonous, but has an eerie, haunting kind of appeal. I could listen to his rendition of My Funny Valentine every day!

Its not common to find another Chet fan--its an acquired taste, I'm afraid. And requires massive amounts of sophistication and intellect--or so I tell myself.:redface:

[rossination]

My favorite trumpet player has to be Lee Morgan, though. Another guy who died way before his golden years. I just love the way he articulates things, and the energy that's behind every note. I would kill to be able to play that way!

[Straight Arrow]

As I wasn't a member when this thread went into remission, I thought I'd revive it for myself and other newer B&B members who'd like to respond.

I enjoy a wide variety of classical music and own approximately 1,000 classical records and many CD's.
While I enjoy them all, my favorite genre is early twentieth century: Stravinsky, Ravel, Debussy, Bartok, Prokofiev, etc. Of late I am into exploring 20th century organ works by Messiaen, Widor, Dupre, etc.

Exploring classical music is a lifelong wondrous quest with depths so vast that few people can do much more than scratch the surface.

[Stauff]

Bach (everything), Schubert (Lieder, piano, chamber works), Brahms (, chamber, choral, symphonies, Ein Deutsches Requiem), Mahler (Das Lied; Orchestral Lieder, Symphonies).

Have a weak spot for Elgar (violin concerto) and Vaughan-Williams (the lark ascending) as well.

[Mama Bear]

Mozarts 47th in G..... :001_wub:

Oh, wait, that is for housecleaning... not for shaving! Try Vivaldi! :redface:

[Dennis]

How the heck did I miss this thread the first go 'round?!?

I don't think I could list them all...

Ashkenazy playing Chopin - oh, the Ballades!

The Lindseys playing Beethoven String Quartets - I think Quartet 13 in Bb Op130 is a desert island pick for me. There is just so much emotion - you should check out the back story on that composition.

Brendel playing Beethoven Piano Sonatas. how can you not like the Sonatas? Pathetique, Mondschein....

I am a sucker for violin concertos - Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn... Jascha Heifetz is probably my favorite violist.

Bizet's Carmen...

Mozrt's Piano Concertos and Piano Sonatas. Those here with babies - much of that Baby Einstein music is from the Piano Sonatas.

I like most everything of Schubert - especially his quintets and piano sonatas.

That should cover me for now. Now I need to go find that jazz thread. :biggrin:

Dennis

[chop-chop]

My favorite trumpet player has to be Lee Morgan, though. Another guy who died way before his golden years. I just love the way he articulates things, and the energy that's behind every note. I would kill to be able to play that way!

Lee Morgan... great player! All of his work was done in Hi-Fidelity... but, he lost his contract due to In-Fidelity.

I'll have to look for that Jazz Thread! :thumbup1:

A few of my favorites:

Copland
Berlioz
Stravinsky
Ravel
Debussy

If you want to relax... Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings". It doesn't get much better than that!

>~iii<0

chop-chop

[catatonic]

I'm a bit of a classical newb, but so far I ahve a liking for Grieg and Debussy.

[Straight Arrow]

I'm a bit of a classical newb, but so far I ahve a liking for Grieg and Debussy.
Keep at it for awhile and you will become a bonafide devotee with CMAD.

[L. Martino]

Hi All,
Here's a couple of things I find enjoyable........music that 'moves' me in some positive way.
First, I DO love Les Preludes, by Franz Liszt. Having grown up in the black and white era of television, I watched Flash Gordon every Sunday morning. Some of that music was really beautiful, and it wasn't till I went through a TON of Wagner trying to find what it was, that I found out Wagner wasn't the composer at all! Sounded like something he'd do, but nope. Yeah, it was that rascal Liszt. So, Les Preludes has some great memories for me, as well as great musical weight. Very majestic, if you like that sort of thing
Let's see now....oh Jeeeeez..I have to include Gilbert and Sullivan, although those are operettas. My all time favorite is The Mikado.....these guys had a tremendous sense of humor, btw.
Let's see now, just one more suggestion for the lovers of gypsy violin: This piece is called Ziguenerweisen, and it's by Pablo Sarasate. Yeah, it's a real classic gypsy sound, which I like. Starts out slow, with a big build up. Quite wonderful, especially if you hear the recording done by Sarasate himself.
Martin

[mrob]

This really is a key to appreciating classical music. Its not like most popular music, which is more accessible--shorter, uses words/lyrics, more simple harmonic language, etc.

I've always thought of the difference between pop and classical music as being like the difference between home cooking and fine dining. Most nights I want a good, hot dinner on the table that doesn't require a lot of fussing around--meat loaf, chicken breats, etc.

But sometimes I like to linger over a fine meal, accompanied with a good glass of wine. It takes more time to appreciate and match components, and isn't for every night.

That said, sometimes nothing beats a good burger and a beer! (Which for me is jazz!)

:smile: :biggrin: :cursing: :001_wub: :o15: :c12: :em1500: :shaving: :a5: :a50: :a29: :scooter:
Sorry about the smilies--my 3 year old insisted!

[Bricktop]

I've really been listening to a lot of Bach recently. English and French Suites, WTC and Goldberg Variations, and the Brandenburg Concerti are prominent in the rotation. Concierto de Aranjuez by Roderigo is also getting a lot of eartime. Throw in a healthy sprinkling of Haydn, and I am covered.

[Doc4]

Many years ago, as a highschool student, I began my voyage into classical music by asking my Dad for the 1812 Overture for Xmas ... and he obliged (Barenboim & Chicago SO). I played it over and over, and then came Crucial Moment #1, when I decided (gasp) to TURN THE RECORD OVER and listen to the other side. That turned me from an "1812 guy" into a "classical music" guy.

Soon thereafter, my Dad saw my interest and gave me my second classical album: Beethoven's 9th Symphony (Klemperer & Phil.O). I was addicted to the 4th movement (on side 3), but the first three movements were kinda dull for a teenager. But after a while, I had Crucial Moment #2, when I made a conscious decision that I was going to sit there and listen to the whole thing straight through and NOT wander off for a snack in the seemingly interminable 3rd movement. I had turned the corner and was on my way to becoming a listener who Paid Attention.

This is the great thing about classical music. It's not just a pop hit, it's not just background music, it's the most complex, multi-layered (well, the best of it, anyhow) stuff out there. You're better off by far being an explorer in uncharted territory, and this stuff demands (or at least strongly suggests) that you Pay Attention and think about what you're hearing.

Oh, and the flip side of the 1812 was Capriccio Italian and the Slavonic March ... which now I would prefer to listen to rather than the 1812. But I kept exploring and now have, oh, 500 other things I'd rather listen to.

[mrob]

Great post!

[navy_shave]

I love nearly all classical music, especially for piano. Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Mozart--the list goes on and on. Sadly, the stuff I love the most I'll never be able to play. I'm somewhat of a duffer at the keyboard, but I still have fun.

[chop-chop]

I've always enjoyed listening to harpsichord music. Here's a little intro about it:



Harpsichord (Italian cembalo; French clavecin), stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked to produce sound. It was developed in Europe in the 14th or 15th century and was widely used from the 16th to the early 19th century, when it was superseded by the piano. In the 20th century the harpsichord was revived for performance of music of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, as well as for new compositions. The incisive sound quality of the plucked metal strings adds clarity to melodic lines. The harpsichord is particularly effective in performing contrapuntal music—that is, music that consists of two or more melodies played at the same time, such as that of the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

Unlike the piano, the harpsichord doesn't have "sustaining" pedals... so, you'll hear a lot of the musical ornamentation of the Baroque style when listening to harpsichord music.

I have to make a comment about the "1812" Overture:

The "1812" Overture always has had a history of producing its share of pranks during its performance. These pranks usually take place near the ending when the "cannons" are often heard. In the theater, the bass drum usually provides the "boom". A couple of the more notable pranks that I know of involved 1.) sending a shower of pillow feathers down on the audience; and 2.) sending a shower of ping-pong balls down on the audience... in a well-known theater.

On occasion, to sound very authentic, actual cannons are used for performances... given the right performance venue. I've played the "1812" more times than I can remember. Well, for one performance, they used an 8-gauge cannon... one that was typically used for starting yacht club races. This particular performance was held in a college auditorium/gymnasium. Again, knowing the piece quite well, you know exactly when to expect the "boom". I'll also add that the cannons are not typically used for rehearsals. During that performance, I'll bet that I must have popped about what seemed like a foot off my chair. Not only was the cannon loud, its sound was amplified by the acoustics of the gymnasium. That was 35 years ago, and I still have "shell shock" thinking about it! :biggrin:

chop-chop