Classical Music

[brownjenkins]

i enjoy all sort of instruments, if played tastefully... even accordion and bagpipe

harmonica, though i play it in my band sometimes and do like it, is one that bothers me very much when overplayed

[hectorberlioz]

yeah, harmonica isnt too great.
I cant believe I use to dislike flute and harp!, not until I heard Berlioz's "L'Enfance Du Christ" did I learn an appreciation for those instruments. I still think harp can sound sappy and dumb, but only in the hands of some new age musician who happens to perform in bookstores in my town...

[hectorberlioz]

Enter Charles Ives, the american Berlioz

http://www.charlesives.org/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...236049-9715154
his second symphony is absolutely THE best piece of muisc I've heard written by an american.

[Fat middle]

Originally posted by brownjenkins
the problem i see is getting too caught up in the mechanics of the music and losing site of the inspiration

Absolutely!

I usually say that Cage, among others, are more worried about the "grammar of the music" than about the music itself.

That can be said also of many other 20th century composers.

Britten is not one of them, though

[hectorberlioz]

Yes, Britten is the greatest of the brit composers...and next is William Walton.
here is a very interesting spanish composer, Enrique Grenados
http://www.naxos.com/composer/granados.htm

it is said that he could have survived the destroyed ship that he was on, but he had some gold in his belt that wieghed him down... a strange death for a composer.

[Mercutio]

You forgot Ralph Vaughan Williams and John Rutter.

[hectorberlioz]

Ok, but I havent heard much by them

[Mercutio]

Do you like church music? Get "Vaughan Williams Hymnal."

And there is a beautiful oboe concerto by him.


Then try John Rutter's Requiem.

[Mercutio]

I just ordered an Oboe cd from "Instruments of Classical Music" series for $2 plus shipping--hope its good.

Anybody know anything about that series?

And hectorberlioz...I'm working on a berlioz fantasique cd!

[hectorberlioz]

well hurry up and get it!
but I still say you should get his requiem first

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
Well hurry up and get it!
but I still say you should get his requiem first

Do you have reasons?

[hectorberlioz]

I first listened to the requiem, and thats how it should be for anyone's first Berlioz, thats reason enough.

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
I first listened to the requiem, and thats how it should be for anyone's first Berlioz, thats reason enough.

oh



I meant serious reasons .

[hectorberlioz]

Because its the most powerful piee of sacred music I'e ever heard...and perhaps the most wonderful work from a composer ever

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
Because its the most powerful piee of sacred music I'e ever heard...and perhaps the most wonderful work from a composer ever

Basicly, its better than Fantastique?

[hectorberlioz]

Originally posted by Mercutio
Basicly, its better than Fantastique?

by far...
The symphonie is interesting and exciting, but te requiem is powerful, uplifting (torwards the end), and just so dynamic....
here's the recording I recommend...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...ce&s=classical
it annoys me when they dont show the covers, so i dug this up...
http://www.rondomagazin.de/fuehrer/b...over/hb02a.jpg

[Mercutio]

I got my all-state band and orch. cd's a few days ago...try to copy it the comp. so you can listen to my beautiful oboe solo in "Polovietsian Dances" by...oh I forget now.

Borodin. Yeah.... Aleksandre Borodin (one of the big 5 Russian guys I think).

And we also did part of a symphony by Dvorak. That was really fun.

And in All-State band we did a version of "Festive Overture" by Shostakovich. Neato.


That was not "americanized" spelling (or if it was, I was not aware of that). It was remember-the-weird-names-off-the-top-of-my-head spelling.

[hectorberlioz]

Aleksandre Borodin
and Shostakovich.
stop with those stupid american version of russian names please .
Which Dvorak symphony? one of the last three I hope...

[Mercutio]

Symphony No. 8 in G Major, op. 88: IV. Allegro ma non troppo

by Dvorak

[Fat middle]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
Yes, Britten is the greatest of the brit composers...and next is William Walton.
here is a very interesting spanish composer, Enrique Grenados
http://www.naxos.com/composer/granados.htm

it is said that he could have survived the destroyed ship that he was on, but he had some gold in his belt that wieghed him down... a strange death for a composer.

Hehe, I didn't know that story about Granados' death. Indeed, it's a strange death for a composer

For me, the greatest Spanish composer has been Manuel de Falla. His "El Amor Brujo" (The Witch Love?) is a very powerful music. But I think that his music is too concerned with Spanish folklore to be understood by a non-spaniard audience.

Granados piano works and songs are also excellent, but best piano author is Isaac Albeniz with his Iberia Suite. Though it has the same problem I mentioned about Falla.