Classical Music

[Mercutio]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Let me tell you: there's this great bargain disc which I started out with. It's from the sony label, and its a collec. of Preludes and Fugues along with the Toccata and Fugue, and the large scale Pastorale. E. Power Biggs is the organist, and the disc should only cost about eight, nine dollars.

E Power Biggs? I'd second that reccommendation.


I personally haven't practiced organ in about a month! ....but I have mono, can't even go to school for the whole day, sleep a lot, have some major tests coming up...I'll get back into the swing of things this summer. One of the things I was working on was Bach's Prelude (or Fantasia) and Fugue...what was it now BWV 537 (C minor). Still have to finish that up.

[Spock]

Con 1 in D minor (I believe) was my first classical record....great sound.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Spock

uh, now we'll have to stand at attention for hours

You most definitely do....

I'm not kidding, th library is closing right now. Adieu for now!

[Spock]

....watches the Valkyers flying high, and toast them with Becks.....

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Mercutio

E Power Biggs? I'd second that reccommendation.

Thats because Yoou ARE E.Power Biggs


The Ring Cycle I got is conducted by Gunter Neuhold (I also have Franck's Symphony conducted by him).
I never imagined the Ride of the Valkyries could sound so...vicious! And Brilliant
All of it is genius as far as I'm concerned (though I havent listened to Die Gotterdammerung without bieng interrupted).
Das Rheingold is great especially with the Rhinemaidens, very lovely.
And the whole thing is a live recording, so the applause at the end of each act is great and satisfying to hear (and those Wagnerians are nuts!)

Tritan Und Isolde conducted by Carlos Kleiber is another great Wagner recording I have. The second act is especially riveting. I've also listened to my much beloved Die Miestersinger/Solti recording.

Other additions to my collection include Samuel Barber's two symphonies (along with the Essays for Orchestra and some other pieces), but the real great piece by him is Knoxville: summer of 1915.

[Mercutio]

so my English teacher is arguing that Mozart is a pre-romantic composer. (vs. Haydn, those guys). So Mozart isn't quite as rational and straight and such...more emotional. But not all the way. Hence pre-romantic. However he also argues that Beethoven was a romantic...which I can see in a sense compared to the previous classical composers. But none of them are like the romantic composers I think of...those French fellows like Saint Saens and Frank, Chopin, Schubert, ya know.

?

Btw, we are currently studying 18th century, pre-romantic, and romantic poets. Hence he discusses some musical and political history along the way. We watched part of Amadeus to get the idea of 18th century society. The wigs, ornateness, piles of hair, etc.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Mercutio

so my English teacher is arguing that Mozart is a pre-romantic composer. (vs. Haydn, those guys). So Mozart isn't quite as rational and straight and such...more emotional. But not all the way. Hence pre-romantic. However he also argues that Beethoven was a romantic...which I can see in a sense compared to the previous classical composers. But none of them are like the romantic composers I think of...those French fellows like Saint Saens and Frank, Chopin, Schubert, ya know.

?

Btw, we are currently studying 18th century, pre-romantic, and romantic poets. Hence he discusses some musical and political history along the way. We watched part of Amadeus to get the idea of 18th century society. The wigs, ornateness, piles of hair, etc.

Mozart is definitely not a romantic! He composed with a little more passion than others in his time, but if thats what makes a composer a romantic, then Bach beats him through and through!
Neither Beethoven nor Schubert are romantic composers, nor are they distinctly classical. They sortof fall into a category all their own, unless you want to dub it the post-classical period.

Romantic composers had one ideal in particular that distinguishes the romantic attitude: idea above aesthetic. Thats why so much of their music is descriptive (not generalizing moods like the Pastoral symphony), and why its so passionate.

Mozart was definitely revolutionary, but not AS revolutionary as Beethoven. He was a genius, hence his flawless hand at aesthetics. He wasn't a brainless machine, but Beethoven was the one who struggled with the notes and what they should mean; this is why the romantics loved Beethoven so much.


Opinion: Which recording of Bach's St. Matthews Passion should I get?

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

the academy of st martin in the fields if you can,
i heard a live performance from them on classicfm and twas brilliant

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Mozart is definitely not a romantic! He composed with a little more passion than others in his time, but if thats what makes a composer a romantic, then Bach beats him through and through!
Neither Beethoven nor Schubert are romantic composers, nor are they distinctly classical. They sortof fall into a category all their own, unless you want to dub it the post-classical period.

Romantic composers had one ideal in particular that distinguishes the romantic attitude: idea above aesthetic. Thats why so much of their music is descriptive (not generalizing moods like the Pastoral symphony), and why its so passionate.

Mozart was definitely revolutionary, but not AS revolutionary as Beethoven. He was a genius, hence his flawless hand at aesthetics. He wasn't a brainless machine, but Beethoven was the one who struggled with the notes and what they should mean; this is why the romantics loved Beethoven so much.

I agree with almost all. But for me Schubert is more a romantic than a classical composser. Mainly on account of his piano works: they are very free, and break with concept of form. His imprompti and his "musical momments" are very romantic conceptions.

Also his number of unfinished sonatas makes him a non-classical composer: for him it was more important the inspiration (concept, idea) than the structure.

However, I agree that much of his orchestral work does sound as classical.

Opinion: Which recording of Bach's St. Matthews Passion should I get?

Hehe, last night I was listening to "The Work" and I was thinking that I'd like to get another recording of it

Mine is DECCA: Solti, Chicago Simphony, with Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne Sophie Von Otter, Blochwitz, Bär and others. I love it. I know it's not as accurate as the performances with original instruments, but Solti was too good a conductor to make a wrong interpretation of this work. Besides, the singers and chorus are wonderful. It's not a bad choice IMHO.

Anyway, after being hooked for months with Gardiner's Christmas Oratorio I feel that is time for me to get a vesion of The Passion with original instruments.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

I agree with almost all. But for me Schubert is more a romantic than a classical composser. Mainly on account of his piano works: they are very free, and break with concept of form. His imprompti and his "musical momments" are very romantic conceptions.

Also his number of unfinished sonatas makes him a non-classical composer: for him it was more important the inspiration (concept, idea) than the structure.

However, I agree that much of his orchestral work does sound as classical.


Hehe, last night I was listening to "The Work" and I was thinking that I'd like to get another recording of it

Mine is DECCA: Solti, Chicago Simphony, with Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne Sophie Von Otter, Blochwitz, Bär and others. I love it. I know it's not as accurate as the performances with original instruments, but Solti was too good a conductor to make a wrong interpretation of this work. Besides, the singers and chorus are wonderful. It's not a bad choice IMHO.

Anyway, after being hooked for months with Gardiner's Christmas Oratorio I feel that is time for me to get a vesion of The Passion with original instruments.

Solti doesnt dissapoint unless the work is smaller and more intimate, though his Schubert is good.

[hectorberlioz]

Got Saint-saen's Third Symphony and Liszt's Faust Symphony. Love them both

[Janny]

Just so I can sound grown up, I've recently been listening to Mozart's flute concertos, K285, K285a and b and K292. I'm not sure I can really make objective comment, but I can understand their choice as music to play to encourage learning.

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Got Saint-saen's Third Symphony and Liszt's Faust Symphony. Love them both

Is the Saint-Saen's one the one with organ or that's from Poulenc?

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Janny

Just so I can sound grown up, I've recently been listening to Mozart's flute concertos, K285, K285a and b and K292. I'm not sure I can really make objective comment, but I can understand their choice as music to play to encourage learning.

As is all of Mozart's music!

And FMiddle, the Saint-saens one is the "Organ" Symphony. I know Poulenc wrote for organ, but I don't think he wrote any symphonies. But his Colleague Arthur Honnegar did, and I look forward to listening to no.5, as well as to Pacific 231

[Janny]

Dvorak's Mass in D Major. :O My!

Hector, do you know of an English composer called John Rutter? Have you heard his Requiem?

[Mercutio]

We have Rutter's Requieum..as well as a bunch of other things like Cambridge Singers (is that the name?) with him. Great composer.

Btw, http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp (ArkivMusic sells classical cds) is going to be having a sale on all Naxos. If you're unfamiliar, there are over 3,000 cds under that label. They are very decent recordings at good prices (I believe they can be very affordable because Naxos uses older, more obscure recordings from not-so-well-known orchestras). They may be cheap to buy but are by no means cheap recordings.

Anyway, all Naxos cds are US$ 5.99 . We have many Naxos cds already, and arkivmusic is a very reputable distributer.

enjoy

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

And FMiddle, the Saint-saens one is the "Organ" Symphony. I know Poulenc wrote for organ, but I don't think he wrote any symphonies.

Then it is the one I once listened to by radio. I remember that I liked it very much

[EarthBound]

I've played guitar since I was four, classical is my forte the last decade...anyone else play? Forgive me I didn't read back that far in the posts but wanted to poke my head in and hummm a few bars of Debussy.

[Mercutio]

My pastor studied classical guitar at Peabody.

[trolls' bane]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Someone just gave me the complete set of Wagner's Ring!!

*lowers fishing reel from sky light and snatches the Ring Cycle*
I have two of the four. I recorded it from KUSC. *Go Jim Svejda!*

Oh, and btw, this is my 1000th Post!
Can you believe that I finally made it!?!?!?!?