Classical Music II

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

But I absolutely love the exuberant vivacity that one finds in the new generation of baroque musicians. It really makes the blood flow through the old veins.

I cannot agree more!!!

[hectorberlioz]

I've been listening to a little of everything, recently. Actually, most of the composers names start with B, so that's a connector between them. Bruckner, Bach, Berlioz...

[Gwaimir Windgem]

And a little Bozart every now and then, eh?

[hectorberlioz]

Bozart is for mozos, so I don't touch it

Actually, his piano concertos and symphonies are divine.

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Bozart is for mozos

O RLY?

I don't care what you think. Mozart is my favorite composer of all time.

That said, i generally don't touch big, brassy, bombastic 19th-century music, myself.

To each his/her own!

[hectorberlioz]

Voronwen, it was only for the sake of the joke that I said that. Mozart is one of my favorites also . The Requiem, the Mass in C minor, the late symphonies, Piano Concerto No.20...I could go further.

(and Le Nozze di Figaro! And Die Zauberflot...and...)

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

The Requiem, the Mass in C minor, the late symphonies, Piano Concerto No.20...I could go further.

(and Le Nozze di Figaro! And Die Zauberflot...and...)

* *


I know, there is no chosing just one favorite among his works!

[Voronwen]

More Baroque love...

This aria is from Handel's opera Orlando. The character of Angelica is saying farewell to the green and lovely places where she and her true love spent their time.

Verdi piante, erbette liete

I love this aria and want to learn it! I've never heard one that's ever come this close to being something that could have been written for me - range, temperament, style, everything. I've gone looking for the score, though, and it seems to be quite rare as i was not able to find it.

Does anyone here know of a good supplier for rare baroque opera scores? Tessar? (Maybe this should have been a Singers' Thread post.. )

[hectorberlioz]

I'm listening to "La Damnation de Faust" by Berlioz.

[Voronwen]

I'm listening to lots of Mozart today. I have an hours-long playlist of his concerti and divertimenti with some symphonic pieces thrown in that i've had playing all afternoon. It's going perfectly with my mood and with the slightly fallish weather we're now having here after some storms have passed.

[Tessar]

Here you go: http://imslp.org/wiki/Orlando,_HWV_3...eorge_Frideric)

It's in the public domain.

Unfortunately I doubt you'll be able to find a piano reduction, but it shouldn't be impossible to make a basic one of your own out of the orchestral score. Probably time consuming if you're not used to doing that, but I know it can be done.

[hectorberlioz]

Voronwen,

I listened to the first disc of my set of 'Die Zauberflote.' I think it gets better with time, though I've always liked it. But I really really enjoyed it this time.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I'm absolutely love the Mad Scene from Orlando; I think it's some of the best music Handel wrote. I liked it when I first heard it, but it grows on me more and more with each hearing.

[Voronwen]

Tessar - * THANK YOU!!!! * xoxoxoxox

hectorberlioz -That's my favorite Mozart opera I also love Don Giovanni, The Impresario, and The Abduction from the Seraglio. They're ALL brilliant, but those are my faves.

Gwaimir - my favorite Handel 'mad scene' has to be Alcina's!!!

[hectorberlioz]

Voronwen,

I'm actually short on complete Mozart operas. When the "symphony bug" took over me I started shrifting opera. My loss: still don't have DG or the others you mentioned. I do have Figaro, and that one still delights me (up until the 3rd Act, which is a bit tedious).

Last night I listened to the Lodron Nightmusic Kv.287 by Mozart.

Today I listened to Palestrina's mass "Christi Munera" and then to Sibelius' 7th symphony. Sibelius was influenced by Palestrina in his later works, so I was trying to make a connection between the two. Those arching lines in the first main theme of the symphony are very Palestrina-esque.

Then I listened to Carl Nielsen's Symphony No.5, which is a very spooky symphony, as well as grand. The opening and second movements especially. And now I'm listening to Prokofiev's Symphony No.5, which is colorful, sardonic (though less than other works of his), and mostly triumphal. I love the ending, which doesn't end in a long brass peroration but instead opts for funny woodwinds and strings that sing the choppy theme, then break off.

[Voronwen]

Get the Impresario (in German Der Schauspieldirektor) next! It's short (one act), sweet and delightful. It has little plot, and what plot there is is fluffy, but the music is uplifting and fun. Basically it's two divas battling it out for the prima donna position of an opera house - a coloratura-soubrette (Miss Silverpeal - and yes, i've learned the role! ) and a dramatic coloratura (Madame Herz). In the end, everyone learns to work together, but the little musical duels between the two ladies make it exhilaratingly comical It was originally a singspiel, but most of the original dialogue is missing and so lots of performing groups today write their own dialogue and set it in whatever time and place they want. I've always thought it would be a hoot to set it in Middle Earth and have the two divas be a human vs. an elf or something What FUN!

Actually, here you go: the Opera Today site has a streaming audio of this one, featuring Editha Gruberova as Madame Herz - Schauspieldirektor

Enjoy!!!

[hectorberlioz]

Thanks! I love the Overture to that opera. And Edita Gruberovna is wonderful!

[Voronwen]

You're very welcome!

ETA, my "dream cast" for this one would have Sandrine Piau as Miss Silverpeal and Natalie Dessay as Madame Herz. That would ROCK!!! I wonder if they ever sang those roles... I know at least Dessay did at the beginning of her career. Piau would be perfect as Miss S!

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Dessay as a dramatic? But her voice is so deliciously light and clear!

[Tessar]

Is Madame Herz a dramatic soprano role? I thought Editha was a lyric anyhow, and Voronwen was just saying she sang the role. Doesn't mean anything, I guess, as I've heard lots of lyrics trying to do dramatic roles . But still.