Classical Music

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by trolls' bane

Um, is Siegfried Idyll from Siegfried or Gotterdammarung?

I thought the same too...but it's an individual piece, so named Siegfried for his newborn son...it was played in the Wagner home, at the bottom of the stairs for Cosima after...well, I forget the rest, but Richard Strauss' father was the horn player in that preformance.

[Lotesse]

Here, check this out HectorBerlioz - a great site for Bach lovers in general -
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/bachindex.html

[Elanor]

I'm a cellist, so I like most classical music, but I wouldn't claim to be an expert.

Some of my favorite pieces that I've played or gotten to know very well are:
The Harmonious Blacksmith, by Handel
American Quintet, by Dvorak
Bach's Suites for Unaccompanied cello
The Swan, by Saint-Saens.
Finlandia, by Sibelius
Elegie by Faure
Pretty much everything by Vivaldi

[trolls' bane]

Really? It sounds a lot like the Rhine Journey or Siegfried's Overture. Same music, sort of, I gather.

That's right, I forgot he named his son Siegfried.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Elanor

I'm a cellist, so I like most classical music, but I wouldn't claim to be an expert.

Some of my favorite pieces that I've played or gotten to know very well are:
The Harmonious Blacksmith, by Handel
American Quintet, by Dvorak
Bach's Suites for Unaccompanied cello
The Swan, by Saint-Saens.
Finlandia, by Sibelius
Elegie by Faure
Pretty much everything by Vivaldi

Your taste reminds me of my piano teacher. She really likes Vivaldi

[trolls' bane]

I was browsing through a few different recordings of the Rhapsody in Blue. THe one by Leonard Bernstien beats mine by a full car--I mean song--length. Parts of that piano solo thing at the end aren't quite as good as my other recording.

[Lotesse]

http://www.offthemark.com/Images/comics/comics21.gif

[trolls' bane]

LOL!!!! That is a GOOD one!

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by trolls' bane

I was browsing through a few different recordings of the Rhapsody in Blue. THe one by Leonard Bernstien beats mine by a full car--I mean song--length. Parts of that piano solo thing at the end aren't quite as good as my other recording.

Mine isnt very great either...one day I sent my mom to hastings to buy the LB version, but she got me this Oscar Levant recording ("it was cheaper"), which really isnt bad...but, the recording is fuzzy, and sounds distand somehwat. I havent been able to bring myself to buy the LB one either...it only has An american in Paris and the Rhpasody on it, that only comes out to 20 odd mins. Not worth it...

[trolls' bane]

That's it? "An American in PAris" must be short.

[Elanor]

I'm afraid I do the same thing to classical music that I do to movie music... I write silly words to it. An example:

Hear that blacksmith, Harmonious Blacksmith,
Hammering, hammering all day long.
Hear that blacksmith, Harmonious Blacksmith,
Hammering, hammering out his song?
When you hear it, you will want to dance,
As you wander past his little smithy by the zoo, but
Please keep walking. If you start a-dancing,
Harmonious Blacksmith will be dancing too.

And when blacksmiths start dancing, they make funny things,
Such as butterfly horseshoes and axles with wings,

That's all I have so far!

----------

To Dvorak's American Quintet, I sing the words, "Dead fish without a head!" to the whole thing. It fits really well!

Dead fish without a head! Dead fish without a head!
Fishy, little fishy, little fishy with no head.
Dead fish without a head! Dead fish without a head!
Fishy, little fishy, little fishy with no head.

(mournfully) Dead fish without a head, Dead fish without a head,
Dead fish without a head, Dead little fishy.
(tremolo) Dead little fishy, oh dead little fishy, oh dead little fishy, oh dead little fishy!
Dead little fishy, oh dead little fishy, oh dead little fishy, oh!
dead
little
fishy
fishy
fishy
fishy!

I have some more but I'm sure you're all apalled enough by now...

[trolls' bane]

Umm...

[Elanor]

I know, it's completely terrible!

[trolls' bane]

[trolls' bane]

I am now going back over both my Rhapsody in Blue recordings. LB wins before the 12:00 mark (they are both 16 minute recordings within 10 seconds of each other), but Libor Pesek beats ten to one in those last four minutes.

Anyway, I was going to ask you, hector, if you could PM me some recommendations for brand new classical fans. I was trying to build a list on BCM, but I ran out of ideas, I suck at labeling (I NEVER put "allegro" or any of that because even I--Classical Expert, La Quinta/Los Angeles Division--don't understand it.), and what I do put is sort of broad, not to mention that half of the music on the list is NOT easy to come by or even beginner-suitable (IMO). Too much Siegfried, too much Beethoven, and not enough Bach.

[trolls' bane]

I have decided, however, that the Carmina Burana, no matter what, will not go on that list, as much as I like it. It should be on an Intmerediate list.

[Janny]

John Rutter's The Gift of Music was released recently. Very, very nice. *is a fan of choral*

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by trolls' bane

That's it? "An American in PAris" must be short.

That's me exagerrating...
An American in Paris is about eighteen mins long, and Rhapsody is about thirteen...

[trolls' bane]

Oh...
That's another thing we have in common.

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

I bought Bach's Mass in B minor, Klemperer conducting. Was that a good pick FM?

You know, for me Klemperer is always a good choice Haven't listened to this one, though. I suppose it must sound quite romantic, but I don't think that's bad to this music. Bach's music is superb both in historical interpretations and in the romantic ones .

The only Mass in B minor I've got is conducted by Celibidache. It's one of those unathorized recordings that were sold during his life. I like it very much, although the sound is not good.

I was planning, anyway to buy a hystorical interpretation.

Another thing. I'm looking forward to your review on Herrewegue's Matthew