The Classical Music Thread

I know that there are plenty of classical music lovers here at TWC. Thus there deserves to be a thread dedicated to the discussion of arguably the "best", most entertaining, most intellectual, most emotional, most technical, most widespread, most influencial, most artistic, most _________, you fill in the blank, genre of music in the history of Man. I don't think there is a more diverse genre out there or ever will be out there. Classical music, whether you enjoy Baroque style or the minimalist tendencies of today's composers, is such a far reaching and effecting music that there deserves to be a place to further explore and learn it. Hopefully here is where that will happen.

So I'll start off with some general questions.

I. What is your favorite time period for classical music?
II. Who is your favorite composer?
III. What is your favorite composition?





If there is already a thread on this then I apologize.
_______________________________________________________

In response to my own questions,

i. A hard one to answer but I'd say late 19th century to early 20th century.
ii. That is an easy one for me: Dimitri Shostakovich.
iii. Either between Shostakovich's 11th Symphony, most especially the 2nd and 4th movements, or Camille Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony, especially the 4th movement. There are always new composers and songs to discover though!

One important note, the Dallas Symphony is having a Beethoven Festival where they are playing all 9 of Beethoven's symphonies. I want to go to the performance of his 9th. That'd be an experience of a lifetime so hopefully I'll get to go.

What about you guys? Have any suggestions for those who aren't so learned in the ways of the glory of classical music to listen to?

I may as well chip in with my favourites and fancies, even though, to be brutally honest, I’m still very much a classical novice.

With that being said, I shall proceed.

I. Nineteen-fifty to the present day. Although, in saying that, I’m also quite partial to a number of works by Giuseppe Verdi (so, as it would seem, I’m not really a philistine).

II. Michael Nyman, ‘Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds’, anyone?

III. ‘Tintinnabulum’ by Karl Jenkins, or ‘Similarities Between Diverse Things’ by Joby Talbot.

Anyhow, I’ve much to learn.

Edit: I completely forgot about Arnold Schoenberg, so, without further ado, I recommend the following:

Dreimal tausend Jahre [Three times a thousand years], op. 50a
Friede auf Erden [Peace on earth], op. 13
A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46
Herzgewächse [Foliage of the heart] for High Soprano (with harp, celesta & harmonium) op. 20

Soon I will be heading to the music library to look these works up! Keep giving music suggestions! I will give some.

Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 "Organ" by Camille Saint-Saëns
Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz
Symphony no. 4 in F minor by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 1 The Lord of the Rings by Johan de Meij
Symphony No. 11 in G Minor, Op. 103 (The Year 1905) by Dimitri Shostakovich
Sonetto 104 del Petrarca by Franz Liszt (possibly the most beautiful work ever composed)
"Dracula" by Philip Glass, performed by the Kronos Quartet
Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome) by Ottorino Respighi

and there is so much more...

Originally Posted by Secret Elvis

I may as well chip in with my favourites and fancies, even though, to be brutally honest, I’m still very much a classical novice.

With that being said, I shall proceed.

[LEFT]I. Nineteen-fifty to the present day. Although, in saying that, I’m also quite partial to a number of works by Giuseppe Verdi (so, as it would seem, I’m not really a philistine).

II. Michael Nyman, ‘Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds’, anyone?

And yet you seem to respond well to neo-baroque nyman...

Well, I have been introduced to both Purcell and Telemann through my fondness for Nyman. So, by anyone’s standards, a rather conspicuous pattern would appear to be forming.

Anyhow, it’s always a joy to be a beginner!

II. Michael Nyman, ‘Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds’, anyone?

I looked it up on Youtube. I'm highly suspicious of modern music but this is interesting. I'm intrigued.

Originally Posted by Trax

I looked it up on Youtube. I'm highly suspicious of modern music but this is interesting. I'm intrigued.

how delightfully cool!

My first concious exposure to Michael Nyman's music was in the film Prospero's Books. I also picked up an interest in Ute Lemper at the same time!

And as for the topic at hand; I'm absolutely stuck in the Baroque and Renaissance musical eras - and Primarily of vocal music. I of course enjoy music from all periods and styles, but generally things that in turn remind me of the first two.

Composer I'll just pick Henry Purcel and Composition His Opera Dido & Aeneas... For no other reason that it seems back in theme with twcenter...

Cheers for the recommendations.

In regards to Michael Nyman, I strongly advise anybody with even the slightest degree of curiosity to immediately invest in copies of both ‘A Zed & Two Noughts’, and most importantly, ‘The Draughtsman’s Contract’, as they are perfect introductions to his main body of work.

I. What is your favorite time period for classical music?
II. Who is your favorite composer?
III. What is your favorite composition?

The Romantic period.
Franz Liszt.
Liebesträume No.3.

I am new to classical and his work sounds good.

I. Baroque
II. Hard to say
III.

Oh god, it can still bring a tear or two in the corner of my eye.

I just got all of the music that ya'll suggested. Soon I'll be listening to it all. I'll let ya'll know what I think.

The Moldau by Smetana is, I think, the most beautiful piece of music in existence. It contains an element that I find irresistable in both music and literature. I would explain this element as a feeling of vastness and mystery, of limitless horizons; I never think of a river when I listen to The Moldau, instead it brings to my mind a movement across a vast plain with no end.

Ah, we listened to that song and his music in my last music class. It was good indeed!

Here is a question I've always wanted to ask,

If you were making a movie, what composer would you pick to write the music (can be any composer)?

Originally Posted by Lord Rahl

If you were making a movie, what composer would you pick to write the music (can be any composer)?

In a completely imaginary world, I’d have to say that I would absolutely love to both watch and listen to a film with a score composed by Peter (Pyotr) Ilich Tchaikovsky. Due in fact, to what one could describe as his great experience in writing for action and incident. Although then again, who wouldn’t want to see at least one of his ballets faithfully adapted for the big screen?

Anyone with sense, I take it?

Originally Posted by Lord Rahl

I just got all of the music that ya'll suggested. Soon I'll be listening to it all. I'll let ya'll know what I think.

Do you know of a place where we too can find and listen to the fine music?


Anyway, my answers:


I. Well to be honest there is no specific period and each has its magnificence.

II. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

III. 9th symphony New World (4th movement) - Antonin Dvorak

And now for something completely different, frightening, otherworldly - a male soprano.

1. and 3. are hard to tell.
2. Edward Grieg has a tiny edge over J.S. Bach.

I. What is your favorite time period for classical music?
Early to mid 19th century. Anything really from the Romantic era.
II. Who is your favorite composer?
Tchaikovsky
III. What is your favorite composition?
Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

I) From Ars Nova to the end of Baroque music. After, music becomes vulgar, though there are some interesting flares here and there (I'm listening to Adams' "Nixon in China" atm) ...
II) God incarnated, aka Johann Sebastian Bach
III) Die Kunst der Fugue BWV 1080


oh, and :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxBT1pfVAKQ

Originally Posted by Sidus Preclarum

oh, and :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxBT1pfVAKQ

Magnificent! Thank you!
Now, I need more of this.