Classical music

I meant to reply to this thread earlier, but forgot! At any rate, I guess my favorite classical music is probably Baroque, although I definitely do not limit my listening to that genre. :slight_smile:

Favorite composers: Bach (Brandenburgs esp., of course), Handel (Water Music, Royal Fireworks, Messiah), Torelli, Locatelli, Telemann, Vivaldi. I also dearly love Mozart, though am not certain he is really a “Baroque” composer. :slight_smile:

Also have a fondness for (in no particular order of fondness, btw ;)):
Rossini, Bixet, Beethoven, Chopin, & Grieg.

bah, I should have previewed this! LOL Naturally, I meant Bizet (blast that pinky finger, slipped again!).

Nice list, Dragon Phoenix. I thought I knew my way around classical music, but your list contains a lot of pieces (and even composers) I’ve never heard of. Good to know there is still enough left to explore.

And yosemitebabe, thanks for the explanation. You are right that it grows on you. Still to me it feels more like an old family member with strange quirks with which, with time, I have gotten used to and would miss if he were no longer around, rather than a dearly beloved member who you’re always happy to see.

To be honest, I’ve never heard it, but I’ve never been too much of a Strauss fan (either of them).

Sorry to nitpick, but nothing on your list is technically a song.
“Piece” is generally a good word to go with.

And since it was on your list I’ll just mention that I find the Prelude to Tristan and Isolde simply orgasmic. (OK, so perhaps I could use a good lay, but until then all I have is the genious work of that anti-semetic scum).

Dragon Pheonix: I own Sallinen’s 6th (got it because I heard the Sunrise Serenade, which is a pleasant little ditty), and for the life of me I can’t figure out what he or other modern types like the Kronos Quartet are trying to do.
So, what exactly are they trying to do?

Anything performed by Anne Sophie Mutter!

shrugs

I like it, but then again, I also very much like the Kronos Quartet. They are approaching music from a different angle - just try repeated listening. If it does not work for you, it does not. YMMV and all that jazz.

I find it difficult to explain why I like certain music. It is too much emotional to survive analysis.

My favorite classical stuff right now is Stravinsky, Varese, Ligeti, and Zappa (Frank, not Francesco, not to belittle Francesco). I haven’t heard enough by any of them yet, though.

Composers I need to get into (besides the above):
Webern
Schoenberg, perhaps
Glass
Ornstein
Ives
Cage
Satie

I like many of the pieces and composers previously mentioned. I’ll add the following:

Debussy - piano music, La Mer, 3 nocturnes for orchestra

Ravel - piano music, Daphnis and Chloe (ballet)

Daphnis and Chloe has been excerpted into two suites. Suite #2 is a must listen, especially the dawn section at the beginning and the bacchanal at the end. If you listen to this, make sure you get a version including the chorus.

I spent 21 years in the alto section of a symphony chorus, so most of my picks are choral:
Prokofiev - ALEXANDER NEVSKY
Brahms - GERMAN REQUIEM
Mozart - REQUIEM
Walton - BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST
Orff - CARMINA BURANA
Mahler - 8TH SYMPHONY
It’s the stuff that’s fun to sing and makes the chorus the star!
Non-choral stuff that I like:
Satie’s GYMNOPIDES
Albinoni - ADAGIO
Copland - almost anything
Beethoven - 6TH SYMPHONY

My favorite composer is Brahms. His music is just exquisite. :slight_smile: Next in line is Beethoven, whose music just leaves me breathless, it’s so beautiful. :slight_smile:

I just love any recording of classical music by L’Archibudelli. There’s such joy in their performances.

I also like:

Chopin–I’m amazed at his nocturnes. How did he manage not to put himself to sleep while composing and/or playing them? :confused: [giggle] Anytime I need to mellow out, I just play one of his nocturnes. They’re better than alcohol sometimes, I tell you. I don’t mean that Chopin’s music is boring by any means, though.

Debussy–Like Chopin, his “La Mer,” among other pieces is just amazing in its power to create a sense of tranquility.

I listen to all types of composers. I’m just too tired to type the rest of them out here.

I just have a quick question.

I’m looking for a particular piece of music but I don’t know who it is by or what it is called. All I can say is that it has a part where it sounds like the Jaws theme song.

Ring any bells anyone??

WAG, but is it Dvorak’s New World 4th movement ?

Aaah yes thankyou, that’s it. My days of searching are over. :

N/P. You should listen to the complete symphony. One of my very favourites.