What piece do you want to perform ... again?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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There are enough musicians posting to this board so I think I’ll get a decent response to this. The question is, what piece of music have you sung, played, farted, etc. that you would love to perform again?

My list (I should mention that I sing baritone with the Arizona State University Choral Union, which is the resident chorus for the ASU Symphony and the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra):

Brahms’ Eine Deutshce Requiem (A German Requiem)
Challenging, powerful, but very melodic. I listen to this one at my desk constantly. My favorite movement is Denn alles Fleisch.

Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms
Like many contemporary pieces, this has a number of disonant passages. However, in this case, disonance is used for good instead of evil. Varies from flowing and melodic to harsh and “angry.”

Selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
We provided choral back-up to about 5 soloists (some sang multiple roles) and did three performances with the PSO. The crowd was packed in every night and gave us a standing ovation complete with hootin’ and hollerin’ after every performance. It was quite a rush. I had a large time with this one.

Mozart’s Requiem
I’ve performed this twice (the first time when I was in college) and listened to it thousands of times. I still experience a rush of emotions every time I hear it. The last time I sang it was four years ago, which really isn’t that long considering all of the pieces I haven’t performed yet.

Your turn.

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I played a Vamp from the Big City in a touring stock company back in '81. I toyed with the farm boys (onstage . . . OK, offstage, too) and sang “I Want to be Bad.”

If it’s naughty to vamp the men,
Sleep each morning till after ten—
Let a lady confess, I want to be bad!
If it’s naughty to paint your lips,
Shake your shoulders and sway your hips—
Then the answer is yes, I want to be bad!

This thing of being a good little goodie is all very well—
What can you do when you’re loaded with plenty of hel . . .
. . . th and vigor?

When you’re learning what lips are for,
If it’s naughty to ask for more—
Let a lady confess I want to be baaaaad!

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Vivaldi’s “Gloria”. Soprano, if you’re wondering.

Actually I’d be glad to perform anything at all these days.

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When I was quite young in school (maybe 9th grade) I practiced a VERY hard piece for a talent show- 1 flute (me) and two clarinets. It was called “La Gavotte”, but I’m unsure of any more info. The damned thing was HARD, HARD, HARD. I sweated like crazy as I went on stage, then pulled it off FLAWLESSLY. I was first chair in our band and our city junior orchestra from that year on. It was beautiful.

I would also like to get another piccilo (sp?) and do “The Stars and Stripes Forever”. I did it at every single football game our school had for years, and it gives me the warm fuzzies.

Zette

“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit)
Zettecity
Voted “Most Empathetic”- can you believe that?

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Okay, look, it’s cheesy, I know, but from seventh grade through 12th, the band I was in played “Sleigh Ride”. I didn’t even have a good part, but I loved playing it.

sigh

I miss band.

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I used to be able to play an impressive Beethoven’s Ode To Joy on the pianeeee.

I’ve since forgotten most of it.

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Most anything by Mozart, but I have a special fondness for the Jupiter Symphony. I played second violin and really enjoyed all those repetitive sawing notes, lol.

“You guys are outta your league…You’re looking at a woman who has her own harpoon!”

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I’m a self-taught and just passable pianist (though I’ve written a fair share of music), and I usually just play to relax myself. However, there’s this one time: I had had more than a couple of beers, and the bar had a piano, so after some encouragement from my equally tipsy friends, I plopped myself down and hammered out Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” Before the first verse was half over, the whole bar was singing along, and sang the entire song all the way to the end. Huge roaring cheer at the wrapup, and our group was bought more beer than we could drink. I would love, LOVE, to do that again.

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I play 'cello.

Dvorak’s New World Symphony
2nd movement of Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony
Igor Stravinsky ballets (I especially love the Firebird Suite)
I once played a haunting quartet by David Diamond that is now out of print. (I ordered the last copy known to man through Tower and it never arrived. My bad luck is legendary.)

As a violinist, I played a Grieg piece in high school that I’d love to play again. I have never found a recording of it either.

What about pieces that you’ve never played, but wished you had?

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Top of the list: The Faure Requiem
Next: Beethoven Ninth Symphony
To round it out: Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes.

BTW: baritone / tenorII in case you need a singer. Oh, and I read music, too. (For the musically uninitiated, singers are often accused, often rightly, of musical illiteracy.)

Zette, I am flutist, too. Played in the Navy Band for four years and did S&S a million times. You feel like your a king when you play it. A solid-sterling Haynes piccolo was a perq of the job…

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Fade To Black - Metallica. Performed this at a small concert the crowd put on. Crowd went wild. It has a really crunchy bass part, and lots of dynamics so the audience really gets into it.

Alice in Wonderland Waltz. Can’t remember who did this one first, but it was a jazz waltz arrangement my ensemble played once. I play better in 3/4 for some reason.

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Just like anybody else does

12

As a lowly rock ‘n’ roller, I feel a bit out of my league :D, but the piece I would most enjoy performing again isn’t famous at all. It’s a song written by my best friend, Chris, that we used to perform in our old band, called “Room to Roam.” At the time we were both young, married college dropouts, and the song had a lot of meaning; and I think it was the best one he ever wrote. A lyrical sampling:

"I passed the time to pay the rent
I bit my tongue 'til the bills were sent
I hope the checks will clear

I’ve seen this road a hundred times
dotted by a hundred lines
but some things never change

I’m looking for another way
of trying to make ends meet
Room to roam and money to burn
but it’s all inside my head."

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Choral (second alto, if you’re wondering):

Randall Thompson’s “Alleluia”
Vivaldi’s “Gloria”
Mozart’s Requiem, esp. “Lacrymosa” movement
“Battle Hymn of the Republic”
“Sanctus” by Duraflé
“Goin’ Home” from the New World Symphony
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (I forget who arranged it, but it is an amazing 8-part acapella piece)
“The Little Drummer Boy” (again, forgot who arranged it)

Solo:
“Qui Sedes Ad Dexterum” from Vivaldi’s “Gloria” (I think that’s how it’s spelled!)
“Oh Holy Night” —Difficult as it is for an alto!
“On My Own” from Les Miserablés
Songs I’d like to perform, solo speaking:

Hmm. Now that I think of it, they’re fairly obscure soloes that I’m not sure y’all would be familiar with. Plenty of pop tunes that are on my list for karaoke, though!

Teaching: The ultimate birth control method.

Laura’s Stuff and Things

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Germ Boy, I’ll have to check out the Faure Requiem (I’ve heard it’s good) and Liebeslieder Waltzes. Considering the fact that I’ve been singing since my senior year of high school off and on (on for 4 1/2 years now), I’m pretty embarrassed by my limited knowledge of choral music. I’ve done Beethoven’s 9th and would like to perform it again, although sitting on steel bleachers for the first 3 1/2 movements is a literal pain-in-the-butt.

Ruffian, is Randall Thompson’s Alleluia the a capella piece consisting of the text, “Alleluia, amen?” If so, then add it to my list. I love that piece. Oh, and it’s “Qui sedes ad dexteram,” you moron. :wink: (Hey, it’s not like I stand a chance of getting a date with her anyway. ::sigh: :slight_smile:

Although I’ve been addressing just classical music here (since that’s the area with which I’m most familiar), I appreciate the diversity of the input here.

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Oh yeah? Well:

It’s dissonant, you twerp. :wink:

Teaching: The ultimate birth control method.

Laura’s Stuff and Things

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I’d like to sing (or sing again) most of the above classical pieces.

Also: Randall Thompson’s “The Last Words of David.”

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LOVE “Last Words of David.” Anything by Thompson, for that matter.

Tenor here - soloist, choral, and used to be a conductor.

Did Orff’s “Carmina Burana” with full orchestra (no dancers) in college. The soprano soloist made me cry on the suspension in the middle of her one solo movement (the name escapes me).

I did a lot of solo pieces for my voice lessons and juries when I was a music major. I remember the music, but I forget all the names. I still sing them to myself from time to time.

A lot of the good, simple stuff my choir did when I was director always made me smile - “Simple Gifts,” “Dark of Winter,” etc. I still have a lot of copies of the music I performed with them over 7 years, and what wonderful years they were.

I once performed “Everything Possible” by Fred Small (made better known by The Flirtations) at a church conference, and to this day remains the one true spiritually moving experience I ever had. I’d never want to recreate the moment (nor could I), but the song remains one of my favorites.

Loved doing the show “Tomfoolery,” a revue of the music of Tom Lehrer. Very funny stuff. Also really enjoyed playing the Jester in “Once Upon A Mattress.” And, of course, if you’ve seen my web page, I also liked playing Linus in “Snoopy.” :slight_smile:

Alas, as a tenor and an actor and a lover of musical theatre, I will forever be relegated to singing the young male tenor romantic roles - Anthony in “Sweeney Todd” instead of Sweeney himself; the straight son in “La Cage Aux Folles,” but never Albert; etc. Kind of ironic, n’est-ce pas? :wink:

Esprix

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Ask the Gay Guy!

18

h_thur said:

I bet it was “Hungarian March”. I played the bass in high school and this was a lot of fun - fast and challenging, but really cool sounding.

Even though I now play the saxophone, I played the upright bass for 12 years and loved it. During college, I played original music in three different working bands.

One of those bands was a garage surf band called The Atomics. The guitar player, Matt, died last Friday from cancer. I’ve spent a good deal of time these past few days listening to the recordings and wishing I could play with him again.

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"Alas, as a tenor and an actor and a lover of musical theatre, I will forever be relegated to singing the young male tenor romantic roles - Anthony in “Sweeney Todd” instead of Sweeney himself; the straight son in “La Cage Aux Folles,” but never Albert; etc. Kind of ironic, n’est-ce pas? :wink:

Esprix"
‘What makes tenors so uptight?’
‘Maybe it’s their underwear.’
‘No, that’s what makes them tenors.’ - 42nd St

Out of curiousity, I pulled up Esprix’s website and looked at his picture. Poor lad, you’re going to be playing ingenius until you’re 60.

Many beautiful things listed above. I switched from alto to soprano this year (wise choice? who knows,) so there are several things I’d like to try again. Like…

Yes, Mozart’s Requiem. I have actually sung this on both soprano and alto, but I had a bad cold for my soprano time, so I’d like to try it again when I can actually sing.

Verdi’s Requiem on soprano, if I’m brave. Although I’d be happy to do alto again, and this time actually get the double fugue right.

Actual productions of Sweeney Todd and Candide would be great (as opposed to just songs from them.)

I’m working on Thompson’s Testament of Freedom (and Last Words of David, and for that matter, Beethoven’s 9th) right now. I will miss it when I’m done, and be ready to do it again.

On the G&S side, I’ve done Fleta, and I’m ready to play Iolanthe (ahem) in Iolanthe anytime. And I’ve done my chorus time in the Gondoliers, and I’ll happily take Tessa, Casilda, or Gianetta anytime. Whether I should play the last two is a whole other question.

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Oh, and I forgot - all of my Yehezkiel Braun music (modern Israeli composer.) Especially his setting of Psalm 112. Exquisite. If I found another group that performed it, I’d audition no question.