If you could ONLY listen to classical music (see limitations) for a year, what would you listen to?

13»

Comments

  • CommonRule
    CommonRule Posts: 63
    in case they took any away, I’d start with:
    Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 - Bach
    Symphony #7, especially 2d Movement - Beethoven 
    Peer Gynt Suite, especially 2d Movement - Death of Åse - Grieg
    Brahms’ Requiem
    Yo Yo Ma playing Bach Cello Suites 1-6 (live BBC recording)
    Arthur Rubinstein playing Chopin (heard him once)
    Sviatoslav Richter (pianist) playing Beethoven
    Beethoven String Quartets
    Segovia playing guitar - anything (heard him 3 times!)
    I’d be there with you for the Brandenberg Concertos (kinda fond of the harpsichord solo in #5)
    - First few days anyhow
    "If you hate somethin, don't you do it too!"

    "Then I get to thinkin -- I don't wanna think; I wanna feel."
  • curmudgeoness
    curmudgeoness Brigadoon, foodie capital Posts: 4,130
    So, no Korngold, Brian? :-)

    Music parent here, late to the conversation. My desert island classical playlist would include:

    Beethoven: collected string quartets; Symphonies 9  and ESPECIALLY 7. Getting kicked out of a concert hall for dancing in the aisles during Beethoven 7 is on my bucket list. The Emperor Concerto. The violin concerto.

    Bach: Cello suites, preferably played on viola

    Dvorak: Symphony 9, violin concerto, and the Czech Suite, played as often as possible. I am irrationally, exuberantly fond of the Czech Suite. Chamber music, especially the "American" string quartet.

    The Mendelssohn octet

    Bartok, Concerto for Orchestra

    The Sibelius violin concerto, ideally the recording by the divine Augustin Hadelich

    Mahler 3, Mahler 9

    Rachmaninoff piano concertos

    Hindemith viola concerto

    Elgar, Enigma Variations and cello concerto

    Prokofiev, String Quartet No. 2
     
    Dohnanyi Serenade in C Major
    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
  • Leezestarr313
    Leezestarr313 Temple of the cat Posts: 14,449
    I was born where Händel was born, so it's gotta be some Händel, like the Feuerwerksmusik (Music for the Royal Fireworks). Also, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, that has always been one of my favorites. There is a version out there played by Nigel Kennedy that is really awesome. And I know opera may sound like goat sex to aliens but I do love me some opera too. I have been subtitling many in the past, and sometimes things just hit you and you get goosebumps. My favorite is Fidelio, I think. I am very drawn to intense voices and quirky vocalizations, I guess. Counter tenors are very fun to listen to if they are good. A great tenor (mmmmh Pavarotti...) can make you shiver with joy, and some sopranos have ranges that do not seem human (Joan Sutherland is fun, but I also love La Callas). One of the more memorable operas/ plays I was lucky to subtitle was a version of Purcell's Dido & Aeneas. Here is a trailer, it was also visually enjoyable. I love the pronunciation and the humor in this one but it may be because I remember the university courses in historical English Phonetics that were a love-hate thing for me :D


    Please, Pearl Jam, consider a Benaroya Hall vinyl reissue! http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/148993/please-pearl-jam-consider-a-vinyl-benaroya-hall-re-issue


  • curmudgeoness
    curmudgeoness Brigadoon, foodie capital Posts: 4,130
    Also, Brian, how do you know what goat sex sounds like??
    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
  • CommonRule
    CommonRule Posts: 63
    These are wonderful! I will just have stuff those in my desert isle trunk, as well! The fun of this thread will be actually putting all of these on a Spotify playlist :)
    Thanks!
    "If you hate somethin, don't you do it too!"

    "Then I get to thinkin -- I don't wanna think; I wanna feel."
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    curmudgeoness said:
    So, no Korngold, Brian? :-)

    Music parent here, late to the conversation. My desert island classical playlist would include:

    Beethoven: collected string quartets; Symphonies 9  and ESPECIALLY 7. Getting kicked out of a concert hall for dancing in the aisles during Beethoven 7 is on my bucket list. The Emperor Concerto. The violin concerto.

    Bach: Cello suites, preferably played on viola

    Dvorak: Symphony 9, violin concerto, and the Czech Suite, played as often as possible. I am irrationally, exuberantly fond of the Czech Suite. Chamber music, especially the "American" string quartet.

    The Mendelssohn octet

    Bartok, Concerto for Orchestra

    The Sibelius violin concerto, ideally the recording by the divine Augustin Hadelich

    Mahler 3, Mahler 9

    Rachmaninoff piano concertos

    Hindemith viola concerto

    Elgar, Enigma Variations and cello concerto

    Prokofiev, String Quartet No. 2
     
    Dohnanyi Serenade in C Major

    Korngold?  Ah- another one to check out!  I have (forever) much to learn still!  Thanks for the tip.
    Yes, Beethoven Symphonies are so great. My first classical record (which I still have!) was given to me in the early 60's is Beethoven's 5th, Bernstein and NY Philharmonic, Columbia Masterworks.  I came with a bonus 7" record, "How a Great Symphony Was Written".  I will always keep that old record, but really should get a better copy of it to play.  The one I have has a LOT of miles on it, lol!
    And Beethoven's 8th is a favorite of mine as well.  A shorter, but dynamic and powerful!
    curmudgeoness said:
    Also, Brian, how do you know what goat sex sounds like??
    I can only imagine!  :rofl:
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • curmudgeoness
    curmudgeoness Brigadoon, foodie capital Posts: 4,130
    I mentioned Korngold because he wrote both orchestral pieces and soundtracks. When I first heard his violin concerto, I thought it sounded like a mid-century movie soundtrack -- turns out there was a reason for that!
    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    It occurred to me that I had nothing by the composer Iannis Xenakis, so I recently picked up this intriguing LP:

    Iannis Xenakis / Krzysztof Penderecki, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Lukas Foss – Akrata, Pithoprakta / Capriccio For Violin & Orchestra, De Natura Sonoris

    Iannis Xenakis - Akrata Pithoprakta Capriccio For Violin Orchestra De Natura Sonoris album cover











    		Here's the first cut.  I really like intriguing music such as this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nobcr2xOIvI

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • curmudgeoness
    curmudgeoness Brigadoon, foodie capital Posts: 4,130
    edited October 2024
    A contemporary composer I was introduced to a few years ago, Peteris Vasks:



    ETA: I think the aliens would like these!
    Post edited by curmudgeoness on
    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.

Categories