What Are Your 3 Most Favourite Classical/Symphonic Pieces?
What Are Your 3 Most Favourite Classical/Symphonic Pieces?
On NT we have been asked to indicate what are our favourites: movies, actors, popular songs, paintings, famous photos, well here is a new one. Perhaps not everyone has an ear for REAL classical music, but the great composers and their compositions will last forever.
When I was a young child, my mother loved to play Beethoven's piano music on our living room upright. Her favourite, and if I heard it 1000 times I would not be exaggerating, was Moonlight Sonata. However, classsical music was to my taste back then, and has stayed important to me even though I became in my 20s and 30s completely dedicated to folk music.
Even before I reached my teens, I would read the stories in the science fiction pulp magazines that my brother had bought, and I would often listen to classical music as I read them. The one most vividly remembered was listening to Sibelius' Symphony number 2 while reading Edward E. ("Doc") Smith's Skylark of Valeron. That symphony has remained with me as one of my favourites.
I have watched the performance of Offenbach's opera Tales of Hoffman, and the dreamy melody that has never left me is the Barcarolle. In my mind's eye I can still see the gondola entering from the side of the back of the stage.
Finally, I still play over and over the magnificent Ode to Joy, the 4th movement of Beethoven's masterpiece Ninth Symphony. The version I love to watch is the one from the movie Copying Beethoven.
Those are MY three, what are yours, and why did you choose them? I would appreciate that if you post a youtube or other video I'm unable to open that you describe what it is. (note my RED BOX RULE about that)
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Let's see YOUR choices, they might say something about you. Please post the title, composer, and if available the orchestra or performer if you post a Youtube or other video I might not be able to open.
Terry Riley: in C
Gustav Mahler: Symphony #5
Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird
Deep apologies to the 100s of composers left out, all were worthy of inclusion.
I never heard of Riley, or his compositions, but I agree that your other two choices are worthy.
Riley was a purely period choice, I could just have easily chosen John Cage's Einstein on the Beach.
Einstein???
1. Handel's Messiah
2. Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony
3.Handel's Water Music.
Actually, I do like your choices. Can you explain why you chose them?
These are pieces I grew up listening to. As a music major in high school. We sang portions like the Hallelujah Chorus and others. I have always been partial to the pieces I mentioned among orhers.
Obviously there is no reason for me to post articles until the election is over. Yesterday I posted 3 articles, this one, one about ship lore, one on horror movies, and both others have ALREADY been wiped off the Front Page without anyone's comment or vote up and this one only got 2 members interested and I don't expect more. I give up. It makes me think of the time I was sitting on a side seat on a crowded bus here. A young girl got on the bus and stood in front of me. She was wearing a T-shirt with big bold capital letters that said "FUCK YOU, FUCK ME, FUCK EVERYBODY". My jaw dropped to the ground, which she noticed and realized that because I wasn't Chinese I understood what it said, so she tried to cover it with her arms and moved away. I think I'll look for that T-shirt to buy it and wear while I'm on the computer with NT.
You have already said that you dont care who wins the American election and that you wouldnt vote for either of them (which is the same as a vote for Trump) so I'm not that interested in your opinions.
Do you think I care about whether or not you're interested in my opinion? LOL My opinion is that if Liz Cheney were a candidate I would have voted for her because I value a candidate who has proven that personal integrity and principles are more important than party loyalty and a platform to maintain cohesion in their party (and if you don't know what that means, it means not catering to The Squad). If I would have leaned towards your choice it would only have been because I think (but am not entirely sure) that Walz would bring a commonsense attitude towards China to replace the present fear and desperate attempts to contain, such an attitude would be a lot more to the benefit of BOTH the American and Chinese people rather than inflated prices for so many necessities due to ridiculous tariffs. But then you're not interested in my opinion anyway,
You are clueless about the nature of this American election.
LOL. Well, as Rhett Butler told Scarlet near the end of Gone with the Wind: "Frankly,.........."
So are many Americans!
You're not just kidding.
Maybe people dont listen to much classical music.
Yes, that is an obvious conclusion. Such is the culture.
fanfare for the common man - aaron copeland
rhapsody in blue - leonard bernstein (written by george gershwin)
1812 overture - grant park orchestra
Fanfare For The Common Man would be my fourth selection.
Will always remember that piece..
Couldn't get over how cold they all looked, fur coats, snow and bloody freezing in the Canadian stadium..
First time it really hit home how cold it gets in the Northern Hemisphere winters...pass...
When you grow up in it as I did, it's not so hard to take. For me, the summer temps of more than 100 F where I am now keeps me not leaving our air-conditioned apartment for many days at a time.
I never heard "Fanfare" before so I just watched a video of it - lots of drums and brass. Rhapsody in Blue is a brilliant semi-classical composition, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture makes me dream about Natasha and Andree.
Among my favorites pieces:
Piano Concert No. 5 (The Emperor Concerto) by Beethoven - peformed here by the immortal Claudio Arrau with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra
The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart
Gloria in Excelsis Deo by Johann Sebastian Bach performed by the incredible Andrea Bocelli
I like those choices. I often listen to Andrea Bocelli, whose voice I consider the most beautiful in the world. I knew nothing about him until I watched the movie The Music of Silence.
Beethoven 7th.....especially the last movement
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 | Bernard Haitink & the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (2009) (youtube.com
Tchaikovsky 6th.....probably my favorite of all
Tchaikovsky Symphony NO 6 Full Length) Seoul Phil Orchestra (youtube.com)
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2....with incomparable Yuja Wang
Yuja Wang: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 [HD] (youtube.com)
Ah, great music.
Arvo..must admit I am not into classical music nor know many pieces..
But the one and only that stands out for me is Exodus..
Find it very powerful and moving and brilliantly played by the London philharmonic..
exodus
I just played the London Philharmonic version on bilibili.
Arvo..many thanks John for putting that up..
A wonderful semi-classical movie song - and the words are a dream that Israel's neighbours refuse to allow to happen in peace.
The lyrics of the song Exodus from the movie Exodus
And as I've said, Israel's neighbours make damn sure the Israelis must fight and fight and fight to make that land their own.
Arvo..yes Exodus is rather fitting for the current situation in Israel..
Israel is not going anywhere...not matter what other countries do or think..
Although the expression is "From your lips to God's ears", in the case of the internet it needs to be adapted to "From your fingertips to God's eyes".
Damn it!!! I've transgressed my own RED BOX RULES with this article and should have deleted JR's first comment, the one that got politics going here. NO MORE POLITICS.