All things Classical?

[CandaceC]

I'm REALLY surprised this hasn't come up, considering we have quite a few musicians, and everyone has a lot of awesome taste in music. What do you guys like in the classical genre? Currently, on my list (which...changes about every three days...)

Rachmaninov 2nd Piano Concerto makes me want to cry like a baby, because it's so blindingly intense. It makes me wish I were just a little bigger and more technically capable to play loud fast piano concertos. But that's okay since I know I'd butcher it so instead I can listen and decide it's the saddest thing ever. JS Bach, Fugue in Ab Major, book 1, that goes with the prelude, but the prelude isn't nearly as catchy. My science summer class is boring, so during it I practice my fugue, and it's a really pretty, calming fugue. Beethoven Romance in F Major for Violin. WHO CARES THAT IT'S POPULAR AND EVERY VIOLINST I'VE ACCOMPANIED HAS PLAYED IT, IT'S ALSO GORGEOUS KTHNX BYE. /rant. Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony, 2nd mvmt. is the reason why I heart horn players.

There is certainly more but I'll spare y'all...

[arcsol]

the usual culprits:

Pachelbel's Canon in D
Bach's 'Air'
Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'

among others...

[rahau]

On the subject of crying like a baby: Barber's "Adagio for Strings" reduces me to a basket case every time. Perhaps the saddest, most despairing piece of music ever written.

Lately, I've been listening to Satie's "Gnossiennes." All of them, #1 through #6. They may be Satie's best work. "Trois Gymnopedies" is his most beautiful, others are more bizarre and jarring ... but the "Gnossienes" are the most enigmatic, and have the most staying power. Goodness knows, I'd love to hear what Vienna could do with them.

September 6th was the tenth anniversary of Princess Diana's funeral. I marked the occasion by listening to the CD of her funeral service. The "Recessional" was John Tavener's "Alleluia." Under a different thread, I compared "Pontchartain" to "Alleluia." Not as a note-for-note, chord-for chord comparison, but for the overall effect: Harshly beautiful, a reflection of the pain we felt for both occasions, the grief that cannot be comforted ...

If you get a chance, pick up a CD of Diana's funeral service, and you'll see what I mean.

[ben]

OT:
Just curious. Is Cavatina (theme from Deer Hunter) a classical piece or contemporary instrumental?

[rahau]

Looks as if Stanley Myers composed it as an original for the film. A classic, though, no matter how you look at it.

From the same score ... it sounds like Myers' "Sarabande" is taken, almost note-for-note, from Satie's "Gymnopedie #2 ... "

[eirlys]

I love Beethoven's 6th Symphony the most; and right now in Piano I'm enjoying playing Bach...very beautiful. Good to see others here enjoy classical music (I'm sure there are lots)!

[Ginny]

I love Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 26, Op. 81a; the third movement has been my favorite piano writing for about 9yrs.

I love Eric Ewazen's Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, especially the 2nd movement. Ewazen is a composition instructor at Juilliard and writes really well for trumpet.

I love Alexander Arutunian's Trumpet Concerto and Hindemith's Sonata for Trumpet and Piano. This work (hindemith) is not pretty but if you put it in the context of the war that the composer was exposed to at the time it is quite a haunting piece.

My very favorite (sorry i'm a trumpet geek) is the Allegro movement of Sonata for Trumpet and Piano by Allen Vizzutti. Allen Vizzutti is pretty much undisputed as the greatest trumpet player in the world (and probably ever). He does a good deal of composing and he is often the only person who can actually play his works. He rewrote Carnival of Venice, naming his piece "Carnival of Venus," which is just rediculous. I heard him do it live a few years ago at the National Trumpet Competition and was shocked that he could do it without the aid of the studio--in spots it's so fast you'd swear it was overdubbed at least 3 times. I also really love the Andante and Capricio Vizzutti composed. Anyway, these works are on his cd entitled "Carnival of Venus," which is my favorite trumpet album. ~G

[CandaceC]

Ginny, I completely understand -- I'm a little piano-centric because it's what I do. I accompanied something Ewazen for Trombone and LOVED it, it was so much fun to play! (Something about the end of the world...)

Meanwhile, some of my current listen-tos are Debussy's L'isle Joyeuse, Sarasate's Carmen Suite for Violin and Orchestra and Faure's choral work Cantique Du Jean Racine that we're doing in choir for the billionth time. Cantique just happens to be one of those pieces, I don't care how many times we sing it, I still love it. It also makes me very critical of the accompanist because I have yet to hear a pianist play the accompaniment as expressively as I would like. Along the choral line, Barber's The Coolin' is pretty awesome too. We've been told to "bring our hormones". Everything else is from my senior recital program and has been in my head for a few months now and it starting to rot my brain.

[CandaceC]

With a request from Rahau, I felt like this was the most appropriate place to post my recital "set list" (omg I feel so awesome calling it my set list instead of program) without seeming awfully pretentious.

Dan/Bofis has a DVD but I'm not thoroughly pleased with everything I played. Of course. Meanwhile, I'm not done with these pieces yet, as I'm auditioning for more music graduate school! Yay! (not really, at times.)

We should have a forum classical music concert. XD
_____________________________________

November 16, 2007
Rock Hall
7:30 PM
Candace's Senior Recital

Prelude and Fugue in Ab Major, Well Tempered Klavier, Book 1
J.S. Bach

Sonata in D Major, Op. 10 No. 3
1. Presto
2. Largo e mesto
3. Menuetto
4. Rondo
Beethoven

Suggestion Diabolique, Op. 4 No. 4
Prokofiev

-Intermission-

Sonata (1948)
3. Choral et Variations
Dutilleux

Preludes
- Le vent dans la plaine
- Les collines d'Anacapri
Debussy

Scherzo in b minor, Op. 20
Chopin

[Ginny]

Great program, Candace! I'm so glad you posted it for us, and thanks to Rahau for the request. I understand exactly what you mean about not feeling thoroughly pleased w/everything you played. I do think we're harder on ourselves than anyone else but it's like pulling teeth to get me to share recital recordings w/anyone...~G

[rahau]

Im-press-ive! Obi-Wan has trained you well, Young Skywalker ...

A forum concert would be cool, although I'm several years away from having anything to contribute. Imagine the marquee - "Teng-Heads in Concert!"

I had my own "recital" of sorts over the holidays. I played my repertoire of Christmas songs - all five of them - for my father and sister. The "set list" was:

Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Have a Holly-Jolly Christmas
Joy To The World
Jingle Bells
Silent Night

(Somehow, I don't think either Candace or Vienna are feeling too terribly threatened, piano-wise, at this moment ... )

I do think we're harder on ourselves than anyone else but it's like pulling teeth to get me to share recital recordings w/anyone...

No kidding. How long have I been asking for a recording of Ginny in performance? Three years? And so far, all I have is just one recording of her performing with Vienna in Charlotte, and that came from Wolding, not Ginny. Grumble grumble grumble ...

This past year, when Ginny toured China with the Market Street Brass, several performances were videotaped, with the intention of making a DVD. Here we are, months later, and NO DVD! Hey, the Teng-Heads have their concert DVD. Do the Ginny-Heads deserve any less? I think not. Harrumph, he says ...

[Ginny]

Hey Smarty,
I don't think there are any Ginny-heads here, and besides, that doesn't have the same ring as "Teng-heads" now does it? That concert from Changsha gets played on tv in China fairly frequently (we were told anyway) so perhaps you should move there. I do think the "Teng-heads in Concert" sounds promising. We could do a show for Vienna but I'm only doing it if you do your Christmas set list. ~G

[CandaceC]

I'm a Ginny Head! Now we all need shirts that say "I <3 Ginny" on them...

I'm totally down for Teng-heads in Concert. XD We should absolutely do it. Soon. I'll accompany! ::waves hand around frantically::

At some point, with recordings, it's time to let them go too...I mean, you perform and for what? You spent all the time rehearsing and stressing out, and you made something, even if it's not your best. It's meant to be listened to, no matter how much you cringe. (I think I came to this conclusion only recently x.x) So Ginny should distribute recordings!

[Ginny]

I do not think Ginny shirts are a good idea, but they are definitely a funny one. If I ever see somebody wearing one I'm not sure what I'll do. Should I laugh or hide? I have nothing to do with the quintet-related recordings, but as for the recital recordings part of my issue is that the recording equipment used doesn't capture my sound so none of it sounds good to me. And then the little mistakes/things that aren't as smoothe as they were in some rehearsals is ANNOYING! And it's funny b/c almost nobody notices alot of this stuff but to you it's HUGE. I like playing chamber music alot better--more fun, and you can't beat collaborating with a small group of artists you respect! ~G

[CandaceC]

Back on topic:

Relatively new in my obsessions are Saint Saens 2nd Piano Concerto in G minor Op. 22, and Brahms Cello Sonata No. 1. I've also recently been playing much more Schubert Piano Sonata in a minor Op. 42 which I LOVE and have super much fun with. At some point I plan on performing these...there will be an all Brahms recital in Philly in like June, so the cello sonata, Zwei Gesange for soprano, cello and piano as well as some short piano pieces will be included.