Peter Kazmierczak Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I like the apparent simplicity of certain passages in Gorecki's 3rd Symphony. It's so subtle, that in some places one can hear notes that aren't even there. Or maybe that's just me. This piece makes me think of the former Great Northern lines around Nottingham, with B1s and 04s plodding along on summer excursions (B1s) or unfitted freights (04s). Again, no idea why. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Widor's Toccata for me as number one (probably), with things like Faure's requiem, Chopin's Fantasy Impromtu, Allegri's Misareri Mei Deus (sung well...), Stamford in C and B flat, Parry, and so many others.... What a nice thread..... Interestingly, when we were young, we had a 78 of Widor playing his Toccata himself, and he played it at about half the speed (that it is always now played). Whether that was to fill the record or not, I don't know.... Edited February 22, 2015 by Giles 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
runs as required Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Most of my musical education has come via Radio 3. I love catching fragments of ‘Composer of the Week’ in the car and I’m trying (unsuccessfully) to recall the name of a contemporary East European composer who lived beside a railway and whose astonishing compositions were influenced by the sounds of the railway. But I’m more a visual sort, so here are some combinations of music and images I find interesting: Yo Yo Ma plays Bach in a Piranesi dungeon (il Carceri) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXGLrZMrpuw Ligeti enjoyed the rhythms of "imperfect machines such as railway engines" Here is Ligeti's 100 metronomes - perhaps more an "art installation" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCp7bL-AWvw Penderecki - Threnody (Animated Score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HilGthRhwP8 Lastly here's a link to trains and music mp3 downloads http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=8112 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted February 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 22, 2015 For me, it's a memory of being a very young man, lying on my back on the side of a wooded mountain, in the sunshine listening to birds singing. Ros, the young lady cuddled up to me was also very happy and just as physically exhausted as I was (get what I mean, nudge, nudge, say no more!). The birds sang and we commented on the beauty of the bird song, so every time I hear RVW's Lark ascending, I wonder what became of Ros. I in turn remember the funeral of a friend, where Lark Ascending was played live by an expert violinist - truly hairs on the back of the neck stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
runs as required Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I can't leave this thread alone... here's the trailer to Joseph Losey's 1979 film of Don Giovanni This is the overture filmed in the Murano glassworks ...its well past my bedtime now. dh 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spannerman Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Elgar's Nimrod and Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuz are always welcome when they turn up on classic FM. ATB Nik 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcolmy Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Nielsen symphonies 4 & 5, coz I'm a percussionist! Saints-Sean's 'Organ' symphony Adams - Harmonium 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Mahler 2 & 3 The Eroica Brahms Deutches Requiem The Schubert Impromptus and his string quintet The Mozart Quintets Cosi Fan Tutti The Enigma Variations Sibelius 3 The Pathetique The Brandenburgs (especially #2) I could go on (and on, and on) but must stop now before this list becomes an insane catalogue Edited February 22, 2015 by chaz 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhBBob Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 May I have a second go ?! 'War March of the Priests' - an incidental piece of music by (Jakob Ludwig) Felix Mendelssohn (Bartholdy), from an opera called Athalie. Played on the organ of the Royal Albert Hall by Nicolas Kynaston to the arrangement by William Thomas Best - link being that Best first 'opened' the organ back in 18 hundred and frozen..... I have the recording on 12" vinyl - I think it must be a record 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Bernard Lamb Posted February 22, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 22, 2015 I in turn remember the funeral of a friend, where Lark Ascending was played live by an expert violinist - truly hairs on the back of the neck stuff. At the funeral of a very close friend I had a similar experience. He was of Sicilian extract. At the end of the service 6 men looking like straight out of 1920s Chicago picked up the coffin and marched out to the grave while a recording of the finale of Tosca was played at full blast over the PA system. With the (generally) low level of music teaching in schools today this thread does give me some encouragement. Bernard 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) 'Time To Say Goodbye' by Sarah Brightman and Andre Botticelli. Always a favourite of one of my neighbours when I was a child....it was played at his funeral and will always stay with me. Ooops....just been told that this doesn't count as classical.....sorry Dave Edited February 22, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGC Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 At the funeral of a very close friend I had a similar experience. He was of Sicilian extract. At the end of the service 6 men looking like straight out of 1920s Chicago picked up the coffin and marched out to the grave while a recording of the finale of Tosca was played at full blast over the PA system. With the (generally) low level of music teaching in schools today this thread does give me some encouragement. Bernard I have just agreed a severance deal at the school where I've worked for the last 10 years. I find it amazing that the woman who was Head of Music couldn't play the piano! As I read the posts on this thread, I keep recalling works I'd forgotten about - the Brahms German Requiem was mentioned, I'll add that to my list! Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 22, 2015 I find it amazing that the woman who was Head of Music couldn't play the piano! How was she supposed to inspire the pupils? As already mentioned, our skool had music very well represented, with a charismatic music master who could turn out a choir capable of singing an entire oratorio (minus solos, for which professional soloists were engaged for the public performances). Ashcombe was so inspired that she became a music teacher herself, and she wasn't the only one to take music forward into professional life. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold grandadbob Posted February 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 22, 2015 I don't listen to a lot of classical music but I've always liked this: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Too many favourites to list - I'd be no good on Desert Island Discs. But for sheer artistry, how about: (Monteverdi Vespers of 1610) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFnW_CrPUlA (J.S.Bach - Christmas Oratorio) Hard to think that the choir has been going for over 50 years with the same bloke. Edited February 22, 2015 by Coombe Barton 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon G Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 As a number of others have said - Saint Saens Symphony No 3 (Organ Symphony). The whole piece is marvellous - then the organ really kicks in!! Mendelssohn - Fingals Cave - you can just picture the sea whilst listening to it. By way of railway links - Mendelssohn was married to Brunel's daughter. Now how about worst piece? IN the mid 70s, I and a friend used to have a Classical music show on University radio Brunel. We used to get albums from the Uni record lending library, and play them without having first heard them. We played Alban Berg's Lyric Suite. We hated it so much, we took it off half way through! We did invite listeners to call in if they wished to hear the full piece - no-one called! We did a request phone-in once. We had one call - someone wanted Khachaturian's Sabre Dance from Geyaneh. By some miracle, we already had it on the turntable ready to play next. We decided that we couldnt top that, and never held a request phone-in again! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killybegs Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Yes, too many favourites to list. Choice of music depends on mood although these days I tend to lean more towards chamber music rather than orchestral. If I really want cheering up, I may put on Offenbach's cello concerto. Not a well known piece, but very amusing. I believe the composer was a bit of a cellist himself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqhgFhvQA6E 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted February 22, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 22, 2015 Well, as for composers in general, I am most fond of Edvard Grieg, though I generally am someone who picks and chooses what I like (and not just for classical music). Russian composers also rank high among my favourites. Though not strictly a maker of classical music, I also am quite fond of Vangelis. Though not his most recent album, "Voices" currently is an earworm for me! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I always find this piece very moving... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purley Oaks Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 So many to choose from. How can I choose a Debussy over a Mozart or a Delius or Wagner? We were quite lucky at primary school assembly - a short piece of populist classical music was always played which helped us all enjoy it without preconceptions. May have influenced our favourite music, too, or made us seek out other more difficult pieces. Bearing that in mind I'll go for Erik Satie's Gymnopédies, simple enough but difficult to play just right. Minor chords. We chose No.1 to be played on the church organ while we signed the register. Mal 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 22, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted February 22, 2015 'Time To Say Goodbye' by Sarah Brightman and Andre Botticelli. Always a favourite of one of my neighbours when I was a child....it was played at his funeral and will always stay with me. Ooops....just been told that this doesn't count as classical.....sorry Dave Well, as for composers in general, I am most fond of Edvard Grieg, though I generally am someone who picks and chooses what I like (and not just for classical music). Russian composers also rank high among my favourites. Though not strictly a maker of classical music, I also am quite fond of Vangelis. Though not his most recent album, "Voices" currently is an earworm for me! Classical music is in the ear of the beholder, I am currently listening to this, which to me is classical music >> 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold DaveF Posted February 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 22, 2015 My favourite pieces change over time, but I always enjoy Schubert's Trout Quintet. I like a lot of Shostakovich, especially his film music and of course his Second Waltz. Then there is almost everything Mozart wrote, the Strauss family, Beethoven, the list goes on and on. David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 try a bit of this...https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6f2sa0pMJlw a bit of early music played on some great instruments.. can't see Classic FM playing it though. Many thanks for that Barry, it is simply wonderful and you really don't hear much of that kind of music these days! It reminds me an awful lot of one of my favourite Tull pieces (a rock group?) "King Henry's Madrigal" which I always find quite divine. At the moment I'm very much enjoying this kind of thing, albeit not very PC (sorry!). 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I like a wide range of classical music so it's difficult to pick out any particular favourites but here are a few:- Beethoven - 'Pastoral' and 'Choral' Symphonies Elgar - Cello Concerto and Nimrod Vaughan-Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and The Lark Ascending Gershwin - An American in Paris Karl Jenkins - The Armed Man Prokoviev - 'Classical' Symphony Dvorak - From the New World Saint-Saens - 'Organ' Symphony (better known as the theme from 'Babe') Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries And many, many more! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm rather partial to Vivaldi's Four Seasons when on the phone. Ed 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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