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General Discussion => Lifestyle and Entertainment => General Discussion Boards => Music => Topic started by: sweetiepi on January 26, 2017, 02:06:50 pm

Title: Classical Music
Post by: sweetiepi on January 26, 2017, 02:06:50 pm
Just a general place to discuss classical music.
Am seriously doubting that this'll get further than 2 posts though...
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: jamonwindeyer on January 26, 2017, 02:28:51 pm
(http://180degreehealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/too-hot-to-handel.jpg)
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: sweetiepi on January 26, 2017, 02:40:07 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/o4a5u1D.jpg) 8)
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: jamonwindeyer on January 26, 2017, 02:48:59 pm
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/62/19/5c/62195cf4c7be42c8d832d56cb2a61234.jpg)

And speaking of 'classical' but not 'classical' -- and when I mean not 'classical', I mean nowhere close to the real deal -- here is a sample of what I listen to on some days:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_15Hon0PXI

That quintet is gorgeous!
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: sweetiepi on January 26, 2017, 02:56:00 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB1atm__LTY

And speaking of 'classical' but not 'classical' -- and when I mean not 'classical', I mean nowhere close to the real deal -- here is a sample of what I listen to on some days:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_15Hon0PXI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL9hiEIylT4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0aVTPvYQ4Y

 8)
<3
So good! ;D

Favourite Handel piece tbh:
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: heids on January 26, 2017, 02:57:13 pm
Am seriously doubting that this'll get further than 2 posts though...

NOT WHILE I'M HERE if this goes silent I'll just relentlessly post something daily

Okay so, if you listen to classical music (and it's awesome), favourite composers?  I love the romantic era; Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Dvorak, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky are all wonderful.

Today's favourite recommended piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3c8Vj87JDc

Does anyone else have any recommended pieces for me?! ;D

Edit: I'll listen and comment on anything anyone links <3
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: sweetiepi on January 26, 2017, 03:05:07 pm
NOT WHILE I'M HERE if this goes silent I'll just relentlessly post something daily

Okay so, if you listen to classical music (and it's awesome), favourite composers?  I love the romantic era; Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Dvorak, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky are all wonderful.

Today's favourite recommended piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3c8Vj87JDc

Does anyone else have any recommended pieces for me?! ;D

Edit: I'll listen and comment on anything anyone links <3

My fave composer is Tchaikovsky!!! (But Brahms and Debussy are also good! :P )
Anyways- here's one that reminds me of a pizzeria (imo anyways): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-_BhozB3JA
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: jamonwindeyer on January 26, 2017, 03:08:47 pm
My fave composer is Tchaikovsky!!! (But Brahms and Debussy are also good! :P )
Anyways- here's one that reminds me of a pizzeria (imo anyways): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-_BhozB3JA

I think pop culture references have, over time, made this the 'theme song' of Italy ;)
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: heids on January 26, 2017, 03:14:52 pm
My fave composer is Tchaikovsky!!! (But Brahms and Debussy are also good! :P )

I also love Brahms (3rd symphony and 1st piano concerto, <3 <3 <3), and some Debussy.  What are your Tchaikovsky favourites?
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: sweetiepi on January 26, 2017, 03:15:28 pm
I think pop culture references have, over time, made this the 'theme song' of Italy ;)
Also last I checked "la donna è mobile" translates as "the woman is unstable/moving"
(Source: things I learnt in my Italian class back in year 10 )
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on January 26, 2017, 03:46:49 pm
Let's establish some point first...

Are we supposed to be talking about classical music as a broad category :P because the classical period refers strictly to composers such as Beethoven, in around 1750-1820
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: sweetiepi on January 26, 2017, 03:48:43 pm


Let's establish some point first...

Are we supposed to be talking about classical music as a broad category because the classical period refers strictly to composers such as Beethoven, in around 1750-1820

Broadly speaking, that was *my* original aim.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on January 26, 2017, 03:50:11 pm

Broadly speaking, that was *my* original aim.
There's misnomer problems.

Because the term is given to that period only. But then at the same time no other name besides "classical" is really assigned to ALL the music all the way back to even medieval times
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: jamonwindeyer on January 26, 2017, 04:10:56 pm
See, colloquially I'd call a symphony composed by a 21st century composer "classical music" :P
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on January 26, 2017, 04:20:04 pm
See, colloquially I'd call a symphony composed by a 21st century composer "classical music" :P
Those actually exist?
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: jamonwindeyer on January 26, 2017, 04:38:48 pm
Those actually exist?

Yep! There's even one written by Muse, called Exogenesis. Probably the most listened to 21st century symphony purely because it was stuck at the end of a platinum selling rock album ;)

Edit: A purist probably wouldn't call it a proper symphony, but its in the style ;D

--- Holy cow Peter that's one intense recommendation list!
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on January 26, 2017, 04:40:09 pm
~For the Romantic Purist and the curious~

While it's often the case that we tend to stick with the Romantics and forget about the the 20th Century composers, I'd move away from Romantics ASAP as beautiful as they are (I know it's hard -- I've been there, you Romantic Purist). But once you, (yes you - even you who stumbled into this thread with no interest in CM) start listening more widely, you'll come to the consensus that everything has a unique flavour, colour and texture of sounds. It's all very exciting once you hear it -- Queen and David Bowie were never artists that I liked listening to in my childhood, but wider-listening reaalllyy helped me change this, so hopefully you'll see that this will change not only your appreciation for Classical music in general, but also everything else under the branch of music (adverse effects of this may include hating all current pop songs). Especially when you study music, you begin to appreciate musician's choice of tempo at a particular section, the way they treat the cadenza points, the interweaving melodic/harmonic lines, and even more generally, the composer's work. In fact, I don't even believe that you have to study music to see it, but you do need to look out for it. As with any books you read, to fully appreciate what you hear, you'll need to hear the philosophy or the foundations of what spurred the characteristics we see in Classical, Baroque, Romantics etc. You can research them more by looking it up online. There are dozens of research ready for you to get a general grasp of it. OR if you're lazy and would like to just listen, go for it -- I remember listening and learning at first of CM mostly from the comments I read off the youtube videos haha (it helped nurture my love for it at least though).

In particular periods of times as you've probably noticed (to my curious but unsure CM listener), each composer has a characteristic unique to them as well as from the time when they lived. You've probably stumbled upon the 'impressionists', when you were curious about CM and was like "I liked some of their work, but some of them are really funky, not to my liking at all" -- or if you listened to Stravinsky, all that was running through your head was "what on earth am I listening to?". Fear not, I'm here to remove all your doubts about them and introduce them in a way I think makes sense from my listening journey, because they are hands-down magical once you understand how precious their music is. Take the Impressionists as an example for arguments' sake.

History-time: --- The 'impressionists' were moving away from the Romantics completely, away from sentiments, away from all the exorbitant displays of outbursts and emotional introversion, to a more evocative stance, to a world of hidden moments and secrets, the present as well as to an extent, the human experience through the lens of a complex and more subconscious human mind. Emotions became less of a focus during this time. Painters in France were capturing fleeting moments of the present onto their canvas. Texture-wise, their work suggested a sense of layered dimensions; there was more attention cast on the everyday, the moments which everyone living can understand despite whatever their  circumstances are. No more was it about the humble, the 'quiet life' as in the Romantics and so often showcased in their work -- the 'impressionists' were subtle, but were still expressing very important ideas, which were already well-grounded in Romantic tradition. They were expressing humility, honesty, melancholy, but in a slightly grey tone compared to the Romantics, one in which wholly accepted the environment, its destructiveness, the way it can topple over anything and still be appreciated in the most unexpected of moments. It depicts human life through something so accessible, yet unpredictable, completely so out of touch, yet so physically a part of this world: the human mind.

I'll put down a few pieces which show this - at least to me, so you are no longer in the dark about that strange and obscure curious love that strange neurotic people often have for these tedious, uneventful set of 'sounds' (which I hope you will discover that you're absolutely wrong):

And if you are my Romantic Purist reader, look no further:
A lot of that content reminds me of the rote learning I had to do for my Grade 7 piano exam.

Yep! There's even one written by Muse, called Exogenesis. Probably the most listened to 21st century symphony purely because it was stuck at the end of a platinum selling rock album ;)
Well shit.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on January 26, 2017, 05:26:53 pm
*Ahem* excuse me. It took me quite awhile to write that let's not reduce my love and hard-work to a pointless student exercise of memorising, shall we  ::)
Never said your work was what I had to memorise. Just reminded me of it :P

--But tbh, that was really nice
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: sweetiepi on January 27, 2017, 12:36:02 pm
Piece of the day- https://youtube.com/watch?v=6QV1RGMLUKE
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: heids on January 28, 2017, 01:04:33 pm
On phone so ceebs responding in depth, peter...

Yeah, I generally don't enjoying the baroque or classical periods that much as romantic (ugh when people think CM is just Bach and Mozart and maybe Beethoven, who's at least a significant improvement ;)), and having mixed feelings about more contemporary.

Of your recommendations, the ones I already knew were Mahler 2 (how good is the ending!!!), the Debussy pieces and Rites of Spring (always loved it). Will listen to the others! I agree that I'd love to widen my tastes ever further.  ;D

You're right that I know almost everything Chopin inside out, similarly Beethoven. So much love for them, though I prefer orchestral music (ideally piano concertos to get the best of both worlds) to plain piano music like most of Chopin's; nothing can beat the sheer agony or soaring exhilaration of the strings taking a powerful melody.

As for today's recommendations: was going to recommend Dvorak's 9th (New World) symphony, his most famous and most insanely brilliant work, but then I was listening to his 7th and 8th and cello concerto and I can recommend them all. :P

Also re. the Rach 2, MSO is playing it at one of their Sidney Myer music bowl free concerts next month!
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on January 31, 2017, 01:10:46 am
I tried playing a Debussy piece for 7th grade.

Big mistake. But I pulled through because I tried hard enough.

La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on January 31, 2017, 10:01:46 am
Omg hahah. But the good thing is you puled through. Debussy is infamous for making deceptively simple but quite demanding pieces.

When I played this, it was my first introduction into the 20th Century composers. By learning this, it also made me appreciate the pedal and its cool features for adding 'colour' to the music as well :P
It's such a soothing piece. Making ME play it was the bad mistake :P The piece itself is beautiful imo.

I have trouble playing pieces that are too soft, and mostly centred around piano. Which really makes me better at Baroque and Classical period pieces, but I'm alright at Romanticism. Just never touching Impressionism again...
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: peterpiper on February 01, 2017, 10:00:59 am
Weird piece of the day:

Stravinsky - Circus polka: for a young elephant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOr_H3JqdDs

Stravinsky - Tango
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcXTFRXenwI
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: heids on April 04, 2017, 11:49:12 pm
Two hauntingly beautiful short masterpieces of Ravel's:

1) Pavane to a Dead Princess

2) Piano concerto, 2nd movement (just wait till the orchestra first comes in a couple of minutes in... *sighs besottedly*)
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on December 08, 2017, 04:13:54 pm
So, how many composers do you guys know of that seem to compose a bit 'outside' of the styles in their year?

What I mean is something like this. I played a Mendelssohn piece this year for my 8th grade. But it felt so weird, because I was playing a piece from a romantic period composer yet his composition style was really classical. Basically curious as to how many composers are like him in those regards
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Yertle the Turtle on December 08, 2017, 04:24:26 pm
Two hauntingly beautiful short masterpieces of Ravel's:

1) Pavane to a Dead Princess

2) Piano concerto, 2nd movement (just wait till the orchestra first comes in a couple of minutes in... *sighs besottedly*)
Don't know the second one, but Pavane to a Dead Princess is absolutely awesome. I personally love Tchaikovsky, Symphony 4, Symphony 5, Piano Concerto 1, 1812 Overture, the list goes on.
If you want to find an absolutely majestic piece of music, listen to Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations, as well as the first movement of his famous Cello Concerto. Love it...
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: peterpiper on December 08, 2017, 05:55:33 pm
Don't know the second one, but Pavane to a Dead Princess is absolutely awesome. I personally love Tchaikovsky, Symphony 4, Symphony 5, Piano Concerto 1, 1812 Overture, the list goes on.

Blasphemy! :P Ravel's craftsmanship is so impeccable in that concerto <3 It's on another level to his Pavane imo. The score of this concerto is like a dream to look at. It's just phenomenal how he brings out the timbre, the potential of every instrument and stretches it to create something so unprecedented, yet so human and pretty.

Tchaikovsky's great too. Though, I'm a little surprised you didn't mention his symphony 6.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Sconey on December 11, 2017, 10:23:27 pm
As a trumpet player, Mahler's 5th Symphony is awesome. This is a great trumpet solo at the start-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwQumQpug_E

As Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition is great. Another beautiful trumpet solo-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GuQg0rWDbo

And this is really stretching the definition of the word 'classical, but Mambo from West Side Story is a fun piece! Composed by the man Bernstein himself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp33WX9xIGs
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Yertle the Turtle on December 12, 2017, 08:45:43 am
As a trumpet player, Mahler's 5th Symphony is awesome. This is a great trumpet solo at the start-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwQumQpug_E

As Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition is great. Another beautiful trumpet solo-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GuQg0rWDbo

And this is really stretching the definition of the word 'classical, but Mambo from West Side Story is a fun piece! Composed by the man Bernstein himself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp33WX9xIGs
I'd never listened to Mahler's 5th, despite my brother recommending it, but I love it. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention!
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on December 12, 2017, 07:25:25 pm
Why does this look so fucking hard.

Also, welp, bump.
So, how many composers do you guys know of that seem to compose a bit 'outside' of the styles in their year?

What I mean is something like this. I played a Mendelssohn piece this year for my 8th grade. But it felt so weird, because I was playing a piece from a romantic period composer yet his composition style was really classical. Basically curious as to how many composers are like him in those regards
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Yertle the Turtle on December 14, 2017, 09:44:41 am
I don't know what other people are going to think about this, but I think that John Williams is a contemporary classical composer. Although he largely writes movie music, it is very much using a classical style. I personally love this piece of music by him, particularly Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars and the Finale and Throne Room piece. It is an amazing suite. Absolutely love it!
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Yertle the Turtle on January 31, 2018, 05:54:01 pm
This has got to be one of the greatest pieces of music of all time, it makes me so emotional, it is great music. The Tannhauser Overture by Wagner... #majesty ;D
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: owidjaja on January 31, 2018, 06:10:59 pm
Oh hello classical music, my old friend. Why did I just find out about this thread?! Ahh haven't played the piano in ages but one of my favourite pieces to play is Chopin's Nocturne in C# Minor. However, I've always loved Rachmaninoff's pieces, especially this one. I've always wanted to play the piano component of this concerto but I've kinda been discouraged by my piano teacher because of my small hands (I really shouldn't be using that as an excuse lol). Either way, Rachmaninoff is amazing to listen to!
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Yertle the Turtle on January 31, 2018, 06:39:40 pm
Oh hello classical music, my old friend. Why did I just find out about this thread?! Ahh haven't played the piano in ages but one of my favourite pieces to play is Chopin's Nocturne in C# Minor. However, I've always loved Rachmaninoff's pieces, especially this one. I've always wanted to play the piano component of this concerto but I've kinda been discouraged by my piano teacher because of my small hands (I really shouldn't be using that as an excuse lol). Either way, Rachmaninoff is amazing to listen to!
Absolutely love that Rachmaninoff piece, one of the greatest piano concertos of all time. I also love Grieg's piano concerto and Scriabin's. All great pieces!
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Yertle the Turtle on February 19, 2018, 09:29:53 pm
Recently heard this basically unknown symphony by American composer Amy Beach, on the radio, and I thought it was great! Somewhat reminiscent of Shostakovich music.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: The Special One on February 20, 2018, 02:31:45 am
Mozart > all

Don't even try to argue otherwise lol you just need  to listen to  requiem in order to understand that he was getting better as he went along and it's a shame what could have been if he lived as long as Beethevon.

He's great for study music too btw
Much more relaxing than Kanye, don't get me wrong I love Kanye especially before he lost his mind but Classical is much more relaxing
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: heids on February 20, 2018, 09:10:56 am
Mozart > all

Don't even try to argue otherwise lol you just need  to listen to  requiem in order to understand that he was getting better as he went along and it's a shame what could have been if he lived as long as Beethevon.

Ha, I still want to argue!  Mozart could perhaps have been better if he was born a hundred years later, but while I recognise his absolute genius I don't enjoy much of his music.  I feel it has far less emotion than the famous romantic composers - Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and late Beethoven, for example - and is just more predictable formulaic shallowly happy music on the whole, while I tend to like dark turbulent or hauntingly sad (or occasionally wildly triumphant or dancingly playful) music better.  This is a generalisation, because Mozart has some of this, but on the whole I'm not a fan.

P.S. Marvin, your musical upbringing and mine sound so similar we could almost be related ;)
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: prickles on February 20, 2018, 09:41:36 am
I tend to like dark turbulent or hauntingly sad (or occasionally wildly triumphant or dancingly playful) music better.
I feel so similar to this in my choices for classical music - I like the music that gives me goosebumps or makes me shiver because of the "hauntingly sad" aspects in it.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: The Special One on February 20, 2018, 01:37:45 pm
Ha, I still want to argue!  Mozart could perhaps have been better if he was born a hundred years later, but while I recognise his absolute genius I don't enjoy much of his music.  I feel it has far less emotion than the famous romantic composers - Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and late Beethoven, for example - and is just more predictable formulaic shallowly happy music on the whole, while I tend to like dark turbulent or hauntingly sad (or occasionally wildly triumphant or dancingly playful) music better.  This is a generalisation, because Mozart has some of this, but on the whole I'm not a fan.

P.S. Marvin, your musical upbringing and mine sound so similar we could almost be related ;)

Yes fair enough but how much of that branching out that Beethoven did was a result off just living longer and having more time to compose?

 If you look  at early Beethoven and how much he improved in his later years. Mozart could have had that same improvement and going by how good as a prodigy he was in his youth I think he definitely would have done so.

Mozart was contractually obliged to make the music others wanted so he didn't really beach out and his financial  difficulties didn't help. Real shame he had to die young who knows what he could have produced.

He had a pretty cool sadish  piece I think in English it's called Lacrimosa not sure it's to your tastes but worth a search on YouTube.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on March 12, 2018, 05:46:23 pm
This piece holds a place in my childhood (Tom and Jerry for the confused)

Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Yertle the Turtle on March 12, 2018, 05:51:47 pm
Found that I cannot get past the Ride of the Valkyries for just a sheer awesome piece of music. Can't forget Mars from The Planets, either. Also found how truly awesome the closing act of Swan Lake is...
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Sconey on March 17, 2018, 01:18:59 pm
I can't believe no-one's mentioned Holst's The Planets: Jupiter yet!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBhcfxn5cFE
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: Yertle the Turtle on April 24, 2018, 11:35:37 am
Been listening over and over to Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, really great music that I have discovered a love for since my brother introduced it to me. Also, from the same source, Mussorgsky's Night on Bald/Bear Mountain, which is also really good music. Smetana's Ma Vlast is also amazing music, if a little long. Definitely recommend all of the above.

Went to a live concert of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony, by the MSO last week and it was AWESOME!!! I absolutely loved it, it's an amazing piece, and it is beautiful live, particularly the second and fourth movements.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: hums_student on May 01, 2018, 10:27:15 pm
This piece holds a place in my childhood (Tom and Jerry for the confused)


Did not notice the size 1 font ;D hahahah. This was the reason why I literally begged my parents to give me piano lessons.

Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: hums_student on May 01, 2018, 10:36:42 pm
I find it personally insulting that none of you have mentioned John Cage's masterpiece yet. Allow me to enlighten your ears:

Also, I saw two users before debating whether or not Mozart was the best composer. So below, I have gathered concrete proof that W.A. Mozart is indeed above all the rest:

In all seriousness, I'm more of a Beethoven fan, the guy literally invented Romantic music (not much of a classical music fan, sorry.), so I'm more inclined to say Beethoven was a Romantic composer over a classical one. I also really enjoy late-Romantic, impressionist, and post-impressionist pieces (sorry Baroque and Classical), absolutely love Mendelssohn, Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc.

Fun fact: both Debussy and Ravel despised the term 'impressionism'.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on May 03, 2018, 12:06:48 am
Did not notice the size 1 font ;D hahahah. This was the reason why I literally begged my parents to give me piano lessons.

Tis beautiful.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: S200 on May 09, 2018, 05:53:07 pm
Mozart > all

Don't even try to argue otherwise lol you just need  to listen to  requiem in order to understand that he was getting better as he went along and it's a shame what could have been if he lived as long as Beethevon.

He's great for study music too btw
Much more relaxing than Kanye, don't get me wrong I love Kanye especially before he lost his mind but Classical is much more relaxing
KV.451 is my favorite...
Mainly from Andante, but the start is also powerful and smooth.
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: RuiAce on July 28, 2018, 03:14:50 pm
Holy fuck. I'm trying out some of Bach's music for a change just to get some idea about the Baroque period. It is ABSOLUTE TORTURE!
Title: Re: Classical Music
Post by: angewina_naguen on September 23, 2018, 11:58:19 am
In terms of underrated classical music, Reynaldo Hahn is one of my favourite composers and people need to know he exists  :)