Classical Music recommendations

[Benreturns]

I dont go much for classical

I havent got the patience and attention span for it. I like a good 3 minute belting pop tune. (similary i like draughts but not chess/pool not snooker...)

-BUT-

There is only 1 musical peice in the entire world which can genuinly bring a tear to my eye when i let the mood overcome me and I dont have a clue why except the music is unbearingly powerfull to me and has the most sweet melody... its Pachabel's Canon in D. Anyone know it???

 

[XLR]

the music is unbearingly powerfull to me and has the most sweet melody... its Pachabel's Canon in D. Anyone know it???

Another really sweet one is the Pavan for a Dead Princess by Ravel for piano or, better yet, transcribed for guitar.

Tim

 

[rjt]

Some great suggestions listed. I always loved Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." Also, to go along with Rite of Spring... how about "Night on Bald Mountain." I am a fan of Debussay as well..... in addition to the titles mentioned, I like his preludes..... Sunken Cathedral, Girl with the Flaxen Hair etc. Just a taste of what is out there!

Take Care

 

[grn]

don't forget berlioz...
beethoven and chopin are my favorite as far as listening pleasure goes... especially beethoven's 5th sypmhony 2ND MOVEMENT (oh and Tchaikovsky)

edit: and don't forget schumans (both of 'em, the wife wasn't bad either)

 

[azraelswings]

Cello Suites

I didn't see them mentioned above, I like bach's cello suites a great deal. I've only ever listened to the Yo-yo Ma recording.

Particularly great casual listening, when reading or what not.

--Sean

 

[dgatwood]

Another really sweet one is the Pavan for a Dead Princess by Ravel for piano or, better yet, transcribed for guitar.

Tim

That would be "Pavane Pour une Infante Defunte", also commonly translated as "Pavane for a Dead Child". Beautiful piece.

 

[XLR]

Another really sweet one is the Pavan for a Dead Princess by Ravel for piano or, better yet, transcribed for guitar

This is such a beautiful piece it's worth knowing about...

Info on this piece, including what the original French title meant, at http://www.maurice-ravel.net/ Here's the beginning:

Pavane pour une infante défunte
This piano piece was written in early 1899... It was dedicated to the Princesse Edmond de Polignac (the former Winnaretta Singer who inherited the large fortune that her father had made from sewing machines), whose salon Ravel attended while a student, and later. The Pavane was orchestrated by Ravel in 1910 ...

In choosing his title, Ravel was more concerned with the sound of the words than with any historical Spanish princess: "Pour moi, je n'ai songé, en assemblant les mots qui composent ce titre qu'au plaisir de faire un allitération. Ne pas attacher à ce titre plus d'importance qu'il n'en a. Éviter de dramatiser. Ce n'est pas la déploration funèbre d'une infante qui vient de mourir mais bien l'évocation d'une pavane qu'aurait pu danser telle petite princesse, jadis, à la cour d'Espagne." (Quoted in Marnat [1986], p.96-97).

Rough English translation of Ravel's words a la Google: "For me, I did not think, by assembling the words which make this title that with the pleasure of making an alliteration. For this reason not to attach more importance than it in A. Éviter dramatizing. It is not the funeral deploration of a infante which has just died but well the evocation of a pavane that such small princess could have danced, formerly, at the court of Spain"


Tim