Comments on: Oh, and the ability to air conduct along is always a plus

Question: Oh, and the ability to air conduct along is always a plus

vernondalhart — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:21:40 -0800

I'd like some recommendations for classical music.

As is, my collection isn't that bad. I've got a good swathe of the romantic era (a bunch of Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Dvorak, Liszt) as well as a bit o' the Bach, Satie, Schostakovich, etc. That is to say, I've got a bit of a broad collection, but I'd like to fill it out a bit more - both with all the composers listed above (what do you think are their best pieces?) and with others that I maybe haven't found or even heard of.

I tend to prefer the really exciting, rambunctious and bombastic stuff, but in all honesty, I'm pretty much game for anything.

By: DevilsAdvocate

DevilsAdvocate — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:23:42 -0800

Mahler. Especially Symphony #2.

By: bunglin jones

bunglin jones — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:39:54 -0800

Not especially rammbunctious, but definitely ballsy - Beethoven's late string quartets are maybe my favourite things from LVB's ouvre. Bartok's string quartets might give you another perspective on rambunctious - obviously the sound isn't as big as a full orchestra but it's very powerful stuff.

By: ldenneau

ldenneau — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:46:34 -0800

Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras.

By: margaretlam

margaretlam — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:47:43 -0800

Arvo Pärt (Estonian), Gavin Bryars (British), Steve Reich, Stravinsky's neo-classical stuff might expand your repertoire a bit...

By: hortense

hortense — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:56:56 -0800

I love the reoccurring melody in Schostakovich's13th and 14th
symphonies, 31(count them) bell strikes in the Baba Yar very bombastic, and the male choir very stirring,very good stuff.

By: null terminated

null terminated — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:58:16 -0800

Not classy, but the Gettysburg soundtrack is incredible.

By: the duck by the oboe

the duck by the oboe — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:01:59 -0800

Shostakovich's 7th, 8th, 11th and 13th symphonies and the first piano concerto fit the descrition pretty well. Also, some of his suites like Hamlet and The Bolt are good fun. The 15th symphony is my favourite piece.

I second the Mahler recommendation. Mussorgsky (Pictures From an Exhibition, Songs and Dances of Death), Stravinsky (The Rite of Spring), Sibelius, and Saint-Saens are worth checking out if you don't know their stuff.

A couple of more modern pieces which may or may not work for you are George Antheil's Ballet Mechanique and John Adam's Naive and Sentimental Music.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:06:31 -0800

I'm going to guess at some things you might not have that you might like.

Sibelius - the Violin Concerto in D, or Symphonies #2 and #5. The first movement of the Violin Concerto has some great, memorable themes and absolutely gallops. All of Sibelius's symphonies are worthwhile; find a complete set if you can. The opening of #2 is like sunshine pouring into a room. If you enjoy the symphony form and want some contrast to Sibelius, consider Nielsen too.

Hindemith - the Mathis der Mahler Symphony and the Symphonic Metamorphoses (on a theme of Carl Maria von Weber). Hindemith has kind of a reputation for being dry and academic. Both these piece prove that wrong. Mathis has some of the best instrumentation I've ever heard, with vivid color and suprising clarity (for the size of the orchestra), and it carries a lot of emotional weight. The Metamorphoses should give you plenty of bombast.

Piston - underappreciated American composer, also saddled with a reputation as an academic. Try his Second Symphony - I think the first movement has one of the most beautiful themes of the 20th century, and the last movement starts and ends with big bangs and a lot of fireworks in between. He doesn't spare the percussion, but he keeps it controlled better here than some of his other works. For something a little more meditative and impressionist the Three New England Pieces are fantastic, and if you want a chamber piece with a lot of humor in it, the Flute Quintet is brilliant.

Bartok - it's hard to know where to start, but if you don't yet have the Concerto for Orchestra, it's a must-have. The Third Piano Concerto is another good entry point, as is the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste. I love the string quartets, but they're not immediately rewarding.

Berg - the Violin Concerto. Both beautiful and brutal. It sits on the borderline between tonal and atonal, but unlike a majority of atonal works it's passionate and definitely memorable, and the quotes from the Bach chorale are a masterstroke.

Janacek - the Sinfonietta. A big slice of symphonic bombast right there in the opening movement - you like brass?

Tchaikovsky - going back a bit, do you have his string sextet, Souvenier of Florence? I like his writing for the smaller ensemble, and you can find this on a CD paired with Schoenberg's string sextet arrangement of Verklarte Nacht. They make a particularly satisfying pair.

Going back still further, how about J.C. Bach? He's particularly worth a listen if you really enjoy, but have kind of exhausted, the works of Haydn.

I could go on forever.

By: pmbuko

pmbuko — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:07:08 -0800

Holst: The Planets (link goes to best recording I know of)

By: caddis

caddis — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:07:14 -0800

Mahler, Symphony No. 6 - pretty much the descent into Hell. I am not sure that I really recommend it, but we already have a Mahler recommendation and No. 6 is quite unique. Hear it live if you can.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:08:47 -0800

Incidentally, Piston's best-known work is The Incredible Flutist and I hate it. Completely trite. Avoid.

By: Rothko

Rothko — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:12:55 -0800

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest Conlon Nancarrow the nearest the human species has seen to Bach's playful, mathematically compositional genius in 300-odd years. Likely Richard James and Autechre will be seen as his successors, and the heir to classical compositional technique in 200-300 years, as done with archaic analog electronics.

By: geeky

geeky — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:13:07 -0800

My absolute favorite classical piece is Saint Saens' Danse Macabre.

I also like Holst The Planets, Handel's Water Music and Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. Oh, and the theme from Schindler's List.

By: geoff.

geoff. — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:16:35 -0800

Vivaldi - Four Seasons ... because you just need it

Also Vivaldi - Gloria Magnificat, it's AWESOME.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:19:24 -0800

Oh, one more, and that's it. If you enjoy the Bach counterpoint, I recommend Shostakovich's Opus 87, the 24 Preludes and Fugues. I'm sure they're the most played discs in my classical collection. It is hard to believe there could be so much variety and imagination in such a set - but the man just never ever runs out of great ideas. The Keith Jarrett recording is good.

By: the duck by the oboe

the duck by the oboe — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:19:27 -0800

I forgot Prokofiev before, but lots of his stuff is worth checking out too.

By: of strange foe

of strange foe — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:26:31 -0800

Isaac Albéniz's Suite Espanola. Liszt's Memphisto Waltz. I first heard both pieces live, and was thrilled to pieces in both cases.

By: realcountrymusic

realcountrymusic — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:28:50 -0800

Did you know that your namesake, Vernon Dalhart, was a light opera singer before he remade himself as a rustic?

Post-derail: massive concurrence on Nancarrow, whose music is hypnotically beautiful and ferocious.

By: pjern

pjern — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:33:18 -0800

Anton Bruckner. Play it at 11.

By: Gortuk

Gortuk — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:43:39 -0800

Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is great, and has a great "Behind the Music"-type backstory which peaks with Berlioz plotting to travel to France to kill his girlfriend and her family, disguised as a maid.

Also, mad props to Beethoven's 7th, especially the 2nd movement.

By: vernondalhart

vernondalhart — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:49:18 -0800

I have some of the recordings already mentioned above (Saint-Saens and Prokofiev's concertos, Mahler's sixth, and the Rite of Spring), but good lord you've all given me quite a bit to look into.

Considering the number of reccomendations for Schostakovich, I'll go out and get a bit more of his (I have his 5th, 9th and 10th). I'm thinking also some Bartok, Sibelius, Mahler and possibly some Berg. And who knows what else.

wolfdog - I can't say that I've exhausted the works of Haydn, since I don't even own any. Again, the majority of my collection is basically from Beethoven onwards.

Oh, and I forgot to ask in the main question, too - what are some good operas to get? I've got a (very) modest collection, and wouldn't mind adding to that...

By: jasper411

jasper411 — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:56:47 -0800

Bach - Piano Concerto #1 in D Minor - Glenn Gould soloist, Leonard Bernstein conducting the Columbia Symphonia Orchestra.

If there's a higher point in the history of music, I haven't heard it. And you can air conduct AND air play the piano!

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:59:42 -0800

Good suggestions so far. I recommend Bruckner's 4th Symphony.

Also, check out Brahms's Intermezzo Op. 118. Short and beautiful piano piece. You can hear a clip here.

Also, I'm surprised no one's mentioned Debussy. Check out the three Nocturnes and La Mer.

By: CrunchyFrog

CrunchyFrog — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 21:02:54 -0800

Exciting, rambunctious and bombastic stuff? I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Wagner. Ride of the Valkyries is an old favorite, and I'm rather fond of Lohengrin, Prelude to Act III

By: cribcage

cribcage — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 21:10:14 -0800

Messiaen. Also, Alain.

Or go old school. Absolutely gorgeous.

By: Johnny Assay

Johnny Assay — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 21:12:23 -0800

Prokofiev is great; I especially like his orchestral suites. Depending on how dissonant you like your stuff, you might check out Lieutenant Kijé, his Romeo & Juliet suites, the Love for Three Oranges suite, or (if you're really into frenetic, dissonant stuff) the Ala & Lolly Scythian Suite. (Those are arranged from easiest to hardest to get in to.)

Also, Berlioz' Romeo and Juliet is an often-overlooked piece. Check it out if you like his Symphonie Fantastique.

Shostakovich's 8th is probably my favourite symphony of his, and I cannot recommend it enough; but it is a dark, depressing piece about the horrors of war. You have been warned. (I'm also pleasantly suprised to hear that someone else actually likes his 15th.)

I quite like Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherezade, but then I'm a trombone player.

Finally, check out Liszt's Totentanz for a good dose of pianistic bombast.

By: Independent Scholarship

Independent Scholarship — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 21:30:01 -0800

Edward Elgar:
Violin Concerto in B Minor Op. 61
Overture: Cockaigne (In London Town) Op. 40

You won't be disappointed.

-

By: coriolisdave

coriolisdave — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 21:44:09 -0800

*rolls up sleeves*
Shosta, huh? Cello concerto #1 (#2 is less a fave). Concerto for Piano and Orchestra is rollicking fun, Symphonies #10 & #11 scream too. Also #5.

I think Johnny Assay may be referring to the 8th string quartet (which was rearranged as a Chamber Symphony). If he is or is not, a fantastic piece of music. So is the 7th quartet, but not so much rollicking as dark and evil.

Elgar and Dvorak cello concerti, Rachmaninov symphonies are fun as well. Similarly, if you don't have the Rach Piano concertos 2 & 3 make sure you get them.

Haydn - cello conerto (1 & 2) & trumpet concerto always give me a lift. Similarly the Beethoven piano concerti (3 & 4 in particular, although the others are also worth a visit).

Mozart requiem is glorious fun in many spots, and you can combine conducting with singing at the top of your lungs - always a personal favorite.

Finally, if you don't have the Bach cello suites (Yoyo Ma, or Steven Isslerlis for preference) they may be what jasper is looking for ;)

Finally, as I am running out of superlatives, give some Schubert a go, particularly some of the chamber music. The string quartet version of Death and the Maiden is amazing, ditto the Trout quintet.

*wrenches hands from keyboard*

Sorry for the cello bias - I'm a cellist. Comes with the territory ;)

By: misteraitch

misteraitch — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 23:00:07 -0800

A second vote here for Sibelius for example check out his 5th symphony, and Tapiola. Also another vote for Shostakovitchs Piano Concertos. A late romantic composer worth a listen is Josef Suk: his A Summers Tale is a great favourite of mine, and his Asrael Symphony is suitably bombastic. A couple of contemporary names to look for: Einojuhani Rautavaaras music has some lovely romantic elements, without being stuck in the past: try his 1st Piano Concerto, for example. Also, while Valentin Silvestrovs music probably wouldnt fit your bill for the most part, his fifth symphony is an amazing, grandiose thing.

By: hortense

hortense — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 23:14:14 -0800

You may like minimalist,John Adams "On The Great Divide" from Grand Pianola it is maximalist.

By: gyc

gyc — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 23:46:15 -0800

It looks like you have a lot of the romantic composers. Another composer to consider would be Korngold, especially his violin concerto.

By: agropyron

agropyron — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:07:32 -0800

Can't believe there haven't been more mentions of Bruckner! He deserves more than two, so here we are. I third Bruckner!

By: edjusted

edjusted — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:24:08 -0800

Francis Poulenc Concerto for 2 pianos. My favorite version here. Very different from "typical" classical music.

By: wackybrit

wackybrit — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:48:15 -0800

Naqoyqatsi by Philip Glass with Yo Yo Ma on solo cello. It's not the electronic doo-dah of his, but a proper cello concerto, and one of the most vigorous and exciting classical pieces I've heard. The absolute best example of modern classical music IMHO, and very easy to get a hold of.

By: Lotto

Lotto — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 02:18:24 -0800

Another Mahler reccomendation, but #4! It's my favourite piece of music ever.. it's like a huge collection of beautiful and also slightly chilling moments that got smooshed up into one symphony.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 05:31:14 -0800

Haydn's output is huge, and I'd hate to try to pick individual pieces to recommend. Check the Wikipedia entry on Haydn for a lot of background and some descriptions of individual pieces to see what sounds interesting. We're talking symphonies and string quartets, here. Of the "big three" classicists, Haydn's the one I can best relate to, and you definitely need to get acquainted with him if you want to understand what the classical period was all about.

By: Johnny Assay

Johnny Assay — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 07:41:18 -0800

coriolisdave: Actually, I was referring to Shosty's Eighth Symphony, which was composed in response to the horrors of WWII the musical equivalent of Guernica, really. One of these days I need to start listening to his string quartets but then, my tastes are like yours, running to pieces that I would actually have a part in. Funny, that.

By: strikhedonia

strikhedonia — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:45:15 -0800

Hah, I was going to ask a similar question... I just heard Dvorak's Cello Concerto for the first time recently and it blew my mind.

By: KRS

KRS — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:24:01 -0800

The two works most often recommended for relative beginners are Handel's Water Music and Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

If you're beyond that level, Haydn (even more reliably than Mozart) is endlessly pleasing. Try random symphonies, violin/cello/piano trios and string quartets.

For more noise, move to the Beethoven symphonies, and, for the next increment, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky (#4, #5 and #6), Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, Shostakovich #5, Prokofiev #1 and #5, and Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.

By: casarkos

casarkos — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 12:42:17 -0800

Nth to the nth degree jasper411 - I love playing that piece. Also try Khachaturian's piano concerto. And Verdi's Requiem is great for air-conducting and lots of noise.

By: jockc

jockc — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:09:49 -0800

I have similar tastes to you for romantic classical, so I'm going to tell you some operas I have enjoyed.

Mascagni - L'Amico Fritz
Mascagni - I Rantzau
Mascagni - Iris
Giordano - Andrea Chenier

I love Mascagni.

(Also, get some Debussy, can't believe only one other mention of him. It's all good, try prelude a l'apres midi d'un faun for starters..)

By: rob511

rob511 — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 18:46:13 -0800

If you like cheap bombast, I'd try Boito's opera Mefistofele (or just the overture for a taste) and Orff's Carmina Burana. For more substance with your excitement -- not to mention variety -- Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

By: rob511

rob511 — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 18:48:12 -0800

Sorry about the bad links above -- I checked them too late. Just go to Amazon music (classical) to find.

By: coriolisdave

coriolisdave — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 20:11:35 -0800

Johnny Assay: My mistake.. From memory, the 8th Symphony was written about the fall of (St. Petersburg? memory fails here). The confusion arose cos the 8th quartet is also a 'response to the war' - specifically, written to commerate the victims of war and facism, following Shosty's visit to Dresden (after it was bombed into the ground).
The opening is said to represent the sound of the planes overhead and the bombs falling. Very eerie. It's the second movement that rocks my socks, though. And the third, and fourth, and... well.. yeah ;).

I forgot to reinforce the recommendations for Mahler, although the fifth is my personal fave (and I have a soft sport for the first). The ninth isn't bad either, and uses the same themes as his Songs for a Wayfarer. Also, Bruckner -- I've only played the one symphony, but any piece that requires extra brass, more brass, and then another bit of brass offstage has to fit "exciting", "rambunctious", and "bombastic".
not to mention "overkill" ;)

By: the duck by the oboe

the duck by the oboe — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 15:49:32 -0800

Coriolisdave: the 7th Symphony was supposedly about the siege of Leningrad, although apparently a fair portion of it was written before the war started.

The 8th Symphony is often associated with the battle of Stalingrad although I'm not sure that Shostakovich himself intended it to be.