Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with composers

Music that endures?

rmhsinc — Sun, 17 May 2009 09:21:39 -0800

What contemporary songwriters/composers will be culturally relevant and accessible 40-50 years from now. I posed this question to my inter generational coffee group this AM. As I was jogging earlier this morning I tried to think of popular new song writers/composers iintroduced during the last 10-15 years whose work will be as culturally relevant and enduring in 40-50 years as some of those 40 +/- years ago ( Beatles, Dylan, Bernstein, Stones, etc). Since I am 60+ I have biases and a painfully inadequate knowledge of contemporary music. However even two of my early "30 something" friends (who rigorously follow indie and contemporary music) were struggling. Please name 4-6 individuals/groups who compose, and if possible perform, music you think will stand the test of time.

looking for expressive composers

leibniz — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:46:11 -0800

Does anyone know of any Europe based composers who are concerned with the relation between music and emotions, and who would also be good conference speakers? This is a work related question. I am trying to get together speakers for a conference, but asking around it seems that nowadays composers are not especially interested in the expressive qualities of their music, preferring to focus on more formal innovations. Please give suggestions! I don't care how famous the person is, but given that this is a highbrow academic conference, they should hopefully be either based at a European university, or otherwise academically inclined. Composers in any (serious) music style would be acceptable.

Experimental Composers

0bvious — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:11:25 -0800

MusicFilter: Looking for alternative/experimental composers in a similar vein to Moondog, Terry Riley, Erik Satie and La Monte Young. I wish to fill my ears full of surreal orchestral wonders. Moondog is my main starting point for this.

I also add Arthur Russell to the list with a strict focus on his 'First Thought Best Thought' arrangements... and John Zorn with his 'Music for Children' in mind... I love Brian Eno, but focussing on him might send this post too far in the ambient direction.

I realise I could go to Last.fm or similar music communities, but I am looking for that subjective sense one has that links musical styles together, rather than something lodged in rigid genres, structures or histories. I hope these names and works job something in your Meta-minds.

Thanks.

Rautavarraesque?

tylerfulltilt — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:11:19 -0800

Classical Music Filter: What composers would I like if I like einojahuni rautavarra? more specifically, I love his piano concertos. But I'm not looking for just recommendations for composers known for piano concertos, wouldn't turn them down either.

Did Dvorak and Saint-Saens know each other?

nnevvinn — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:55:11 -0800

Did Dvorak and Saint-Saens know each other? They were alive for many of the same years, but I'd love to know about personal contact. I am writing program notes for a symphony concert and think people would be interested.

Which symphonic movements are clear examples of sonata-allegro form?

agropyron — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:14:36 -0800

Which symphonic movements are clear examples of sonata-allegro form? (Exposition - Development - Recapitulation.) I'm looking for movements with really catchy, memorable themes, interesting development sections, and clear differences in the recapitulation. I'm giving a series of presentations on classical music, and I'm about to tackle sonata-allegro form with a roomful of classical newbies. I'm looking for symphonic movements, preferably in the Classical Era (ie, the time of Haydn and Mozart), that clearly demonstrate the workings of the form. I've been using the fourth movement from Mozart's Symphony No. 40, and it seems almost perfect for this. I'm also using the first movement of Mozart's Sonata Facile (K 545). I would like more such examples.

Ideally we'll have clear, memorable themes that aren't too long. We'll have an interesting development section that makes clear use of the themes. Then the recapitulation will have some clear and interesting differences to the themes.

Thanks!

Name that composer!

tomble — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:43:03 -0800

Name that composer! I was listening to a lovely piece of music by a composer who I think was from about the 15th or 16th century. I thought the name sounded like Joscan Dupre but either my spelling is woeful or I have remembered the name incorrectly because searching has yielded nothing! If I have remembered the name poorly, then I have given very little information to go on.

Help, Ask Mefi!

You know that one that goes ba ba baba baba ba ba bam?

synecdoche — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:40:07 -0800

Help me appreciate classical music. I like classical music. I live in Canada, and usually when I am driving my radio is tuned to CBC 2, which plays copious amounts of classical. Yet I remain woefully ignorant. I have no idea what baroque means or any of that stuff.

What I'd like is something that will let me figure out exactly what it is that I like, because there are some genres that I do enjoy immensely, and others, not so much. The trouble is I don't know names of composers or anything. I have vague recollections from playing in various bands and orchestras in high school, but little else. I seem to remember enjoying the selections we played from Dvorak's New World symphony, and I liked a piece called Russian Easter Overture, but aside from that, I am clueless.

Ideally what I'd like is some sort of website, or even a sampler CD, that would let me pick a type of classical music and listen to some "typical" samples, and maybe recommend some composers, kind of like what AllMusic does (which I have been exploring, but I have trouble with the sound samples on my Mac for some reason).

Any tips? I think that I tend to like (and here I show my ignorance) minor-y sounding music, and some heroic sounding music. Oh, and I also like the 1812 Overture, if that helps. :)

What music plays at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow?

goddam — Mon, 15 Dec 2003 20:16:22 -0800

At monument to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow (near the Kremlin), there is a piece of music that is played continuously. Does anyone know the name and composer of that piece?

Classical music CD library from scratch?

contessa — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 16:02:43 -0800

What's the best way to build a classical music CD library from scratch? Where the heck do I start? [more] I've always enjoyed listening to classical music, whether it be orchestral or piano or quartet.
Problem is, I know what I like when I hear it, but I'm terrible at identifying composers.

To me, the idea of buying classical music is somewhat intimidating -- did I get the right composer? Is this the 3rd symphony the one I like, or is it the 5th? And knowing which orchestras/artists are top-notch and which ones are merely passable is even further outside my scope of knowledge. I feel I ought to be wary of "compilation"-type recordings.

I found a starter list here -- does anybody have a good suggestion where to begin? I'm pretty much open to anything, even 'modern' classical composers.