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Barber is quite nice, though not often discussed academically.
I love Stravinsky as well, and his music is constantly being examined from every minute angle. As a matter of fact, the head of my advisory committee is a Stravinsky expert.
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Shostakovich 10 rocks. The first movement is cold, I'll freely admit that, and it's twenty minutes long so unless you know the piece makes sense, it's tempting to think that he is wasting your time. But it's one of those pieces about Russia, so it's going to be a little cold.
But that first movement is all to lay the foundation for the other three movements, which are glorious.
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Oh, I missed the mention of the Brandenburgs! Which reminds me...in terms of baroque concerti, Bach is great, but Handel is also amazingly wonderful.
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Barber is lovely. One piece that we both may like is "Knoxville: Summer of 1915." He wrote a string quartet I like, too, I think it's opus 10. It's the one from where the famous Adagio is lifted, but if you go back and listen to the entire piece, you'll find it's really, really good.
I'm an oboe player.
Ela,
The Firebird is the closest big Stravinsky piece that I can wrap my head around, and maybe the violin concerto or Petrouska.
The Symphony in C, Symphony of Psalms, Rite of Spring I don't get. I think the only reason I get Pucinella is because Stravinsky is speaking down to me.
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Not sure if you were talking to me, but I've played the Barber quartet; I know what you're talking about.
Ah, ok. The reason I asked is because your list of likes seemed to line up very well with the list of likes of the herd of trombone and tuba players I hung out with in college.
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In choral music, I admit to having place in my heart for Benjamin Britten's War Requiem - maybe because I sang in several performances of it in college, under the direction of an excellent conductor.
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Oh, and Irami, I have to admit, I mainly like Stravinski's Firebird, I haven't listened quite as much to his other pieces. Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
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Yeah, I actually like the first and third movements of the Barber quartet quite a bit. I like the Adagio, too; it's just kind of overplayed. In fact, that's how I feel about a great deal of romantic symphonic music; I just don't want to hear it anymore. I'd much rather have the precision and wit of the Classical era than the over-dramatic passion of Romanticism.
And regarding Tchaik 5 and Dvorak 7, I don't think you'd be a good wind player if you didn't at least like 'em.
I have to say...I do think Rite of Spring is really, truly amazing, once you get to know it, though. To me, it's utterly earth-shattering in a way that pieces like Firebird cannot be.
*watches her post count creep closer to 1000. debates the possibility of doing a landmark. *
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(mmm, I love Tchaikovsky 5. Do we have any horn players in the house? )
Megan, word on what you said about the Rite of Spring. I really like to listen to that piece with the score in front of me though...otherwise, I'm easily lost.
Funny, I feel the same way about Beethoven and some Brahms. (about having the score in front of me.) I remember when we analyzed opus 131 (Beethoven) and how incredibly fascinating that was. I've also listened to Brahms 1 with the score in front of me and I won't do it any other way now.
But then, I'm a nerd.
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I really think I am Megan. I'm actually a super-secret music history nerd. I adore music history. The ham in me loves to perform and the romantic in me loves to conduct....
but I think it would be such a blast to have a room full of intelligent people that HAVE to listen to my CD collection. I've been forcing unwilling people to do it for so long... Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Narnia, I'm afraid I don't know your background; are you (or were you) in music school? I'm thinking you're a vocalist, but I could be utterly wrong about that, as well.
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I'm a vocalist with a Bachelor of music. I'm working on my teaching credential and a master of education kind of comes with that.
Student teaching is kicking my butt. (Freshman girls. Saints preserve us.) I've been battling the urge to run away from teaching and go back to get my MM in....something. Vocal performance? Conducting? Music History?
Ah, too many choices. My current decision is to teach for a few years and take a bite out of my student loans and then go back to school.
I really miss being a music student though. It's hard not to be taking lessons (no time) though it is fun to be teaching privately now. *sigh* It's tough.
Add: My ultimately perfect job would be to conduct an awesome university chamber choir while teaching music history as well.
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Ah, I see. Yeah, I can't imagine teaching anyone younger than 18, and even the 18-year-olds sometimes drive me a bit batty. Fortunately, though, since they're new to college, the vast majority of them are scared (or, at the very least, slightly unsure of themselves).
I do have to say, though, unless you're considering seriously going into academic music, I'd give the music history (and its cousin, music theory) degrees a miss. They're a pain in the butt, and really only good for getting more academic music degrees.
Anyway, I have to run...piano lesson time! Whee!
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My favorite recording of the Bach suite is by a Bass player. Edgar Meyer .
Why I love this musician and this recording: "There is a soulfulness to this music that I want to bring out. The bass is darker than the cello... and it's this moody quality that I like to emphasize." Edgar Meyer
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I wasn't actually considering other instrument recordings, though I guess if I had to pick one, I guess it would be Edgar Meyer. I don't know that I'd necessarily call it superior to the Yo-Yo Ma recording; it'd be like comparing apples and oranges.
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