Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #32)

I considered that. Maybe I'll start one and carry over the existing contributions.

 

Not much 20th century music mentioned so far. Needs to be all-encompassing, so here are my contributions:

1. Bartok - Music for Percussion, Strings & Celeste
2. Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet - complete ballet (if that's too long, the three suites)
3. Ives - Holidays Symphony
4. Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 5
5. Stravinsky - Symphony in Three Movements

All these come from the first half of the 20th century alone - even then it's very hard to narrow things down to just five (any of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe, Copland's 3rd Symphony, Hindemith's Mathis der Maler, or one or two of numerous works by Debussy and Mahler, including L'Apres Midi d'un Faune and/or the Resurrection Symphony even if they're from the 19th century could have been included).

 

OK, here's a list of five. No claim made to these being the "five greatest compositions ever written," but rather some personal favorites and works from composers not named above, to round out our longer list.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat, op. 83. (The First Concerto seems to show up on lists more often than the B-flat, but the B-flat is perhaps my single favorite composition. No offense taken if you choose the D minor; I love it as well.)

Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

D. Scarlatti: Sonata in B minor, K.27

Johann Strauss II: An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314. (I'm thinking ahead to Sunday. )

I have some performances in mind for some of the above, but not all. The Scarlatti in particular might present a very tough choice considering how wide the options are. But maybe there could even be a comparison of two recordings constituting a mini-lesson in performance practice.

Thanks for considering.

 

Oh by the way, I left off vocal & opera. Wasn't sure if that was part of this round or not (or part of the list at all). But that would be fun too.

 

Gonna break up this signifying

Don't start me to talkin', I'll tell you ev'rathing I know.

 

The new Esoteric SACD box set just arrived: Rudolf Kempe, Beethoven - The 9 Symphonies.

I'm starting from the back.

 

Cool. Where did you order from?

 

Jpc.de, must have arrived yesterday while I was on the road.

 

I put together the text of a new thread starter with all of the items listed so far, but upon reflection, I think I will get enough responses if I leave it here.

 

Here is a list with some works that can function as an introduction to the Viennese 12 tone school.


1) Alban Berg - Violin Concerto

2) Alban Berg- Lyrische Suite

3) Arnold Schoenberg - String Quartet No 4

4) Anton Webern - String Quartet op 28

5) Arnold Schoenberg - A survivor from Warsaw

 

Excellent, enjoy!

 

Having turned my 14 year-old nephew on to classical music over the last four years, mostly by taking him to concerts, these are the works he's been most drawn to:

• Mahler: Symphony No. 1
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
• Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
• Brahms: Hungarian Dances (encores)
• Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 'From a New World'

I know there are more, if I were to sit and talk to him, but those spring from the top of my head.

 

Pre-19th century seems under-represented so far. Two concertos by Mozart, the Brandenburgs, the Corelli Concertos Grossi and works by Hildegarde von Bingen. Nothing by Handel, Vivaldi, Haydn or any other early music composers.

 

Just finished the 9th and have appetite for one more tonight.

 

Nice one. I only have a disc with excerpts, but I like it a lot.

Ok, let's see what I can come up with. I agree with many already mentioned (Beethoven's 5th, 9th, piano sonatas, Bach's Brandenburgs, etc.) and will see what else I can add. I will just go for some of the pieces that turned me on to classical music early on.

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition
Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Midsummer Night's Dream
Carl Orff - Carmina Burana
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No.1

 

Yes - the Mendelssohn is one of my favorite recommendations. Especially if the newbie doesn't already know the source of the Wedding March.

 

You can always put something in your signature asking for folks to stop by here to post their entries. I like the idea of keeping it all here and building upon our number of regular contributors.

 

Let us know when you want a second list of 5.

 

My five :

1- Schoenberg - String Quartet n°2
2- Ligeti - Musica Ricercata
3- Shostakovich - Symphony n°14
4- Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé
5- Johann Strauss II - An der schönen blauen Donau

 

Well, the easy (and appropriate for this sort of thing, IMO) choices for Handel & Vivaldi are Water Music (Suite No. 1) & Four Seasons, respectively. With the right recordings they still sound fresh to me, as does Bach's Brandenburg Concerto in G, even if I hear them all the time in tubby versions while waiting for the conference calls to begin.

 

It's like recruiting.

 

Nice list. I like the Rhapsody as the Rachmaninoff choice as well.

 

smart nephew

 

You mean a divorced newbie?

 

Have you guys ever had anything delivered by DHL? Is a signature required for delivery?