Classical Music

[karlhenning]

Well, OK.

Listening to (a recording of) Ian Tracey playing the Widor Organ Symphony No. 5 at the console in Liverpool Cathedral.

[cincy--man]

My last classical listen was at the other end of the time spectrum: Gregorio Paniagua's Tarentule-Teretelle .

[cincy--man]

Now that I am back in a classical mood, am listening to Beethoven's String Qt. Op. 18 No. 6. Every time i listen to these early quartets I am struck as to how fresh and delightful they are. And it only gets better from there.

[lulu]

How about Schubert's Trios and Chopin's music.  There is always Mozart.  And lately I'm in a Saint-Saens mood (nonopera music).  Just wonderful.

I have very little Beethoven trios/quartets/piano pieces and need to correct that.

And more Gluck.  This man has written some of the most exquisite music ever written.  Orfeo ed Eurydice is just plain gorgeous. 

[karlhenning]

Berlioz and Mendelssohn both revered Gluck, lulu.

Cheers,
~Karl

[cincy--man]

Gluck is quite wonderful indeed.

IMHO, as a general notion, the best of any quality composer is found in his chamber music.

[lulu]

Karl:

How odd you mentioned Berlioz, a favorite of mine.  .  How'd you know?  And Mendelssohn of course.

But the Met's recent Orfeo with David Daniels will love in my mind as long as I live.  Truly a beauty beyond words.

With BErgman's death, I'm renting and rewatching Zauberflote (Magic Flute) again which I haven't seen since it first appeared and before my Mozart indoctrination.  I'll appreciate it more now since I just saw it in NYC.

Another new favorite is Saint-Saens (non opera music) which I truly love.

[karlhenning]

A day without Berlioz, Sheila, is like a day without sunshine 

[cincy--man]

No wonder the clouds hover over me always!!!  Is there enough Berlioz for every day of the year? Who knew?   

Speaking of French composers of that vintage, Symphony on a French Mountain Air by D'Indy is a wonderful piece...gotta dig it out and play it.

[karlhenning]

The Overture to Béatrice et Bénédict alone will dispel all clouds!

Cheers,
~Karl

[cincy--man]

Just curious, Karl...which composers are in your regular rotation? The only constant (or near constant) for me is some form of medieval/renaissance music, even if for a few minutes just about every day.

I am very eclectic in music, but there was a time well over a decade ago when 90% of my listening was classical. Back then, in addition to the very early stuff, Bach, Handel, Beethoven and Haydn were part of my daily staple, with a lot of others tossed in for variety.

[karlhenning]

Just curious, Karl...which composers are in your regular rotation?

Shostakovich . . . Stravinsky . . . Prokofiev . . . Berlioz . . . Sibelius . . . Bartók . . . Tchaikovsky  . . . Dvo?ák . . . .

And phases of Hindemith . . . Rakhmaninov  . . . Janá?ek . . . Beethoven . . . Monteverdi . . . Brahms . . . Schumann . . . Schoenberg . . . Copland . . . Piazzolla . . . Ginastera . . . Debussy . . . Ravel . . . de Victoria . . . Palestrina.

[lulu]

karl:

That's all?  [g]


What?  No Saint-Saens?  No Bocerrini, Rodrigo?  (Just kidding).  I absolutely love Bocerrini.  No Scarlatti?

But I'm beginning to really love Janacek except I only have Jenufa.  He's on my list of more composers to get (and his other operas).

[karlhenning]

You know I abhorred leaving either Saint-Saëns or Scarlatti of such a list, Sheila!

[cincy--man]

Impossible to make any short and impromptu list and not leave out many worthies. Boccherini is surely one. And what about C.P.E. Bach? This could go on and on!!!