DS Forums

 
 

What is your favourite piece of Classical Music?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 03-07-2011, 12:49
~Twinkle~
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Team Martin and LBC Chit-Chat
Posts: 7,641
I grew up with Placido Domingo's version of this.

Always was a fan of Jose Carreras, though - voice more old-school. Bit more subtle.

But I prefer Rolando Villazon's voice. E Lucevan le stelle, esp this voice. (Can't find it with pretty moving pictures)

O Suave Fanciulla with my favourite tenor and soprano. Don't get much better than this (ropey on YouTube but amazing on TV).

My dad was a classical musician so it was never a case of 'falling in love' with music - grew up with Rachmaninov and Chopin being played 'live' all the time in our front room! (At one point he had the piano in the kitchen, which was even better). Opera was my thing though from when I was 9 and my mum took me to see a production of 'Tales of Hoffman'.
Are you me in a different dimension? Replace dad with mum and we have a mirror existance with the addition of Schumann, Shubert and Bach and Beethoven. I was weaned on the stuff and it's still with me after decades. Real music that you never tire of, no matter how much you hear it.
~Twinkle~ is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 03-07-2011, 12:56
Kapellmeister
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Taedet animam meam vitae
Posts: 40,368
LOL. Maybe they'll learn summat.

Mdm Butterfly Duet.
On the Puccini theme I would add:

In questa reggia from Turandot. It's wonderful but from 03.26 onwards is spine-tingling stuff.
Kapellmeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 13:00
alancracker
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,933
Pictures at an exhibition by Mussorgsky - I once heard it described as haunting and that to me is exactly the right word. I love it.

Bolero by Ravel is another fav too.
alancracker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 13:04
Mr Perks
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Devon
Posts: 1,116
Pictures at an exhibition by Mussorgsky - I once heard it described as haunting and that to me is exactly the right word. I love it.
I take it that's an orchestral or original piano version. For sheer awfulness it is worth seeking out the Emerson, Lake and Palmer version. They manage to turn the majestic, spinal shiver inducing Great Gate of Kiev into a rather wimpy, instantly forgettable pop song!
Mr Perks is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 13:07
John Dough
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 98,141
Mendelssohn's Hebrides overture.
John Dough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 13:14
yorkieUK
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,020
For me it is two pieces:

The Swan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moh9K...eature=related

1812 Overture (The bit with the cannons )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW4C2h3lPac

I have to admit to knowing very little about classical music. To me that does not matter as it is all about getting pleasure from listening to it. So, would this be considered classical music? It is an except from The Making of Westside Story. Well worth getting the DVD I hasten to add:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWnsm...eature=related
yorkieUK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 13:16
Harleybobs
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Under the twinkerley stars
Posts: 617
My fave is Ravel's Bolero
Harleybobs is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 13:19
Phantz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,655
Stockhausen - Etude
Phantz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 13:23
ajman
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 869
Gustav Holst - Venus, the Bringer of Peace.
ajman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 13:29
Kapellmeister
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Taedet animam meam vitae
Posts: 40,368
I have to admit to knowing very little about classical music. To me that does not matter as it is all about getting pleasure from listening to it. So, would this be considered classical music? It is an except from The Making of Westside Story. Well worth getting the DVD I hasten to add:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWnsm...eature=related
The term 'classical music' when used correctly really only applies to a period of about 40 years that spanned the middle of the 18th century to about 1800. Before that it was Baroque and after that it was Romantic, amongst many others, but Classical Music is now a catch-all that describes what I would prefer to called Western art music. So yeah, the Bernstein score is probably included in that.

Kapellmeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 14:33
Elanor
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 13,041
I can no more pick one favourite piece than I can pick one favourite pop song. But today I will say Allegri's Miserere. It is so beautiful that it's almost painful in places, and the highest notes really do sound like angels in some kind of ecstatic raptures.
Elanor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 14:53
Kapellmeister
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Taedet animam meam vitae
Posts: 40,368
I can no more pick one favourite piece than I can pick one favourite pop song. But today I will say Allegri's Miserere. It is so beautiful that it's almost painful in places, and the highest notes really do sound like angels in some kind of ecstatic raptures.
Do you know Lotti's Crucifixus?
Kapellmeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 15:56
Carlos_dfc
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Bishop-Auckland / Darlington
Posts: 6,636
Beethoven's 7th - 2nd mvt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tacmg0wX13s

'Jupiter', from Holst's 'Planet Suite'
Which contains the original melody for 'I vow to thee my country', from about 3mins onwards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B49N46I39Y

Also love most of the Mozart I've heard
As a kid, we were always played into assembly by the headmaster's Mozart collection - 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' and the 40th symphony were always my fave at the time.

I never went much on opera, but an uncle got me into Rossini, mainly for the overtures. 'William Tell' is just brilliant.
Carlos_dfc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 16:37
Phoenix Lazarus
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 13,888
Beethoven-Moonlight Sonata

Faure-Requiem: In Paradisum

Elgar-Nimrod
Phoenix Lazarus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 16:49
Strike-a-Pose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 158
Two more:
Beethoven Piano Sonata #2 In A Major, Op. 2, No. 2 - 2. Largo Appassionato
Fauré - Pavane, op.50
Strike-a-Pose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2011, 19:24
Arcana
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: 🖥⌨🖱
Posts: 29,239
I'm no connoisseur but I do like Barber's 'Adagio For Strings' and Satie's 'Gymnopedie No 1'.
Arcana is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2011, 00:40
Phoenix Lazarus
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 13,888
I can't believe no one else has mentioned Moonlight Sonata-apart from my mention of it above. It is such an atmospheric, emotional piece.
Phoenix Lazarus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2011, 01:55
Kapellmeister
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Taedet animam meam vitae
Posts: 40,368
I can't believe no one else has mentioned Moonlight Sonata-apart from my mention of it above. It is such an atmospheric, emotional piece.
I spent ages learning the first movement (the famous, and easy, one) and so I sort of grew sick of it. The other two movements were way beyond my capabilities.
Kapellmeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2011, 11:28
Strike-a-Pose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 158
My choice for today:

Bellini - “Norma” – “Casta Diva” (magnificent Maria Callas)

Puccini - “Gianni Schicchi” – “O mio babbino caro” (divine Montserrat Caballé)
Strike-a-Pose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2011, 18:19
Sweet FA
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: In my Opinion
Posts: 10,057
Pachelbel's Canon
Sweet FA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2011, 18:41
Sazaleeno
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 7,076
Not exactly 'classical' per se, but Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is quite moving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV3SHBFyDZM
Sazaleeno is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2011, 22:26
Kapellmeister
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Taedet animam meam vitae
Posts: 40,368
Not exactly 'classical' per se, but Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is quite moving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV3SHBFyDZM
Another very famous adagio, which I don't think anyone has mentioned yet, is the one commonly known as 'Albinoni's Adagio in G minor', except it wasn't written by Albinoni at all!

It was composed in the 1950s by Remo Giazotto who alleged to have found some fragments of the adagio in Albinoni's hand in the displaced archives of the Saxon State Library in Dresden after WW2. No-one believed him though and most people think he composed it from scratch, which must make it one of the most widely-known pieces of 20th century music in existence.

Either way, there's no denying it's mournful, tragic beauty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuh3W...eature=related

The sudden mood changes from grief to consolation are exquisite.
Kapellmeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2011, 08:37
Clodiantia
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 5
I like listening
Schubert 'Serenade',
Beethoven 7th Symphony.
Clodiantia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2012, 08:51
Mike_1101
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Lancs
Posts: 7,928
This thread has been quiet for a while so here's something I recently re-discovered - over 40 years after last hearing it on the old Clarke & Smith loudspeakers at school....

Litolff: - "Scherzo from Concerto Symphonique"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE4i9Eqe_gs

Henry Charles Litolff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litolff
Mike_1101 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 19:24.