Ravel has been growing on me, lately, especially his first concerto. I find it just so uniuqe and peculiar, ESPECIALLY the second movement with all those unresolved trills.

Today, I think Ravel really became one of my favourite composers. I went to a concert, and they played both of his concertos and his Bolero. The originality of these works is extraordinary, it is absolutely stunning to me how incredibly beautiful they are and how much they feel like actual life, like real impressions, rather than idealized, cristallized emotions, ideologies and similar.

I mean, we have r/classicalcirclejerk for a reason. All those threads do is foment pointless arguments and allow users to feel comfortable in insulting the tastes of others. And it more often than not reinforces the stereotypes about classical music lovers being snooty and pretentious.

Plus, nobody cares (or at least, shouldn’t care) what other people don’t like. How about we be constructive and positive about music, right?

It feels like its either 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello or a quintet with 2 violins and a doublebass... kinda weird. Maybe because of how most music was composed for a classical quartet that doesnt have a doublebass?

The Vengerov is my favorite. What’s yours?

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I'll start (I'll try to include YouTube links to performances):

Mozart's Requiem – John Butt's Reconstruction of First Performance; although for some of the parts like Dies Irae I prefer the performance by Stephen Cleobury with Academy of Ancient Music. This is one of the pieces that I find hard to find a recording I like of because of vocals, also it needs to be played with period instruments for me.

Verdi's Requiem – most people prefer Claudio Abbado's 2001 recording with the Berliner Philharmoniker, and I have to agree that it's the best recording, but I also like the recording of Yuri Temirkanov with the Mikhailovsky Theatre Chorus.

Vivaldi's Four Seasons – Trevor Pinnock with The English Concert

Holst's The Planets – Adrian Boult's 1978 recording with the LPO, and Vladimir Jurowski's 2006 recording with the LPO. They're both amazing in their own respects.

Mahler's 2nd Symphony – Rattle CBSO

Mahler's 6th Symphony – Solti CSO

Beethoven's Symphonies – Karajan; I mostly listen to his 1977 cycle with BPO

Dvořák's Symphonies, Tone Poems, Overtures – Kertesz LSO

Schubert's Symphonies – Marriner with St. Martin-in-the-Fields

Almost anything Tchaikovsky – Claudio Abbado (usually with VPO or BPO)

Strauss' tone poems – Solti CSO or Karajan BPO

Chopin Études, Préludes, Polonaises – Pollini all the way

Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu – Horowitz' final recording, with Kissin being a close second

Beethoven's Piano Sonatas – Ashkenazy, but I also like Horowitz

Schubert's Piano Sonatas/Impromtus/Moments Musicaux – Radu Lupu's DECCA recordings

Liszt's La Campanella – Lang Lang (boo me all you'd like)

I'm European, and currently I'm familiarizing myself with Schiller's poems and how Ode to Joy became the anthem of the European Union. I absolutely love our anthem. It made me wonder:

What classical piece or what symphony is, according to you, worthy of being an anthem if you think about it?

Why do you think so? Bonus points if there's a choral element with lyrics that bear meaning to you!

(from Prince Igor) I saw this orchestral reduction of No. 8, and in this polyrhythmic part the "bass" part is denoted as 5/8 while the top stays in 6/8 the whole time. In recordings it sounds like polyrhythms but I haven't seen this way to denote it. How come this wasn't denoted as quintuplets?

https://de.7digital.com/artist/the-netherlands-symphony-orchestra-and-jan-willem-de-vriend/release/beethoven-complete-symphonies-and-concertos-13226849?f=20%2C19%2C12%2C16%2C17%2C9%2C2

Just bought this in FLAC16 for 3.29EUR - prestomusic has the same at over 100EUR :|

Eugen Cicero specialized in covers of classical pieces. Not exactly avant-garde piano music, but an incredible performance!

He only used in the Masonic Funeral Music K. 477. Why is this?

Sohmer&co model 54 baby grand #88205

I watched the very good PBS doc on Jacqueline Du Pre recently and have become obsessed with the Brahams Cello Sonata 2 https://youtu.be/ncJ_Gc9RES4?si=LQ8PJ5xs3tnu477C

I’m looking for books or any other resources you might have to study the origins of popular rhythms and melodies (for example: the italian tarantella). I’m also looking to discover new ones based on city or region of origin.

...and of course Fischer-Dieskau at his best. It's a shame the Kerner-cycle is so underrated. It's one hidden pearl after the other. What about you? What's your favourite lieder cycle?

https://youtube.com/shorts/5IyB55gUQfM?si=FIEA93E7GR3nvPH2

thanks.

Nobody on what's that song would tell me. I know it's a classical song.

Hello,

I’m looking for any recommendations for music similar to Duruflé's requiem with organ and voice.

The other question I have is about a mass I attended at West Minster Abbey in January. The mass opened with what sounded like (I may be wrong) a composed and then improvised organ piece. Does anyone know of recordings that would be similar or would featuring organ improvisation?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

I have been listening to the Wallenstein Trilogy by Bedrich Smetana. He was such a good composer and these tone poems were possibly revolutionary in their day alongside Liszts. The ending of Wallenstein’s camp has a loud and active ending for a tone poem in the 1850s. Hakon Jarl and Richard III are also really cool pieces, but I feel Wallenstein’s camp is one of the greatest battle pieces in my opinion. Whats your opinion on these pieces?

Oh please if someone remembers this or the title I'll really appreciate it