Whats your favourite classical music?

[RBAGE]

Always reminds me of the BBC comedy show "Only fools and horses", where Raquel is complaining to Rodney that she'd asked Del Boy for "a number by Bruce Oldfield" for a Christmas present, only to pick up a Tubular Bells LP from the shelf, to roars of laughter at her line, ".and he got me Tubular Bells"........

There you go, classic.

[laurenceb]

And dozens of others.........., I was struggling from memory, and remembering  various downloads from youtube......even Handel qualifies as he became a British Citizen.

 

I seem to remember Ken Russell did a TV programme on forgotten British Composers many years ago.

 

Classic FM do have a very limited play list, and I expect they will be playing Ravel's Bolero a lot more, as it came out of copyright a few days ago.........

 

Stephen

Help!!!!

[Ian J.]

Just because it's come out of copyright doesn't mean they don't have to pay the musicians etc, for the recordings they use. The only thing that is really affected by the change is that anyone can publish and print out their own copy of the sheet music without having to get permission and pay anyone to do so. You can't even copy a previously published edition of the sheet music until that specific edition falls out of copyright. I suspect the original published editions might be out of copyright, but good luck finding one. Of course, I doubt it will take long for someone to simply put out a version of the music in the public domain, both as sheet music and an actual performance. Then ClassicFM could play that to their heart's content.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Ian J.

[SwissRailPassion]

As a classical musician myself I've had lots of favourites but some endure in the heart. Walton's first symphony opening movement, Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances, Brahms' Alto Rhapsody and Tchaikovsky's Fifth. Things come in and out of focus in my ears and as I draw close I begin to love them but I am always aware that I must eventually move on to the next and the anticipation is to be savoured. A lot of music which I absolutely adored in my twenties seems to be trivial now. I'm also aware of how much I dismissed or overlooked when I was younger.

[rockershovel]

Many thanks for that Barry, it is simply wonderful and you really don't hear much of that kind of music these days!

It reminds me an awful lot of one of my favourite Tull pieces (a rock group?) "King Henry's Madrigal" which I always find quite divine.

At the moment I'm very much enjoying this kind of thing, albeit not very PC (sorry!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_6AQA4uzD0

I quite like the various minor German and Austrian polkas, marches and waltzes.. If I had to pick one, it would be Under The Double Eagle or Radetsky March

[BR60103]

Always reminds me of the BBC comedy show "Only fools and horses", where Raquel is complaining to Rodney that she'd asked Del Boy for "a number by Bruce Oldfield" for a Christmas present, only to pick up a Tubular Bells LP from the shelf, to roars of laughter at her line, ".and he got me Tubular Bells"........

I had to look both of those up. I did get the reference to Only Fools and Horses, though.

[45156]

Great to see this thread revived, particularly this week when we are mourning the passing of Jock67B who was a major contributor to it, and was erudite and knew his classics well.

 

I have already mentioned many of my own favourites earlier in the thread, so won't repeat them here, but one that I don't think I mentioned was "Pictures At An Exhibition" by Модест Петрович Мусоргский (Modest Mussorgsky in English) and I also don't mind the Emerson Lake & Palmer rendition which was a good attempt to bring classics to a new audience and in a new way.  Something which Emerson did with The Nice when they did the Intermezzo from the Karelia Suite by Sibelius.

[RBAGE]

There you go, classic.

Or should I say "triffic".

[rockershovel]

The Lark Ascending - Vaughan Williams.

As much for its Britishness as the music or the bird.

Not so much at this time of year because you can go outside and listen to the real thing.

The English countryside is a lovely place at this time of year.

I'm sad to say that despite living in East Anglia, I don't recall the last time I heard a skylark...

[RBAGE]

I'm sad to say that despite living in East Anglia, I don't recall the last time I heard a skylark...

I was the same. I remembered them from when I was a boy but couldn't recall hearing one for decades.

I retired 2 years ago and started walking the dog, morning, noon and night.

They're still there and when I hear one I stand for as long as it takes, staring into the sky, until I see it.

Then I'm a boy again. 

[geoffers]

Still have skylarks in East Anglia - heard one the other day out in the fields - only one mind you. Regarding music I had an amusing encounter with a rather esoteric modern Greek/French composer named Iannis Xenakis (now sadly deceased). Not personally of course but with his music. He had a way of using computers to compose and whilst listening to a concert in Norwich a few years ago (and yes we do have music in Norwich) and sitting in the choir stalls behind the brass section a Xenakis number was included in the programme either side of some more popular romantic numbers. The Xenakis piece (a tenor piece which was performed superbly) was rather "avant-garde" and certainly surprised a few in the audience and woke them up! The amusing part was just prior to the start and after having a chat with one of the trombonists (in a major London orechestra and under a celebrity conductor) he turned to me and said ..."get ready for this".... and promptly drained a hip flask full of whiskey in front of me ....and then went hic! Well I thought it was amusing. Incidently the venue in the city has now got a noise restriction on it due to a single complaint from a now-deceased resident so any orchestra has to play .....quietly.

[melmerby]

 

 

I have already mentioned many of my own favourites earlier in the thread, so won't repeat them here, but one that I don't think I mentioned was "Pictures At An Exhibition" by Модест Петрович Мусоргский (Modest Mussorgsky in English) and I also don't mind the Emerson Lake & Palmer rendition which was a good attempt to bring classics to a new audience and in a new way. 

Isao Tomita (mentioned a few posts back)also did a version

 

I have all three variations.

Classical -Berlin Phil/Karajan

Electronic - Tomita

Rock - ELP

 

Keith

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I am having a wallow in Granville Bantock at the moment. This by way of some light relief after trying yet again to get my head around Robert Simpson (sponsored by most musicianly male friend, and heartily decried by my most musicianly female friend, both professional musicians of no small accomplishment: her opinion is prevailing with me!). And a seasoning of Reynaldo Hahn and Gabriel Faure.

[C.A.T.Ford]

The Lark Ascending - Vaughan Williams.

As much for its Britishness as the music or the bird.

Not so much at this time of year because you can go outside and listen to the real thing.

The English countryside is a lovely place at this time of year.

 

Ah! English music or at least music evoking the English countryside. Might I offer George Butterworth, Ivor Gurney, John Ireland, Holst and Britten's interludes from Peter Grimes (Particularly Dawn which inspired me to build a section of seaside layout) As well as V-W all capable of crystallising that essential English country in the mind. Please feel free to add. Mind you for urban landscape images John Ireland's  "London overture" for an image of 20s/30s  and the self assurance of the Edwardian era with Elgar's "Cockaigne".

 

CAT

[bertiedog]

I am having a wallow in Granville Bantock at the moment.

Not a claim that comes up often,.......... a forgotten composer if ever there was, great tunes and a lover of grand themes and big entries. how he slipped from fame is a mystery, with his relatively large output.

Prelude to "The Bacchanals" is a favourite, and themes from it appear in later period film music by others.

[bertiedog]

Thanks to Youtube another surprise is that Respigi wrote more than The Pines of Rome.....only joking, but until CD's came along only The Pines and The Birds were ever recorded. His output was very large, and in the main not played on the radio or in the Proms.

[bertiedog]

Mention of John Irelands 'London Overture', brings in Brass Band music from classical composers, favourites are Holsts 'Hammersmith', and Granville Bantocks 'Prometheus Unbound', and of course Sir Malcolm Arnold with 'Padstow Lifeboat'.....

Stephen. 

[melmerby]

Thanks to Youtube another surprise is that Respigi wrote more than The Pines of Rome.....only joking, but until CD's came along only The Pines and The Birds were ever recorded. His output was very large, and in the main not played on the radio or in the Proms.

What about his "Ancient Airs and Dances"? His variations on ancient tunes, as well as the "Fountains of Rome" both have been frequently recorded.

 

Keith

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I have a serious soft-spot for Respighi's music - my particular favourite being his arrangements of Ancient Airs and Dances. I attended a Prom a few years ago, which included  a paring of his Belkis Queen of Sheba and Holst's Beni Mora.

 

It has oft been noted that if it were not for Holst, most science fiction music would not exist, but both the Respighi and Holst pieces captured the scene for much Hollywood 'Middle Eastern/North African' music. 

 

Side note, last week I watched the original version of Star Wars. Basically, the music is a combination of Holst, Arthur Bliss (check out his suite for the film 'Things to Come') and Stravinsky!

[BR60103]

Side note, last week I watched the original version of Star Wars. Basically, the music is a combination of Holst, Arthur Bliss (check out his suite for the film 'Things to Come') and Stravinsky!

All of J.W.'s music seems to me to come from the theme to "Born Free", although I have an idea that it goes back to "King's Row".

[Bernard Lamb]

 This by way of some light relief after trying yet again to get my head around Robert Simpson (sponsored by most musicianly male friend, and heartily decried by my most musicianly female friend, both professional musicians of no small accomplishment: her opinion is prevailing with me!).

Although his music might be on the difficult side at times, he did wright a very good book on Bruckner.

Bernard

[Ian J.]

John Williams' (Star Wars, as against guitar man) influences come mainly via golden age film composers like Herrmann, Waxman, Rosza, Newman (Alfred), and Korngold, who of course were influenced by classical composers, particularly of the romantic era, like Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, etc.

 

It's a bit unfair with film composers because they have to work to a brief provided by other people for the projects they work on in order to pay the bills, so influences are sometimes requests from directors and producers to write something 'exactly like this' (even worse to copy a temp track provided already). To give credit to Williams, he wouldn't knowingly directly copy an existing work by another composer even if requested to do so. Horner would, Goldsmith wouldn't, other composers vary.

[melmerby]

John Williams' (Star Wars, as against guitar man) influences come mainly via golden age film composers like Herrmann, Waxman, Rosza, Newman (Alfred), and Korngold, who of course were influenced by classical composers, particularly of the romantic era, like Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, etc.

 

It's a bit unfair with film composers because they have to work to a brief provided by other people for the projects they work on in order to pay the bills, so influences are sometimes requests from directors and producers to write something 'exactly like this' (even worse to copy a temp track provided already). To give credit to Williams, he wouldn't knowingly directly copy an existing work by another composer even if requested to do so. Horner would, Goldsmith wouldn't, other composers vary.

Talking of the Newmans - a very talented family.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was a classical composer who also wrote for the cinema.

 

Keith

[C.A.T.Ford]

The mention of Bantock highlights the sort of "back burner" British composers. Brian was a contemporary of Bantock and wrote 32 symphonies etc. but turns up very occasionally on the Beeb and is never going to be on classic. Through Hamish McCunn(did he compose anything other than land of the mountain and flood?) via George Lloyd (who wrote tonally when everybody else didn't and paid the price) to Grace Jones (Oh a woman!  and that goes for most women composers). If it wasn't for Lyrita CDs a whole tranche of British music would never see the light of day. Having said that I've got  George Lloyd's 8th symphony on Youtube playing now and it's very good indeed.

 

CAT

[eastwestdivide]

Perhaps more in line with the interests of most on the forum, just by chance, I came across Radio 3 playing what I thought of as "the Fred Dibnah tune", only to discover it's a folk tune called "Carnival of Venice".

Radio 3 played a clarinet arrangement by Cavallini, and the presenter didn't mention Dibnah, which to me marks him out as a dangerous intellectual, like playing the William Tell Overture and not mentioning The Lone Ranger!