Whats your favourite classical music?

[Edge]

Elgar - Nimrod

Holst - Jupiter

Dvorjak - Slavonic Dances / New World Symphony

Bizet - L'Larsienne (Spelling uncertain )

[Tiffy]

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

I have all of these plus a fourth variation by a German rock group named Mekong Delta.

 

With all of these differing styles, but of the same pieces of music, I wonder what Mussorgsky would have made of it, and which style he might have adopted - if he had the opportunities that musicians have today in electronic / computer / modern materials and instruments.

 

I think I prefer Tomita's version of Claire de Lune, to any other that I have heard, and often wonder whether Debussy would have done it like that if he had the opportunity.

[Reorte]

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.

If we can have film composers then Basil Poledouris' music for Conan the Barbarian (whatever you think of the film) is up there amongst my favourites.

[bertiedog]

There is little difference between Classical and Orchestral film music, yes there are themes taken from classics, but any composer does this all the time.

 

Some Hollywood music was done by classical composers like Korngold, many were both composers and arranging producers, like Max Steiner who were in charge of music departments as well as individual scores

.

My favourite of his is King Kong, especially the music during the theatre scenes, before Kong is shown to the audience. The whole score has been turned into one piece, and shows his versatility and skills. With Korngold, how can you beat Robin Hood.........or see Psycho, without Hermann's music.

 

John Williams should not be dismissed, after all he does the job so well, I like to see a pure classicist match his workload. Film music is a speciality, we expect it, and they usually deliver.

 

It always amuses me that research showed that most people who saw Ben Hur thought there was music during the Chariot race, when there was none at all, they were still hearing the Charioteers entry music from moments before. 

 

Many British Classical composers did superb scores, Walton, Vaughan Williams, Bliss, Bax, Lord Berners, Ireland, etc., so many crossover works.

 

Stephen

Edited May 11, 2016 by bertiedog

[Budgie]

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.

They did Havergal Brian's Gothic Symphony at the Proms some years ago. It was exceedingly boring. So now we all know why he turns up very occasionally.

 

Through Hamish McCunn(did he compose anything other than land of the mountain and flood?)

Yes. I heard some on Radio 3 a few years ago.

 

Another British composer is Roxana Panufnik, the daughter of Polish/English composer Andrzej Panufnik. And I mustn't forget Rhian Samuel (mainly because she's my cousin!)

[ParkeNd]

Vivaldi flute concertos - from back in the day when a recorder was a flute. Michaela Petri makes a good go at most of his music.

[bertiedog]

They did Havergal Brian's Gothic Symphony at the Proms some years ago. It was exceedingly boring. So now we all know why he turns up very occasionally.

 

Very much my thoughts on Havergal  Brian, he was a noted self taught composer, but if you listen to any of his symphonies it is near impossible to tell which it is at times. He started big with the Gothic, and the work haunted him for the rest of his long career.

Stephen

Edited May 12, 2016 by bertiedog

[bertiedog]

I do hope that that The RMweb Musical Appreciation Group finds time to see the new Stephen Frear film about the American Soprano Florence Foster Jenkins.....If you know the name, then shudder deeply now!!!

 

Merle Streep plays the eccentric New York Socialite, who believed herself to be a singer, even appearing at the Carnegie Hall.

Everybody else basically agreed she could not sing, was tone deaf, unable to understand tempo, or pitch, and hit all the wrong notes! The film concentrates on her over protective husband and her accompanist Cosme McMoon's heroic efforts to play along with her wayward singing. It is a comedy film, but a bit sad as well, as nobody is really sure what she knew about her singing herself.

 

"https://www.youtube.com/embed/V6ubiUIxbWE"

Click on the link if you dare! be warned it is awful.......

Once heard never forgotten.

Edited May 11, 2016 by bertiedog

[PhilJ W]

I do hope that that The RMweb Musical Appreciation Group finds time to see the new Stephen Frear film about the American Soprano Florence Foster Jenkins.....If you know the name, then shudder deeply now!!!

 

Merle Streep plays the eccentric New York Socialite, who believed herself to be a singer, even appearing at the Carnegie Hall.

Everybody else basically agreed she could not sing, was tone deaf, unable to understand tempo, or pitch, and hit all the wrong notes! The film concentrates on her over protective husband and her accompanist Cosme McMoon's heroic efforts to play along with her wayward singing. It is a comedy film, but a bit sad as well, as nobody is really sure what she knew about her singing herself.

 

"https://www.youtube.com/embed/V6ubiUIxbWE"

Click on the link if you dare! be warned it is awful.......

Once heard never forgotten.

Thanks for the link, I was only able to listen to about the first 3 seconds.

[Horsetan]

I do hope that that The RMweb Musical Appreciation Group finds time to see the new Stephen Frear film about the American Soprano Florence Foster Jenkins.....If you know the name, then shudder deeply now!!!....

 

I don't think there's been anything / anyone quite like FFJ, whose story touches on so many themes, including mental health (particularly of those who were fortunate enough to hear her perform live).

 

Reminds me of a (Jewish) joke which involves the classical pianist Artur Rubinstein. Anyhow, a rather ambitious mother, Mrs. Roth, insists that Rubinstein should hear her daughter play. Eventually, Rubinstein relents and visits the Roths for a private recital. After Mrs. Roth's daughter had finished playing, she asked the great pianist what she should do now. "Get married", said Rubinstein.

[bertiedog]

Florence's garbled warbling was rather like the Eric Morecambe comment to Andre Previn, excusing his awful playing on the piano,....it is the right notes..... but not necessarily in the right order.

 

She simply got everything wrong, and her pianist Cosme went along for the ride.

 

Mind you there was a fabled worst singer than Florence, one Tryphosa Bates-Batcheller, but no recordings existed to back up the claim. She was another wealthy American socialite, who lived in Paris, and  appeared on stage, and had a longer "career".

 

Finally in 2004 they found a "lost" recording, and Florence really has a serious rival...... Tryphosa Bates-Batcheller is very bad, but not quite in the same ways. Her last note is unbelievably bad.......

 

Her lost performance is on youtube,.... again fair warning,...... it is bad, but may not require quite as strong a health warning as Dear Florence's efforts to, as they put it so well, "Murder Mozart"...

 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BefZDJLTi24"

 

You have been warned.....

 

Stephen

Edited May 12, 2016 by bertiedog

[eastwestdivide]

My dad's response to anyone singing off-key or otherwise annoying his musical sensibilities was always "Can you sing Over the Hills and Far Away"

[Ian J.]

The words 'strangled' and 'cat' in close proximity come to mind with both of those...

[bertiedog]

Ohh my lord,.......there was another, one Helene Chutzpah, yet another New York socialite, who has left the legacy of a recording of a rehearsal in the 1930's, more musical, but failed so often to hit the right notes......was it a New York Problem? Like dear Florence she appeared at the Carnegie Hall.

 

"https://www.youtube.com/embed/nJdaBpVJj9o"

 

 By now you should have developed an immunity to awful singing, so no health warning!

 

Stephen

[Horsetan]

Ohh my lord,.......there was another, one Helene Chutzpah,....

 

 

Chutzpah is the Hebrew word for "cheek" or "brazenness". 

[Tim Dubya]

Pretty much anything by John Barry, but "Midnight Cowboy" is my all time favourite.

[bertiedog]

Chutzpah is the Hebrew word for "cheek" or "brazenness". 

I Did look her up, it seems a serious reference, I distrusted it with the Jewish term as a name, but seems genuine.

[Horsetan]

I Did look her up,....

Yes, you do seem to be developing a specialism in listening to particularly awful singing (sic).....

Edited May 12, 2016 by Horsetan

[bertiedog]

Back to classics, trying to assemble recordings of Cyril Scott's music at the moment, some on Youtube, some MP3 from the net.

The piano piece Lotus Land remains known, but his orchestral work has faded away, but has been revived with over 4 CD's etc, of his large 400 work output. His style seems to be a romantic less exuberant Holst, and his work was admired by many 20th century composers, He died aged 91 in 1970

Stephen

[bertiedog]

Yes, you do seem to be developing a specialism in listening to particularly awful singing (sic).....

But you have to hear the bad to know what is good, take Delibes "Bell Song from Lakme", screeched by Florence, then try Lily Pons version, on Youtube........I dare you to try the FFJ version on youtube!

 

 

Stephen.

Edited May 12, 2016 by bertiedog

[C.A.T.Ford]

Very much my thoughts on Havergal  Brian, he was a noted self taught composer, but if you listen to any of his symphonies it is near impossible to tell which it is at times. He started big with the Gothic, and the work haunted him for the rest of his long career.

Stephen

 

I think the word haunted is not quite right, perhaps possessed might be better. He never got the idea less is more ( Like more clichés means better layout) However, he is still remembered and all his work is about. Which is more than can be said for people like York Bowen and John Foulds where a chunk of their work disappeared after their deaths despite them being acclaimed while alive in a much stronger way than Brian.

 

Poor Flo et al they do come under the headline of "Delibes won Florence didn't"

 

CAT  

[runs as required]

Anyone catch Steve Reich's "Different Trains" on 'Composer of the Week' yesterday ?

 

I'd never heard it before - a very powerful piece - in the tradition of Honneger and Pacific 2-3-1. It made me stop what I was doing and sit down and concentrate hard for twenty minutes - about the romance but also the horrors associated with epoch 3 HO. 

dh

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

That's done it, all that mention of wannabe sopranos. I have 'A word on your ear' running around inside my head now. I think I can kill it with some Hamilton Bantock, defitely my favourite among neglected British composers. Try 'Fifine at the Fair'.

[geoffers]

Just completed a couple of evenings listening to the seven symphonies of Sibelius and the violin concerto as played by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra under Osmo Vanska with the soloist Leonidas Kavakos. Listened to it LOUD. I had forgotten how sumptious the sound is on these BIS recordings (via a Cyrus system with Monitor Audio speakers). I like the interpretations too though I have other favourites with the 2nd, 5th and 7th symphonies which I marginally prefer. One of my top three composers. 

[BR60103]

If you like music of FFJ type, radio station KUSC (University of Southern California) has a marvellous program on New Year's Eve.It does start around 9:00 p.m. their time (maybe 6:00 a.m. Greenwich?) and features various weird records. They also do a full version of Das Fledermaus. At least, that's been every time I've heard it.  It's a bit of a problem for me as it starts about midnight, our time.

We have internet radios and KUSC is one of our presets.