Classical Music Thread

[Swedish Extrovert]

Originally Posted by epicSocialism4tw

Oh, don't take it personally.

Everyone has other interests. It just happens to be true that ballet is about as far away on the continuum from football as you can get. It comes right before crochet and shopping.

Now, Spandau Ballet...you might hit a gold mine here with that one.

Ballet is quite a bit like football. Both feature choreographed "plays" of superhuman strength and agility.

You ever seen a male ballet dancer? I'm sure a few of them could play pro football if they wanted to.

I mean how many men do you know that can hold another person by the feet, above their head, with one arm?

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by Mightysmurf

Ballet is quite a bit like football. Both feature choreographed "plays" of superhuman strength and agility.

You ever seen a male ballet dancer? I'm sure a few of them could play pro football if they wanted to.

I mean how many men do you know that can hold another person by the feet, above their head, with one arm?

There are many things to be appreciated. If I wanted to watch strong men dance in pants that reveal their endowment, I would watch Chris Farley's audition for Chippendales.

[Spider]

I love this one when playing chess

[Spider]

when playing Chess I like the more upbeat music , keeps the stimulus going ...... Rachmaninoff is ok though .......

[Spider]

I had a real close friend named Dave , that almost could play the flight of the bumble bee on a trombone ...... Amazing stuff .........

[Chris]

I find Rachmaninoff to be a bit on the depressing side personally. One of my friends worships his ghost like her Justin Bieber... kudos to her she can play his stuff very well.

If you want good modern classical might I suggest the Moneyball OST? Mychael Danna did an awesome job with that one. It's hugely meditative and I love it.

As far as similarly meditative / evocative new classical music (they can be the same thing) I recommend Alexandre Desplat's Benjamin Button OST



Yes, I like soundtracks.

[KipCorrington25]

[Swedish Extrovert]

Offseason bump

[broncosteven]

I took Abby to see a local municipal band in our area to see them play with vocalist Wayne Messmer.

Wayne was the announcer for the Cubs, Sting (soccer), and Blackhawks, and sang the National Anthem for them. If you saw the duh bear playoff games in 2010, Jim Corneilus does an exact copy of what Wayne did for years but Wayne is the real deal.

Waynes version of the Anthem prior to the 1991 NHL Allstar game was actually better than Witney Houston's lipsynced verison she did at the SB that year.

Blackhawk fans started the cheering during the singing of the Anthem prior to a playoff game vs the Oilers back in 1985, If you heard Wayne singing in the old Chicago Stadium with people in the cheap upper deck seats banging on the windows and history oozing out of the walls you would get it.

Wayne was shot in the throat in 1994 a few weeks before the old Stadium was to be closed, it took him a few months before he could sing again.

It was great to see a Chicago legend sing with a little local band I grew up working with.

It was a great concert, support your local bands/orchestras, if you see a concert in the park bring the kids, food and a blanket, they are fun. Now a days most towns who put on concerts in the park find subpar hobbists to play covers of pop songs.

The days where you could find a schedule of outdoor concerts by a professional mix of local players is just about dead.

[Swedish Extrovert]

Offseason bump 2013

[broncosteven]

I am studying Beethoven's String Quartet OP 131. I had started a String Quartet about 15 years ago, it is not terrible and I am going to try to finish it. I need to check out some Beethoven for motivation.

My fav STQ of Beethoven's is op 132 #15 in Am Great late Quartet.

[Swedish Extrovert]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

I am studying Beethoven's String Quartet OP 131. I had started a String Quartet about 15 years ago, it is not terrible and I am going to try to finish it. I need to check out some Beethoven for motivation.

My fav STQ of Beethoven's is op 132 #15 in Am Great late Quartet.

I got back into Beethoven because I saw a bunch of Quinten Tarantino films.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

I took Abby to see a local municipal band in our area to see them play with vocalist Wayne Messmer.

Wayne was the announcer for the Cubs, Sting (soccer), and Blackhawks, and sang the National Anthem for them. If you saw the duh bear playoff games in 2010, Jim Corneilus does an exact copy of what Wayne did for years but Wayne is the real deal.

Waynes version of the Anthem prior to the 1991 NHL Allstar game was actually better than Witney Houston's lipsynced verison she did at the SB that year.

Blackhawk fans started the cheering during the singing of the Anthem prior to a playoff game vs the Oilers back in 1985, If you heard Wayne singing in the old Chicago Stadium with people in the cheap upper deck seats banging on the windows and history oozing out of the walls you would get it.

Wayne was shot in the throat in 1994 a few weeks before the old Stadium was to be closed, it took him a few months before he could sing again.

It was great to see a Chicago legend sing with a little local band I grew up working with.

It was a great concert, support your local bands/orchestras, if you see a concert in the park bring the kids, food and a blanket, they are fun. Now a days most towns who put on concerts in the park find subpar hobbists to play covers of pop songs.

The days where you could find a schedule of outdoor concerts by a professional mix of local players is just about dead.

My city Long Beach has a great municipal band. The reason they dont play all the concerts in the park is because they are so expensive. A guy I took lessons from who is a vibe player tells me they get 300 bucks a player. My band will do one for 1200 bucks! I wouldn't say the cities hire a lot of subpar bands but they do hire a lot of tribute bands and cover bands.

Problem with original music is usually the songwriting sucks. The people around the park would just rather see a Led Zep tribute, journey tribute etc. I agree though there are bands way better then us I just doubt you could hire them for what fits in a cities budget.

For instance a band like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy would cost you about 15 grand for a 2 hour show. Maybe even more.

When I was helping the Irvine Lake Blues fest book acts last yr i contacted Johnny Langs agency and they quoted me 50 grand for a 1 1/2 hour set.

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

My city Long Beach has a great municipal band. The reason they dont play all the concerts in the park is because they are so expensive. A guy I took lessons from who is a vibe player tells me they get 300 bucks a player. My band will do one for 1200 bucks! I wouldn't say the cities hire a lot of subpar bands but they do hire a lot of tribute bands and cover bands.

Problem with original music is usually the songwriting sucks. The people around the park would just rather see a Led Zep tribute, journey tribute etc. I agree though there are bands way better then us I just doubt you could hire them for what fits in a cities budget.

For instance a band like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy would cost you about 15 grand for a 2 hour show. Maybe even more.

When I was helping the Irvine Lake Blues fest book acts last yr i contacted Johnny Langs agency and they quoted me 50 grand for a 1 1/2 hour set.

Our guys are lucky if they get $50 and gas money, They deserve more, not sure what the union dues are but it is hard to pull off with out support from the town/village/parkdistrict/library.

[BroncoBeavis]

This thread's a good read. I'm a much more casual fan so I don't have the kind of analysis to add you guys have. I've doggedly listened to Beethoven since I was a kid. Still my favorite. I like Bach whenever the harpsichord doesn't overwhelm me. But I struggle to find much else I can get into. Mozart seems one-dimensional in comparison. I really like Dvorak's 9th. But didn't get too excited about much else. I'm kind of in a rut honestly.

[Swedish Extrovert]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

Our guys are lucky if they get $50 and gas money, They deserve more, not sure what the union dues are but it is hard to pull off with out support from the town/village/parkdistrict/library.

Just go to the Lamont School. Can't beat $10 for an Opera with a full symphony Orchestra.

In return, the performers get music education.

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by BroncoBeavis

This thread's a good read. I'm a much more casual fan so I don't have the kind of analysis to add you guys have. I've doggedly listened to Beethoven since I was a kid. Still my favorite. I like Bach whenever the harpsichord doesn't overwhelm me. But I struggle to find much else I can get into. Mozart seems one-dimensional in comparison. I really like Dvorak's 9th. But didn't get too excited about much else. I'm kind of in a rut honestly.

If you like Beethoven check out the other Romantic's. Richard Strauss, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert (I am not big into him much), Check out Gotterdamerung (Twilight of the Gods) by Wagner, especially Siegfrieds Rhein Journey and Death and Funeral music. Check out Holst's Planets,

I would check out some Chopin piano works too.

Then stretch it out and go for some Stravinsky, I don't think you will ever listen to classical music the same way after hearing Rite of Spring or Petruska. I like Ligeti a lot, Kubric used a bunch of his works in 2001 Space Odyssey (as well as the Strauss's).

Every American should listen to lots of Copland and Barber, Barbers's 1st symphony is one of my favorites as is Copland
s 3rd, Copland also wrote Appalachian Spring, Quiet City, Billy the Kid, Rodeo, all accessible quality music.

You can go to any local library and walk out with a stack of CD's to listen to before buying.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

Our guys are lucky if they get $50 and gas money, They deserve more, not sure what the union dues are but it is hard to pull off with out support from the town/village/parkdistrict/library.

Our Muni band almost got axed but local businesses stepped in. They are the best of the LA musicians though and i agree a higher level of musicianship then my band. But i wouldn't say they are funner to go see play then my band is.

Musicians just don't get paid unless you make it big. It's just how it is.

[Bronco X]

Great thread. Here's a couple of my favorite modern compositions:

[Chris]

I'm currently reading this fascinating book which traces the major ideas / events of the 20th century through classical music



http://www.amazon.com/The-Rest-Noise.../dp/0312427719

[Kid A]

Wow, great thread. Sorry I didn't find this sooner, a kind of introduction I was looking for.

I have been really enjoying composer Max Richter's "recomposition" of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. He took the original score, pulled out the layers he liked, rearranged them, and created a very original record.



His other work is pretty haunting too.

[Swedish Extrovert]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

If you like Beethoven check out the other Romantic's. Richard Strauss, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert (I am not big into him much), Check out Gotterdamerung (Twilight of the Gods) by Wagner, especially Siegfrieds Rhein Journey and Death and Funeral music. Check out Holst's Planets,

I would check out some Chopin piano works too.

Then stretch it out and go for some Stravinsky, I don't think you will ever listen to classical music the same way after hearing Rite of Spring or Petruska. I like Ligeti a lot, Kubric used a bunch of his works in 2001 Space Odyssey (as well as the Strauss's).

Every American should listen to lots of Copland and Barber, Barbers's 1st symphony is one of my favorites as is Copland
s 3rd, Copland also wrote Appalachian Spring, Quiet City, Billy the Kid, Rodeo, all accessible quality music.

You can go to any local library and walk out with a stack of CD's to listen to before buying.

Dvorak

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by MariusPontmercy

Dvorak

ehhh...

I like his String Serenades, but not big on his symphonies.

Bruckner would be another good choice.

BTW I forgot to list freaking Mahler!

[Chris]

Der Mahler!



My favourite Philip Glass song

[Chris]

Also I can wholly recommend yMusic - a new classical group operating out of NY. I know a guy that composes for them and occasionally plays (he's a cellist).

They play A LOT of really interesting new stuff, though unfortunately haven't recorded much of it yet. Here's one tune