classical music recommendations

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Love the stories, you must tell us these.

It's funny but when I think of history I tend to compartmentalize it, like European History, American History. Of course I knew Franklin spent time in France, but I never thought to put Franklin and Mozart together. That was a really nice piece too. Ben Franklin, is there anything he didn't invent?

Bach cantatas? BACH CANTATAS?!?!


Bach Cantata!!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2EG1x9qarE[/youtube]


CANTATA!! !

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9BbWneSWQE[/youtube]

I like these two.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8gG2mqNI3g[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKmcGbUMWVo[/youtube]

Me encantan las cantatas.

Lieder time!

The first is probably my favorite of Mahler's songs, and is also said to be one of his most personal and favorite of his compositions. I find the last lines of this song to be incredibly powerful (translated: I live alone, in my heaven, in my love, and in my song)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTqbTP5qy7k[/youtube]

And the next, an amazing song by Richard Strauss. It's another of my favorites. The song basically describes a very idealistic and dream-like realization of love (a translation can be found in the video description on youtube).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH6uPmzzzq4[/youtube]

And to finish it off, a short one by Grieg about a Swan...his songs are all quite good, but don't get much publicity:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UtDmIyYnlU[/youtube]

Darn it, I couldn't resist posting more. Songs are shorter so you have to take in more at once!! You people are bringing out my classical obsession in full force!! I heard this piece live the first time I heard it, and it remains one of the most amazing musical experiences I've had. The first link is a traditional a capella performance, while the second is a very non-traditional performance featuring a guitarist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QipFJpRpGJI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqAdUJsIV_I

Another one by Schubert, Nacht und Traume (night and dreams):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGAxAM5p0Qs

I liked the Swan and the Night and Dreams ones best-
What was that line? - when your moonlight fills the room, fills the sleeping hearts of men.
Very nice!

Hi.

I think I have OPD...obsessive posting disorder. More songs!

Schubert: Du Bist Die Ruh (translation on youtube under video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DVoCBQ0MOk

Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs:
#1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-lzP2CVt2Q
#2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIirTJ5yn9c
#3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyXf587mDLY
#4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4KTMzUL3W0 (translation on youtube page)

BONUS: Trio at the end of Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYZliEez2Vk

I heard Johann holds the key to your heart. D minor?

If it's note too much treble, we'd love to hear somma your faves. I canto wait. : )

This is my friend who got me interested in classical music - I mentioned (or alluded to) him in the OP of this thread. He writes music too.

This woman has a pretty deep voice for a female opera singer (there's probably an opera term for that). I like her voice though. She must be famous, but I've never heard of her.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXEHmtyN7Do[/youtube]

A couple of my favourite Bach cantatas BWV 131 and 106:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqqFQGV-H54[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnGOQt3tn-Q[/youtube]

Hi pinkmoon, I like those. I used to be able to speak some German, but not just a couple of phrases, but they're beautiful anyway.

Yes, this is I, wozeree's friend. I began by suggesting the third Brandenburg Concerto, but as lovely as that is, it takes a bit of getting used to Bach's very compact tonal and contrapuntal language.

I am intrigued by mezzanote's and pinkmoon's interest in the Bach Cantatas. They are an area of his output with which I'm not too familiar, and I hope one day to listen to all of them many times. Some of the very early cantatas, while they are flawlessly written, do not have the full "Bach sound" that he was to develop during his years at Weimar. I think it was there that he became familiar with the works of Vivaldi and the ritornello form.

I believe strongly that the best way to begin appreciating the tradition of Classical music is by learning to train one's ear to Bach's counterpoint. But I also think the easiest way to do this is to begin with his concertos, most written at Anhalt-Kothen. The reason why I suggest the concertos (Brandenburgs, violin, flute etc. - many of which were reconstructed from Bach's later transcriptions of them for the keyboard) is because they are also structured around basic dance forms, which make the listening easy and enjoyable.

Bach's music is the most perfect music ever written. The man had a singular ability to write a melody and to develop it with seemingly little effort - allthewhile using counterpoint to create his harmonic texture. After Bach, then one can begin, I think, to appreciate Beethoven and also the later works of Mozart. And from there, the sky is the limit. Even Dubussy - the greatest innovator in Western harmonic technique since Beethoven - makes more sense after learning Bach - understandable considering that Debussy had mastered all of Bach's keyboard works by the time he was a young man. Beethoven of course knew all of Bach's keyboard works, too. Bach is the key that unlocks every door to music.

I don't listen to pop music, hip-hop, or rap - even though my knowledge of Bach allows me to appreciate what Usher or 50-cent may be doing. But I'd rather have a filet-mignon than a White Castle slider, so I don't listen to any pop stuff unless I'm at the gym for example.

BTW I haven't been on the WP boards for a while because of my job and because in my spare time I've been writing music. Since I started seeing a therapist to deal with my Asperger's issues, I've had less need of support from my friends here. And besides, how many times can I respond to threads that begin, "Does anyone else have this problem?" (And then the OP goes on to talk about only liking mushy foods, or some awkward social situation, etc.)

I just met the parents of a twenty-some year-old girl with Asperger's, and I was able to help them understand that they are not enabling her by helping her get her student loan applications done, etc. I told them that Aspies are not lazy. We may be geniuses in our area of interest, we just don't understand anything outside that area. This girl, for example, can't do simple things like make a phone call to her college because she's overwhelmed.

I'm glad I could be there for the parents and for her, too.

I loved reading your post JSBACHlover! Although I would argue on the point of Bach's music being the "most perfect ever written", he is in many ways in a league of his own. I highly recommend listening to more of his cantatas, they are some of my favorite works of his. Then again, I've always been partial to his vocal output .

I would love to hear some of your own music, if you're willing to share it!