classical music recommendations

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MewRSDhyF9M[/youtube]

http://www.opera-arias.com/search/&q=fidelio+

The Marriage of Figaro

Overture:

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

The Opera:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3A7FZUcXDE[/youtube]

You certainly may . I'm much more a fan of Baroque operas than the typical late-Romantic Italian stuff that you hear all the time on TV and such, so I'll probably be the only one to suggest this stuff lol. A previous post I made had Monteverdi's "Pur Ti Miro", which is from his opera "L'incoronazione di Poppea". May I suggest my personal favorite opera, Rinaldo? Unfortunately there aren't many good performances of it available on youtube, and my favorite version I don't think is for sale. Here is a link to a full version of the opera (audio-only): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ5GPE50FJQ

And here are links to two of my favorite arias from it! The first one is from my favorite production of the opera, by Collegium 1704. It is absolutely amazing if you are able to get your hands on it. You can find English translations for most of these pretty easy on google.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clqM5ZjvD0M[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM6FkMUXGLk[/youtube]



Here's another one, an absolutely amazing version of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mD16EVxNOM[/youtube]

And here's an honorary mention, since it's hard to talk about opera without throwing out Wagner's name! His operas are a bit intense (and LOOONNNGG!!), but I'd recommend starting with Parsifal if you want to explore his music. Here's a segment from the end of the opera (my favorite part):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioFxm9wArFk

We can't leave out ballet! The Rite of Spring may make you squirm, but I think it's supposed to.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrOUYtDpKCc[/youtube]

BTW: if I haven't said it yet, I officially love this thread, for serious! I get a certain thrill out of posting all of this music and seeing other people's recommendations!


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Zlwt8doe0[/youtube]

Wagner's Lohengrin has some fantastic music. I doubt there are good versions on youtube with English subtitles, but if anyone can find it, that'd be awesome.

That was SO AWESOME!

Apparently at the premier of The Rite of Spring, in 1913, the Parisian audience started rioting in protest and throwing vegetables. My question is, who brings vegetables to a ballet?

I read up on it a little, interesting history.

In this version, I wonder how they got the horses to do that long beautiful ballet. Who knew horses could remember that many dance steps? Or maybe their trainers were there out of view of the camera. The part where the horses were doing the ballet with the girls was really cool! I loved the whole thing though. I've heard of horse opera before, but never horse ballet!

Man, my internet bill is going to be rocket high, but you guys are posting so much great stuff - totally worth it!

A couple more to recommend (although not opera--not even classical, but I know some of the stuff you'd posted originally was more just instrumental music so I thought this might interest you):

I first heard this song in a commercial and it took me quite some time to find out what the name of the song and the group was (the downside to hearing a song in a commercial--especially an obscure Canadian commercial), but once I found it out and started listening to more of their music I found it strangely appealing, I'm not even sure if I can explain why lol, but here it is anyway:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE1HkkARinY[/youtube]

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

(edit: ^^the video is a bit distracting on the second one, not sure what it's all about lol)

I didn't realize a mod had fixed it. Thanks!

The percussion on that first video is so rich. It triggered memories of Philip Glass, Mike Oldfield (Tubular Bells), and even some Indonesian Gamelan music.

Now I'll share short pieces by 10 different composers--a sampler of sorts for the thread lurkers who are getting their early tastes of classical.



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojVpJLB7gWk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwBHEluw5Dc[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAw-I5TFXQM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkGdz_b-KKM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rak-mx056R4[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1BtWXpvIsM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5ot-88UV-Y[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHXAWMir3FE[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKGKbiWK58g[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixDYR1L_gGU[/youtube]

Last edited by mezzanotte on 27 May 2014, 2:59 am, edited 5 times in total.

I can see that (minus the Gamelan music just because I'm not sure what that is--I'll have to look that up now). I find it hard to sit still when I listen to it. lol It actually reminds me of Christmas, I think just because the commercial I originally saw it in was holiday themed, but hearing it with this video has changed that I think.

That's a really good question! Maybe in 1911 people brought food with them to eat at operas. Sort of lke picnicperas.

I can't attest to how good this version is since I haven't watched the whole thing myself, but it has English subtitles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F_QyXWBoWQ

Weird... but cool! The music sounds good and it has English subtitles!

http://www.operatoday.com/content/2010/ ... _lohen.php