By special request, let’s discuss our favourite Classic Music and why?

M0nica

Anything by Beethoven from trivia like 'Fur Elise' to the late uartets, but mainly, the piano ccocertos and symphonies.

... ah, me too!

The Adagio un poco mosso from 'The Emperor' was my late partner's favourite and now become mine.

Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.
Because it is so truly epic.

"Yuja Wang is scheduled to perform Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto" (at last night of proms.....I played a bit and its quite a challenge to say the least)

MayBee70

Must point out that the musical director of The Pilgrimage to Santiago was imprisoned for misconduct. Which upsets me because I love that music so much but it has been tainted. I first heard it whilst listening to the car radio one night; managed to write down what it was and got the local library to order the tape of it. I try to detach myself from what happened to him because the music is so beautiful but it’s difficult. I’ve never been moved by a piece of classical music so much.

The great thing is that there is a huge movement to bring back early work on original instruments or before that, medieval plainsong - going back to women like 12c Hildegard of Bingen right up to a huge amount of work on Baroque musicians scores and bringing many gems to light from that period.

There is among others a group in LA, USA who aimed to bring out one new work each week, I think they have slowed down now but here is their home page with a big choice from the well known to the lesser known

www.youtube.com/@VoicesofMusic

Here is a Hildegard of Bingen

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYzPR0nwcmY&list=RDHYzPR0nwcmY&start_radio=1

Yes, Finlandia - for the very first time in my life I live in a wee detached house, so can belt it out at 2am...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5zg_af9b8c&list=RDF5zg_af9b8c&start_radio=1

well not too loud

Must point out that the musical director of The Pilgrimage to Santiago was imprisoned for misconduct. Which upsets me because I love that music so much but it has been tainted. I first heard it whilst listening to the car radio one night; managed to write down what it was and got the local library to order the tape of it. I try to detach myself from what happened to him because the music is so beautiful but it’s difficult. I’ve never been moved by a piece of classical music so much.

lixy

For belting out when the neighbours are on holiday:

Finlandia - Sibelius
The Flying Dutchman overture - Wagner

For lifting the mood - any of the Gilbert and Sullivans, though The Pirates of Penzance is my favourite (if light operetta counts?)

Yes, I think light opera counts 🙂

Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions, some of which/whom I’ve not come across before x

youtu.be/stv-9jKcVdg?si=0LPIM30z-awDmz4Z
I love this ( if the link works).

For belting out when the neighbours are on holiday:

Finlandia - Sibelius
The Flying Dutchman overture - Wagner

For lifting the mood - any of the Gilbert and Sullivans, though The Pirates of Penzance is my favourite (if light operetta counts?)

Greyduster

‘The Arts and the Hours’ by Rameau - preferably played by Vikingur Olafsen.

Agree with the Ravel, Luckygirl. The whole piece is wonderful but the adagio is ravishing.

I too love Ravel’s piano concerto, especially performed by either Martha Argerich or Yuga Wang.

A very young Yuga Wang also gives a stunning performance of Mendelssohn’s piano concerto No 1, in G minor.
And…She is also doing Last Night of the Proms this year .
Whoopie. 🥳

youtu.be/2GGx8TRWFVA?si=GSgK4liJkDnO11vd

Correction Radetzky March not waltz.

The Radetzky Waltz by Johan Strauss which usually concludes the Viennnese Philharmonics New Year concert which I absolutely love watching.
Such a rousing piece that gets the whole audience participating.
And I know The Blue Danube is done to death but so it should be. Whenever I hear it I just want to twirl around the room, and I usually do.

‘The Arts and the Hours’ by Rameau - preferably played by Vikingur Olafsen.

Agree with the Ravel, Luckygirl. The whole piece is wonderful but the adagio is ravishing.

Classical music is my passion and I could go on all day with ideas of beautiful choices. But here goes with a few. If you do not know them they can be found on YouTube or Spotify ... I hope they bring pleasure.
- The romance from Korngold's violin concerto
- Priere from Bizet's Clovis et Chlotilde
- Eternal Source of Light by Handel
- Erbarme dich by Bach
- Aus Liebe will mein Heiland Stephen
- Waft her angels through the sky by Handel
- the adagio from Ravel's piano concerto
- adagio from Mendelssohn's Cappricio Brilliant
- Giustino by Vivaldi, preferably sung by Bruno de Sa who is a male sopranos
- Sonata in B flat major by Pedrini
- Chopin in c sharp minor
- Schubert, Impromptu D899
- Lascia chio panga by Handel
- Guardian Angels O Protect Me
- A Day May Come by Debbie Wiseman
- Larghetto from piano concerto number one by Chopin
- Lento from Horowitz oboe concerto
- As Steals the Morn by Handel
- Passacaglia in G minor by Biber
- first movement of Copeland's clarinet concerto

Rule number one... never ask Luckygirl about classical music!!

I also love Britten and Finzi.

I hope that the above ideas might bring some joy to gransnetters ...

Absolutely anything written by Johann Sebastian Bach, or any of his sons, all the Mozarts (father and son) wrote or the Haydn brothers, plus any other baroque or roccoco works for the trumpet, plus all of Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Reger, Mahler etc.etc. Lieder.

And a very long list of other composers's music.

So it is. And I cant remember how I found the tender haunting side of Wagner or who from but it was a revelation.

One of the things I like about R3 unwind is that it also introduces a lot of work by women composers, who have been "written out of history".

Try tasting a bit of Clara Schumann
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JyeWA1ZD8g&list=RD9JyeWA1ZD8g&start_radio=1

(Classic FM do feature her quite a bit too along with other "unknowns")

That’s a lovely, haunting piece, Merlotgran. Thankyou.

Greyduster

When we lived in our last house, we had a musical appreciation club at the local church. I really enjoyed those sessions. Much debate and much discovery. I was never a big Wagner fan, apart from the lollipop overtures, but it was there I, among others, was introduced to the Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde. This operatic aria left us stunned it is so beautiful, particularly when sung by the soprano Jessye Norman. When I listen to it now, it makes my spine tingle.

Apart from the serious stuff, I also love British Light Classical music; Eric Coates, Ronald Binge, Haydn Wood…..

Those light music composers were unsung heroes IMO.
I introduced our group to the music of Trevor Duncan (real name Leonard Trebilco) who wrote the theme tune to Dr. Finlay’s Casebook as well as other well known radio and TV music.
As a family we knew him during the sixties when he lived on the Isle of Wight He wrote St Boniface Down in 1957 - A hauntingly beautiful piece of music with echoes of Holst and Vaughan Williams.

youtu.be/TxB4UXaItw8?si=sb_fABrfxxZJ--_Y

When we lived in our last house, we had a musical appreciation club at the local church. I really enjoyed those sessions. Much debate and much discovery. I was never a big Wagner fan, apart from the lollipop overtures, but it was there I, among others, was introduced to the Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde. This operatic aria left us stunned it is so beautiful, particularly when sung by the soprano Jessye Norman. When I listen to it now, it makes my spine tingle.

Apart from the serious stuff, I also love British Light Classical music; Eric Coates, Ronald Binge, Haydn Wood…..

Wyllow3, It used to be run by a retired vicar who twisted my arm when his other commitments took up most of his time. I do the admin and the research and the techy stuff is in the capable hands of a member who compiles all the playlists.
We’re the only ones who know all the choices so there are often some really nice surprises.

Anything by the Strauss Family, Der Zigeunerbaron, Handels Water Music, anything from Swan Lake, Concierto de Aranjuez.

merlotgran

I run a local classical music appreciation group and we’ve just had ‘Baroque month.’
Each member chooses a favourite piece of music and we download a playlist from UTube. There was a lovely mix of composers, performers and solo instruments and the chosen Vivaldi piece was his Flute concerto No 3 in D major. The largo is beautiful in its simplicity.

I'd love that group.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3d7cKCyssA&list=RDQ3d7cKCyssA&start_radio=1
Largo at 4.41
New to me too.

Oh, my favourites are Spiegel im Spiegel, Arvo Pärt...
And...Waltz number 2, Shostakovich.

I'm glad one or two of you agree with me on Intermezzo Cavalleria Rusticana. I first heard it on Godfather III when Michael Corleone's daughter got shot on the steps of the theatre. I cried my eyes out and still do when I watch the video and hear the music.

Witzend

One of my all time favourites is the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, by Mascagni.

Probably too many others to mention.

I agree- it just soars heavenwards doesn’t it? I love the Easter Hymn too.
One of my most exciting days was to be invited to the dress rehearsal of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci at Covent Garden a couple of years ago.
«Died and gone to heaven « doesn’t adequately describe the experience! 😇😇😇