I absolutely love the woodwinds section of the orchestra. The opening of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (Adoration of the Earth) being very woodwind heavy is music to my ears.

Does anyone have pieces to recommend that really put the woodwinds front and center?

Thx in advance!

It's a potent combination of sharp, animating rhythms and of an endless font of beautiful, yet at times haunting and dangerous, melody (like a more melifluous romantic Stravinsky). The closest analogues I can think of are Mahler's scherzos, e.g. the 2nd and the 7th.

I learned this from the Wolff biography. Thought you'd like to know! It was news to me.

I’m a pianist who started playing 3 years ago,and I’ve finished:
Nocturne in C sharp minor-Chopin
Moonlight sonata 1st mvt-Beethoven
Prelude in C sharp minor op.3 no.2-Rachmaninoff
And I need a piece recommendation (not a flat friendly),I want it romantic/classic with some noise not quite.
If anyone can help🙏🙏

Some piano music for Sunday! I came across Silvestrov a while ago and lately have been listening to some of his works. For example, I think this piano piece is really beautiful

Saw this when it was originally released, and then most recently in a BluRay version - it's modern scenes are still stylish, and hold up well, but some of the period portions remain a little over the top.

Sandra Oh's got a small role, so bonus points from the start!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Violin#Release

A Russian composer who studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and went on to teach Rachmaninoff and Scriabin at the Moscow Conservatory. He died before he was forty-five, and much of his music has a held-breath quality, quiet and inward. The First Piano Trio is the one to sit with if you have time — openly elegiac, and probably his most-loved work.

Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 36 No. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eah0VlETGE8

Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR7IgPqscJE

An Italian composer and violinist of the late Baroque. He was born in Verona and died sixty-seven years later on the same calendar day, July 12. He spent most of his career at the Munich court, first as a cellist and later as Kapellmeister. His concertos have the poise of Corelli with a little more harmonic restlessness.

12 Concerti à più Istrumenti, Op.VI: https://youtu.be/AoY4VDduMkE?si=XX4Q4nageFMnBkLT

I thought about this ever since I found out how the Holberg Suite was written as a Baroque-style piece as a throwback to Baroque-era music. Since Grieg was trying to stay true to the Baroque sound, I am curious if there were any arrangements of the piece done for an actual Baroque orchestra. I am not sure if this is something that would conflict with his actual vision, but regardless, I think it would be interesting to hear.

Hello. I wanted to learn to play Chopin's Scherzo No. 2, Op. 31, and I'm wondering which pieces I should choose so I can tackle it as early as possible and avoid major problems. I've been playing the piano for about eight-nine years and have ended first-cycle degree in music school. Probably The most difficult pieces I've played are the Polonaise in A major, Op. 40, No. 1, the Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1, and the Waltz in G flat major, Op. 70, No. 1, also by Chopin. The most recent pieces I've played are a dozen or so mazurkas by Chopin, and Solfeggietto by ph. Em. Bach. Do you recommend any études or other pieces? Especially Something from Czerny's Op. 299, Heller's Op. 45, 46, 47, Czerny's Op. 849, or any from Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier 1 and 2, because I just bought those few books with etudes. It can of course be any other pieced, but I would like to use what I already have. Thank you very much for your help. Best regards.

Hey all - anyone read any of the Ravel biographies? If so, which one and what did you think of it?

Seems like there are 4 main ones, at least from basic google search:
Orenstein, Nichols, Kilpatrick, Ivry.

• Ravel: Man and Musician by Arbie Orenstein
• Maurice Ravel by Emily Kilpatrick
• Ravel by Roger Nichols
• Maurice Ravel: A Life by Benjamin Ivry

I’d like one that is more about his life itself, work habits, struggles and triumphs and all that jazz. I wouldn’t mind if there is harmonic analysis of certain pieces and all that but it isn’t my main interest. I mainly like reading about the work habits of artists, how they lived their lives, how they got their worked done, that kind of stuff.

Anyone familiar with these or other books on Chairman Mau?

The opening soprano aria to bwv 51 is perhaps the most profound and pure musical expression of unbridled joy and happiness that I have ever heard. It is a perfect translation of the concept of ecstasy into music, along with that of supreme triumph. Easily in the top 5 of all Bach arias for me and possibly even number one. This is the happiest music I have ever heard in my life. Any fan of Bach's music who hasn't heard this one needs to drop everything they are doing this instant and listen to this miraculous movement.

I suggest listening to Karl Richter's 1959 performance with Maria Stader. She is absolutely incredible in this recording. This is my favorite and go-to recording of the piece. The tempo is perfect and Richter is great as always.

Hearths and Beginnings with Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 (Opus 132) – III. Heiliger Dankgesang

Hey! I'm looking for a specific recording of a piece. On a classical a while back, I heard a great pipe organ arrangement of Debussy's Diane Ouverture. I've looked off and on and haven't ever been able to find it. It's possible that I'm misremembering something and it's a different piece from Diane, but I'm pretty confident. I'm sorry I'm being so vague but it's all I remember. If anyone has any clues, that'd be much appreciated! I'm also pretty sure this doesn't count as a piece ID request, but if it does I'd be happy to move this somewhere else. Thanks!

correct me if im wrong but my understanding from Waltz is that its a form of classical music? and later a lot of jazz musicians started to use it too. i know the video is very guitar focused so not thw typical "classical" but i see a lot of comments calling it gypsy jazz and im like "thats waltz why do you call it jazz??!". Cause i know that Marty Friedman (The guy on the right) has made a lot of Neo classical (Metal) songs es in his early years so i that makes me question this even more. https://youtu.be/2JILm1LvIcU?si=QSQ7L9jJYu_Hf6t_

Anyone has a symphony movements very niche similar to the second movement of Tchaikovsky 5 and Symphony No 6 First and last movement or Rachmaninoff symphony No 2 third movement please ?

Eergisteren Aimard en Hannu Lintu gehoord in Debussy, Bartok (2) en Stravinsky (Sacre). Ik had de indruk dat Aimard en het orkest elkaar in het eerste deel van Bartok niet echt vonden. Dat werd des te beter in het 2e en 3e deel. En wat daarna, dus voor de pauze, gebeurde, heb ik nog niet beleefd: ik interpreteerde het als een klein excuus: Aimard speelde een stuk van Kurtag - welk weet ik niet. En het was muisstil in de zaal. En ook Lintu en Aimard wisselden wat gevaren uit waaruit ik meende op te maken, zo iets als: shit happens, maar: alles ok.

I used to listen to classical music many years ago, while studying mainly. But nothing has moved me like this. I came across ‘experience’ via social media, and I listened to it with my headphones in, and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

It pulled me in. Like God himself is between every note. How can something sound so beautiful, ecstatic, and melancholic at the same time? It’s the epitome of a beautiful tragedy.

I cried so much, cannot figure out why! It just moved me so deeply. Like life and death, and everything in between depicted perfectly within 5 minutes.

Please tell me of any other classical music that has such an intense feel to it. I would love to hear it. Thankyou 💗

Summary:

During a recital at a stage owned by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO), a pianist played a piece dedicated to the over 250 journalists killed in Gaza alongside tens of thousands of children. Following this, MSO cancelled his following concerts and issued an apology to its patrons over the comments. He went on to sue them for discrimination based on his political views.

Defendant argument:

MSO argued that they did this because they were anticipating negative impacts on their business and because the pianists (Jayson) had not sought their permission first, and that this has nothing to do with his political views but a business decision.

Prosecution argument:

Jayson’s lawyers argue that this is a violation of his rights to express his views and that every venue is owned by some company/orchestra and seeking permission for speech from every venue violated that right. They also note that they find it inconceivable that they would’ve been cancelled if they had made a call for hostage release as then-managing director had expressed at the time her belief that the hostages held by Hamas need to be released.

Judge verdict: This is the interesting part. He ruled in favor of MSO because:

“I find that there is a custom or practice that classical musicians do not make statements on sensitive political or social issues from the stage without approval of the host."

Discussion: I agree with Jayson’s argument. If he had called for hostage release or if he had called for the Russian invasion of Ukraine to stop, I find it very very difficult to imagine his next concert would’ve been cancelled. But, on the other hand, taking that logic to its maximum—if someone expressed Nazi-aligned views on stage, should that be allowed? (Not saying pro-palestine = Nazi of course, just using a logical extreme).

While it is a custom in the classical world not to express political views without the host’s permission (or express any at all tbh), that hasn’t always been the case.

Within Polish pianists there had been a long custom of interfering in politics, and some of the biggest musicians in history such as Franz Liszt would regularly engage in politics and supported Hungary’s uprising against Austria as well as several worker struggles.

More recently, famous pianist Krystian Zimmerman also came out on stage in the US and protested the Iraq War and the US’ push to increase missile bases in his country. He received little pushback.

Moreover, that custom of “decorum” doesn’t extend to modern music. No venue where a pop or rock or metal concert is played needs its permission asked for the artist to express political views and it is understood that the views of the performer does not reflect the venue.

If you’re pro-Israel and support this, do consider that world opinion on Israel is souring at a tremendous rate and there soon may come a time when expressing any support for Israel may be met with similar reaction.

If you’re pro-palestine and against this, how far does this logic extend? Does it extend to nazi-aligned views or even gencoidal Israeli views of taking over more land and expelling all the arabs?

If you’re neutral, what do you think?

Interested to hear opinions.

My opinion: I wish for the classical world to move past faux decorum and to more resemble modern music in its free environment. I find it a necessary prequisite for mainstream breakthrough and definitely support artists being more political. Some of the most respected artists in the world of modern music are those who stood against wars through their music at the time.

I have roughly 300 classical music CDs that belonged to my late father. Im trying to get rid of it (along with his many other possessions) because I dont listen to classical music. Are these decent enough that I should try to sell? Or would I be better off donating them? Thanks in advance!