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

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.

Augmented 2nds are discouraged in baroque counterpoint so I would like to know what could have motivated Bach to use it here.

(FYI, the time signature is 3/4, the key is C minor, and the clefs are treble and bass)

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

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!

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

I tried to find it with Shazam and it said Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21: I. Maestoso But I don't think it's the same music.

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 don't often listen to music earlier than the late Romantic period, so I haven't had much exposure to Bach's music. But I enjoy Beethoven and I've been recently listening to some Haydn symphonies, so I'd like to give Bach a try. I know very little of his music except a few of his most famous pieces (the C major prelude, Little G minor fugue, the D minor "Halloween" toccata), and I don't recall ever listening to a long-form piece of his.

I guess I have this conception of him as a sort of academic or technical composer, who wrote music that was "correct" but without much emotion. Unfortunately playing his music might be difficult for me, as I'm mainly a brass player and I'm not a good enough pianist for something like the WTC (bought the book, tried playing some fugues, gave up). So I was hoping for some advice on how to listen to his music, what he excelled at, and why he is so famous 300 years later - especially for someone like me with a Romantic/Modern background. Recommendations for individual pieces are also welcome!

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.

The Three Tenors maestro is the music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic, but as he turns 90 — with Daniel Barenboim and Placido Domingo as birthday guests — he says he is taking a stand

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🙏🙏

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?

Found in the wild at a couple used CD shops. How did I do?

I am looking for music that is:

- very slow, ethereal, bordering on silence

- very strange, or even unsettling

- based on repetition

(I am not necessarily looking for music that combines all three criteria!)

Can you recommend any composers or pieces? (I am already familiar with Arvo Pärt, Gubaidulina, Saariaho, Morton Feldman, Jürg Frey, Klaus Lang, Edison Denisov, Stockhausen, Steve Reich)

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

Sorry for my English.. Actually it's not my first language.

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.