Classical Music - Are there any aficionados on here?

[VeryOldMan]

Are there any?
It all seems to be Pop and Taylor Swift on the board!

Drop a post on your favourite performers, composers or pieces of music.

What's wrong with the development of the symphony after 1900!

😁

@WaverOfSticks nothing at all, in my opinion. I would dearly love to teach more modern symphonic repertoire but our esteemed friends at the exam boards would penalise my delightful students for daring to mention such works. I blame Gove...!

Has to be Gove's fault!

After all, Sibelius 5 was written in 1915 or so?

@Igneococcus how wonderful. Thank you for sharing your memories!

Really sad I'm not going to be around for the Prom on Tuesday.

The Dvořák is pretty much my favourite concerto.

But the Suk, is just something else. Music doesn't always benefit from background, but I find that Asrael does. He wrote it after his wife (Dvořák's daughter) died. There is so much emotion in there, and the feeling of "acceptance" that comes in in the final movement always chokes me up. But then there's those beautiful chords at the end, and then the dark chords with it. I find it so powerful. Sorry, I'm waffling, but would recommend it!

After all, Sibelius 5 was written in 1915 or so?

Shosti wasn't even born until 1906.

Thanks @HearTheMessenger it was a really emotional time. So much change in such a short time.

Just popping in to say that the reason more proms aren't televised is of course £££, very expensive to pay conductors, soloists and non BBC orchestras. Plus crews. And the artists have to agree, which some don't. (Also BBC4 has a small budget and they don't get great viewing figures.) I'm a bit surprised about the Barenboim one though - maybe either he or ASM said no, or their combined fees were just too high, or someone decided it wasn't that interesting and they didn't need it when they already had Mark Elder's farewell to the Hallé 🤦‍♀️

And on Chopin, I think he's really underrated - according to Charles Rosen, the greatest contrapuntalist since Mozart, and Mozart was the greatest contrapuntalist since Bach. There's so much going on structurally and harmonically too, even in the short pieces. Love it. Years ago Radio 3 used to block out hours, days or weeks occasionally and play everything by one composer and nothing else. (Maybe they still do, I barely listen now.) They did Chopin and played the nocturnes late at night, absolutely amazing 🥲

Well, I thought the Suk was an exceptional performance. A clarity I've not heard in any recordings I've listened to.

It's just a shame that they brought in the entire consumptives wing of the Chelsea and Westminster in for this concert. Absolutely ruined it.

And I don't know what the Radio 3 sound engineers are doing - they kept turning the volume up and down so I had to keep adjusting it to hear it properly. Very amateurish.

The Dvořák felt rather telephoned in by the orchestra, and the soloist was very much "look at me" and not a team player, so rather disappointed with that one.

I like choral music. Tallis, Byrd, Vaughn Williams. I don't have a favourite composer.

I'll also make a 200 mile round trip to hear my favourite organs.

Placemarking as I have found my people- will return for a full read through and looking forward to discussion.

We are a very musical family. Im a pianist (not as a job although have previously taught piano).

I’m grounded at the moment due to cancer treatment but attend concerts, ballets and operas as much as I can. I guess my music will be homemade for a few months.

Ooer!

It's definitely not an aficionado, and I like lots of classical music, but very dependent on my mood.
I like Vaughn Williams, particularly 'Lark ascending'
I like Faure' requiem.
Vivaldi (pretty much all his music, but his Gloria in one of my all time favourite choral works).
Hans Zimmer my absolute favourite modern composer.
But when I go running I love classical crossover (I know, I know, I'm a total philistine!) but a bit of Bond or Gregorian chant on speed and my running picks up a pace!

Dunno how I was auto corrected to Its!

Good luck with the treatment and until you can get back out there I hope your own piano is a comfort.

Indeed. Find yourself some nice new music to get stuck into. I've recently just randomly chosen a couple of pieces and printed them out and am enjoying them enormously!

Thanks. By happenstance, I’ve recently upgraded my son’s violin and the new one gives him so much more range. He likes me to play along with him, which opens up many newer possibilities.

I’m absolutely up for refreshing old friend pieces and learning new ones whilst I recover.

I hope we don't have the consumptives in tonight at the end of the Mahler...

I have many favourites!

• Claude Debussy
• Ralph Vaughan Williams...The Lark Ascending
• Eugene Ysaye.

Wow! That ending is so powerful.

Anyone watch the Last Night?

I caught bits of it. It was quite fun when they were playing about with the tunes in Henry Wood's Sea Songs.

I forgot till it was too late! I always think it starts later than it does. Though to be honest, while I adore the Proms, and used to go ogpften when we lived in London, I can take or leave the weird bobbing around and pith-helmeted high jinks of the last night.

Quite enjoyed the Extra Time piece with the sports theme tunes woven in

I don't like Last Night, sorry.

Saw the LSO last night at the Barbican. Phenomenal concert. Wang played Rachmaninoff I, obviously all the fast bits were incredible and exciting, but the 2nd movement was just sublime. So very delicate but also intricately detailed, bringing out all sorts of voicings with a real pure clarity. Lapwood playing Saint-Saens organ symphony in the 2nd half. Always a fun piece because he throws everything but the kitchen sink into the mix - organ AND piano AND cymbals AND kettle drums etc, but last night's was something else, the organ playing was somehow exuberant and masterful, for me, and the orchestra were on tip top form. They're off on tour next week, soloists and all as far as I know, and they're definitely ready to hit the world with this programme.