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Classical music

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Crazy old ape
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My favorite composer of music from pretty much any style or period of music is Ludwig van Beethoven, born 250 years ago this week (either yesterday or today depending on source). He marks the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic, and you can see that in his music. Many of his compositions are "cultural knowledge" in Western culture, and even other cultures, popping up in soundtracks, ads, and even being adapted for other styles of music (I can think of two pop songs right off the top of my head based on the Adagio from the Pathetique piano sonata).

Anyone else fond of classical (meaning anything from the Baroque to Romantic periods, including the Classical period, and even modern orchestral and choral music if you like) music? Got a favorite composer, period, style, or whatever of classical music?

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Chasing Dragons
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I love classical music. Beethoven is my favourite too. I like all music that has depth and power which is probably why I have got so deeply into Symphonic Metal in recent years. One of my favourite pieces is Siegfried's Funeral by Wagner. It makes the hairs on my neck stand on end whenever I hear it. However, I also like more gentle pieces such as the Trois Gymnopodies of Eric Satie. Other favourites include Finlandia from Sibelius, Le Quattro Stagione from Vivaldi, Peter and the Wolf by Prokoviev.
I could go on and on, the list is endless.
However, having mentioned Symphonic Metal, who knows? Some pieces could be the Classical music of the future. Have you heard The Greatest Show on Earth from Nightwish? Now that is epic!

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Crazy old ape
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Symphonic metal, art rock, prog rock, exist in a bit of weird space where popular styles mix with classical skills and composition. I love all of them, probably for that very reason.

And, yes, I've listened to The Greatest Show on Earth. Incredible piece of music. Nightwish are really something else. I've listened to some other symphonic metal since getting into them but they seem to be the cream of the crop in that genre.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Chasing Dragons
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Quote by Mendalla
Symphonic metal, art rock, prog rock, exist in a bit of weird space where popular styles mix with classical skills and composition. I love all of them, probably for that very reason.

And, yes, I've listened to The Greatest Show on Earth. Incredible piece of music. Nightwish are really something else. I've listened to some other symphonic metal since getting into them but they seem to be the cream of the crop in that genre.


You should try The Bonding, a track by Edenbridge. Not really on a Nightwish scale but superb , nonetheless. Tuomas Holopainen, the musical genius behind Nightwish, has branched out into other fields. A work of note would be The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.
Some critics claimed that it was too much like a film soundtrack, but that is exactly the point. He wrote as though it were the soundtrack to a film that was never made.
Then there is the trio that make up Auri. Tuomas, his wife Johanna (who has the most exquisite singing voice) and Troy Donockley. They are more folk orientated. Absolutely recommend them.

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Crazy old ape
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Quote by AnnaMayZing

Then there is the trio that make up Auri. Tuomas, his wife Johanna (who has the most exquisite singing voice) and Troy Donockley. They are more folk orientated. Absolutely recommend them.


This one intrigues me. Tuomas and Troy are excellent musicians. I was watching a Nightwish piece from a live performance (Elf-something) that opened with an instrumental featuring Troy on pipes. Wonderful performance.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Chasing Dragons
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Quote by Mendalla


This one intrigues me. Tuomas and Troy are excellent musicians. I was watching a Nightwish piece from a live performance (Elf-something) that opened with an instrumental featuring Troy on pipes. Wonderful performance.


Would that have been Elvenjig and Elvenpath, Live from Bogota 2018, by any chance? I agree, absolutely stunning. I think Nightwish have taken metal to a different level.

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/the-nurses.aspx

However, since this story is now available in paperback, only the first few chapters remain. Buy at:

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Crazy old ape
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Quote by AnnaMayZing

Would that have been Elvenjig and Elvenpath, Live from Bogota 2018, by any chance? I agree, absolutely stunning. I think Nightwish have taken metal to a different level.


Bingo! That's the one. I don't do concerts much but I would love to see Nightwish live someday. Their live videos are terrific. Probably need a hearing aid for a few days afterwards though. They strike me as a "turn it to 11" band.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Chasing Dragons
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Quote by Mendalla


Bingo! That's the one. I don't do concerts much but I would love to see Nightwish live someday. Their live videos are terrific. Probably need a hearing aid for a few days afterwards though. They strike me as a "turn it to 11" band.


Like you, I don't go to many. The last was Jean Michel Jarre in 2010. three years ago I discovered that Nightwish were playing Munich when we were to be there. The concert was sold out. sad
A year later, they were to play London but we were in Munich. Finally, I had hoped to see them this year, but guess what? Covid! One day, I hope...
In the meantime, I have several blurays and a powerful surround sound!

My other dream would be to attend the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Day concert but that is, in reality, highly unlikely to happen.

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/the-nurses.aspx

However, since this story is now available in paperback, only the first few chapters remain. Buy at:

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Crazy old ape
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Quote by AnnaMayZing


My other dream would be to attend the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Day concert but that is, in reality, highly unlikely to happen.


My wife has been to the Musikverein but I have not been to Austria yet myself. Sadly, I wasn't able to go on her trips to that part of Europe (for academic conferences) but maybe someday. I think she's hit all the major cities in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire; Vienna, Budapest, Prague, and Bratislava. Maybe Salzburg, too.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

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Classical music - yes, it is a great love of mine. As is music composed earlier than the eras you've specified, and later times as well.

Bach, the Goldberg Variations, especially as interpreted by Zhu Xiao-Mei. She reconciled me with the Goldbergs, after hearing Glenn Gould far to many times. I do not appreciate majority ofGould's interpretations.

The Brandenburg Concertos are magnificent, I used to listen to them with head phones before going to bed and they helped me relax and unwind. Which is sort of odd, since the Goldberg Variations were said to be composed to help the count Von Keyserling battle his insomnia. I find the Goldbergs demand my attention, not help me relax in order to sleep.

Brahms - almost anything composed by the great Brahms, but especially the chamber music. The string sextets are marvelous, as are the clarinet quintets.

Not to neglect a few others, Beethoven, Berlioz, Chopin, Debussy, Schubert, Schumann, both Robert and Clara, Satie, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky in moderation, Haydn, Haendel, Vaughan Williams, William Walton, Benjamin Britten...

This is far from being an exhaustive list and I have neglected Mozart - there, standing on his own, as usual, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Crazy old ape
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I am generally quite fond of Bach, probably my favorite Baroque composer. If I have to pick a favorite Bach, it would probably be the Unaccompanied Suites for Cello (there's six of them). In the hands of a master like Yo-Yo Ma, they are incredible. The Brandenbergs are good, too, but hearing the cello as a solo instrument (vs. in, or backed by, an orchestra) is fairly rare these days.


Here's Ma with the Prelude from the first suite.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Crazy old ape
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And there's no composer for the organ quite like Bach, who was an organist himself. My father was huge organ fan, even chairing the committee to buy our family church's new organ, and I either inherited or picked that up.

The Fugue in Gm is one of the most famous Bach organ works.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Crazy old ape
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Church choir leaders these days are not generally expected to also be composers, but in Bach's day, being kapellmeister or similar at a major church often required you to write the music. So, Bach wrote lots of cantatas and other choral music. Here's vocal group Voces8 and the Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Voces8 artistic director and countertenor Barnaby Smith, with one of Bach's many cantatas.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Crazy old ape
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Since gypsy brought up the Goldbergs, here's the pianist she mentioned. It's 51 minutes so something to sit back and listen to while you write or whatever.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

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Oh yes, the Bach cello suites are exquisite, and each cellist gives her or his own light and life to them. Along with Yo-Yo Ma's lovely version, Jean-Guihen Queyras's is another that merits hearing.




And then there are [url=http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePPMrX4YtkM]Pablo Casals 1930s recordings[/url] of it.
Chasing Dragons
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As much as I love classical music in it regular form, I also enjoy the same music when re-imagined of different instruments. So long as the music itself isn't altered too much.
Since it is the season, I have chosen this example by the magnificent Sky, led by the classical guitarist, John Williams.

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/the-nurses.aspx

However, since this story is now available in paperback, only the first few chapters remain. Buy at:

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Chasing Dragons
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And, speaking of Bach...

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/the-nurses.aspx

However, since this story is now available in paperback, only the first few chapters remain. Buy at:

https://www.vbay.info/thenurses

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Chasing Dragons
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Christmas has resulted in a wealth of classical pieces. My absolute favourite is Oh Holy Night. It makes me cry whenever I hear it, it is just such a beautiful piece of music. The only other piece which has a similar effect is Ave Maria by Gounod. My favourite rendition is by Karen Carpenter, God rest her soul. Then, of course, Stille Nacht (Silent Night). What other carol has such an incredible history?

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/the-nurses.aspx

However, since this story is now available in paperback, only the first few chapters remain. Buy at:

https://www.vbay.info/thenurses

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Crazy old ape
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Quote by AnnaMayZing
My absolute favourite is Oh Holy Night.


One of my favorites, too. Ever heard this version before? I just came across it a couple days ago.




Love hearing Floor in her full classically trained glory.

Apparently Raskata Joulua means "Heavy Christmas" and it's an annual thing in Finland featuring Finnish music stars from bands like Nightwish. Marko Hietala seems to appear in it a lot, too.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Crazy old ape
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Back to Bach (or should that be "Bach to Bach"). Just discovered this young Polish counter-tenor. Wonderful voice and quite skilled at using it. Good, classical counter-tenors are fairly rare, at least compared to more common voices like tenor and soprano.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Crazy old ape
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And an aria from a Handel opera with a very well-done video to boot. I am not familiar with the opera, but after reading Wikipedia, I think this is distilled from the plot somehow.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Chasing Dragons
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I was going to post a version of Handel's Sarabande as played by Sky and arranged by John Williams, but... I then remembered The Swan By Saint-Saens.
This version, played on the Marimba by Tristan Fry is from the performance at Westminster Abbey on 24th February 1981. I believe that they are still the only rock band to ever have been permitted to play inside the Abbey.
The concert was in aid of Amnesty International. I contacted the Abbey to obtain tickets but they said that it was by invite only.

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
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However, since this story is now available in paperback, only the first few chapters remain. Buy at:

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Crazy old ape
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Quote by AnnaMayZing
I I believe that they are still the only rock band to ever have been permitted to play inside the Abbey.


What, the Abbey doesn't have a "praise band"?

Now, if I ever got to a concert in the Abbey, I'd want to hear an organ recital. They have a beautiful organ there.

A mighty warrior meets an unusual challenger. The Last Challenge of Jadek Prynn.

Chasing Dragons
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One of the pieces that was played by Sky during that concert was Sarabande by George Frideric Handel. The final resting place of whom is Westminster Abbey!
During a restoration of part of the abbey, Handel's grave was opened accidentally. The construction workers were surprised to find his skeleton surrounded by manuscripts with every note individually crossed through in pencil.
Apparently, Handel had spent some considerable time decomposing!

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/the-nurses.aspx

However, since this story is now available in paperback, only the first few chapters remain. Buy at:

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Magnificent Bastard
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Anything baroque and classical. Best periods ever!

Trust me. I refrained.
Iconoclastically incorrigible or just a silly dumb ass...
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Classical music is beautiful. I remember at my 6th grade recital I played "Für Elise" poorly on the piano; I should have practiced more most definitely. In 8th grade I wrote a short story inspired by Pachebel's "Canon in D." In college I listened to several composers, mostly Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." For the past 7 years or so I've listened mostly to Chopin's "Nocturnes." While I listen to all of the above I find myself frequently going back to Chopin's "Nocturnes."

Mystica Flora
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I love Chopin, more specifically Chopin's "Nocturnes." Beethoven is a favorite; I played "Für Elise" at a recital in 6th grade on the piano. Bach was my favorite to play on the piano when I used to play. Pachelbel's "Cannon in D Major" is one of my favorite pieces. I am also quite a fan of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." I know I'm forgetting others. Right now I tend to listen to Chopin most, especially his "Nocturnes."

Oh, that was my post above when I was epicellie! Oops!

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Chasing Dragons
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Quote by Mendalla

Now, if I ever got to a concert in the Abbey, I'd want to hear an organ recital. They have a beautiful organ there.

Then maybe you would enjoy Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, or just Toccata for short. 😊

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/the-nurses.aspx

However, since this story is now available in paperback, only the first few chapters remain. Buy at:

https://www.vbay.info/thenurses

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana