This is day one. Let's start with a list of my favorite pieces of music. This differs by instrumentation, style, period in the composer's life, performers and conducters, etc.
For example, Korngold can have some of the most beautiful, heat-wrenching music with completely bizarre key changes and tone colors (think the Drei Lieder or the famous Violin Concerto) and then he can do some very generic sounding movie music (like the Sea Hawk, often quoted as a great movie score, but in my opinion, not comparable to some of his symphonic or chamber works).
'Mi Chiamano Mimi' is one of the most beautiful soprano arias, with Puccini's simple elegance and beauty, and when performed by Anna Moffo or Mirella Freni, it emanated the beauty that Puccini infused it with. However, get a recording of Beverly Sills singing it, and you'll suddenly wonder why this Puccini guy is so popular and how anyone could listen to a whole opera. Truly, bad singers, performers, and conductors will be the downfall of 'classical' music, as it has already begun with opera. Remember the days of the weekly Met broadcasts on NPR, when thousands of people would tune in around the country to hear a live production at the Met. Why did it stop? the real answer is that the singers, orchestra, and conductors, were so bad that even opera buffs couldn't stand to listen to it anymore. And if you've lost the opera buffs, the chances of convincing the skeptical public to become interested in this expensive and dying art form are next to nil.
To begin, here's a list to demonstrate my general tastes in music. Mostly Late Romantic Era music dripping with emotion, vibrato, and portomento (when done correctly). If you would make a list including Webern and John Cage, you may not want to read on.
My Top 10 Pieces of Music (Very general, apples to oranges comparison, I know):
1. Korngold Violin Concerto
2. Rachmaninoff Prelude on a Tune by Paganini
3. Iago's Credo from Verdi's 'Otello'
4. 'Erbarme Dich' from Bach's 'Saint Mathew Passion'
5. The Brachieras Brazilianas by Villa-Lobos (performed by Anna Moffo)
6. Ravel Piano Concerto
7. 'Mi Chiamano Mimi' from Puccini's 'La Boheme'
8. 'Gretchen Am Spinnrade' by Schubert
9. Poulenc's 'C'
10. Rachmaninoff's Vocalise
For example, Korngold can have some of the most beautiful, heat-wrenching music with completely bizarre key changes and tone colors (think the Drei Lieder or the famous Violin Concerto) and then he can do some very generic sounding movie music (like the Sea Hawk, often quoted as a great movie score, but in my opinion, not comparable to some of his symphonic or chamber works).
'Mi Chiamano Mimi' is one of the most beautiful soprano arias, with Puccini's simple elegance and beauty, and when performed by Anna Moffo or Mirella Freni, it emanated the beauty that Puccini infused it with. However, get a recording of Beverly Sills singing it, and you'll suddenly wonder why this Puccini guy is so popular and how anyone could listen to a whole opera. Truly, bad singers, performers, and conductors will be the downfall of 'classical' music, as it has already begun with opera. Remember the days of the weekly Met broadcasts on NPR, when thousands of people would tune in around the country to hear a live production at the Met. Why did it stop? the real answer is that the singers, orchestra, and conductors, were so bad that even opera buffs couldn't stand to listen to it anymore. And if you've lost the opera buffs, the chances of convincing the skeptical public to become interested in this expensive and dying art form are next to nil.
To begin, here's a list to demonstrate my general tastes in music. Mostly Late Romantic Era music dripping with emotion, vibrato, and portomento (when done correctly). If you would make a list including Webern and John Cage, you may not want to read on.
My Top 10 Pieces of Music (Very general, apples to oranges comparison, I know):
1. Korngold Violin Concerto
2. Rachmaninoff Prelude on a Tune by Paganini
3. Iago's Credo from Verdi's 'Otello'
4. 'Erbarme Dich' from Bach's 'Saint Mathew Passion'
5. The Brachieras Brazilianas by Villa-Lobos (performed by Anna Moffo)
6. Ravel Piano Concerto
7. 'Mi Chiamano Mimi' from Puccini's 'La Boheme'
8. 'Gretchen Am Spinnrade' by Schubert
9. Poulenc's 'C'
10. Rachmaninoff's Vocalise
posted by Unknown at 11:15 AM
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