Classical Music

[Kappa]

Whoa! Hold the rotten tomatoes, folks! :D I'm under the impression that not a lot of people enjoy classical music around here and I want to prove my idea wrong, but... first, let's ask. Take this as a test of sorts (without using the answers of someone who answered first! :P):

1. What is your concept of classical music?
2. Do you enjoy it?
3. Who/what is your favorite composer/piece/melody/opera/etc.?

I'll be honest. What brought me across writing and asking this (apart from the fact that I'm hearing Tchaпkovsky right now) is that I'm worried about the fact that musical education in most places is now just a matter of knowing what's pop nowadays. I'm not joking: I visited my old school with Rachmaninoff on my CD Player and a girl from junior year asked me who was it that I was hearing; I replied who he was and she told me that she had never heard of him but that she had been born on 1988 so he could possibly be from a couple of years before her. (!) I was like, "Oh, so assuming. -_-"

I'm curious, so I want to make a poll of sorts (with the difference that this is three questions I want answered. ^_^) I'll be grateful for you replies. :)

[thegurgi]

Classical Music would be music composed before like, 1960.

Classical Music can have Vocals... like, for instance, Mozart's Requiem has tons of vocals in it.

I think the term Classical Music has been misconstrued to mean "Orchestral Music" and that isn't true. It's more about the time period ranging from Rennaisance to 1950.

I wouldn't consider the soundtrack to a movie to be CLASSICAL MUSIC.

Being a classically trained singer :: wink ::
i've learned to not only love classical music but appreciate it for what it is.

My favorite FAVORITES are Gershwin, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky [1 american and 2 russians]

[Lena410]

1. It's music compossed in the period that is called Classic. Don't ask me when excatly. thegurgi already posted when it is and the only thing I remeber about Classic is my teacher saying: Not everything that's old is classic! Only things composed in that period are classic!

2. I enjoy every kind of music I can relate to and I love Classic music. :D I was probably the only one not bored in school.

3. Mozart: nearly everything from him..I couldn't really pick one..for example Requiem, A la Turca
Beethoven: everything from him..I love him. :D
Bach, Dvorak (Czech), Mendelsson..Tschaikovsky..

well that's everything my tired brain could come up with..:)

[rivierakid]

I usually think of classical music as...well...mostly old music. Kinda like thegurgi said. ^_^;; Mostly without lyrics, although some classical pieces have them. Usually for a band or orchestra. Quite emotional.

Personally, I love classical music. Of course, my being a band geek may be a reason for that. ^_^;; Either way, I love the emotion in classical music that you can't get in the more comtemporary music (you know, pop, rock, rap, etc.) Possibly because in the contemporary stuff, you tend to get distracted by the lyrics and can't appreciate the music itself.

I couldn't tell you who my favorite composers are...I've heard so many things by tons of different composers! But I really like one of the songs we're playing in band now. It's Holst's First Suite in Eb, 2nd movement. Actually, the whole thing's awesome, but for some reason I *really* like the 2nd movement. ^_^

EDIT: Woo! 500th post, yo!

[Kappa]

Lena410, you must marry me. We'll have musical children. XD

[spyretto]

1.something boring :D
2.no
3.none

no, just kidding

I don't like music that has to adhere to pre-established norms but classical music I do like, although I'm not too keen on opera , I'm afraid.

My favourite composer is Mozart...every other composer might have one or two embarrassing moments but Mozart has none.

What I really despise are those compilations whereby they choose, say, Pachelbel's Canon in D, Beethoven's first part of Moonlight Sonata , Albinoni's Adagio n G minor, something from Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff etc. and make a "hotchpotch" of classical kitch.

Well, I prefer to listen to the complete works, and to do that, even for the most well-known composers, a lifetime may not be enough. It's a huge volume of work...so I don't...cause then again I prefer pop, I'm very shallow. :D

[russkayatatu]

Classical music is much more complex than pop or rock: for example: it usually has more than one or two chords :gigi: , different harmonies, melodic lines, etc. Often it uses different instruments from contemporary pop music (like orchestras made up of several dozen players, for example) and can be written in radically different formats, some really old (sonatas, chamber music, symphonies) and some just made up in the composer's mind.

There are a lot of composers now writing music that I would call "classical"...I don't know what else you would call it: just "dissonant music"?? :dknow:

I really like classical music...not all the time, but often. Especially I like opera (I grew up on opera ;) ): Puccini's "Turandot" (esp. the first act), most of Verdi. Mozart, Beethoven, the Russian Five - I love Smetana's "Moldau" and Handel's "Messiah" - Schubert's songs -ehhh, a lot of music. My brother is way more into it than me; he studies music and plays the viola and makes fun of basically anything that I put on, including tatu :gigi: I like his music too, though :)

My mom sang in the chorus at the Houston Grand Opera for a while and she said that she would drive to work blasting Billy Joel and feeling so risque next to the others who had bumper stickers like "Honk if you love Mozart" :D :D ha haaa, that's something like my attitude too; I haven't listened to classical music in forever - too busy doing other things :gigi: - but I definitely still like it and enjoy it a lot. But I'd rather go to work with pop/rock in the car ;)

[spyretto]

hmm, are you sure there is classical music written nowadays? like what?
yeah Smetana's the Moldau is great...and Handel's Messiah if you can manage all 4 cds..and I can also recommend Respighi ( Pines of Rome ;) )

[russkayatatu]

Hmmm, there's people like Philip Glass...what's his music classified as? But actually I was thinking of a guy called Yehudi Weyner (that's a guess; I don't know how to spell it), who wrote some string quartets I heard played recently - and he coached the players - so, maybe it's not classical, but then I don't know what it is. People still write music for orchestras that's def. not pop or any other genre I can think of...so what is it if not classical? A serious question, really. :dknow:

Also, if you say that classical music is only written in the classical period...the history of music is divided into different eras, like Romantic, Baroque, Classical - do you count all of them as "classical music"? There's a big difference between Telemann (early), Beethoven (later), and Philip Glass (now), for example.

People write new operas all the time too. There was one recently called "The Great Gatsby"...anyway...is this contemporary stuff classical? I would say yes, but then again I have no idea.

edit: yeah, I need to listen to Respighi; I never have ;)

[spyretto]

Philip Glass? I think he's not actually :) Because then John Williams is also...and I don't know who else...Danny Elfman ?? ;)
Hmm, I think those are film composers really, or composers for orchestra.

No, I don't count baroque as classical music...exactly as you said it...baroque is baroque, classical is classical. They're two different genres...classical has its own established forms, like the sonata, the concerto etc. baroque was the movement that preceded classical, am I right?

But I'm not an expert at all :p

Yehudi Weyner? that sounds familiar is he a violinist?

[russkayatatu]

OK then, yeah I agree, apparently it's sorta a nebulous term ;) at least to some people, cause a lot of the time I use it to refer to much more than classical era compositions (Rachmaninoff, for example, isn't). I can see that John Williams is stretching it :D Maybe there's another category for film composers, or composers for orchestra, you're right...but I'm no expert either ;)

Here is the biography of composer Yehudi Wyner:

http://www.schirmer.com/composers/wyner/

although I panicked for a moment and thought I was thinking of another Wyner and picked the wrong first name...maybe there is a famous violinist too; it sounds kind of familiar to me too but I can't find it.

Edit: Yehudi Menuhin??

Edit2: Classical period is considered 1750 - 1825. Bach is considered late Baroque, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Strauss are considered Romantic, Debussy and Stravinsky are considered Modern...just to give you an idea. Major classical composers are Mozart, Beethoven, Hayden, Schubert.

[goku]

1. Music from the classical age (Renaissance and Enlightenment)

2. Do I enjoy it?! It goes beyond that, friends..

3. Beethoven.. Mozart and Bach are great, but Beethovens symphonies give this feeling beyond belief.

[spyretto]

yeah, I saw his biography... to me he looks like a very legitimate "classical" composer...but then again the term may not be correct.
Rachmaninoff and Gershwin yes, maybe borderline but Philip Glass and John Williams is streching it a bit too much ;) Lets wait for another 50 years :D

Yeah, I'm the one who is wrong about the composer. The violinist is Yehudi Menuhin ( same first name, you see )

[russkayatatu]

Here is a definition I found:

Classical music: traditional genre of music conforming to an established form and appealing to critical interest and developed musical taste

Synonyms: serious music

That's rather vague ;) Anyway I think there are several definitions, so darje's question at the beginning - "what is your concept?" - was a good one.

[Lena410]

darje, just tell me when and where :lol:

[Lux]

i agree with Goku in that classical music is from the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. other than, i'd define classical music as just strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. :gigi:

having played violin for over 10 years, and being in two private orchestras that question was never presented. :none:

[Kappa]

Lena410, here and NOW! Lux can get us married. :lol:

Anyway. Don't you think that Danny Elfman and John Williams are off what's strickly classic music? We'd have to add Hans Zimmer and Michael Kamen (ooooooh my favorite) and a number of others to that category, if we include that. For an example, there's this awesome DJ from Australia who's called Rob Dougan: the man can do everything from a HUGE symphony to a get-down-like-a-ho'-on-crack techno melody. Weird, isn't it?

[taty994945]

so orchestral music is different from classical? i never knew that before. :)

[Lena410]

darje now?! But I don't have a dress! *sees her dream of a beautiful bridal dress slowly fading* *shrugs* ok. I can live with that. :lol:

[febrika]

i like hearing classical music. full of my emotional representation :D

1. violin, piano, bass, cello and all their friends gathering as one.
2. luub it.
3. beethoven, mozart, chopin.

[karxwp]

1- for me the kickers are the violins and the piano *jumps happily* my girlfriend plays the piano wow...amazing...the other day she played two of my favorites "Moonlight" (Beethoven) and Preludio of Bach (and here I thought I could only love this piece in Vanessa's Me Violin.)

Classical, as febrika wrote it :D I also love Opera :D

2- LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT

3- Beethoven, Mozart, Bach.

[LenochkaO]

Great thread, Darje!

1. What is your concept of classical music?

Now there's a toughie, for which I can't come up with a pat answer. It's an easy label that covers a variety of musical styles. Though I'm not always convinced that some of the artists/works included in e.g. the Classic FM classical chart should necessarily be there.

2. Do you enjoy it?

Depends on what it is. I'm not a huge fan of Wagner, a prejudice that I've acquired from my former music teacher, but in general I'd say that I enjoy classical music. I'm not overly keen on certain things that have been overused on commercials and the like, however. E.g. Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Ravel's Bolero (even though it's a really nice piece of music), Rossini's William Tell Overture (the bit that everybody knows - the first, slow part is beautiful, and doesn't get played nearly often enough).

3. Who/what is your favorite composer/piece/melody/opera/etc.?

Lots, for various reasons. I like Peter Warlock's Capriol Suite and his Beethoven pastiche Beethoven's Binge, the latter because it's quite an amusing piss-take of Beethoven's 5th. I love Bach's double violin concerto, and Bruch's violin concerto. Elgar's cello concerto, Mozart's Symphony No. 40, Beethoven's Egmont overture, Handel's Zadok the Priest...

I think Mozart's requiem is beautiful, moving and wonderfully singable. I'm quite attached to various anthems and magnificat and nunc dimittis settings by composers such as Stanford, Parry and Vaughan-Williams because I sang them with the choir when I was at high school. I like Faure's requiem and various choral works by John Rutter for similar reasons. I'm also keen on clarinet music, because I used to play in various orchestras and wind bands.

Finally, 3 things I want to sing with a choir before I die: Orff's Carmina Burana, Allegri's Miserere and Barber's Agnus Dei (the choral setting of his Adagio (the music from Platoon, if that means anything to anyone), which someone once compared to sex, with its build up to a climax and an afterglow-like fading away at the end :) )

Eek! Hope all this doesn't sound too pretentious...

[Charles]

1. Classical music is music that is written with classical orchestration in mind, i.e, string, woodwind, brass, percussion sections, choral, and solo instuments, or some subset of that. However, I don't believe its limited to that instrumentation at all, as musicians like Robert Fripp use classical motifs in much more modern instruments.

It isn't limited by a time. There are componants of classical music in medieval gregorian chant, and in John Williams sound tracks for Star Wars.

Musically, it tends to have more layers (percussion, base line, melody, harmony, counter point, counter melody, etc.). Keys change. Modes change (major and minor scales are two example of modes).

2. Absolutely!

3. Here are a few:
Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. I must have a dozen versions.
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition. Again, easily a dozen version (original piano, Ravel's orchestration, plus Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's electronic version).
Samual Barber - Adagio for String, and Overture to School for Scandal
J.S. Bach (not to be confused with P.D.Q. Bach) - Brandenburg Concertos, plus lots of misc. organ music

In a sense, I think of classical music as a sort of general category of music similar to the way rock can refer to various genres of music. Within the broad heading of rock you have pop, heavy metal, punk, alternative, etc.).

In all of this, it is important to notice how one genre evolves into and influences the next genre. English folk music begats american folk, which evolves into bluegrass. A different folk tradition and history begats blues. Bluegrass becomes country. Blues becomes jazz, and they both lead to rock and roll. Rock and country now converge in a kind of pop (Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, and Shania Twain all appear on both MTV, and CMT).

[kishkash]

Carl Orff's Carmina Burana
OMG i LOVE carmina burana (or as i called it as a child...the satan song)

Lets not forget my other fav...Bolero :D

and then there's Thus Spake Zarthrustra...or Thus Zarthustra Spake....well u ger the idea. Its quite the catchy tune ;)

Then there's every classical composer i've ever listened to ... too many to name :D

p.s. GO WOODWINDS ... though i don't evern remember playing anything tradionally strictly classical... *scratches head* not in any of the orchestras i was in :hmmm:

[Kappa]

Charles, you hit the nail. Samuel Barber's Adagio inspired me in a number of fics and I ADORE it. :)

[LenochkaO]

Originally posted by kishkash
OMG i LOVE carmina burana (or as i called it as a child...the satan song)


Snork! It was "the Old Spice song" for me, though now I prefer to call it Carmina Banana...

[Kappa]

Carmina Banana? :rolleyes: What a lack of respect. XD

[LenochkaO]

Originally posted by darje
Carmina Banana? :rolleyes: What a lack of respect. XD

I like to think of it as a pet name for something that I hold in great affection. I don't tend to do respect :)

[Lena410]

I LOVE Carmina Burana :D It's awsome. *nod nod* one of the reasons I had such a good music mark last year. :heh:

I loved how Carl Orff used the latin language so well..and the music is great...but I loved the latin in it..me and my friend were always discussing words we understood and trying to understand without reading the translation..:D
hm..I miss Latin..that's strange since I have it every second day..*shrugs*

Carmina Banana? :lol: Well that name does suit it somehow *shakes head laughing*

[freddie]

1.) definition:

By Hyperdictionary:

"traditional genre of music conforming to an established form and appealing to critical interest and developed musical taste."

AMG definition:

"Classical music is probably the most misunderstood of all musical categories, a result of its seeming remoteness — it is, after all, far older than any of the other major musical fields, dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries. But it is also easy to understand — even for the listener utterly unschooled in its forms — on its own terms, because it is the most formalistic of music. It is a music of precision and allows the listener a very clear look at both the intent and design of the composer.

Classical music is built upon a shared repertory of established works and their different interpretations. As opposed to most pop listeners, for whom the overall sound of a recording is usually more important than details, classical listeners normally dwell on details of interpretation and the nuances of playing. Those details are everything — the differences in interpretation, and those nuances of instrument or voice, drive the whole field of classical music. Of course, there are exceptions to these generalizations — classical listeners, to some degree, are buying the overall sound of a piece, regardless of the way it is performed. But even many casual classical listeners tend to be more analytical than all but the most serious rock listeners."

2.) I enjoy it very much. Ever since I was a child.Got hooked on it like many others befor me - watching Tom & Jerry cartoons :D

3. ) What do I listen to? Oh my word... I don't know all the titles but I can easily say the master Wolfgang Amadeus is my favourite of them all (how stereotypical LOL) (Eine Kleine Nachtsmusic, Piano Sonata #15 in C minor, Figaro's Wedding...plus many more I don't knwo the names of.:p )...

Then there's Ludwig Van Beethowen of course with the unforgetable 5th and 9th symphonies. I aslo like his Piano Sonata's #8 and #14 in C minor. "Fur Elise" is also one special in my heart.

Not to forget Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowsky - Nuttcracker, the Swan Lake & 1812 Overture are the obvious choices here.

I also like some special classic tunes, like the epic "Also Sprach Zaratustra" by Richard Wagner that was made famous again by the movie Space Oddisey 2001.
Then there's the "Flight Of The Bumblebee" (don't know by who unfortunately).

Regarding classical opera I went to see only one in the national theatre years ago and I still comsider it the best - The Bat (I hope that's the correct translation) by Richard Strauss

[coolasfcuk]

I can easily say the master Wolfgang Amadeus is my favourite of them all (how stereotypical LOL)

'cause he is the true genius ;)

[LenochkaO]

Originally posted by freddie
Regarding classical opera I went to see only one in the national theatre years ago and I still comsider it the best - The Bat (I hope that's the correct translation) by Richard Strauss

I believe that's right - Fledermaus just sounds so much nicer than "bat", though :)

[russkayatatu]

freddie, it is JOHANN Strauss ;) They are quite different really :gigi: And yes, you're right, it's "The Bat," but usually people just say "Die Fledermaus," even in English.

It's more like "light" opera; in some places it might be performed only in an operetta house rather than the opera itself - i.e., not in same place where they put on "Aida" or "Norma." But yeah, I like it too.

[freddie]

Originally posted by russkayatatu
freddie, it is JOHANN Strauss ;) They are quite different really :gigi: And yes, you're right, it's "The Bat," but usually people just say "Die Fledermaus," even in English.

It's more like "light" opera; in some places it might be performed only in an operetta house rather than the opera itself - i.e., not in same place where they put on "Aida" or "Norma." But yeah, I like it too.

Johann sorry *blushes*. I know the difference. It was a slip.:D

I still love this opera though. LOL

[skye]

Originally posted by darje


1. What is your concept of classical music?
2. Do you enjoy it?
3. Who/what is your favorite composer/piece/melody/opera/etc.?


1.Excellent :yes: what could be better than classical music ;) :D :yes: Because I play many instruments :D
2.IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII LLLLLLLoVVEEEEEEE itttttt ssssssooooo muchh!!
3.J.S.Bach of course!!!!!!!!!
As my acknowlege of music.....Tchaпkovsky is a GAY!!!!!(Famous Russian musicains all are gays :p ) :coctail: tho he dislike himself being a gay even if he did get married with a wowan(a fan threaded him to marry her)

[shizzo]

1. My concept of what classical music encompasses has been
heavily influenced by what gets filed under the "Classical"
section of CDs at Wal-Mart, where I work.
Piano works, instrumental pieces, opera, ...

2. Indeed. :D

3. I ьberlufs the song "Cuor Senza Sangue" ["Bloodless Heart"],
sung by Emma Shapplin. [According to Wal-Mart, it'd be
considered classical. :P] From the purely instrumental side of
the genre, I'd pick Paganini as a favorite composer - he wrote
some of the most instrumentally complex pieces I've ever
listened to.

[spyretto]

in the past pop musicians used to rip off old classical pieces - that's why some of them sounded so cool. ( before they started copying older songs, that is ) I remember listening to one of Glinka's pieces ( who is Russian classical composer ) and thinking, "jee, that sounds exactly like Y.M.C.A.. And somehow I don't think it's a coincidence or that it was him who copied the Village People...

There are more examples out there...prolly from the Stones, or s'thing ;)

J.S.Bach of course!!!!!!!!!

Bach is the best for religious classical music. Nobody even comes close...not even Handel.

btw, how about Uefa's Champions League theme by Vangelis? That is surely a modern classical piece :D

[taty994945]

how about Uefa's Champions League theme by Vangelis

Brings a tear to my eye each time....I also like his theme song for the 2002 World Cup.

[spyretto]

He'll also compose the theme for Athens 2004...Vangelis is totally awesome..