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mdubuque
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 6:18 pm

Samudra asked me to start a thread on classical music, because he wanted to immerse himself in the genre, so here goes.By no means am I a master of the genre, but I do have some particular favorites which I have chosen carefully and couldn't recommend more highly.First of all, I would recommend anything by the classical violinist Jascha Heifetz. Check out his work with the Boston Symphony performing "Scottish Fantasy" by Bruch or his extraordinary performance on Beethoven's Violin Concerto (the second movement is incredible).In my judgment, Heifetz still towers head and shoulders above every other classical violinist who has recorded. His work is inexplicably a little hard to find nowadays, but absolutely well worth the investment of time!I'm sure others in this forum know more classical music than I.Any favorites you might pass on to Samudra?Cheers,Matthew
 
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samudra
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 6:48 pm

Mathew,I am just a toddler in this area. So I dont want to blurt out and expose my ignorance.Just wondering if it maybe good if you can highlight great works on compositions byalltime greats like Beethoven, Mozart, Bach etc.
Last edited by samudra on February 13th, 2005, 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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mdubuque
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:00 pm

Hello Samudra-One misconception that novices do typically have is that symphony orchestras and conductors are fungible. The opposite is the case. I can play you the same piece of music by one orchestra and you may love it and hearing the same piece played by a different orchestra just sounds flat and lifeless.So you really need to expose yourself to the great performers to fully understand the greatness.It would be like claiming that bansuri music was ok, average, until you had been floored by Hariprasad Chaurasia.That said, Beethoven's Violin Concerto played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Jascha Heifetz on violin is incredible.Leonard Bernstein was one of the great conductors and he used to do a series introducing people to classical music. I believe that's out on DVD now. I can think of no better place to start. It was called something like "Young Person's Guide to Music".Bernstein conducting New York's orchestra for Beethoven's 3rd symphony is a classic. It reflects Beethoven's view on Napoleon, especially the 2nd movement.The 6th symphony (Pastoral) by Beethoven is extraordinary. Maybe you could see the film Fantasia to see the type of imagery it evokes? Beethoven's Ninth by Seiji Ozawa is my favorite version of that great work.I started off my classical music journey with E. Power Biggs playing Bach tocattas and fugues (D minor!) on an enormous earth shaking organ. Also, Bach's double violin concerto in D is outstanding and the violin duet in the second movement is a real jewel.But again, the key concept to keep in mind here is to stick with some established orchestras and soloists and that will surely help your appreciation of the genre.Hope this helps, and keep us posted!Matthew
Last edited by mdubuque on February 13th, 2005, 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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chiral3
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:03 pm

If you are fond of violin, I would highly recommend Paganini, particularly I Perelman's 76 recorsing at Abbey road. Paganini, in my opinion, is one of the best violinists to ever compose.
 
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mdubuque
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:07 pm

Here is the link to the Leonard Bernstein DVDs "Young Person's Guide to Classical Music".I think there is no finer introduction available to Western classical music and I could not recommend it more highly. He really helps you appreciate what otherwise would whiz right over your head!http://tinyurl.com/6cpoqI think others in the forum are likely to agree with my assessment of this as an outstanding intro to the genre.It's really something special!Matthew
Last edited by mdubuque on February 13th, 2005, 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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mdubuque
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:09 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: chiral3If you are fond of violin, I would highly recommend Paganini, particularly I Perelman's 76 recorsing at Abbey road. Paganini, in my opinion, is one of the best violinists to ever compose.Without question! Do you have a link to that Perlman CD?Matthew
 
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chiral3
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:13 pm

I could only find it at bn. It is the 24 Caprices. His is better than Midori's although I think you have to listen to it a 100 times to tell.http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/ ... x=51151402
 
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chiral3
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:14 pm

I would order it now, before it goes away. It isn't on amazon and it is 2-3 days at bn.
 
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mdubuque
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:28 pm

Done. Thanks! Made my day!Care to give me a bit of background on the caprices? What Paganinni had in mind, did he play it publicly, which are your favorites, etc?Matthew
 
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chiral3
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:36 pm

Sure. Paganini was a mysterious fellow. Nobody, contemporary or otherwise, played/s like him. There are many stories. He invented certain techniques, such as double bowing and linear runs on a single string. Some say that he learned to play on a single string during an incarceration. The E, A, and D, strings broke, so he played the intervals on the single string. Because he used to show up in a black carriage, with black horses, all dressed in black, some said that he made a deal with the devil to play how he did. This caught on and, not helped by his young death, has captured the imaginations of many. Fact is that the caprices are phucking hard. I can play 5 and part of 24 on the guitar. Anyway, I love 5, 10, and 24 the most. The double bowing in 1 is quite impressive.
Last edited by chiral3 on February 13th, 2005, 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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samudra
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:37 pm

Mathew,I think I have got just the right stuff to get me started. Thanks a lot. Let me get that DVD collection.Keep on posting. You are a repository of knowledge. Once you go to the Carribean find a way to disseminateyour knowledge. Will be of great value to a lot of people like myself.Chiral,How are things bud? How is life treating you now a days?
 
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mdubuque
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:37 pm

If you are a fan of Paganini and Perlman, be sure to check out Subramaniam!http://tinyurl.com/5f5s8An absolute historical virtuoso whose wizardry on the violin would be guaranteed to enthrall Paganinni!(yes, yes, I know that's quite a remarkable claim bordering on the reckless, but wait till you hear this guy! An absolute profound and deep master of the violin. Unbelievable perfection. It is said he can play 5 notes at once and I have NEVER heard anybody do double stops like him.)Matthew
 
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chiral3
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:43 pm

He is Indian? Indians are inspired by Indian scales, which are not intuitive for Gringos. All those semi-tones and modal acid trips. I am great Samudra, thanks for asking. The business is great, making money, and all the old denizens of this forum are hard at work nearby while I troll this forum and the other phorum. I haven't been here in a while, good to see you.
 
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mdubuque
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:49 pm

Yes, he is Indian, but also has won Grammys for his movie scores and compositions for western symphony orchestras.Sure the scales are different, but he is an extraordinary intro to the world of Indian violin; his virtuosity is breathtaking and impossible to ignore and his skill makes it easy to compare across genres.He is actually L. Shankar's brother, who is very much his equal on the violin (my view) and who was part of Shakti with famed jazz guitarist John McLaughlin.Matthew
Last edited by mdubuque on February 13th, 2005, 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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chiral3
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Classical music thread...

February 14th, 2005, 7:52 pm

I just meant that Indian music is hard. I ordered it.