By special request, let’s discuss our favourite Classic Music and why?

Wyllow3, It used to be run by a retired vicar who twisted my arm when his other commitments took up most of his time. I do the admin and the research and the techy stuff is in the capable hands of a member who compiles all the playlists.
We’re the only ones who know all the choices so there are often some really nice surprises.

When we lived in our last house, we had a musical appreciation club at the local church. I really enjoyed those sessions. Much debate and much discovery. I was never a big Wagner fan, apart from the lollipop overtures, but it was there I, among others, was introduced to the Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde. This operatic aria left us stunned it is so beautiful, particularly when sung by the soprano Jessye Norman. When I listen to it now, it makes my spine tingle.

Apart from the serious stuff, I also love British Light Classical music; Eric Coates, Ronald Binge, Haydn Wood…..

Greyduster

When we lived in our last house, we had a musical appreciation club at the local church. I really enjoyed those sessions. Much debate and much discovery. I was never a big Wagner fan, apart from the lollipop overtures, but it was there I, among others, was introduced to the Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde. This operatic aria left us stunned it is so beautiful, particularly when sung by the soprano Jessye Norman. When I listen to it now, it makes my spine tingle.

Apart from the serious stuff, I also love British Light Classical music; Eric Coates, Ronald Binge, Haydn Wood…..

Those light music composers were unsung heroes IMO.
I introduced our group to the music of Trevor Duncan (real name Leonard Trebilco) who wrote the theme tune to Dr. Finlay’s Casebook as well as other well known radio and TV music.
As a family we knew him during the sixties when he lived on the Isle of Wight He wrote St Boniface Down in 1957 - A hauntingly beautiful piece of music with echoes of Holst and Vaughan Williams.

youtu.be/TxB4UXaItw8?si=sb_fABrfxxZJ--_Y

That’s a lovely, haunting piece, Merlotgran. Thankyou.

So it is. And I cant remember how I found the tender haunting side of Wagner or who from but it was a revelation.

One of the things I like about R3 unwind is that it also introduces a lot of work by women composers, who have been "written out of history".

Try tasting a bit of Clara Schumann
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JyeWA1ZD8g&list=RD9JyeWA1ZD8g&start_radio=1

(Classic FM do feature her quite a bit too along with other "unknowns")

Absolutely anything written by Johann Sebastian Bach, or any of his sons, all the Mozarts (father and son) wrote or the Haydn brothers, plus any other baroque or roccoco works for the trumpet, plus all of Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Reger, Mahler etc.etc. Lieder.

And a very long list of other composers's music.

Classical music is my passion and I could go on all day with ideas of beautiful choices. But here goes with a few. If you do not know them they can be found on YouTube or Spotify ... I hope they bring pleasure.
- The romance from Korngold's violin concerto
- Priere from Bizet's Clovis et Chlotilde
- Eternal Source of Light by Handel
- Erbarme dich by Bach
- Aus Liebe will mein Heiland Stephen
- Waft her angels through the sky by Handel
- the adagio from Ravel's piano concerto
- adagio from Mendelssohn's Cappricio Brilliant
- Giustino by Vivaldi, preferably sung by Bruno de Sa who is a male sopranos
- Sonata in B flat major by Pedrini
- Chopin in c sharp minor
- Schubert, Impromptu D899
- Lascia chio panga by Handel
- Guardian Angels O Protect Me
- A Day May Come by Debbie Wiseman
- Larghetto from piano concerto number one by Chopin
- Lento from Horowitz oboe concerto
- As Steals the Morn by Handel
- Passacaglia in G minor by Biber
- first movement of Copeland's clarinet concerto

Rule number one... never ask Luckygirl about classical music!!

I also love Britten and Finzi.

I hope that the above ideas might bring some joy to gransnetters ...

‘The Arts and the Hours’ by Rameau - preferably played by Vikingur Olafsen.

Agree with the Ravel, Luckygirl. The whole piece is wonderful but the adagio is ravishing.

The Radetzky Waltz by Johan Strauss which usually concludes the Viennnese Philharmonics New Year concert which I absolutely love watching.
Such a rousing piece that gets the whole audience participating.
And I know The Blue Danube is done to death but so it should be. Whenever I hear it I just want to twirl around the room, and I usually do.

Correction Radetzky March not waltz.

Greyduster

‘The Arts and the Hours’ by Rameau - preferably played by Vikingur Olafsen.

Agree with the Ravel, Luckygirl. The whole piece is wonderful but the adagio is ravishing.

I too love Ravel’s piano concerto, especially performed by either Martha Argerich or Yuga Wang.

A very young Yuga Wang also gives a stunning performance of Mendelssohn’s piano concerto No 1, in G minor.
And…She is also doing Last Night of the Proms this year .
Whoopie. 🥳

youtu.be/2GGx8TRWFVA?si=GSgK4liJkDnO11vd

For belting out when the neighbours are on holiday:

Finlandia - Sibelius
The Flying Dutchman overture - Wagner

For lifting the mood - any of the Gilbert and Sullivans, though The Pirates of Penzance is my favourite (if light operetta counts?)

youtu.be/stv-9jKcVdg?si=0LPIM30z-awDmz4Z
I love this ( if the link works).

Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions, some of which/whom I’ve not come across before x

lixy

For belting out when the neighbours are on holiday:

Finlandia - Sibelius
The Flying Dutchman overture - Wagner

For lifting the mood - any of the Gilbert and Sullivans, though The Pirates of Penzance is my favourite (if light operetta counts?)

Yes, I think light opera counts 🙂

Must point out that the musical director of The Pilgrimage to Santiago was imprisoned for misconduct. Which upsets me because I love that music so much but it has been tainted. I first heard it whilst listening to the car radio one night; managed to write down what it was and got the local library to order the tape of it. I try to detach myself from what happened to him because the music is so beautiful but it’s difficult. I’ve never been moved by a piece of classical music so much.

MayBee70

Must point out that the musical director of The Pilgrimage to Santiago was imprisoned for misconduct. Which upsets me because I love that music so much but it has been tainted. I first heard it whilst listening to the car radio one night; managed to write down what it was and got the local library to order the tape of it. I try to detach myself from what happened to him because the music is so beautiful but it’s difficult. I’ve never been moved by a piece of classical music so much.

The great thing is that there is a huge movement to bring back early work on original instruments or before that, medieval plainsong - going back to women like 12c Hildegard of Bingen right up to a huge amount of work on Baroque musicians scores and bringing many gems to light from that period.

There is among others a group in LA, USA who aimed to bring out one new work each week, I think they have slowed down now but here is their home page with a big choice from the well known to the lesser known

www.youtube.com/@VoicesofMusic

Here is a Hildegard of Bingen

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYzPR0nwcmY&list=RDHYzPR0nwcmY&start_radio=1

Yes, Finlandia - for the very first time in my life I live in a wee detached house, so can belt it out at 2am...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5zg_af9b8c&list=RDF5zg_af9b8c&start_radio=1

well not too loud

"Yuja Wang is scheduled to perform Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto" (at last night of proms.....I played a bit and its quite a challenge to say the least)

Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.
Because it is so truly epic.

M0nica

Anything by Beethoven from trivia like 'Fur Elise' to the late uartets, but mainly, the piano ccocertos and symphonies.

... ah, me too!

The Adagio un poco mosso from 'The Emperor' was my late partner's favourite and now become mine.

It was always known as Carmina Banana in our house.
My primary school used to take us to the Saturday morning children’s concerts at the Festival hall, and they were wonderful. Did anyone else go to those?
Favourite Mozart pieces include the Lachrymosa from 626 and ‘Elvira Madigan’.
Listening to the Largo from Vivaldi R93 for guitar at the moment, lovely to wake up to.
There’s so much lovely music to listen to!

I am passionate about classical music, but struggle with Beethoven. Sometimes his music is sublime but then he starts crashing the pots and pans about for no good reason.... I find that annoying ... and a bit formulaic.

I’m afraid I’m another who struggles with Beethoven though I don’t mind his piano pieces. Another piece that drives me crackers is Monteverdi’s Vespas. I usually turn it off and then groan when I turn the radio back on and it’s still droning away!! Sorry, I know there are people who love it.

What is the first live performance you can remember seeing? For me, I was thirteen and was taken with a friend by her father to hear Tchaikovsky’s First piano concerto at our City Hall. He got fed up of the two of us banging away our version on his baby grand piano and decided we ought to hear it played properly! It was a revelation, and kick started my journey with classical music - especially piano music.

I love Ravel, Debussy and Chopin and of course Bach’s 48 and the Goldberg variations.

For me Beethoven is the be all and end all. His music goes deeper into my soul than any other music I have ever lisened to.

This feel covers all his music fromthe lightest piano piece to his late uartets. However I love piano music and it is his piano concertos and the chamber music that includes a piano that I love most

When I am dying, I want to die with the last movement of the 'Pastoral' symphony playing in the room. I can still remember the first time I heard it because its effect on me was so profound. They say hearing is the last sense to go and I want o leave this world for whatever..... with the Shepherd's Hyymn caressing my mind.

Fallingstar

Correction Radetzky March not waltz.

As a student I had an Israeli friend who had both Russian and German grandparents and spoke both languages to some extent, as well as English and Hebrew.

He taught me a very funny rude German version of the Radetsky March but alas I’ve forgotten most of it.