Music Mockney's Classical Music Thread

[Waltraute]

Cheers for your kind words, Nani Nana!
All the same back to you -- so many great contributions from you. Just to mention one thing, you made me listen to de Grigny again after a long time. No special reason I've avoided him, just the typical being stuck in a routine with the usual favourites. Anyway...

Oh, Matti Salminen! He's majestic!

Here's Salminen singing 'Wie Schön Ist Doch Die Musik' from Strauss' Die Schweigsame Frau --

Spoiler

And now for something completely different!

Franz Schmidt, Symphony No. 4 in C major, first movement --
(Tried to find the whole symphony of course, but no luck)

Spoiler

 

[Waltraute]

Hotter singing and acting Wotan's Abschied. The sound is not good, but it's so rare to see him act. Every little snippet of film is so precious.
Absolutely spinechilling!

Spoiler

 

[evra]

This week I've mostly been listening to:

Spoiler

For some reason the first thirty seconds or so makes me picture the famous military processions through Red Square, with dozens of tanks and giant placards with Lenin/Stalin's likeness on, maybe that's just me though!

 

[Waltraute]

Oh, we've sunk so far down, but now we rise towards the light again!

Love the Rachmaninoff you posted, evra.

Here is something to match the current mood of the Caf --

J.S. Bach - Cantata 199 - Aria 'Tief gebuckt und voller Reue'; under Gardiner & solo by the brilliant Magdalena Kožená

Spoiler

And here is something to get us into fighting spirit before the game tonight, and vent some Rooney-rage --

The immortal Lucia Popp singing 'Der Hölle Rache' from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte under Klemperer

Verstossen sei auf ewig,
Verlassen sei auf ewig,
Zertrümmert sei'n auf ewig...

Spoiler

 

[Waltraute]

The best "Die Weisheitslehre dieser Knaben" from Die Zauberflöte you'll ever hear -- Wunderlich and Hotter under Böhm '64 --

 

[R.N7]

 

[Waltraute]

Jussi Björling sings Ingemisco from Verdi's Requiem --

 

[R.N7]

 

[Adzzz]

After playing Santana's 'love of my life' I decided the riff was amazing, only to learn it was inspired by Brahms wonderful third movement in his Symphony No.3 Poco Allegretto so I present here two fantastic versions of this piece of music which is sensational to say the least.

Furtwangler:

Karajan:


In my honest opinion, Karajan's version is marginally better, it seems more sweeping and majestic. Karajan, for me is one of, if not the greatest conductor of our time.

Both are the Berliner Philharmonika.

 

[evra]

I was recently given the complete works of Mahler (Kubelik). It's not very accessible music but if you persevere then you're rewarded.

 

[Waltraute]

Cheers Nilsson, Adzz & Evra!

Hans Hotter and Birgit Nilsson singing the ultimate Wie aus der Ferne (sadly pretty horrible sound, though - please disregard) --

 

[Nani Nana]

not real............


how can a Finn singing a Russian song one hundred years ago understand me so perfectly?

 

[Tibs]

Can you classical music lovers help me...

I'm looking for some music that is beautiful, uplifting, inspirational...

Any suggestions welcome - thanks!

 

[King_Eric]

The Four Seasons fits that description in my opinion. One of my favorite classical works. Some of Beethoven's symphony's are great as well.







Actually the choice is endless


My favorite complete classical piece of all times is definately Mozart's Requiem. It's the most perfect piece of music I've ever heard.





This is also great (even better considering the legend that surrounds it):

Miserere, full name "Miserere mei, Deus" (Latin: "Have mercy on me, O God") by Italian composer Gregorio Allegri, is a setting of Psalm 51 (50) composed during the reign of Pope Urban VIII, probably during the 1630s, for use in the Sistine Chapel during matins, as part of the exclusive Tenebrae service on Wednesday and Friday of Holy Week. The service would start usually around 3AM, and during the ritual, candles would be extinguished, one by one, until one remained alight and hidden. Allegri composed his setting of the Miserere for the final act within the first lesson of the Tenebrae service.

It was the last of twelve falsobordone Miserere settings composed and chanted at the service since 1514 and the most popular: at some point, it became forbidden to transcribe the music and it was allowed to be performed only at those particular services, adding to the mystery surrounding it. Writing it down or performing it elsewhere was punishable by excommunication.[1] The setting that escaped from the Vatican is actually a conflation of verses set by Gregorio Allegri around 1638 and Tommaso Bai (also spelled "Baj"; 1650–1718) in

Three authorised copies of the work were distributed prior to 1770 – to the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, to the King of Portugal, and to Padre (Giovanni Battista) Martini.[1] However, none of them succeeded in capturing the beauty of the Miserere as performed annually in the Sistine Chapel. According to the popular story (backed up by family letters), the fourteen-year-old Mozart was visiting Rome, when he first heard the piece during the Wednesday service. Later that day, he wrote it down entirely from memory, returning to the Chapel that Friday to make minor corrections. Some time during his travels, he met the British historian Dr Charles Burney, who obtained the piece from him and took it to London, where it was published in 1771. Once the piece was published, the ban was lifted; Mozart was summoned to Rome by the Pope, only instead of excommunicating the boy, the Pope showered praises on him for his feat of musical genius. The work was also transcribed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1831 and Franz Liszt, and various other 18th and 19th century sources survive. Since the lifting of the ban, Allegri's Miserere has become one of the most popular a cappella choral works now performed[who?].

 

[Tibs]

Thanks mate

I love these two songs - not by a classical composer though.

John Williams - Jurassic Park

YouTube - Jurassic Park Theme (Long Version)

From the Lost soundtrack - Moving On

YouTube - Lost: The Final Season Soundtrack - Moving On (Bonus Track)

Both are must listens

 

[Nani Nana]

this one's fantastic, an excerpt of Fellini's movie E la nave va, paying a tribute to Schubert's Moment musical no3

 

[Waltraute]

The only music appropriate for the end of this derby day (City as Klytaemnestra, obviously). I know I've posted it before, but what else could one listen to tonight? --


[from Strauss' Elektra, Rysanek and Varnay under Böhm]

"...und ich steh' da und seh' dich endlich sterben!
Dann träumst du nicht mehr, dann brauche ich
nicht mehr zu träumen, und wer dann noch lebt,
der jauchzt und kann sich seines Lebens freun!"

 

[Waltraute]

Björling's '58 Carnegie Hall Ingemisco; Schauwecker --


This is what you should listen to before every game!
To me singing like that encompasses everything United is about. It's just defiance of the normal laws of nature and rationality. Pure freedom and radiance!

 

[Waltraute]

Parsifal for Good Friday!

Hans Hotter (Gurnemanz) and Jess Thomas (Parsifal) under Knappertsbusch; Bayreuth '61; Karfreitagszauber --


To me, the 'So ward es uns verhiessen, so segne ich dein Haupt...' part will always be the most beautiful piece of music in existence. Totally irrational and subjective, like Robbo being the greatest footballer ever. Wishing you all a good Easter!

 

[Waltraute]

More -- very belated -- Parsifal for Good Friday!
Vickers and Hotter under Knappertsbusch in the '64 Bayreuth performance; beginning of 3rd Act, leading up to the Karfreitagzauber --


And here's Jussi Björling singing Rangström's Tristans död under Stig Westerberg; Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra --

 

[adexkola]

Trying to get into this stuff, it doesn't help when you don't know what the feck they're saying. Good stuff in this thread, helps one get through the day, not saying it's just background music though

 

[Waltraute]

Trying to get into this stuff, it doesn't help when you don't know what the feck they're saying. Good stuff in this thread, helps one get through the day, not saying it's just background music though

Cheers! I'm always truly delighted when I find out people apart from us regulars (not that I've been a very regular poster on the Caf in general, but anyway... ) listen to what's posted in this thread.

Regarding the part of your post I've bolded, I've often been tempted to post or link to libretti, texts and translations, but thought that maybe that would be a bit OTT? I'd love to post stuff like that, so here to start us off is the Ingemisco from the Dies Irae part of the Requiem Mass, as in Björling's immortal interpretations of this solo from Verdi's Requiem above --

Ingemisco, tamquam reus
Culpa rubet vultus meus
Supplicanti parce, Deus

Qui Mariam absolvisti
Et latronem exaudisti
Mihi quoque spem dedisti

Preces meæ non sunt dignæ
Sed tu bonus fac benigne
Ne perenni cremer igne

Inter oves locum præsta
Et ab hædis me sequestra
Statuens in parte dextra

And here's the Irons translation, which I love simply for the (IMHO) great translation of 'Statuens in parte dextra' --

Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
all my shame with anguish owning;
spare, O God, thy suppliant groaning!

Thou the sinful woman savedst;
thou the dying thief forgavest;
and to me a hope vouchsafest.

Worthless are my prayers and sighing,
yet, good Lord, in grace complying,
rescue me from fires undying!

With thy favored sheep O place me;
nor among the goats abase me;
but to thy right hand upraise me

And here's even a Dies Irae wiki page; a really good one too, in my opinion --
Dies Irae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Then the legendary 1939 recording --

 

[Waltraute]

CHAMPIONS!

 

[Nani Nana]

this is Murray Perahia's first appearance in this thread

overdue indeed

 

[Adzzz]

Excellent music throughout lads.

Mozarts requiem in particular for me is simply out of this world. Sadly, so are most of the people who hear it!

 

[Waltraute]

Cheers Nani Nana (for the Perahia) & AdZz (for the praise)!

Here's an absolutely amazing recording of Nilsson as Salome (in Swedish) --

 

[evra]

Say what you like about Christianity but it has inspired some beautiful music.

 

[King_Eric]

It was already posted on this page
But then again, this can't be posted enough. Great piece of music and even better when you read the story behind it.

 

[evra]

It was already posted on this page
But then again, this can't be posted enough. Great piece of music and even better when you read the story behind it.

Ah yes now I see it, oh well at least it's a longer version! Hitherto I knew nothing of the legend that surrounds it so that was an interesting read. I wonder if it was an inspiration for Mozart's requiem, there are elements that sound similar to me.

 

[Waltraute]

Ich habe genug BWV 82, Hans Hotter. It's so great I don't want to say anything, because anything I could say would just sound silly. It means so much to me.

Just listen.

Spoiler

 

[holyland red]

Say what you like about Christianity but it has inspired some beautiful music.

This also deserves a special note:

 

[Waltraute]

Magnificent, Holyland Red!

Here's Mark Reizen singing The Prophet; Pushkin/Rimsky-Korsakov --


And Ted Hughes' translation of The Prophet for those who're interested --

Spoiler

Crazed by my soul’s thirst
Through a dark land I staggered.
And a six-winged seraph
Halted me at a crossroads.
With fingers of dream
He touched my eye-pupils.
My eyes, prophetic, recoiled
Like a startled eaglet’s.
He touched my ears
And a thunderous clangour filled them,
The shudderings of heaven,
The huge wingbeat of angels
The submarine migration of sea-reptiles
And the burgeoning of the earth’s vine.
He forced my mouth wide,
Plucked out my own cunning
Garrulous evil tongue,
And with bloody fingers
Between my frozen lips
Inserted the fork of a wise serpent.
He split my chest with a blade,
Wrenched my heart from its hiding,
And into the open wound
Pressed a flaming coal.
I lay on stones like a corpse.
There God’s voice came to me:
Stand, Prophet, you are my will.
Be my witness. Go
Through all seas and lands. With the Word
Burn the hearts of people.

 

[SteveJ]

 

[Waltraute]

Brutal tempo, Steve! But I really like it -- in general I often like brisk tempi. Cheers for posting!

And speaking of brisk tempi, here's Sir John Eliot Gardiner in my favourite Zadok, where he's doing a 180 and is often accused of being much too slow. No -- I think he's spot on as usual. I've posted it before, but it was removed from Youtube a long time ago. And now it's back!

European Cup final!


ETA -- And because it's so far back in the thread, here's once again EBS under Gardiner blowing everyone out of the water in the Nozze overture!

 

[Waltraute]

Kurt Moll singing Wie schön ist doch die Musik from Strauss' Die schweigsame Frau --


Stefan Zweig's text and an off-the-cuff translation by yours truly (German Caftards, please correct me (if you can be arsed)! ) --

Spoiler

Wie schön ist doch die Musik –
aber wie schön erst, wenn sie vorbei ist.

Wie wunderbar ist doch eine junge, schweigsame Frau –
aber wie wunderbar erst, wenn sie die Frau eines andern bleibt.

Wie schön ist doch das Leben –
aber wie schön erst, wenn man kein Narr ist und es zu leben weiß.

Ach, meine Guten, großartig habt ihr mich kuriert
noch nie hab ich so glücklich mich gefühlt!

Ach, ich fühle mich unbeschreilich wohl.

Nur Ruhe.

-- Stefan Zweig


The music is indeed beautiful --
but how wonderful it is when it ends.

A young, demure woman is indeed wonderful --
but how good it is when she becomes another man's wife.

Life is indeed marvellous --
but how great it is when one is no man's fool, and knows how to live it.

Ah, my dear people, you've cured me -- splendidly!
I've never felt this happy before!

Ah, I'm feeling undescribably content.

Only peace.

 

[holyland red]

Enough with these old men. Time to inject some life into this thread

 

[Waltraute]

Enough with these old men.

Never! Eat my (or rather Reizen's) Dosifey!


Trying to be a bit serious for a moment, Chiara Massini is indeed brilliant. Cheers for posting!
I love this recording:

Chiara Massini, Bach -- Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus XIV --

 

[SteveJ]

 

[Waltraute]

Cheers, Steve!

Now -- The Classical Music Thread Confessional!
Cheese which we secretly love!

I'll start us off with Gwyneth Jones' '91 Proms Rule Britannia --

 

[SteveJ]

I must have transfer muppet mania on the brain - I thought the lady above was Miss Piggy for a second, Walt.