Let the Games Begin: The Classical Music Draft, Part I

[scottinkc]

I haven’t picked a Beethoven symphony yet – and every good draft should have one ;)

I'd better get going then, or there won't be any left.


Cello Concerto in B Minor by Dvorak.

I love the Czech Bohemian music.

Great choice. My favorite cello piece in the repertoire.

I knew a guy in college whose only dream was to play this piece. He practiced for hours a day for four years just on this piece. Near the end of his senior year he played it with the local symphony orchestra. And I had a paper due or something and missed it. But having heard every note several times, I know he did a fantastic job.

[Iceblink]

For my fourth round pick, I choose one of my earliest exposures to classical music... a piece that will appeal to any child and even have him/her humming the melodies for years. It's also a great introduction to symphonic instruments, with each character being represented by different ones.

I choose Prokofiev's simple - but memorable - story, Peter and the Wolf.

Whether it's narrated by Alec Guinness, David Bowie, John Gielgud, or the one I think I heard first, Boris Karloff; it's a lot of fun.

Sure, it's one of those Stalinized Prokofiev pieces mentioned earlier, but drafting it has reminded me that my 3 1/2 year old son is probably getting to the point where he'd be old enough to appreciate it.

[Panfilo]

"Nessun Dorma" aria from Turandot opera- Giacomo Puccini.


One of the most beautiful songs ever written for an opera.

Pavarotti version is Godly.

[Norsk Troll]

"Nessun Dorma" aria from Turandot opera- Giacomo Puccini.


One of the most beautiful songs ever written for an opera.

Pavarotti version is Godly.Of course, I was going to take the whole bloody opera eventually ...

By the way ... now THIS is the sort of pacing that's good to see in a draft

[Michael K.]

Have to run for a while, so I'll pick and give some comment later.

Albinioni - Adagio in G Minor

[Karl K]

For my 4th pick in the The Classical Music Draft, I pick Anton Dvořák"s Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" (Op. 95), popularly known as the New World Symphony.

This symphony has special meaning for me because it was the very first piece of classical music I both was exposed to and actually studied, in a music appreciation class in high school in 10th grade. We spent two weeks looking at the score, listening to it, and dissecting it, looking for the use of all the "American" tunes that weave throughout.

This experience forever changed my understanding of music; it was perhaps the only time in high school I thought "wow, this is something that is really amazing."

All classical composers did "sampling" (Chopin used a bunch of Polish folk tunes) but this was the first piece of classical music that sampled American tunes.

By the way, for those who watch South Park, a short segment of the first movment is used as recurring musical backdrop when the characters are horrified by something.

There is a free version of it from the Columbia University orchestra, here.

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cuo/audio.html

[Norsk Troll]

For my 4th pick in the The Classical Music Draft, I pick Anton Dvořák"s Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" (Op. 95), popularly known as the New World Symphony.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Karl K again.

It was either that or the Peer Gynt this round - guess I wasn't destined to get them both. (losing that and Turandot both this round - ouch!)

[DoctorD]

For my 4th pick in the The Classical Music Draft, I pick Anton Dvořák"s Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" (Op. 95), popularly known as the New World Symphony.
Now you've pissed off Ghost. I'm sure he had a still from Sibyl he wanted to use.

[YankHibee]

For my fourth pick, I choose:

Copland- Old American Songs

A wide variety of songs, from the spiritual (Zion's walls is my favorite), to the traditional (Simple gifts, All the little horses), to work songs (Ching-a ring chaw), to the rediculous (I bought me a cat). Copland utilized a lot of modern tones, while still retaining a traditional feel. They are not difficult to sing, the piano/orchestra always supports the voice, which is not something you find in a lot of 20th century vocal pieces.

My recording recommendation is that you avoid the overly-affected stylings of Thomas Hampson. The best recording is Williard White, for whom these songs were written, I believe. He has a very straight-forward approach, but it is quite effective and moving.

I once heard Chanticleer perform some of these in Greensboro. Amazing.

[sardus_pater]

My fourth pick is

Gioacchino Rossini - Ouverture to William Tell

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Rossini1.jpg/145px-Rossini1.jpg

A compact mix of great musical themes.

And the best parts IMO are the sweet magical start (the sunrise) and the horn solo. A gem.

[NGV]

For my fourth pick, I take Franz Schubert's "Trout" Quintet (Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667).

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ridley/images/trout.jpg

The quintet draws its name from a song (also very nice) that provides the theme for one of its movements. While last round's Schubert selection is one of the bleakest pieces ever written, the "Trout" Quintet is exactly the opposite - the first few bars are enough to drive away most bad moods, and it gets better from there. Schubert was probably the greatest melodist of the nineteenth century - maybe of any century - and in this piece he was inspired from beginning to end.

[Sachsen]

My fourth pick is

Gioacchino Rossini - Ouverture to William Tell

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/28/Loneranger.jpg/250px-Loneranger.jpg

A compact mix of great musical themes.

And the best parts IMO are the sweet magical start (the sunrise) and the horn solo. A gem.

FYP. :D

[Sachsen]

Way to go on the picks!

By the way, those of you picking selections or overtures from operas... you may want to just go ahead and pick the entire opera to preempt someone else's pick, and then explain why you picked the opera, highlighting your favorite part. In fact, on the Big Board, I'm going to go ahead and do just that.

Big Board will be updated tonight after I get home from work.

[Sachsen]

For my fourth pick, I choose:

Copland- Old American Songs

A wide variety of songs, from the spiritual (Zion's walls is my favorite), to the traditional (Simple gifts, All the little horses), to work songs (Ching-a ring chaw), to the rediculous (I bought me a cat). Copland utilized a lot of modern tones, while still retaining a traditional feel. They are not difficult to sing, the piano/orchestra always supports the voice, which is not something you find in a lot of 20th century vocal pieces.

My recording recommendation is that you avoid the overly-affected stylings of Thomas Hampson. The best recording is Williard White, for whom these songs were written, I believe. He has a very straight-forward approach, but it is quite effective and moving.

Willard White!

GREAT baritone/bass. Stars in another of my picks which I hope no-one steals from me...

[sardus_pater]

Way to go on the picks!

By the way, those of you picking selections or overtures from operas... you may want to just go ahead and pick the entire opera to preempt someone else's pick, and then explain why you picked the opera, highlighting your favorite part. In fact, on the Big Board, I'm going to go ahead and do just that.

Big Board will be updated tonight after I get home from work.

Well actually, if I had to choose an opera by Rossini, I wouldn't have chosen William Tell... ;)
I hope this is not giving away possible others pick...

The ouverture to William Tell has gained its own life as a symphonic piece. And i chose it that way.
BTW do as you prefer.
Put William Tell with a strong highlight in the impressive ouverture.

[sardus_pater]

FYP. :D

That's disrespect! The piece is much more than just the well known galop. :D

[Norsk Troll]

That's disrespect! The piece is much more than just the well known galop. :DAnd the entire opera is much more than just the well known overture. :mad:

Edit: though as you say above (I hadn't reat that yet), it isn't his best opera.

[Iceblink]

Gioacchino Rossini - Ouverture to William Tell


Would have taken this one later...

Earlier in the year, when he had just turned three, my cute little sonnyboy...

He used to call this the "Show and Tell Overture."

[scottinkc]

I once heard Chanticleer perform some of these in Greensboro. Amazing.

The library has a recording of the Mormon Tabernacle, but I've not listened to it. I've never heard the songs done in chorus.

Willard White!

GREAT baritone/bass. Stars in another of my picks which I hope no-one steals from me...

Hmmm. Does he now?

(looks thru the Willard White catalog to find other pieces just on the off chance he might piss off Sachsen)


Well actually, if I had to choose an opera by Rossini, I wouldn't have chosen William Tell... ;)
I hope this is not giving away possible others pick...

The ouverture to William Tell has gained its own life as a symphonic piece. And i chose it that way.
BTW do as you prefer.
Put William Tell with a strong highlight in the impressive ouverture.

The overtures to Rossini's operas have nothing to do with the operas themselves anyway.

And the entire opera is much more than just the well known overture.

I wouldn't say MUCH more. Slightly more is probably appropriate. :)

[Ghost]

My fourth pick:

http://perso.orange.fr/nietzsche_a_la_lettre/images/per_wagner_richard_00.jpg

Richard Wagner - Das Rheingold

Rock on.