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

[Sachsen]

Great pick Norsk.

Super writing. The Scherzo opens with a great, propulsive statement that I think is just knock-out stuff. Williams is one of my favorites. Great command of the instrument we know as the 'orchestra.'

The scherzo? :confused: The fantasia is a one-movement work. Unless you're referring to some theme within the fantasia?

And it's Vaughan Williams, double last name ;)

[Sachsen]

Like Panfilo said, I need a Russian in my draft. Definitely not choosing Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev or Stravinsky, though -- they've been picked over pretty good. So instead, I will go with possibly my all-time favorite tone poem:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Steppe_of_western_Kazakhstan_in_the_early_spring.jpg/350px-Steppe_of_western_Kazakhstan_in_the_early_spring.jpg

In the Steppes of Central Asia by Alexander Borodin

Love this work - love the interplay between the Easterners and the Russians, love the feeling of wide-open space the score conveys, love the thrilling climax. I can listen to this one over and over.

Sachsen's concert:
1. G. Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
2. W.A. Mozart, Die Zauberflöte
3. J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier
4. L.v. Beethoven, Symphony No. 6
5. Hildegard v. Bingen, Symphonia armonie celestium revelationem
6. G. Holst, The Planets Suite
7. A. Borodin, In the Steppes of Central Asia

[DoctorD]

At the end, how about we "program" our picks into a hopefully compelling order?

Sachsen, you or Huss can sell these classical draft lists to public radio stations for fund drive programming!

[Sachsen]

At the end, how about we "program" our picks into a hopefully compelling order?

Sachsen, you or Huss can sell these classical draft lists to public radio stations for fund drive programming!

Heh - "sell" them? Isn't it usually us giving them money instead of the other way around? ;)

[NGV]

For my 7th Round Selection:

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

by Ralph Vaughan Williams

UNBELIEVABLE!

I mean, excellent choice. Well, back to the drawing board for round 7...

This piece may not be well known, but it should be. Though similar in style and mood, I think it's better than ******'s ******, but that one is more famous through use in movies.

I agree - I like it a lot better than the ******. I don't see them as all that similar, though.

[NGV]

The hymn tune that Vaughan Williams used for the theme, "Why fum’th in fight," is also very worthwhile, by the way - as is Thomas Tallis' music in general.

[Norsk Troll]

With all the love VW's Fantasia is getting, I'm sure glad I didn't wait longer to pick it.

[sardus_pater]

My seventh pick is

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli for 6 voices

http://image.allmusic.com/00/acg/pic200/drz000%5Cz000%5Cz00085f152s.jpg

Much probably the towering figure of renaissance music, very infuential with his contrapunctual "style", both at his time and after, and a great "spiritual" listen with his well builded gentle and beautiful choral works.

[NGV]

For my 7th pick, I take W.A. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, K. 622.

http://www.dsart.com/images/clarinet.jpg

This is another "greatest hits" piece that's totally deserving of its fame. I sometimes find Mozart's instrumental music to be a little formulaic and uninteresting, but when he's on his game there's nobody better. In this piece he's on fire, turning out one unforgettable tune after another, and combining them into a seamless whole with brilliance and sensitivity. The Clarinet Concerto was the last instrumental piece that Mozart wrote - and also the best one.

[Panfilo]

Symphony No. 40 - Mozart

I had to make sure that it was not yet taken

And it wasn't

:eek:

I consider this a steal. 7th round!!!!!!

Alright then, arguably his most famous work.

1st movement is my favorite Mozart piece. It just resonates classical music. What is weird to me is that I find the piece light hearted while most people find it dark. :confused:

[Ghost]

fifth round:

http://www.mozart-christl.at/images/mozart2.jpg

W. A. Mozart, The Magic Flute

[Norsk Troll]

fifth round:

W. A. Mozart, The Magic FluteSorry, Ghost - someone grabbed that earlier on.

[Haole]

The scherzo? :confused: The fantasia is a one-movement work. Unless you're referring to some theme within the fantasia?

And it's Vaughan Williams, double last name ;)

Good catch, thank you.

I'm totally confused now.

My 'Scherzo' is 7:11 in length and is listed in my WMP collection as 'London Symphony, Sir Adrian Boult, "Fanatasia...Tallis".

I'm plowing through some Vaughn Williams sites to try and find the album or figure out where this movement comes from.....it's a new discovery for me then. I had been listening to 'Tallis' for only a few years and, now discover I have lumped 'Tallis' and something else together. Egads.

[Haole]

Symphony No. 40 - Mozart

I had to make sure that it was not yet taken

And it wasn't

:eek:

I consider this a steal. 7th round!!!!!!

Alright then, arguably his most famous work.

1st movement is my favorite Mozart piece. It just resonates classical music. What is weird to me is that I find the piece light hearted while most people find it dark. :confused:


You swooped in at the right time Panfilo. I had this ready last nite and switched. That it has lasted this long is a surprise to me. A true highlight of any music, any where, any time. The brightest of jewels.

I don't understand the 'dark' descriptions I've seen as well. The entire piece is a lift for me.

[Haole]

My seventh pick:


'The Polovetsian Dances' (1869), Borodin


One stupendous piece of music from Borodin's ***** ****** **** that is as 'Russian' and popular a repertoire piece there is. Guaranteed to give you the chills when the sopranos start ringing out. Vibrant, sensual and timeless.

Borodin the man I find one of the more interesting and talented amateur composers in music history.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Borodin-Bust.jpg/200px-Borodin-Bust.jpg

[DoctorD]

My seventh pick:


'The Polovetsian Dances' (1869), Borodin


"Did you know this famous piece of music is actually the 'Polovetsian Dance number 2'?"

[Sachsen]

Sorry, Ghost - someone grabbed that earlier on.

That would be me, 2nd round

*strut*

[Sachsen]

Good catch, thank you.

I'm totally confused now.

My 'Scherzo' is 7:11 in length and is listed in my WMP collection as 'London Symphony, Sir Adrian Boult, "Fanatasia...Tallis".

I'm plowing through some Vaughn Williams sites to try and find the album or figure out where this movement comes from.....it's a new discovery for me then. I had been listening to 'Tallis' for only a few years and, now discover I have lumped 'Tallis' and something else together. Egads.

You've been listening to the Scherzo from an unpicked work which shall go unmentioned - but it's on this album, which also includes the Tallis Fantasia:

http://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-Williams-Symphony-Fantasia-Tallis/dp/B000002S2O

And at $8, that CD is an absolute steal :eek:

[Sachsen]

The Big Board has been updated through round 7.

Pending picks:
Michael K.'s 5th, 6th, and 7th
YankHibee's 5th, 6th, and 7th
Ghost's 5th, 6th, and 7th
Karl K's 6th and 7th
GringoTex's 6th and 7th
Sbry's 6th and 7th

(At least there are ten of us keeping up!) :)

Round 8 will begin on 9/25/06, at 9:31pm Vladivostok time.

[YankHibee]

I'll be catching myself up soon. I'm at work right now (******** ******** ********) and I have a hearing first thing in the morning.