Joe: And I suppose all those drivers are on their way to picnics where they'll drink white wine too, huh?
Of course they had "hits," but because of the time difference they've sort of evolved classics, and for me it sounds weird putting one of the masters of music in the same category as artists on the Billboard top 100, thats all.
______________________ Don't worry, I tend to make a big deal out of everything. Keep on keeping on.
I have no doubt they were hits in their time I was just pointing out the fact that it sounds weird. Mozart and Beethoven were ver much "pop music" at one time.
They are the original boy bands... cept only one boy and they wrote their own stuff.
________________________________ When the son of the diposed King of Nigeria emails you DIRECTLY asking for help, you help.
But back on topic, I LOVE Bach. Joey, it's funny, I have the 'greatest hits' CD too. So, my favorites are the first 10 tracks. :-) I love the famous organ piece (don't recall the name, but it's the one that was in Fantasia), and I am really into choral music as well, so I have a duo CD with a couple of his masses, as well as a CD with the four 'symphonies' - not symphonies, but I'm having a brain fart so I can't even remember what they're called. Gar.
When I was in jr. high/high school I was pretty good at the piano, and Bach was a favorite of mine for playing - he had lots of complex melodies, and he'd interweave more than one melody at the same time. Hard to play, and very methodical and complex. I found Mozart boring to play ...he was like the complete opposite. Mozart had really schmaltzy (albeit beautiful) melodies, and was so 'predictable', whereas you never really knew where Bach was going to go with the melody.
Posts: 1549 | Location: ...now in the burbs of MSP, Minnesota | Registered: 14 July 2004
Bach is awesome! Although Beethoven is my favorite as far as classical music goes, J.S. Bach certainly ranks way up there. Currently, I've got Andrés Segovia's interpretations of Bach on constant rotation on my CD player. I know there might be skeptics of a guitar interpretation of Bach's music but believe me, this stuff will give you goose bumps when you listen to it!
"I may be lost, but I'm making good time!"
Posts: 146 | Location: Massachusetts, USA | Registered: 21 September 2004
The punters all say that Liszt was the first 'rock star'. People travelled for miles to see him; he had a huge following amongst women who gasped adoringly as the pianos he played fell to bits on stage, and , before he became religious, he had numerous affairs. Alas, most of Liszt is just flashy virtuosity, in my opinion. He's better when he's being spiritual as in 'the Years of Pilgrimage.' Brahms, Bach and Schumann are far better composers, and no I'm not Brahms and Liszt while I write this. (Brahms and Liszt is Cockney rhyming slang for pissed, i.e. drunk, for you Americans)
Posts: 334 | Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia | Registered: 09 July 2004
I heard that Beethoven broke so many piano strings during concerts that he sometimes employed an assistant to sit by the piano and disentangle them while he was playing!
J.S. Bach recommendation: the Chaconne from the solo violin partita in D minor. Just an incredible piece of music...
Posts: 7 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 08 August 2003
Originally posted by makrotantalo: Alas, most of Liszt is just flashy virtuosity, in my opinion. He's better when he's being spiritual as in 'the Years of Pilgrimage.'
Hmm..I *sort of* agree on many of Liszt's piano compositions, as many of them were designed more as technical studies, and are technically very difficult. Flashy, perhaps.
I wouldn't say the same thing about many of his orchestral works, though. Of course..it's just my opinion!
Posts: 1549 | Location: ...now in the burbs of MSP, Minnesota | Registered: 14 July 2004
Yes, I meant his piano stuff, not his orchestral, where he was pushing the boundaires of classical music at the time. But most people associate Liszt with the piano.
Posts: 334 | Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia | Registered: 09 July 2004
We did Liszt's oratorio "Christus" with our big choir and orchestra a week ago. Not easy to sing, but an amzing experience. The kind of music that lifts your feet off the grond and makes you see and feel the holy spirit flying round the chandelier... Choir-singing can be kind of a drug, but a healthy one.
Posts: 218 | Location: Karlsruhe/Germany | Registered: 06 May 2005
(Didn't realize they were considered "hits")
They are the original boy bands... cept only one boy and they wrote their own stuff.
