Classical Music Fans-What are you listening to/studying

#1

OrangeTsar

Alabama delenda est
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#1
I know there are at least a few fans of klassische Musik here in Volnation so I thought I would start a thread to see what people are listening to or recommending.
I have been on a Sibelius kick for a while starting with Symphony No 7 and then Number 5. Currently working on Number 2.
Also have been working through Bach’s B minor Mass of late as well. That is a MASSIVE work but is so enjoyable.
What have the rest of you folks got on your turntable? (to use a dated phrase) 😂
 
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#5
#5
I’ve listened to classical (and jazz, and rock, and blues) pretty much all my life, mostly French, English, and Russian composers. I’ve pecked at it on the piano*, but now I find myself coming at it from the vocal end, with four choral concerts in three weeks. I have completely fallen in love with the very young American composer Jake Runestad, whose incredibly difficult arrangements are gorgeous shimmering walls of sound. His “American Triptych” is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, musically or otherwise, and it’s breaking my brain, but I’m gonna get it! —Hope so, as we perform it June 10 and 12! 🤪

* “Pecking at it on the piano” for Rachmaninoff generally means chugging along until turning to page 3 😲 and then saying, ok well, that was fun.

Second movement from American Triptych, with a screencap of the end after it moves to six sharps, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - at least the tempo only changes once at this point, and it’s simpler than most of the composition. It is a musical setting of a poem of the same name by Wendell Berry.

1653931060160.jpeg

As performed by professional chorus Conspirare:
 
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#6
#6
I’ve listened to classical (and jazz, and rock, and blues) pretty much all my life, mostly French, English, and Russian composers. I’ve pecked at it on the piano*, but now I find myself coming at it from the vocal end, with four choral concerts in three weeks. I have completely fallen in love with the very young American composer Jake Runestad, whose incredibly difficult arrangements are gorgeous shimmering walls of sound. His “American Triptych” is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, musically or otherwise, and it’s breaking my brain, but I’m gonna get it! —Hope so, as we perform it June 10 and 12! 🤪

* “Pecking at it on the piano” for Rachmaninoff generally means chugging along until turning to page 3 😲 and then saying, ok well, that was fun.

Second movement from American Triptych, with a screencap of the end after it moves to six sharps, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - at least the tempo only changes once at this point, and it’s simpler than most of the composition. It is a musical setting of a poem of the same name by Wendell Berry.

View attachment 459779

As performed by professional chorus Conspirare:

For choral music, I am currently awestruck by Bach’s Mass in b minor. The opening Kyrie is so beautiful it hurts to listen to
 
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#7
#7
For choral music, I am currently awestruck by Bach’s Mass in b minor. The opening Kyrie is so beautiful it hurts to listen to
It’s on my bucket list! The first concert I sang in this month included the Faure Requiem, equally beautiful in a very different way, and then Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, which starts out all massive and intimidating and finishes in basically a German drinking song (our conductor called it “the beer stein section.”) 😆 🍺🍺🍺

We’re doing the choral finale to Beethoven’s 9th (basis of the hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee this Saturday, which also moves into beer stein-ness at the end. Which we will need afterwards. 🍻
 
#8
#8
It’s on my bucket list! The first concert I sang in this month included the Fahereure Requiem, equally beautiful in a very different way, and then Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, which starts out all massive and intimidating and finishes in basically a German drinking song (our conductor called it “the beer stein section.”) 😆 🍺🍺🍺

We’re doing the choral finale to Beethoven’s 9th (basis of the hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee this Saturday, which also moves into beer stein-ness at the end. Which we will need afterwards. 🍻
In Asheville? Where?
 
#9
#9
In Asheville? Where?
Several of us from ASC were helping out the Carolina Concert Choir for the Faure+Beethoven (+Brahms) concert, which was in Brevard.

My home chorus (ASC) is doing the Beethoven Ninth chorale thingy with ASO this Saturday at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville.

The Runestad (along with three Justorum Animae’s and three traditional American hymns) will be sung by Asheville Symphony Chamber Chorus at AVL First Pres on the 10th and Highland NC First Pres on the 12th. I’m filling in for an alto who can’t make it, and I hope to one day be good enough to audition and be a full member, before I’m too old and decrepit (I’m 67, so this is not tongue-in-cheek…)
 
#10
#10
Several of us from ASC were helping out the Carolina Concert Choir for the Faure+Beethoven (+Brahms) concert, which was in Brevard.

My home chorus (ASC) is doing the Beethoven Ninth chorale thingy with ASO this Saturday at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville.

The Runestad (along with three Justorum Animae’s and three traditional American hymns) will be sung by Asheville Symphony Chamber Chorus at AVL First Pres on the 10th and Highland NC First Pres on the 12th. I’m filling in for an alto who can’t make it, and I hope to one day be good enough to audition and be a full member, before I’m too old and decrepit (I’m 67, so this is not tongue-in-cheek…)
Sister and her husband live in Weaverville, formerly Brevard. There is plenty to do in the area. We were there this weekend, and wish we could live there instead of Nashville.
I need to look for similar music in our neck of the woods.
You're still a baby. We're 71, 70, 70, and 68. But, yeah life goes by faster ever year now, and your abilities diminish notably.
 
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#11
#11
Several of us from ASC were helping out the Carolina Concert Choir for the Faure+Beethoven (+Brahms) concert, which was in Brevard.

My home chorus (ASC) is doing the Beethoven Ninth chorale thingy with ASO this Saturday at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville.

The Runestad (along with three Justorum Animae’s and three traditional American hymns) will be sung by Asheville Symphony Chamber Chorus at AVL First Pres on the 10th and Highland NC First Pres on the 12th. I’m filling in for an alto who can’t make it, and I hope to one day be good enough to audition and be a full member, before I’m too old and decrepit (I’m 67, so this is not tongue-in-cheek…)
What voice part do you sing? (Oh, just saw it, Alto) 😃
Good luck!!!! And have fun!
What I the Brahms work? I always thought the German Requiem would be a blast to sing. The movement „All Flesh is as grass“ is one of the Most awesome Choral pieces I Have ever heard
 
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#12
#12
What voice part do you sing? (Oh, just saw it, Alto) 😃
Good luck!!!! And have fun!
What I the Brahms work? I always thought the German Requiem would be a blast to sing. The movement „All Flesh is as grass“ is one of the Most awesome Choral pieces I Have ever heard

The Brahms was a piano concerto, I guess, no vocals. We just sat there, looked interested, and possibly gave one last look at the Beethoven. 🤪 Intermezzo in E-flat Major, Op. 117, No.1

I love singing Brahms! We sang a number of his choral pieces (non-sacred) when I was in UT Concert Choir eons ago. Fun to schmaltz them up!

Fun fact: the director of the Brevard Philharmonic is James Fellenbaum, who is also (=day job) Director of Orchestras at UT and the Resident Conductor of KSO. Small world! Very nice, funny guy, a joy to work with, at least as a chorister.
 
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