Hmm well most of you seem to like Tchaikovsky, and I agree :p He's definitely one of my favorites. 1812 overture is brilliant, powerful, you name it.. one of my favorite classical pieces!

I also like Gustav Holst, although noone seems to have mentioned him yet :p His planets are great.

Also, Franz Liszt is a genius, a virtuoso.. his piano songs are pure orgasm (namely Hungarian Rhapsody #5, which I'll never EVER be able to play :p )

There's also Strauss and his variouis waltzes that makes me go crazy.

There are many more, just a tentative list :p

So who here thinks Mozart is overrated?

[QUOTE=DonMancini]
So who here thinks Mozart is overrated?[/QUOTE]
Well, he did write symphonies at the age you were learning to write :p

I like his stuff well enough, but he's not the best imo.

Mozart is great.

Something people here should check out is Georges Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody, it's [i]badas[size=2]s[/size].[/i]

[QUOTE=DonMancini]So who here thinks Mozart is overrated?[/QUOTE]

not me

And this thread reminds me that I need to find a classical music radio station for my car. (I have no CD player in it)

[QUOTE=DonMancini]Hmm well most of you seem to like Tchaikovsky, and I agree :p He's definitely one of my favorites. 1812 overture is brilliant, powerful, you name it.. one of my favorite classical pieces![/QUOTE]
Indeed, I agree. My favourite Tchaikovsky works, though, are his equally (or perhaps even more) famous Piano Concerto in Bb minor, and his Violin Concerto in D. I saw the Violin Concerto performed (by a 20 year old) in a small theatre where I was right up close and could see everything... it was breathtaking...

[QUOTE=DonMancini]I also like Gustav Holst, although noone seems to have mentioned him yet :p His planets are great.[/QUOTE]
I've not heard any of his stuff, so I'll keep my ear pealed for him.

[QUOTE=DonMancini] Franz Liszt is a genius, a virtuoso.. his piano songs are pure orgasm (namely Hungarian Rhapsody #5, which I'll never EVER be able to play :p )[/QUOTE]
Liszt was a genius, and is still considered by some as perhaps the greatest pianist of all time. Personally, I'm not as big a fan of some of his compositions as of some other composers, but certainly he was a great composer as well. Liebestraum is one of my favourite pieces.

I've not heard Hungarian Rhapsody No. 5 before, but it is an AMusA level piece here in Australia, meaning it would probably be hard but still playable. Do you mean it or No. 2, in C# minor? No. 2 is the famous one that goes for more than 10 minutes and is impossibly hard for any normal human being to play.

[QUOTE=DonMancini]There's also Strauss and his variouis waltzes that makes me go crazy.[/QUOTE]
Strauss is fantastic as well!

[QUOTE=DonMancini]So who here thinks Mozart is overrated?[/QUOTE]
Mozart is anything but over-rated. He epitomised the term "genius". By the age of 10 he'd written three or so symphonies and an opera. He once went to a concert, and the score of one of the pieces performed (I'm not sure if it were a symphony or what) was not being released (for some reason). So, Mozart remembered it and wrote it down, entirely, when he got home. It is said he would carry on conversations while writing music. He wrote over 200 hours of music and lived only until his mid-30s. Mozart, Beethoven, and J. S. Bach are seen as the "Big Three" in classical music, and rightly so. All three though had different aspects to their genius, and neither Beethoven nor Bach had all the aspects that Mozart had.

I can understand how someone might not like his stuff - it's all got a particular, "Mozarty" style about it which is very light, easy-listening, background type music. It might not always bring the same emotions out for some people who tend to like the more Romantic-era type composers like Tchaikovsky and Strauss and Liszt and so on. Mozart was one who churned out music as quickly as possible, unlike Beethoven, who wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote until it was perfect, so perhaps Mozart might seem to be a bit "samey" after a while. All this I can understand, and when I was learning my third Mozart Sonata within a year or so I would have readily agreed. Now, though, I see Mozart as a pure, unparalleled genius who never was and never will be matched, and who wrote some of the most beautiful music in history.

I don't like Mozart.

Don't hate him, just don't like him.

This is why.

[quote]"it's all got a particular, "Mozarty" style about it which is very light, easy-listening, background type music. It might not always bring the same emotions out for some people who tend to like the more Romantic-era type composers like Tchaikovsky and Strauss and Liszt and so on. Mozart was one who churned out music as quickly as possible, unlike Beethoven, who wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote until it was perfect, so perhaps Mozart might seem to be a bit "samey" after a while."[/quote]

Fun fact: Beethoven heard his 5th symphony in a dream, and wrote down what he remembered. He said his dream version was much grander and better though :p

(source: Humanities teacher)

And I'm not too crazy about mozart for the reasons you said PianoDan, although I don't deny his exceptional gift and talent.

(PS: I want a steinway :()

[QUOTE=DonMancini]Fun fact: Beethoven heard his 5th symphony in a dream, and wrote down what he remembered. He said his dream version was much grander and better though :p[/QUOTE]
Wow. I'd never heard that before.

[QUOTE=DonMancini]And I'm not too crazy about mozart for the reasons you said PianoDan, although I don't deny his exceptional gift and talent.[/QUOTE]
And fair enough, he's not to everyone's taste.

[QUOTE=DonMancini](PS: I want a steinway :()[/QUOTE]
Me too.:(

Hello.

I prefer Baroque music, composers like Robert De Visee and Johann Sebastien Bach. I love the lute music that was written by those composers.

At the moment, however, I am listening to the andante con moto part of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

[QUOTE=ThePianoSonata]Hello.

I prefer Baroque music, composers like Robert De Visee and Johann Sebastien Bach. I love the lute music that was written by those composers.[/QUOTE]
Hello. I love Baroque music as well. I've never actually heard of De Visee... what is he like? I'm not sure that I'm such a fan of lute music, and I usually steer clear of much harpsichord and organ music, but I love orchestral Baroque works such as Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and Handel's Fireworks and Water Music Suites.

[QUOTE=ThePianoSonata]At the moment, however, I am listening to the andante con moto part of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.[/QUOTE]
Terrific. :thumb:

I play predominantly baroque on violin. I've started working on some Handel, and my current impression is that I much much prefer Vivaldi. :P I also saw Pinchas Zukerman playing Lark Ascending Thursday. :)

Who wrote the miracle symphony again? Was it Handel? It's bugging me, I can't remember.

It was called that because at the end of the symphony the entire crowd moved forwards towards the stage because they loved it so much, and as they did so the giant chandelier fell on the seats where they were sitting only moments earlier.

Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 96 in D major is the "Miracle". (I didn't know that, I looked up "Miracle Symphony" in a Yahoo! search.)

[QUOTE=PianoDan]Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 96 in D major is the "Miracle". (I didn't know that, I looked up "Miracle Symphony" in a Yahoo! search.)[/QUOTE]
Ahh thank you, it's been itching me :p

I have a really great recording of Franz Liszt's "Consolation N.3," and it's beautiful, but it's the only piece of his I have. Does anyone have any recommendations for particular recordings or at least compositions? I'd really like to delve into his work.

[QUOTE=PianoDan]Hello. I love Baroque music as well. I've never actually heard of De Visee... what is he like? I'm not sure that I'm such a fan of lute music, and I usually steer clear of much harpsichord and organ music, but I love orchestral Baroque works such as Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and Handel's Fireworks and Water Music Suites.[/Quote]

Well, the only music I've heard composed by Robert De Visee is written for the lute. I don't exactly know what you mean when you ask what he is like. I tabbed out his Minuet in D on Powertab, and there are some other pieces on there too. The one I am currently trying to master on guitar is his Bouree from his Lute Suite in D minor. Yes, I also love Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and Handel's Fireworks and Water Music Suites. In fact, I was listening to some movements of each just yesterday!

[quote]Terrific. :thumb:[/QUOTE]

It was. See, I am a little new to the world of Classical music (and, when I say Classical, I mean Baroque, Romantic, etc. as well). Although I have listened to it everyday, and play it on guitar, I had not sat down and listened to a whole CD of mine that had Classical music until yesterday.

I listened to "Bach's Greatest Hits" and Beethoven's 5th and 7th Symphonies. It was quite good!

I picked up a compilation of Bernstein Mahler Symphonies including 8, 9, and 10 from my library today on CD, looking forward to checking that out. Apparently, the 9th was written very close to his death (although, HOW close could it be if there was a 10th? :confused: ), and it is supposed to represent the stages of life or something like that. Sounds cool. :)

Anyways, what type of compositions do you guys prefer? Sonatas, Symphonies, Operas, Conciertos, etc? So far, Symphonies have struck me the most...I really like the dramatic and emotional impact that you get from an all out orchestral arrangement, but I also like the fact that symphonies tend to be a bit more...compact, maybe? Compared to, say, Operas. Operas are certainly dramatic, but the problem for me is that they're also so story driven, which makes them difficult to follow when you're just listening to a CD and the lyrics are in another language.

IMO well designed choir/operatic singing is some of the most emotional stuff you'll ever hear, but I prefer it to be within more of a musical context, such as a symphonic arrangement, than a lyrical/story context as in an opera.

Favorite style of composition... hmm, probably the Fugue. Or a Bouree.

[QUOTE=Det_Nosnip]I picked up a compilation of Bernstein Mahler Symphonies including 8, 9, and 10 from my library today on CD, looking forward to checking that out. Apparently, the 9th was written very close to his death (although, HOW close could it be if there was a 10th? :confused: ), and it is supposed to represent the stages of life or something like that. Sounds cool. :)[/QUOTE]
I have a friend singing in the Melbourne Chorale, which is doing, with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Mahler 3. I'll listen to it on ABC radio. Other than that I've only heard his 5th symphony, as it's the only one I've got. I'm not the biggest fan but I haven't heard it too much. Maybe I need to listen to it a bit more.

[QUOTE=Det_Nosnip]Anyways, what type of compositions do you guys prefer? Sonatas, Symphonies, Operas, Conciertos, etc? So far, Symphonies have struck me the most...I really like the dramatic and emotional impact that you get from an all out orchestral arrangement, but I also like the fact that symphonies tend to be a bit more...compact, maybe? Compared to, say, Operas. Operas are certainly dramatic, but the problem for me is that they're also so story driven, which makes them difficult to follow when you're just listening to a CD and the lyrics are in another language. [/QUOTE]
Ditto about the Operas. I actually went to see an Operetta, which was sung in English and was highly enjoyable. I liked it. The voice can grate on me a bit but I love the music, usually, and if I can follow the story then it's really good.

My favourite type of composition, if I had to choose only one, would have to be the Concerto. As much as I love Symphonies, Piano Sonatas, and so on, I love Concertos (I think the plural of concerto is concerti, but anyway). The way the solo instrument interacts with the orchestra, yet both have equally important parts (or at least, that's the case in most of the classical and later concerti). My main love is for the piano, so Piano Concertos are naturally my favourite type of Concerto. So much brilliant, beautiful piano music, yet backed up by such wonderful orchestral stuff as well... just magnificent. I love certain Violin Concertos and other Concertos as well. I guess it's for the virtuosic solo playing.

My favourite Concertos.... are hard to pick. Impossible to pick. If I had to single one out it would probably be Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in Bb minor... possibly because I saw it performed live and it was something else... but to list all my other favourite Concertos would take a long time.

Same goes for Symphonies, there are just too many good ones to choose from. I guess Beethoven's 6th, Mozart's 40th, and Mendelssohn's 4th "Italian" would definitely be three of my most favourites. Does anyone else have a particular favourite Symphony/Concerto/Etc. that they can choose above most others for any reason?

Well, I couldn't exactly tell you all the reasons why I like it, but my favorite Symphony is Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major.

His Symphony No. 5 in C Minor falls a little flat during the 2nd movement, but No. 7 keeps me engaged throughout.

I almost agree with you. I don't find the 5th falls flat, but I agree mostly about the 7th. I was lucky enough to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra do this live last year in my home town, and have loved it ever since. The second Allegretto movement is perhaps one of my very favourite single movements from any symphony by any composer, certainly among the slower, middle movements. It's almost enough by itself to make the 7th my favourite Beethoven Symphony. I do find though the third movement tends to let me down a bit. I don't dislike it, it just seems a little dull compared to the first two, which are amazing.

Last couple of days, I've been listening to Tchaikovsky's 4th and 6th (Pathetique) Symphonies in F minor and B minor. I had never been into Tchaikovsky's symphonies so much, but have always loved his Ballets and Piano and Violin Concertos. I for some reason remembered not having liked his symphonies, but I don't know why, because I've loved them the last couple of days. Next week I'll be listening to these two and the 5th.

My friend is having her first performance with the Melbourne Chorale tonight, who together with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are performing Mahler's 3rd Symphony. Unfortunately I remember not being too fussed over Mahler either from what I've heard, but maybe when I listen on the radio tonight I'll enjoy it.

Does anybody know the best Orchestra in the world? People say the San Fran? i think it's an interesting topic.

[QUOTE=appreciate_it]Does anybody know the best Orchestra in the world? People say the San Fran? i think it's an interesting topic.[/QUOTE]
I hear people talk about London, Chicago, and Berlin a lot. I really don't know. I like the Melbourne cos I live near it and it comes to Echuca.

People always tell me that I have a quite strange taste of music. When I listen to music, it´s mainly metal. But I do play the violin, piano and the guitar, so it´s quite varied.

My favourite thing to play is Telemann and Mozart. Telemanns fantasies are great things to play fo a solo-violin. When I´m in the symphony orchestra I like Mozart (number 29 A-major) and Haydn.

I do write some as well, so in the future I might put something up in the Audio Arena.

[url]http://www.lysator.liu.se/~tuben/scores/[/url]
This site is made by a Swedish man named Johan Tufvesson that puts up classical notes on the internet. Very nice work by some of the biggest composers.

[QUOTE=Grateful Dead]It was a piece written solely for the Pope's ears, I believe. Mozart was present in some capacity, performing with the choir I think, and after he'd left wrote the entire piece down.[/QUOTE]
Well there you go. I'd never heard that. Interesting.

[QUOTE=dahlgren]People always tell me that I have a quite strange taste of music. When I listen to music, it´s mainly metal. But I do play the violin, piano and the guitar, so it´s quite varied.

My favourite thing to play is Telemann and Mozart. Telemanns fantasies are great things to play fo a solo-violin. When I´m in the symphony orchestra I like Mozart (number 29 A-major) and Haydn.

I do write some as well, so in the future I might put something up in the Audio Arena.

[url]http://www.lysator.liu.se/~tuben/scores/[/url]
This site is made by a Swedish man named Johan Tufvesson that puts up classical notes on the internet. Very nice work by some of the biggest composers.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the site. :thumb:

How much piano do you play? Is violin your primary instrument? I love Mozart and I quite like Telemann as well. I don't think I have Mozart's 29th Symphony in A. I'll check. No, I don't have that one.

Currently I'm listening to Symphony No. 4 in F minor by Tchaikovsky. It's quite good. Very good in fact. It's very romantic, very emotional and powerful.

I just got Holst's The Planets, as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Not quite as good as I'd been led to believe, but still pretty good.

[QUOTE=Iai]I just got Holst's The Planets, as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Not quite as good as I'd been led to believe, but still pretty good.[/QUOTE]
Holst is someone I've heard none of. I must keep my eye out for him, especially the Planets that I've heard so much about.

Someone whose name I haven't seen mentioned yet in discussions of classical music is Cesar Franck, the Belgian born 19th century (1822-1890) composer, pianist, and organist. Apparently Franz Liszt compared his organ improvisation to J.S. Bach.

I just listened to his "Symphonic Variations" for piano and orchestra. It was very interesting, as is his Symphony in D minor - a very romantic symphony, but very good.

Though not a massive fan of the organ, I also quite enjoyed his "Piece Heroique" for organ.

This CD I have of his is as much as I know about him, but I quite like him.