The “Adagio for Strings” was written by American composer Samuel Barber when he was in his 20s. With a tense melodic line and taut harmonies, the composition is considered by many to be the most popular of all 20th-century orchestral works.
Played at the funerals of John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Princess Di, Princess Grace, and Rainier III Prince of Monaco; it has also moved millions – in the movies Platoon and Elephant Man.
BUT … what did Barber himself say?!
Apparently Barber found inspiration for the music from a description of a small stream growing in size to a full flowing river.
Some comments: “You never are in any doubt about what this piece is about, says music historian Barbara Heyman, “There’s a kind of sadness and poetry about it … It has a melodic gesture that reaches an arch, like a big sigh… and then exhales and fades off into nothingness.”(Indeed, the BBC’s Radio 4 listeners, ever fond of league tables and otherwise pointless rankings, voted it the “saddest classical work ever”)
“It’s so well known now that I suppose it’s a whisker away from becoming a musical cliché. But still a beautiful work” (Unknown source)
It’s Yours – Dear listener! Then why do I get stuck on my favourites? Or those whom I consider “THE Greatest”?
It’s not fair!
I’ve addressed my prujudice regarding Debussy and Ravel (next post below) and then, right away… comes a request for Faure!
I checked and only had 2 pieces by Faure. He’s a highly regarded Composer, yet I’ve never ‘investigated’ him. With hundreds and thousands of Chopins, Mozarts, Beethovens, Listzts, Rachmaninoffs, Bachs, Handels and so on and so forth; my ears have been captivated. Yet … WHY should I decide you don’t get to hear Faure?
A Classical buff in California sent me his recommendations of Faure … and so here are a few WITHOUT my prejudicial comments!
Nocturne Op. 104 in F sharp minor / Molto Moderato
A request to include Debussy and Ravel on this site led me to some soul searching. Why had I dismissed them both as composers whose music – for the most part – I didn’t like? How did I know I didn’t “like” them? – if I only had two single pieces by Debusssy and NOTHING by Ravel. I had gone shopping for more Debussy in the past, but was never moved to buy anything more. All I knew by Ravel was Bolero. Everything further I listened to was a turn off.
(* Ravel on Bolero: He described it as trivial … “A piece for orchestra without music” !!!)
As I expanded my search I noticed that they were often included on the same albums; indicating an ‘affinity’ / connection. They were both referred to as “Impressionist Music” (a term that Debussy didn’t like)
So what did I find to break down my prejudices? (or re-inforce them in the case of Aoua!)
MY SINCERE APOLOGIES to lovers of Debussy and Ravel for this superficial and narrow view of their work.
First to Debussy : Claire de Lune. This was one of the only two pieces I had by Debussy. We all love this one don’t we?!
clair-de-lune
Here was the other one I had in my library at the time of the request. Gamboling about those hills that are Alive with the Sound of music.
Reverie for oboe and orchestra
Is this a partially succesfull attempt to pull at our heart strings?
Debussy Valse Romantique
Now here’s Ravel: This piece almost broke my Ravel prejudice. Why almost? Because it sounds to me like a Rachmaninoff wannabe! They were exact contemporaries, and to my ear it’s Rachmaninoff on a bad day.
Pavane pour une infante defunte
And I like this piece too … BUT – Ravel mentions St. Saens and Satie as influences and it sounds like he placed one cup of St. Saens and one and a half cups of Satie in a blender and just blended them up.
Piano concerto in G major / adagio assai
YUK! If I wanted to be seduced into a suicidal state, or clinical depression; or encouraged to pull my hair out … I would turn to Yoko Ono, or contemporary cutting edge heavy death-metal.
Great compositions sure to move the heart. But I’m a little reluctant to include them in the “Perfect Music” section! (*See Perfect Music on the right hand alphabetical panel*)
Cavalleria Rusticana – intermezzo by Pietro Mascagni
Shostakovich waltz from Jazz suite. Used in the movie “Eyes Wide Shut” with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman
Shostakovich Waltz from Jazz Suite
And here is an absolutely delightful version by Andre Rieu.
Shostakovich Russian Waltz by Rieu
Bachs “Master and Commander”
Bach cello suite 1 bwv 1007
From Elgar’s enigma variations, op. 36 Nimrod
Now here is Schubert for Jess! Schubert’s 8th Symphony second movement (see comments)
But that’s not what it was written for. To be “liked”! This came from the heart of Existential Despair. A man who had Joseph Stalin watching him, breathing down his neck. It was hit or miss whether Stalin decided to put a ‘hit’ out on poor miserable Shostakovich!
Shosta had to perform a constant balancing act between expressing would could not be expressed in the Soviet Police State of the times (opposition to the inhumanity, and killings of millions) … and what he could get away with in his music. The Eight Symphony – here’s the first movement – proved too much for Stalin and led to his music being banned. A ban lifted some years later.
And another piece that doesn’t “appeal” to me much! (Symphony 10 second movement)
My brother claims I never asked him what our mother’s favourite was! (*see comments on the piece above) But I think I did ask him and my subconscious played a trick on me – because I like the movement from the violin concerto much more than this. Anyway there’s plenty of music to enjoy here in the three movements. It was the last piece that Brahms wrote for orchestra… and really was My Mommy’s Favourite!
Brahms Double Concerto for violin and cello. First, second and third movements.
So … you’re marooned on a desert island (but happen to have a solar powered CD player) and you have to pick one Classical composer’s work. A no-brainer right?! Gotta’ be Mozart. Extent of repertoire, ease of listening and that sense of “company” his music engenders.
You have to smile, titter, giggle or laugh out loud; as you try to follow wherever the hell Liszt is leading us to with this piece! An auditory tickling. Absolutely extraordinary. (see My Comment #2 )
Watch on utube a modern piano master and listen to another version below.
Sorry for the oversight David. Now, thanks to you, this site is no longer Strauss-less! Here are a couple from Father and Son! I can almost see you and Chris waltzing across the living room.
Number three in the series. Perfect Music means … well – perfect music. (see on the right [Categories] for the full series. Click on Number 1 for the story about “Perfect Music”)
Chopin Piano Concerto number one: Second movement Romance Larghetto. First watch this superb pianists Yundi Li work his magic. Inferior sound compared to the blue arrow recording – but to see and feel the emotion is worth a drop in fidelity!
When I began my ‘classical quest’ I focused almost entirely on the Romantic period. Apart from Bach I had no interest in Baroque. I thought of Baroque as just wimpy flutes and recorders, or irritatingly tinkly harpsichords. No emotional punch and power like the Romantics. My brother showed me the error of my ways! A few winners.
Handel concerto grosso op. 3 no. 2 in B flat major / Largo
Domenico Zipoli – Elevazione for oboe and cello. A special name! A special piece.
Elevazione for oboe and cello
Arcangelo Corelli. Concerto grosso in G minor op. 6 no. 8 / Adagio
Mendelssohn’s Op 030 no. 1 in E flat major / Andante Expressivo From his series Lieder Ohne Worte (songs without words) Which exalted emotion is expressed here? Joy? Contemplation of Nature? What? A great recommendation of Mendelssohn is that Hitler banned his work.
Songs without Words Op- 030 No- 1 In E Flat Major – Andante Espressivo
Hijacked by car ads, Hollywood tearjerkers and Muzac/elevator music; they remain eternally and universally appealing!
Rachmaninoff – Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini. Heaps of these versions on a “theme by Paganini” by a number of Interperters and Composers. I like this particular one by Rachmaninoff /Performed by John Barry from “Somewhere in Time” – The movie.
rhapsody-on-a-theme-by-paganini
What can you say?! Puccini’s O Mio Bambino Caro (from the movie A room with a view)
o-mio-babbino-caro
Not sure if this is the best version (by the St. Louis Symphony) – But it’s good enough!
About 9 months ago I went crazy over Handel. I didn’t know his music much at that point, but rapidly accumulated a few hundred downloads, burned 3 or 4 CD’s to play in my truck and did a bit of reading about his life.
At some point I started thinking, ‘Gosh – he might be as great as Bach.’ They were born in the same year (1685) and Handel lived 9 years longer – D. 1759. Writing this blog entry I was going to Google, “Handel and Bach who is the greatest?” You’re bound to be able to follow your nose through cyberspace and find lots of scholarly comparisons. But that takes all the fun out of it! So I decided to pass this Post onto someone who must be a Handel freak (because he uses the name Handel on a music forum I access now and again.) Probably the best Classical Music forum.
Hopefully in the next few days you’ll see a Comment regarding who is the ‘greatest’ (“Handel” from the Forum responding) YES! Handel submitted a comment. (*see it above) Meanwhile here are a few pieces I like. There are two other posts that contain pieces by Handel – click on the link for Handel at the right.
This first piece: Trio sonata for 2 violins & continuo in G minor, Op. 2/8, HWV 393 (doubtful): Largo What you hear here! is a version adapted for oboe.
