Topic Subject: | Classical Music |
posted 05 August 2011 05:11 PM EDT (US) I've been into a lot of more classical music recently, and am interested in what (if any) classical music you guys are into. I'm massively into the works of Ludovico Einaudi at the moment: This is beautiful, inspiring music. I listen to this and his other works almost daily. It relaxes me. You? And when he gets to heaven, To saint peter he will tell- One more soldier reporting sir, I've served my time in hell. Lol, that was funny. Lost Knight is my favorite bro in AoEIIIH - Eurotool | |
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posted 05 August 2011 06:58 PM EDT (US) 1 / 35 that is actually quite good. I am into traditional music, but not into classical at all This is Scruff we are talking about. I can't think of anything I don't see Scruff doing just for the hell of it. - Agrippa 271 The cake was made by Scruffy and it was.. a rude shape. - Liam monkey in a suit on a cycle - Scenter102 describing Scruffy |
posted 06 August 2011 00:13 AM EDT (US) 2 / 35 I clicked on the title thinking I'm going to see music like Tchaikovsky, or Vivaldi, or someone like those. But that wasn't bad. I'm more into Bach myself though. 'You see, this is what happens when you don't follow instructions, GKA..' -Edorix Guild of the Skalds, Order of the Silver Quill, Apprentice Storyteller Battle of Ilipa, 206BC - XI TWH Egil Skallagrimson Award The word dyslexia was invented by Nazis to piss off kids with dyslexia. |
posted 06 August 2011 03:07 PM EDT (US) 3 / 35 Classical music has been part of my life (along with popular stuff) ever since my father played his 78-RPM recordings on our Zenith console phonograph when I was a child. I have no idea if I have a predisposition to it or whether the exposure triggered the interest. I have it to this day. As a college student I announced in and managed the student classical music station which broadcast all over Los Angeles. What a library! All vinyl of course then. I have a lot of CD's but haven't bought any in a long while. My radio is tuned to the two classical music FM stations I can receive where I live, one from Los Angeles and one from Mexico. I find I am not 'composer fixated.' I tend to be 'era fixated.' I like most everything up to early 20th Century. When classical music begins to fail the melody test, I tune out. When it is made up mostly of thematic fragments in a flat key, I look for the other station. If the music sounds like an instrument-learning classroom exercise, I am 'gone in 60 seconds.' Because melody was king, my favorite eras are the Late Classical and Romance periods, with the downward leg of the normal distribution curve beginning in the late Romance period, sometimes called the Impressionist period after the artwork of the time. Today, the most interesting new 'classical' music I hear tends to come from the neo-classicists who compose scores for movies: Williams, Horner, etc. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives |
posted 06 August 2011 05:34 PM EDT (US) 4 / 35 I like listening to it, but don't actually own anything or know any names. |
posted 06 August 2011 06:38 PM EDT (US) 5 / 35 Dvorak, Grieg, Wagner, Borodin, Verdi, Puccini, Tchaikovsky. More, of course but those are some of my favourites. I don't listen to classical music all that often, but when I do, it is rarely modern composers, and mostly these late 19th century fellows. Could not claim to be any kind of expert on any of their works, however. I simply dabble. |
posted 06 August 2011 06:42 PM EDT (US) 6 / 35 No doubt Einaudi is influenced by classical form, but his music is not in that form. He may even be what is commonly called 'New Age' classicism in which a simple, catchy melody is played on a single instrument with thinly orchestreated background harmony, the melody being often repeated, with slight variations, upon the key instrument throughout the piece. The lack of complexity, while appealing to the ear and certainly listenable, differentiates Einaudi from true classicists. Here's another example of New Age classicism played on a single instrument. In this piece it's a piano. The pianist/composer is George Winston. For a clear picture of the complexity involved in creating under the classical form, including incorporation of a thematic melody, substantial variations in restating the thematic melody, and distinctly blended harmonic and contrasting orchestration of a huge array of instruments, listen to Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral' in particular. He is most noted for having incorporated the French horn into symphonic works, for his elaborate melodies, and for taking advantage of the piano forte upon which to both compose his music, arrange it and perform it. Incorporation of the piano forte gave great depth to the classical music form. Beethoven was a transitional composer at one time considered the father of the Romance Period but now more typically considered the last great composer of the Classical Period of which Haydn and Mozart were also its giants, to name just two others. Franz Shubert, who in his short life built upon Beethoven's example, is argued by some to be an even greater symphonist than Beethoven. His Unfinished Symphony (which some believe was in fact deliberately finished as an uncharacteristic two-movement symphony) is an example of even more complex symphonic design. Now at the end of these last few steps in this stroll in the land of classics, I offer this scenic stop. Ravel wrote BOLERO not specifically as a concert piece but as an orchestral exercise. It is essentially two simple melodic passages being repeated in sonata form, and with each repeat of the two-part melody additional pieces of the orchestra are added until the entire orchestra performs the entire short sonata as if a single instrument. Think of it as intended to be a finger exercise for an entire orchestra. Performed in concert, its popularity became legendary. Andre Rieu and his Orchestra is a showcase orchestra which doesn't perform classical music true to its origin. However, for purposes of illustration, his live performance of Ravel's BOLERO is impressive. You purists out there will have to put up with it, sorry. I assure you my music collection has a purist rendition. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-06-2011 @ 07:23 PM).] |
posted 07 August 2011 06:48 AM EDT (US) 7 / 35 I can't claim to be an expert, or even have a good degree of knowledge when it comes to classical music. I do have a few CDs of it, however. Rachmaninov, Elgar, Tchaikovsky (with the 1812 including digitally-recorded real cannons, which will blow out speakers if played too loud *nods*), some Beethoven, Saint Saens (Carnival of the Animals, of course), and Holst. It's fair to say I basically have just the more popularly-known works. I also have a 3-CD set which is crammed full of 3-5 minute excerpts. If we're going to stretch definitions, I have some Gilbert & Sullivan too. edit - so having had a look, I seem to have more than I recalled at first. I also have the Fantasia CD (highly recommended for all) Carl Orff's O Fortuna, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and a collection of Handel. 'Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the Hotel Magnifique at Cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French.' - P.G. Wodehouse, The Luck of the Bodkins [This message has been edited by Pitt (edited 08-07-2011 @ 09:07 AM).] Far Cry 4 - Hidden in the towering Himalayas lies Kyrat, a country steeped in tradition and violence. You are Ajay Ghale. Traveling to Kyrat to fulfill your mother’s dying wish, you find yourself caught up in a civil war to overthrow the oppressive regime of dictator Pagan Min. Explore and navigate this vast open world, where danger and unpredictability lurk around every corner. Got questions about Far Cry 4? Come and discuss them on the official game forum. Talk about the game's achievements and set up Gaming Sessions to earn them. Far Cry 4 forum. Join our community and participate in a collection of forum threads, questions, answers, and other discussions about Far Cry 4. Got questions about Far Cry 4 (Xbox 360)? Come and discuss them on the official game forum. Talk about the game's achievements and set up Gaming Sessions to earn them. Far cry 4 game. In order to create threads, posts, and interact with the Ubisoft forums you need to have a Ubisoft account with a verified email address. Verifying your email address also improves the security of your Ubisoft account, helps us provide you better support, and ensures you don't miss out on exclusive content, newsletters, and other special offers. |
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posted 07 August 2011 11:40 AM EDT (US) 8 / 35 Pitt: If you like Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture with its sound effects, a comparable though not quite as good a piece of music was written by Beethoven for purely commercial reasons. It absolutely is not Beethoven at his best. Nonetheless, it is quite listenable, even a 'bit of jolly fun' as one reviewer in YouTube said. It is titled WELLINGTON'S VICTORY. Search YouTube using those two keywords and you'll find a good version of it there for you to preview. I have it in my library, complete with real musket and field cannon fire, not the simulated kind used in concert halls. Gilbert and Sullivan is operetta, but fits. Just like Strauss waltzes were that era's 'popular dance music' and are now considered classical music. Johann Strauss Jr.'s Kaiserwalzer (The Emperor Waltz) is my favorite amongst all of the walzes he composed. Most waltzes of the era had introductions intended to allow dancers to seek out their next partner on their dance card and align themselves on the dance floor. The following video is not much to look at but showcases a good performance of the waltz. When in Vienna I had the opportunity to attend a concert in the same concert hall in which Johann Strauss Jr. gave his performances over a century ago. His music, of course, figured prominently in the concert. I will admit to a strong preference for overtures as concert pieces. They're relatively short, often lively and packed with melody. An overture though presented first in a production (to give latecomers by custom a chance to be seated-afterward they were not seated until the first intermission) was usually the last piece of music to be written. And this made much sense, since music composed for operas was undefined until the entire score was finished. Then excerpts from the score were compiled into the overture. Rossini was notorious for leaving his overture to the last minute. It is said on one occasion Rossini was writing his overture, throwing the sheets of music out of a window as he finished them for a runner to catch and take to the opera house for the production which was due to start minutes later. He finished it while the orchestra was performing the overture's beginning. The only similar incident of this kind I ever read about was coincidentally for the premiere showing of Disney's FANTASIA. Much debate ensued about whether to include the final segment, Schubert's AVE MARIA, in the film. Finally, it was decided to include it. However, the animation/production crew ran into major difficulties and had to work round the clock to finish that last segment for the premiere. As the story goes, the Disney production crew rushed the film to the premiere theater and spliced it into the final reel of the movie while the movie's earlier reels were being projected for the premiere crowd. A very close thing. As it turned out, the part they spliced in contained FANTASIA's hallmark, which was the longest continuous animated zoom ever put on film. It was created by 'multi-plane' animation, a Disney invention. The following video is of the Overture to THE BRONZE HORSE by Auber. The opera is never performed these days, but the overture lives on with its musical interpretation of all of a horse's gaits. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-07-2011 @ 11:55 AM).] |
Hannibal the Conqueror Infantry (id: HannibalBarcaXXI) | posted 07 August 2011 01:07 PM EDT (US) 9 / 35 I do like listening to it, but don't know names and stuff. On the other hand, I'm a huge fan of Metal. Bands like System of A Down are just awesome. - Cormac McCarthy, The Sunset Limited. 'We are a species that ravages, plunders, kills, destroys, rapes and enslaves in the name of progress.' |
posted 13 August 2011 04:27 PM EDT (US) 10 / 35 I'm more into recent music rather than beethoven, holst etc. I am also into the music of john barry: Great stuff. And when he gets to heaven, To saint peter he will tell- One more soldier reporting sir, I've served my time in hell. Lol, that was funny. Lost Knight is my favorite bro in AoEIIIH - Eurotool |
posted 13 August 2011 05:30 PM EDT (US) 11 / 35 A very relaxing piece. Wikipedia does list Barry as a movie composer which most full orchestra music composed now seems to be. |
posted 13 August 2011 05:57 PM EDT (US) 12 / 35 Yeah he composed the music to the movie Dances With Wolves, i believe. And when he gets to heaven, To saint peter he will tell- One more soldier reporting sir, I've served my time in hell. Lol, that was funny. Lost Knight is my favorite bro in AoEIIIH - Eurotool |
posted 13 August 2011 07:14 PM EDT (US) 13 / 35 That sounds nice. I like your new Gravatar by the way. |
posted 14 August 2011 04:35 PM EDT (US) 14 / 35 I like your new Gravatar by the wayToo kind And when he gets to heaven, To saint peter he will tell- One more soldier reporting sir, I've served my time in hell. Lol, that was funny. Lost Knight is my favorite bro in AoEIIIH - Eurotool |
posted 15 August 2011 09:35 AM EDT (US) 15 / 35 Tchalkivoy's 1812 Overture, anyone? Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowdwer, treason and plot, I see no reason, wWhy gunpowder treason, should be forgot. And yes, Lost Knight, I concur. Nothing like a bit of cheese - Me Mors Lator = Zoto888. In case I've ever mentioned that name. My Gravatar is a response to Punic Hoplite's |
posted 15 August 2011 01:39 PM EDT (US) 16 / 35 Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: 1812 Festival Overture This recording was made on 35MM magnetic tape in the late 1950's when vinyl recording studios strived to reach their peak of perfection prior to digital recording/analog conversion (DAA) to vinyl taking precedence. This preceded the change to 8-bit sampling compact discs (DDD) in the 1980's. The reason the YouTube contributor emphasized 'Mercury Living Presence' is because the MLP series of classical recordings included some of the finest renditions of classical music you could buy at the time. My family owned a number of these recordings, of which one was this masterful performance and reproduction of the 1812 Festival Overture and a recording of Offenbach's Gaite Parisienne backed with Johann Strauss Jr.'s Graduation Ball on Side B. The featured orchestra in the latter two pieces was the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Dorati, a very fine orchestra then and now, and one of the label's featured organizations. Eventually I hunted down and found the CD re-issues of these Mercury recordings and they are just as magnificent on CD as they were on vinyl, minus the vinyl pop, clicks and hiss. This confirms the high quality of the original recordings and the sound engineering that went into those efforts. Unfortunately, the YouTube upload is not quite as crisp as my CD's, but gets fairly close. Check out the Offenbach and Strauss piece on YouTube. BTW, the 1812 Festival Overture is not an overture in the pure sense. It is more of a short symphonic piece like Dukas's Sorceror's Apprentice or like a short suite. It gained the attached term 'overture' more for its similarity in running time to an overture and its particular use on the occasion of its debut. From Wikipedia: Antal Doráti and Erich Kunzel are the first conductors to have encouraged exact fidelity of the shots to the written score in live performances, beginning in New York and Connecticut as part of Dorati's recording, and Kunzel in Cincinnati in 1967 with assistance from J. Paul Barnett, of South Bend, Indiana.[19] Of recorded versions of these performances, Dorati's recording for Mercury Records is the more faithful performance. Dorati uses an actual carillon called for in the score and the bells are rung about as close to a zvon then known. The art of zvon ringing was almost lost due to the Russian Revolution, when many of the bells were destroyed.[20] The Dorati recording also uses actual period French cannon from the 1812 period, which belonged to the United States Military Academy at West Point.[19]Trivia: Deems Taylor is the 'Master of Ceremonies' seen on Disney's FANTASIA animated film. If you have download trouble with the following links, do a search for another version. Both musical pieces should be played crisply and quickly. If the music sounds slow and elegant, the orchestra is being conducted by an idiot, such as an admirer of Herbert VonKarajan after the Berlin Philharmonic conductor became senile. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-15-2011 @ 02:06 PM).] |
posted 16 August 2011 03:28 AM EDT (US) 17 / 35 @Civis, Wellington's Victory is rather a pastiche of other pieces isn't it? It strikes me that it would be a wonderful movie theme. (Or perhaps something like a Warner Brothers/Bugs Bunny musical..) The musketry effects are nicely done. It sounds like good fun. Is this the same one you previewed? 'Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the Hotel Magnifique at Cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French.' - P.G. Wodehouse, The Luck of the Bodkins [This message has been edited by Pitt (edited 08-16-2011 @ 03:31 AM).] |
posted 16 August 2011 03:05 PM EDT (US) 18 / 35 Yes, Pitt, that's one of the videos I previewed. It's one of the best in the lot. Yes again, it is a pastiche of various pieces, just like the 1812 Festival Overture is a pastiche of French martial music and the then Russian National Anthem. Wellington's Victory was composed for blatant commercial reasons by a Beethoven in need of some coin of the realm. It was a novelty showpiece which positioned two orchestras left and right of a newly invented mechanical device which played the theme and made sound effects. Hard core classicists consider it the worst piece of music Beethoven ever composed. Considering the genius of his other works, that appraisal is probably true. Nonetheless, it is quite listenable, and because of Beethoven's genius, his worst work is superior to most of the rest of the composers' at work in his day. If you are becoming a fan of Beethoven, may I suggest to you Pitt that you give a listen to these symphonies which I submit are the very best written by Beethoven: No. 5 (Contains the famous 'V' for Victory theme borrowed during WWII) No. 6 'Pastoral' No. 7 'Dance' No. 3 'Eroica' or Hero - originally composed to honor Napoleon, who Beethoven initially admired until Nappy did his 'emperor' thing and turned Beethoven off. No. 9 'Choral' Do not listen to Herbert VonKarajon/Berlin Symphony interpretations released after 1965. They destroy the life in these great symphonies as Herbie decided they should be interpreted with plodding slowness and elegance as opposed to the vivacious rendition Beethoven contemplated. One other note of trivia: Beethoven was almost stone-deaf when he composed Symphony No. 9. He had his piano's legs sawed off so he could lie on his back, his ear physically pressed to the piano's harp's underside, so he could hear the notes. He played the keyboard backwards, sight unseen from under the piano, his legs sticking out where his piano bench should have been. Try that sometime, ay? When the Symphony was debuted a legend has it he was behind the orchestra in his score while conducting and he was suprised to see the orchestra stop playing and begin to applaud him. He turned around and saw the audience on its feet doing the same. In reality, he was in attendance not conducting, deaf as a rock in the front row, and didn't know the performance was completed until he saw the orchestra cease physically playing. He then turned around and saw the audience standing and giving him an almost unending ovation. For a very nice biopic of Beethoven's life, I recommend you find and view a copy of the film Immortal Beloved produced in 1994. It stars Gary Oldman in the title role, and while not perfectlyaccurate, it is far and away a more accurate portrayal of the man than usually presented. Oh, and while I'm at it Pitt, since you seem to like lively, martial music, let me suggest these two: Franz VonSuppe: 'Light Cavalry' Overture Georges Bizet: 'La Patrie' Overture (The Patriot) The former is a clasical war horse piece. The latter is much more obscure and doesn't get the attention it deserves. Not the best version of this I've heard (a bit plodding) but there was little to pick from in YouTube. Another note as your comment about Bugs Bunny et al triggered it. The animated films of the 1930's, 40's and early 50's heavily relied upon classical music for their scores. Disney Silly Symphonies is a great example of classical music adapted to animation films. You tube is loaded with them. Of course, you know about Fantasia. It was, frankly, a whole series of 'silly symphonies' made into a feature length film. If you ever get access to it, Warner Bros. produced the definitive animated spoofs of opera. The two finest send-ups were Looney Tunes with Bugs Bunny and others in these two titles: 'Barber of Seville' and 'What's Opera, Doc?' with the latter being considered the ultimate satire. These two are good enough to amuse not just children, but even we sophisticated adults. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-16-2011 @ 03:46 PM).] |
posted 17 August 2011 10:16 AM EDT (US) 19 / 35 If you are becoming a fan of Beethoven, may I suggest to you Pitt that you give a listen to these symphonies which I submit are the very best written by Beethoven:I have the fifth and sixth symphonies on CD. They were recorded by Lorin Maazel and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1958 and 1960 respectively. 'Eroica' I've heard, but don't currently own. There was also a BBC (I think) TV drama production called 'Eroica', focusing on its first performance at the estate of one of Beethoven's patrons, which I accidentally discovered and watched. As I recall, they played the whole thing. They even included (though anachronistically) an incident where Beethoven's student interrupted the musicians when he thought an instrument had come in at the wrong time, only to be soundly rebuked by a Beethoven who didn't appreciate the reaction to his musical novelty. When it comes to No. 9, naturally I'm familiar with the Ode to Joy part, but can't recall the rest. I'm also quite fond of the 'Emperor' Piano Concerto No. 5. One other note of trivia: Beethoven was almost stone-deaf when he composed Symphony No. 9. He had his piano's legs sawed off so he could lie on his back, his ear physically pressed to the piano's harp's underside, so he could hear the notes. He played the keyboard backwards, sight unseen from under the piano, his legs sticking out where his piano bench should have been. Try that sometime, ay?I can't play any instrument even at the best of times, so I might give that invitation a miss.. Another note as your comment about Bugs Bunny et al triggered it..I have 'Barber of Seville' as part of a Best of Bugs Bunny DVD collection, which I only recently acquired. The shorts used to be played on TV after school, but for some reason they stopped doing that years and years ago. It was nice to become reacquainted with Bugs, especially discovering how much more to them there is than I was aware of as a child. I haven't come across 'What's Opera, Doc?' anywhere, unfortunately. However, I'm reasonably certain I have seen it. The Symphony Orchestra in my city every now and then puts on performances with the Warner Brothers' musical cartoons broadcast on a screen behind them. 'Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the Hotel Magnifique at Cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French.' - P.G. Wodehouse, The Luck of the Bodkins |
posted 17 August 2011 01:51 PM EDT (US) 20 / 35 I actually considered suggesting that composition, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with recommendations. I've seen that happen to people developing an interest in classical music and it's usually well-intentioned but unproductive. You seemed to like full orchestra symphonic pieces and so I channeled those recommendations to you first. Unless I see evidence a listener tolerates piano (I am a symphonic orchestral piece fan and less of a piano fan, except when the instrument is part of an enjoyable concerto) or other showcased instruments, I usually won't recommend concertos, quartets, trios, duos or sonatas to a growing fan of classical music. I can't play any instrument even at the best of times, so I might give that invitation a miss..Alas, I as well would have to pass if I were given the invitation. Because I produced and announced classical music shows for a time on FM radio, I felt comfortable claiming my players as my instruments. It offered some minimal comfort. I haven't come across 'What's Opera, Doc?' anywhere, unfortunately. However, I'm reasonably certain I have seen it.What's Opera, Doc? is a hilarious spoof of Wagnerian opera featuring incredibly funny-looking stylistic horses and Elmer Fudd seeking to 'Kill the wabbit..Kill the wabbit' to the melody from Ride of the Valkyries. Barber of Seville, IIRC, features Bugs seeking to retaliate for being disturbed in his hole below the opera house, by totally disrupting a tenor's rendition of the famous aria from Rossini's opera. Another great cartoon from Warner Bros. features Bugs playing Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. This time it's Bugs who is the victim of a disrupter. Unfortunately, I don't recall the cartoon's title. Below is an excellent orchestral rendition of Liszt's composition which was composed to be a solo piano piece for the composer to play when in recital. It will start at a slow pace before getting to 'the good part.' Please do give the entire piece a listen. MGM's Tom and Jerry was featured in a cartoon using the same music. This time the two are engaged in a tandem recital and trying to compete with each other in their inimitable way as they did in the GOOD T&J cartoons. Just like you, I later came to recognize the adult-level humor embedded in these classic cartoons. As a child, the physical antics tended to hold my attenton. Only later did the subtle satirical humor, as found in the best of the Simpsons or Rocky, The Flying Squirrel, began to catch my attention. Feel free, Pitt and anyone else, to contact me directly on 'classical music.' We who appreciate classical music are a rare breed, which I hope doesn't mean we're heading towards extinction. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-17-2011 @ 02:14 PM).] |
posted 18 August 2011 01:24 PM EDT (US) 21 / 35 Civis, like you, I was raised with classical music and therefore appreciate listening to it. My preference is overtures rather than complete symphonies. I think those of us, and not to date us, that were born in 40's and 50's have a much better appreciation for classical as rock and roll and other genre had not evolved in popularity yet. The Big Band era was still going strong. But by listening to classical I have an appreciation for all music..well maybe not so much for rap and current so-called artists. IMO, most households don't listen to classical music and it has become a personal preference. Most symphonic music now comes in the form of movie soundtracks. Kids and young adults can't conceive of the process it took composers to take each individual musical instrament and blend them into one cohesive piece of work without the use of modern equipment to mix tracks. [This message has been edited by Micah Aragorn (edited 08-18-2011 @ 01:25 PM).] |
posted 19 August 2011 02:10 PM EDT (US) 22 / 35 I don't think I'd go as far as to make that generalization that those of us 'born in the 40's and 50's have a much better appreciation for classical.' It's a matter of susceptibility, exposure, peer influence, education and certain intellectual predispositions. Let me elaborate: Susceptibility: What music we hear regularly in our earliest years forms the basis for what we will like when we mature. If given a diet of mixed types of music, the probability we will tolerate or prefer many of those musical types is enhanced. If hearing nothing but a steady flow of 'pop' music, our appreciation for classical will be undeveloped until a conscious effort to listen to it is undertaken, a rather rare pursuit for a mature adult. Many of the WWII generation had difficulty accepting Elvis Presley and rockabilly artists (the root for white rock and roll music as black rhythm and blues was the root for Presley and other early rock artists) because all of their lives they heard mostly recordings of music with pop vocalists backed up by orchestras, ala Paul Whiteman, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Combo music was a foreign sound to their ears. The music of big bands, BTW, was often derived from principles of composition for classical music as was classic jazz and swing. Benny Goodman was a classically-trained clarinet player before becoming a big band leader. At the peak of his popularity, Goodman performed a classical clarinet concerto in Carnegie Hall forever dispelling rumors of his limitations as a player of the instrument. The following classically structured jazz/swing combination piece is performed by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra. Later artists like Bill Haley and the Comets who had adopted the electric guitar, partially electrifying their combo, or Buddy Holly who partially electrified his combo too, appealed to the youth, not necessarily to the adult generations of their day. Exposure: Our cultural preferences in music are set by our surroundings. The popular music of Austria (and Europe) in the late 19th Century was the waltz, polka and quadrille. Songs sung by vocalists then were arias from operas or popular pieces composed in operatic style we call 'art songs' today. Women of 'good families' were expected to be able to competently sing 'art songs' and so were trained in 'finishing schools' to achieve that ability. The very wealthy had private performing groups who were supplied music by sponsored composers or contract composers. These groups were expected to perform on request in the 'chambers' of the wealthy for their private entertainment or for themselves and guests. Thus, the music composed for this purpose-quartets, trios, duos and sonatas-came to be called 'chamber music.' Other than traditional music contributed by peasant folk artists for country-side entertainment, you can see the importance of orchestras big and small and the influence they wielded. Big band music persisted in the US on a popular basis well into the 1950's in dance halls and nightclubs before the cost of these ensembles performing live became too prohibitive. Their place was usurped by less expensive combos. The phonograph recording, radio and live performances maintained a symbiotic relationship with live performance bands. All interworked with each other to stimulate all three. The increasing exposure of combo performers via radio, along with other factors, pushed youth away from orchestras to combo performers. Did you hear the organ in the combo take the harmonic place of the majority of the instruments in an orchestra, especially its strings and woodwinds? If not, watch the video again, please. The above has its roots deeply embedded in classical form. Peer influence: What can I say about this more than has already been said before. Youth want to feel socially accepted and 'kewl' and thus the pressure to conform to the crowd's preferences is intense during the formative years of adsolescence. Classical music isn't 'kewl' and frequently derided by 'the in-crowd' because the in-crowd and its adherents set the social standards. Since classical music doesn't naturally appeal to the majority, the majority defining what's kewl will omit classical music except to pay it lip service in music appreciation class to get the grade. Education: Music is increasingly being subtracted from mainstream education as being unaffordable. It's more important to educators and administrators to fund new and replacement oft-obsoleted computers, shrink maximum class size, and obtain pay raises at the expense of dismissing the few music teachers from their systems. This doesn't affect drama teachers, because schools are filled with wannabe drama queens and kings, but few who have the talent to play a musical instrument. Also, fewer and fewer students in K-12 are being exposed anymore to classical music even if a music program survives. Intellectual predisposition: Those who listen appreciatively to or perform classical music on traditional instruments have been found to have higher than average ability in mathematics, science and logical thinking. The current thinking is that because classical music is comprised of highly complex mathematical progressions translated into sound, those with an affinity for mentally processing such things are more receptive to classical music. This is not meant to demean those who find classical music unappealing since many factors as noted above influence its acceptance or appreciation. Those who don't find classical music appealing certainly include geniuses with their own well above average skill sets. When I volunteered and became president of the local high school's band booster club, I took a close look at the academic standing of the graduating seniors that year who were members of the school band. Whereas less than 15% of the graduationg seniors of the high school that year earned national scholarship eligibility, 46% of the band's graduating seniors earned that status. The correlation is unmistakeable. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-19-2011 @ 02:30 PM).] |
posted 19 August 2011 06:20 PM EDT (US) 23 / 35 I don't think I'd go as far as to make that generalization that those of us 'born in the 40's and 50's have a much better appreciation for classical.' It's a matter of susceptibility, exposure, peer influence, education and certain intellectual predispositions.You're right about my generalization. My poorly stated intention was just about everything that followed in the rest of your post. I do feel, however, that because of that exposure to classical I do have an appreciation for other genre's of music with likes and dislikes in each. In the same regard I feel sorry for those that are not exposed to any extent at the complex knowledge that classical composers have or had in order to produce such masterpieces. |
posted 20 August 2011 02:09 PM EDT (US) 24 / 35 Yes. You have what would be called an informed basis for judgement. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives |
posted 21 August 2011 11:01 AM EDT (US) 25 / 35 I think many teens and younger people do and will appreciate, say, The Beatles. To generalise, each generation accepts the pre-existing corpus and just adds new musical genres to it. I have a feeling trashy and/or cheesy 80s pop music is going to be played on radio stations and remixed for clubs for a long time to come. One difference between rock, pop etc and classical music is that the later tends to require a greater length of time to play through. Its dynamic range also makes it largely unsuitable for listening to through standard headphones. This is a bit of an impediment in the current mp3/iPod age. It's probably true to say that classical music doesn't get much in the way of popular exposure these days, at least outside of snippets included in movies and TV advertisements. 'Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the Hotel Magnifique at Cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French.' - P.G. Wodehouse, The Luck of the Bodkins |
posted 21 August 2011 03:05 PM EDT (US) 26 / 35 Snippets: In the 1960's bubblegum music was popular for a few years with the tweeners. The following example contains in its musical bridge between early and final verse and at the end a snippet of music taken from a Renaissance dance compiled in the 16th Century by composer Michael Praetorius in a suite of dances called Terpsichore. Excaliber's music score contained pieces of music from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, in particular O Fortuna, and from Wagnerian opera. Carmina Burana is an adaptation of 'profane' as in 'peasant' tunes and lyrics of a secular, non-religious theme. The movie True Romance's theme called either 'Beach Song' or 'You're So Cool!' is a rearrangement of Carl Orff's Gassenhauer, which itself is an adaptation of a medieval song/dance. From the movie Pirates of the Caribbean II, this hornpipe was adapted from a 19th Century sailor's hornpipe, Fisher's Hornpipe. When my youngest was in high school (Grades 9 - 12) I chaperoned one of the school dances. The dance music played was a mix of hits when I was a teenager and some from the decades since. I was amazed at the number of 'oldies' being played for dance music. I asked my daughter about this and she said it was because that music was great to dance to, unlike a lot of it today, and the kids liked the oldies they heard. No surprise to me. IMHO, what the Romance period is to classical music is what the so-called Golden Age of Rock (50's and 60's) is to rock and roll. As for the Beatles, these and many like them in combo groups were classically trained in part by coming up through an educational system teaching classical music. They learned these fundamentals well before branching off into pop music. I believe John Lennon and Paul McCartney in particular were exposed to it, and perhaps George Harrison. I don't know about Ringo Starr. I recall a TV commercial series in the 1960's for Maxwell House coffee products which featured a melody from ballet music written by Charles Gounod for his opera Faust. It was the more relaxed central melody in the following excerpt: In the United States, most commercial classical music stations which once numbered as many as four each in major radio markets are now almost entirely gone. What classical music is played over the airwaves is usually broadcast by non-profit organizations and is seldom more than one in any large broadcast market. The only televised classical music is usually found on PBS and only occasionally. Even the so-called Arts and Entertainment Network has ceased its broadcasts of operas, operettas, concerts and the like. The primary reason is it appeals to a minority of viewers, and advertisers want maximum exposure for their advertising dollars. Only a few institutional advertisers bother with these kinds of broadcasts and because of this, the advertising-dependent networks are compelled to offer programing which will boost their viewer ratings so they can attract advertisers. Unfortunately, this tends to prevent the upper most members of the 'Great Pear,' as radio/tv audiences are typically profiled, from seeing or hearing classical music in its various forms in place of another crass sitcom. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-21-2011 @ 03:18 PM).] |
posted 22 August 2011 05:08 AM EDT (US) 27 / 35 I think it's the older classical music that is the best. |
posted 22 August 2011 01:06 PM EDT (US) 28 / 35 Hi scragins: How old? This old? (Renaissance Period) Or maybe this old? (Baroque Period) About 6:10 minnutes into this music you will find one of the dances featured in Sid Meier's PIRATES! game. If you like string instruments: A movie is being produced for release in 2012 of the life of Antonio Vivaldi. Then there is the Classical Period. And the explosion of music in the Romance Period inspired by Beethoven: by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Anyone old enough to remember the Minah Bird cartoons? Watch for the little black bird and hear his 'walking theme.' Igor Stravinsky in the 20th Century? The Rite of Spring debuted in May 1913. Not scientifically accurate based on what we know today, but fun nonetheless. And just for a little more fun, let me throw into the mix, for symphonic orchestra fans, this war horse overture of which every musical sequence has been used in something or other from cartoons to live action films and other entertainment. Yeah, it's that good. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-22-2011 @ 01:27 PM).] |
posted 24 August 2011 00:56 AM EDT (US) 29 / 35 For those of you who are Gilbert and Sullivan operetta fans, I recommend a movie I just finished watching on Netflix. It's called TOPSY TURVY and concerns itself with the Gilbert and Sullivan feud which followed the failure of their operetta Princess Ida. The movie is filled with excellent British character actors, and is adept at portraying the times in the 1880's in London. The staged scenes from G&S operettas are fascinating, as are the character portrayals which reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the character types. I f you should see the film, there are three actors in it who were featured in the Harry Potter movie series. See if you can pick them out in this film which was made before the Potter series was underway. Two will be obvious by name and looks, but the third, a woman, will be difficult to place. She appeared in two of the films. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-24-2011 @ 00:57 AM).] |
posted 24 August 2011 09:15 AM EDT (US) 30 / 35 I enjoy classical music played in novel ways: And one of my favorite musicians: Some more Bach, this time on the mandolin: More Bela, this time with Victor Wooten on stage, as well. This is classic, though maybe not classical. I wonder if you have to be my age to immediately recognize this? Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen.' -- Jerome K. Jerome 'Some people become so expert at reading between the lines they don't read the lines.' -- Margaret Millar ERADICATE CONDESCENSION! (That means don't talk down to people.) |
posted 24 August 2011 12:28 PM EDT (US) 31 / 35 No. It is recognizable right away as being pop, perhaps even a form of New Age Pop by anyone alert to music at any age. As you said, it is not classical music. One can enjoy music however one chooses, be it Vivaldi on an accordion or a symphony played on a piano as I once heard Glenn Gould play Beethoven's 5th Symphony on a piano with no orchestral accompaniment. Considering that a vast number of classical pieces were composed primarily on a piano first, and then orchestrated for individual instruments afterwards, it lends credence to the claim that the piano is the most versatile non-electronic musical instrument ever invented. Contesting that claim is the standard (non-electronic) organ, which mimics every instrument in an orchestra except percussion, depending upon the combination of keys which are enabled. However, the purist will dispute the value of taking pieces of music designed for groups playing various instruments and boiling it down to being played on a single instrument. Something of the harmonies and other fine nuances intended by the original composer tend to be lost in those kinds of transcriptions. A purist would not, but many classical music fans can tolerate Vivaldi's mandolin concerti being transcribed for classical guitar because of the proximity in sound created by the guitar compared to the mandolin; and done for the sake of artists such as the Romeros to show off guitar skills. Frankly, a person admitting to having an active ear willing to accept unusual transcriptions of classical music is okay in my book, as I was a fan a long time ago of Apollo 100. However, that person must remember that being an advocate of such things to a classical music purist is tantamount to committing cultural hari kari in the purist's eyes. Who was Apollo 100? He (yes, one person only) was an early electronic music transcriber who used advanced Moog synthesizing electronics to transcribe various popular classical music pieces into a pop sound. He assigned himself the monicker 'Apollo 100' though the work was exclusively that of a single artist. His photo is on the back of the album featured in the third clip below. Examples: And.. And one more.. BEETHOVEN'S NINTH (Warning: Cover is a bit risqué for display here). I have the original vinyl recordings in my collection. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives |
posted 24 August 2011 01:24 PM EDT (US) 32 / 35 I think you missed my point on the last video. The opening melody is 'Christmas Time is Here' from A Charlie Brown Christmas. (Do they not still show that every year?) It leads into the Linus and Lucy theme from various Peanuts specials. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen.' -- Jerome K. Jerome 'Some people become so expert at reading between the lines they don't read the lines.' -- Margaret Millar ERADICATE CONDESCENSION! (That means don't talk down to people.) |
posted 24 August 2011 04:31 PM EDT (US) 33 / 35 I'll readily admit I burned out with some of those links and listened to the last one only partially. I never heard the obvious incorporation of the Peanuts theme. The musicfor PEANUTS TV shows was originally composed by Dave Brubeck and performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet on the television show's soundtrack. It's an example of what is now referred to as classic jazz or classical jazz. Here's the Dave Brubeck Quartet in action with their other greatest hit. It too is classical jazz. I will also admit that I am not much of a jazz fan, though I can tolerate classical jazz if it's around. I have zero jazz albums in my collection, so that should tell you something. One of the interesting aspects of classical jazz is that it contains a defined melody on a certain tempo or beat, an improvisation on the same tempo, and a return to the defined melody to conclude the piece. Once the improvisation is conceived, it is cast in concrete rather than be further improvised upon by the composer. If each musician gets a chance to improvise, that too is cast in concrete once the improvisation is worked out. Classical jazz is not as spontaneous as it seems; or if it is spontaneous, it is only so once. It's a bit long in the tooth and I think it hasn't been on the air much since the early 1990's. Something nags at me that last Christmas it was ballyhooed as returning to TV after having been unbroadcast for 'X' years, was digitally restored and channeled into stereo. I suspect they're trying to introduce the program to a new generation which if the program has not been broadcast since around 20 years ago would make it new stuff for them. It's a true classic and actually good fun for children and adults due to its appealing characters and excellent writing. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 08-24-2011 @ 04:48 PM).] |
![War War](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123718363/761687519.jpg)
posted 25 August 2011 09:51 AM EDT (US) 34 / 35 I, on the other hand, am a huge jazz fan, or at least used to be. I don't listen to jazz as frequently as I did 5-10 years ago, but jazz is a significant portion of my music collection; and I'm very familiar with Brubeck and 'Take Five' has been played by innumerable bands over the years. I'm particularly fond of the 'cool jazz' that originated with Miles Davis after he left Charlie Parker. I also really like the pre-bebop, post big band sound of the late 30's and 40's. I've always been drawn to the virtuosity of the musicians more than anything, which should go a long way towards explaining my selections above. For fear of getting off-topic, I'll only provide a couple of Art Tatum videos. The first is him playing Dvorak, the second is him playing Chopin (sound quality is pretty poor on this one). feature=related This one is actually a video recording of him playing: feature=related I know it's not your thing, but you have to be impressed with his skill. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen.' -- Jerome K. Jerome 'Some people become so expert at reading between the lines they don't read the lines.' -- Margaret Millar ERADICATE CONDESCENSION! (That means don't talk down to people.) |
posted 25 August 2011 12:19 PM EDT (US) 35 / 35 I respect jazz as a fundamentally American musical form, one of the few cultural contributions made by American artists. In fact, I was a back up radio announcer for a time for jazz programming. That's back in the days when Charlie Mingus, John Coltrane, Jazz Crusaders and a host of others were actively releasing what are now their classic albums, many on Atlantic, the great jazz vinyl label of the era. I just never developed an ear for it, but I won't be disrespectful to the music form unlike some out there who trash classical music because it's 'kewl' to do it. That's just being plainly ignorant. CIVISROMANUS CityBuilderStoryArchives StrongholdStoryArchives |
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Total War: Three Kingdoms is the next major historical title in the Total War series, developed by The Creative Assembly. It was announced on January 10, 2018, and released on May 23, 2019. The game is set in China during Three Kingdoms era. The game features two game modes. The first mode, 'Romance', is based on the highly romanticized account of the era, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which generals are gifted with nearly superhuman strength. Another mode, 'Classic ', based on Records of the Three Kingdoms, presents a more historically accurate version. In Classic, the generals have their powers removed and they can no longer be commanded separately.(Read More) |
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Total War is a series of computer strategy games developed by The Creative Assembly. The game series is a combination of turn-based strategy also including real-time tactical control of battles. Currently, the Total War series are all featured before the 20th century, featuring technologies such as crossbows to steam engines.(Read More) |
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HMS Victory is a BritishFirst Rate Ship of the Line featured in Empire: Total War. Boasting some of the highest firepower and hull strength of any ship in the game, she is a force to be reckoned with on the open seas. Historically, HMS Victory is perhaps most famous for her participation at the decisive Battle of Trafalgar, where an outnumbered British fleet under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson decisively defeated a Franco-Spanish fleet led by Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, thereby granting the British and their allies naval superiority for the remainder of the Napoleonic Wars. Due to her venerable history, HMS Victory remains intact in the modern day as the last First Rate Ship of the Line still afloat (and nominally still in service with the British Navy). (Read More) |
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Medieval 2 Total War - Persian Pajamas. Such a great tune, really sets the tone for the muslim factions.
Medieval 2 Total War - Devil's Harp. Especially the part after 1 minute feels like the winter in Europe to me.
Rome Total War - Autumn. Probably my favourite theme of all, along with Rome Total War - Melancholy.
Another great one: Empire Total War - America Guitar.
Napoleon Total War - String Quintet. Fits losing on the campaign for the 1000th time perfectly.
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Napoleon Total War Original Soundtrack :: Review by Chris
Album Title: | Napoleon Total War Original Soundtrack |
Record Label: | Sega |
Catalog No.: | iTunes |
Release Date: | April 11, 2011 |
Purchase: | Download at iTunes |
Overview
In 2010, The Creative Assembly took gamers back to the seas with the strategy warfare game Napoleon: Total War. Following his IVOR-nominated work on Empire: Total War, composer Richard Beddow returned to record a full orchestral score for the game. After considerable delay, the soundtrack was finally released through Sega's digital label in April 2011.
Body
Beddow immediately reflects the polished production values of Napoleon: Total War with the central theme 'Napoleon Boneparte'. Beddow blends influences from the great nationalists with modern cinematic conventions to achieve a fitting, dramatic, if not entirely authentic sound. Slowly building from its humble beginnings into an awe-inspiring choral climax, the track certainly captures the ambition and might of the titular character. There are numerous other cues to reflect the rise and fall of Napoleon on this highly cinematic release. Highlights include 'Napoleon Heads to the East', which elegantly connects psychological exploration with military movement, and 'Threat of Naval Conflict', which takes listeners towards the climax of the score with its tense buildups. In all cases, Slovak National Symphony Orchestra bring a lot of the weight to the elegantly crafted orchestrations. However, many of the shorter cues may lack the substance to be accessible or worthwhile on a circumstance, much like those in Empire: Total War previously.
The most marvellous moments on the soundtrack are those that portray the heat of a naval battle. Ian Livingstone soon plunges listeners into action with 'The Battle At Arcole', which incorporates various staples of military action scoring in a direct but compelling manner. Richard Birdsall's 'Naval Battle at St. Vincent' brings some unique colourings to the score, with its pounding bass drums and formidable brass fanfares, while 'The Battle of the Pyramids' captures the global scope of the Napoleonic Wars with its more dissonant if derivative texturings. Despite all the prior buildup, the portrayal of 'Waterloo' is surprisingly anticlimactic, though perhaps intended given the game is told from the perspective of the defeated. More satisfying is the portrayal of the Battle of Trafalgar on 'HMS Victory', which captures the gigantic feel of the in-game battle , while reflecting all the drama and uncertainty underlying it. The emotional rollercoaster from the 1:09 mark is an especially remarkable display of the might of Bratislava's musicians.
The historical feel of the soundtrack is enhanced by several recordings with specialist ensembles in Bratislava. There are nine string quartets on the release, all of which capture the period mood with their formal writing and restrained performances. Though their resonant timbres of beautiful, most of these tracks are too transient to be satisfying, with the exception of the much richer 'The Art of War'. Some a capella choral music also works beautifully in the game's sequences, thanks to a combination of mature composition and exquisite performance, but again the compositions are too short and generic to be of stand-alone interest on this already inconsistent soundtrack. More impressively, the chorus returns with a more funereal mood on the final tracks on the soundtrack, reflecting Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo and the fall of his empire. Beddow's choral writing is particularly exquisite on 'The End', channeling influences from Fauré.
Summary
Those who have followed Richard Beddow's work for The Creative Assembly should know approximately what to expect on the soundtrack for Napoleon: Total War. The soundtrack works excellently in the game, given it fits the historic setting and enhances the drama of the scenario. It also provides a compelling depiction of Napoleon's rise and downfall, from its glorious opening to its tragic closer. All that said, the soundtrack does not work as well outside the game given the stylings tend to be derivative and there are many short tracks that clutter up the soundtrack. These features are almost inevitable, given the restrictions imposed by the game itself, and there remain some full orchestral monuments that are well worth listening to.