I was watching "Case Closed", and they were trying to solve a case that involved Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". I'm not really into classical music, but there's something about that song. I'm listening to it right now.

Anyway, "Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement)" is my favorite classical song. What is yers?

- Peace, Love, Health, and Happiness to all! Âðelwulf

I was watching "Case Closed", and they were trying to solve a case that involved Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". I'm not really into classical music, but there's something about that song. I'm listening to it right now.

Anyway, "Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement)" is my favorite classical song. What is yers?

- Peace, Love, Health, and Happiness to all! Âðelwulf

Listen to the whole sonata.

Favorite classical song? I think I would take Wagner´s Ride of the Valkyrie.

At the moment: Rachmaninov piano concerto 2, (especially the 2nd movement). Subject to change without notice.

I have so many I'll just pick one at random. Oh go on, two then.

Figaro's Aria in Le Nozze di Figaro (http://home.swiftdsl.com.au/~mbednarek/nozze/nozze09.zip)
The whole opera is pretty good, unfortunatly this midi does no justice. Pretty glorious about 2'50 in.

Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (http://www.laurasmidiheaven.com/Classical-Liszt-Franz.shtml)
A bit odd, but sounds fantastic in RL.

Really too many to specify.

Off the top of my head, I'm kinda fond of Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, if you want a short-ish piece.

Here's a curiousity, Liszt's "La Campalesson". The whole history of music in 49 seconds of seemingly completely ridiculous piano chatter.

Unfortunately, I don't have a true classical background. I have only recently (past two or three years) been introducing myself to them. I play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Ode to Joy, and Fur Elise as well as Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 on my guitar. It is playing guitar that opened my eyes to these types of music. I always prefered rock and metal, but when learning to play an instrument, I realized how simplistic and limited these forms of music are. All those songs I've listed above are beautiful examples of classical music.

I also play Dee and Goodbye to Romance by Rhandy Rhoades. Modern Classical if you will.

I have never cared much for Mozart, but recently I have given it another shot and am surprised that I have found some good in it. I always thought of it as too trilly and playful. Not serious enough. But, I downloaded Requiem and find several songs from it extremely beautiful. However, he didn't write all those scores so it can't truly be called Mozart I suppose. I've always been fond of the aria from The Marriage of Figaro played on The Shawshank Redemption. I've been looking for a copy of it on the net, but so far no go. Beethoven is everywhere, but Mozart seems to be a bit rarer.

So, basically, I can't give any obscure or hoity-toity classical pieces as my favorite as I'm just a low-class piece of crap, but at least I'm able to appreciate what I have heard.

I play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

What do you do in the third movement?

aria from The Marriage of Figaro played on The Shawshank Redemption. I've been looking for a copy of it on the net...

Which aria? (http://home.swiftdsl.com.au/~mbednarek/nozze/)

What do you do in the third movement?

Sorry. I just play the first movement. The moody and melodramatic one. Should have made that clear. And that in the wrong key. I play it in A minor I think the standard is c minor. The best copy of the song I have now is C# minor. I'd need to use a capo or do some major transcribing to reach that key on my guitar.

As to the movement, that's something I don't really understand about classical music. The three movements seem completely unrelated to one another. I don't understand how they can be considered the same song. I suppoe it's just the way things were done back then? People came to listen to a sonata which consists of three movements? Each basically a song in its own right but played together by tradition? Or something?





Which aria?


A memorable scene in the film is the stilling of a courtyard full of hardened criminals, when a duet from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, che soave zeffiretto, is played across the public address system. The recording used was Karl Böhm's 1968 production for Deutsche Grammophon (catalogue number 449 728-2) and the singers are Gundula Janowitz and Edith Mathis.
------------------------From here (http://www.wordiq.com/definition/The_Shawshank_Redemption).

I'd LOVE to get a copy of this particular version of the song, but I suppose in the end any would do. I bet I could find a soundtrack to the movie somewhere, but I would prefer to find the whole opera. I'm sure I'll come across it someday.

As to the movement, that's something I don't really understand about classical music. The three movements seem completely unrelated to one another. I don't understand how they can be considered the same song. I suppoe it's just the way things were done back then? People came to listen to a sonata which consists of three movements? Each basically a song in its own right but played together by tradition? Or something?

There is a whole theory of how to compose a sonata, a symphony etc. etc. I won't go into this, you'll have to see some experts for this.
But the movements aren't there just as "three separate songs".

Listen to the whole Moonlight Sonata (which is, by the way, highly untypical, having the slow movement at the beginning). All three mvts together make perfect sense.


I like to envision such intepretation of the theme:
1st mvt: Desire. Slowly creeping up into the lover, taking him over, tormenting him. Slowly, gently, yet so powerfully. Pulling him apart. That soft, warm feeling you have waiting for your lover.
2nd mvt: Cheerful denial. "Ah," the lover thinks, "it's not that bad." And he goes about his business as if nothing happened.
3rd mvt: Desire wins. Torments, desire takes him over, he can't think, he can't wait, he must get to her, he doesn't know what to do, yet he knows damn well what he has to do. Ahhhhh!

***
Beethoven sometimes gave titles to the respective movements; for this, listen to the Sixth Symphony or Piano sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a, "Les Adieux". Maybe then you'll see how those mvts stick together.
Or, heaven help, listen to "The carnival of animals" by Camille Saint-Saëns.



A memorable scene in the film is the stilling of a courtyard full of hardened criminals, when a duet from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, che soave zeffiretto, is played across the public address system.

I love this film!

Esp. later, when he came out of the cell, and the other inmates thought he had to be awfully bored and alone in the solitary, and Andy goes (I don't remember exactly to the word, sorry), "No, I had Mr. Mozart doing me company." -- "How do you mean? Did you have a harmonica with you?" -- "No, it's all in here (points at his head) and here (points at his heart). Music is something nobody can take away from you. Have you never thought about music this way?"

I love this.

Anyway, "Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement)" is my favorite classical song. What is yers?

- Peace, Love, Health, and Happiness to all! Âðelwulf


I love that one two. Great love making music but that might be a topic for a more adult thread. I love to listen to it during a light rain sometimes cause at times it is like the pianst tickles the keys on the keyboard the way the rain tickles the ground.

Aaron Copeland fav and love Appalachian spring but absolute fav song would be spring on vivaldi's four seasons

Listen to the whole sonata.

I aren't there three movements to it? I've heard a snippet of the second one, and it didn't appeal to me much. I like the first one cuz . . .


The moody and melodramatic one.

Invert, I remember listening to a little bit of yer guitar work. I didn't know yer rendition of Moonlight Sonata was in the wrong key, but I'm musically illiterate, so . . . hehe. Do ya have the sheet music to the song? I dunno how to get my hands on it. I got a guitar of my own a month ago, and I wanna learn how to play Moonlight Sonata on it.


I like to envision such intepretation of the theme:
1st mvt: Desire. Slowly creeping up into the lover, taking him over, tormenting him. Slowly, gently, yet so powerfully. Pulling him apart. That soft, warm feeling you have waiting for your lover.
2nd mvt: Cheerful denial. "Ah," the lover thinks, "it's not that bad." And he goes about his business as if nothing happened.
3rd mvt: Desire wins. Torments, desire takes him over, he can't think, he can't wait, he must get to her, he doesn't know what to do, yet he knows damn well what he has to do. Ahhhhh!

I like yer interpretation, Rosy! Oh, ya don't mind if I call ya "Rosy", do ya?

I like yer interpretation, Rosy! Oh, ya don't mind if I call ya "Rosy", do ya?

I do mind. RosaMagika, or RM, or Rosa.

I am Rosie only in Scivillage.

Listen to the whole Moonlight Sonata (which is, by the way, highly untypical, having the slow movement at the beginning). All three mvts together make perfect sense.


With your interpretation in mind they do fit a bit better. It is still an abrupt shift between movements. It's... jarring.


1st mvt: Desire. Slowly creeping up into the lover, taking him over, tormenting him. Slowly, gently, yet so powerfully. Pulling him apart. That soft, warm feeling you have waiting for your lover.

I had always envisioned it more as a sort of dogged persistence. A refusal to quit against all odds. There does seem to be a torment in the movement. The way it shifts from soft to determined. Uncertainty to passion. Back and forth. Yes, a pulling apart, but always that single beat. That tone over and over again. The one simple thing that the whole song revolves about. Without that tone the song would fall apart.


The other two movements I had no real impression of. I didn't really like them. Mostly because they were so different. I didn't understand it. Now with your eyes, I see your interpretation.

Interesting.

I still find the whole movement thing odd.


Esp. later, when he came out of the cell, and the other inmates thought he had to be awfully bored and alone in the solitary, and Andy goes (I don't remember exactly to the word, sorry), "No, I had Mr. Mozart doing me company." -- "How do you mean? Did you have a harmonica with you?" -- "No, it's all in here (points at his head) and here (points at his heart). Music is something nobody can take away from you. Have you never thought about music this way?"

Yes. I'm sure you know this is a Stephen King movie? Anyway, Andy's use of music to maintain sanity in solitary is reminscent of Kevin Bacon's character in Murder in the First. Based on a true story (although I don't know how much is true). His character spent several years in the hole for a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz. He wasn't as refined as Andy and instead used baseball to maintain his sanity. Well, as well as he was able anyway.



Invert, I remember listening to a little bit of yer guitar work. I didn't know yer rendition of Moonlight Sonata was in the wrong key, but I'm musically illiterate, so . . . hehe. Do ya have the sheet music to the song? I dunno how to get my hands on it. I got a guitar of my own a month ago, and I wanna learn how to play Moonlight Sonata on it.

I can read music sort of. I can interpret it anyway. Slowly and painfully. And with guitar it's not just easy as 1, 2, 3. Too many choices of where to play a particular note. You have to pick and choose depending on what's coming next.

This is where tablature comes in. I originally learned this song from tablature I acquired on Olga.net, if I remember right. But, I also have tablature software that will play the music so as to instill the proper rythm and such. It's amazing how tricky some pieces are to play. Not because the notes are difficult, but just because the rythm is off by seconds. Fractions of a second.

Anyway, there is PowerTab and GuitarPro. I prefer Guitar Pro, but it's not free. There is a trial version. PowerTab is free if I remember right.

Then just search for the tablature files for the respective software. GuitarPro has a site, Mysongbook.com where you can download all kinds of tunes.

Another nice thing about these softwares is that they have drum tracks and bass tracks and whatnot. You might want to check it out.

I still find the whole movement thing odd.

It isn't odd. :) It may take some time to get used to it.
Also, classical pieces are often much much longer from what we are used to, hearing popular music. Classical takes a lot more attention and memory than popular.

I don't really listen to classical music, but I've always liked the Planets Suite, especially Mars.

I like some classical music, but it's just I don't remember which tune is what (damn those numberings...). Also, I like instrumental music in most cases.... especially good piano/organ work.

Beethoven is a great classical composer and I would agree he is easy to listen to and enjoy today. There are many others that are great also that I listen to. Here are a few that I enjoy:

BACH, Johann Sebastian

BRAHMS, Johannes

COPLAND, Aaron

DVOŘÁK, Antonín

ELGAR, Edward

HANDEL, George Frideric

HAYDN, Franz Joseph

I have two polar opposites.

"The Lark Ascending" by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The most beautiful, upbeat, lyrical piece I've ever heard for chamber orchestra. I heard it done live once, and it was like spending twenty minutes in heaven.

"Metamorphosen" by Richard Strauss. This was written after the end of WWII, his eulogy to his beloved Germany after it died from a virulent infection. The most moving, sad, introspective piece. It was written for an odd assortment of a dozen or so stringed instruments, each playing a solo part. I heard it done live once. When it was over, the audience sat quietly, stunned, without even thinking to applaud.

Depending on my mood, I've got the best song for it.

anything by rachmaninoff, especially piano concerto no.2

rachmaninoff? I don’t really like his stuff, I am a Vivaldi guy when it comes to full symphony. for a sonata I should have to go with Beethoven’s Sonata no. 8 in c minor, op. 13 'Pathetique'.

although, Gustav Holst's Mars, bringer of war is a good one. (Not sonata)

Anything baroque like Händel or Vivaldi - peaceful, relaxing like "Water Music" or "Four Seasons". Spare me the German Sturm und Drang.

i dont know about the classical era really i was never terribly ford of it really . i like stuff from the renaissance and modern and contempory times but if you mean classical as in general style of music.. i still dont know heh. of course i love spanish guitar because i play it. so whatever. but my fav all time song with piano and apparently a smalll chorus is green bird by yoko kanno. check out a listen if youd like http://www.msnusers.com/vossistcarvings/mymusic.msnw?fc_a=0&fc_p=%2FMy%20Music

"O' Fortuna!" from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.

I probably like Chopin's Nocturne No. 1 the best. Does anybody else around here like him?

Anything baroque like Händel or Vivaldi - peaceful, relaxing like "Water Music" or "Four Seasons". Spare me the German Sturm und Drang.

I've tried to listen to some G. F. Handel and haven't really enjoyed his music as much as other baroque composers. Do you have any specific recommendations from him?

I've been listening to a lot of Copland recently. Usually it's Debussy and Gershwin (although he's not really "classical"), with Dvorak, Rachmaninoff, Saint-Saens and Liszt. They form up the majority of my favorites. I like a lot from a lot of different composers, though.

"O' Fortuna!" from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.


definetly Fortuna. Mozart's Requirum is right up there too, it's used brilliantly in the first scene of X-men 2. Stan Lee has a tendancy to use good classics in his works.

......is my favorite classical song. What is yers?
OK. I'm a nitpicking bastard, but more than half the pieces people are nominating are not songs. Songs have words or lyrics. Otherwise they are pieces or music or melodies or tunes or works. But not songs. Everybody got that now.

And since I think you meant the latter, then for me anything by Bach, but especially the Brandenburg Concertoes - any and all of them. Although, I will pause to listen to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony when conducted by Herbert von Karajan, Sir Alexander Gibson, or any conductor who understands the value of a stop watch when performing this particular work.



It was also one of the first classical albums I bought - ah, when Albums were still made. They've stopped making albums!!!! :confused: :(

You know when you could buy vinyl albums in a record store
I was trying to imply that I am really out of touch, out of date, passe, yesterday's news.

Moonlight sonata
I can play all three movements

ANything militant sounding

TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35

* Goosebumporama ...

John Williams' soundtrack for Star Wars.

All of the above, but if had had to name one now: Rachmaninov 2nd piano concerto, 2nd movement.

For me, it's Beethoven's 7th Symphony (in any key between A and E min.) allegretto, no contest.


Moonlight sonata
I can play all three movements

Impressive. Do you have any advice on how to practice the third?

Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 (1830)

By yours truly

I realize that it isn't considered Classical (yet) .... but I would put Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue up there with the best of them!


-------------------------------------------------------------------
“I had a rational idea this morning but I didn’t like it.”

I probably like Chopin's Nocturne No. 1 the best. Does anybody else around here like him?

I think Chopin captures the essence of the soul in music in a way no other composer can. You can hear amazing, crazy, impossible piano solo's in concerts by Liszt, or a beautiful concerto by Vivaldi, but none of them is able to reach as far and deep as chopin does using only the piano. He truly understands what notes to play, how and when and the listener understands why.

i guess you dont mean that it has to have singing soo...

chopin - nocturne no 19

makes me cry

I probably like Chopin's Nocturne No. 1 the best. Does anybody else around here like him?


didnt see that before i posted,i really like what ive heard but im not very good at tracking stuff down so i havent heard all that much.

I was watching "Case Closed", and they were trying to solve a case that involved Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". I'm not really into classical music, but there's something about that song. I'm listening to it right now.

Anyway, "Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement)" is my favorite classical song. What is yers?

- Peace, Love, Health, and Happiness to all! ÂðelwulfBach - Air is my favourite, it has a great melody. What I'm most impressed by is Bach - Toccata which "plays" with the melody in a - in my eyes - ingenious way (and in such a ingenious way that it doesn't take a genious to see it :) )

Claire de lune, if it has to be classical.

Would anyone consiter Holst to be classical? its more like contemporaty band literature, but his suites in Eb and F are my favorites of all time. Love the planets, also.