Classical music and its imagery - please add your favorites

[Tim OConnell]

Some pieces of classical music capture the essence of a place, scene, or situation perfectly.
The Adagio from Spartacus by Khachaturian is a piece that I like to listen to with headphones on and a decent volume to fill my boots with its images.
Whenever I go offshore, at some point in a passage, I'll listen to this because to me, it expresses the essence of the voyaging, the sea, its moods, and motions.

On last year's sail down to Astoria, I started playing this just as we approached the western end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Tatoosh Island. The crescendo in the piece at approx 2:45 completely expresses for me, stepping into the expanse of the Pacific.
Shut your eyes, turn it up and enjoy
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvvZ2a0E9hQ[/youtube]

[bob perry]

There's nothing quite like sailing in the Winter Vashon Race, a good run down Colvos Passage listening to the original WAILER'S verion of LOUIS LOUIS.
The WAILERS were from Tacoma.

Hey! That's a classic.

[Ish]

Sometimes out there when it's calm and smooth, bombast and drama is the last thing you want.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Waau3wetT88[/youtube]

Partial version by Leo Kottke...I'm kinda fond of the Jethro Tull version too.

[bob perry]

Can't say I ever have listened to much music while sailing other than the music made by the boat, wind and waves. There have been times I have pulled out my guitar and sang at the top of my lungs while motoring along on a calm day under ap. When there is no one around for miles I sound like Pavarotti.

[Ish]

The last music I heard on a boat underway was when I was racing OPBs. U2's Rattle & Hum had some great anthemic tunes on it, got the blood up. I remember it well, we almost ran smack into Patos Island at o'dark 30 due to pilot error on my last race on that boat.

On my boat there are no exterior speakers, have never had them on any boat, the downstairs system only plays at anchor, and seldom then. I like listening to all the sounds around me.

It's nice to have something to go with the video besides the gurgle of the waves and the chattering of the autopilot, though mostly I put that soundtrack on there to cover up the noise of my breathing that the camera picked up all too well. Stupid microphone makes me sound like I should be in an iron lung.

[JoeP]

I often set sailing scenes to music in my mind when listening. Some day I might actually script and storyboard something.

[Tim OConnell]

Imagery supplied with this one: Fingles Cave. Amazing basalt structure. It's very similar to Tasman Island at the southern tip of Tasmania.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVhmZUdETDo[/youtube]

3-Black Head.jpg

[Orestes Munn]

This is for me one of the most interesting contrasts between music and text:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI_aEV4QzGE[/youtube]


How the thoughts of the sinner
tremble and waver,
while they make accusations among themselves
and again and again try to excuse themselves.
Thus an anxious conscience
is torn apart by its own torment.

Why pair music of almost unbearable sweetness and purity with words about a guilty conscience? I don't know, but JSB did nothing without a good reason. Here's Guinevere or Iseult:

[bob perry]

Moe:
I think much of time in Bach's age was spent feeling guilty. That way the church had a good grip on you. Original sin and guilt go hand in hand. I'll check and see if I have a recording of that Cantata.

[Orestes Munn]

Moe:
I think much of time in Bach's age was spent feeling guilty. That way the church had a good grip on you. Original sin and guilt go hand in hand. I'll check and see if I have a recording of that Cantata.

But such exquisitely beautiful guilt! I have the Suzuki/Bach Collegium Japan recording, I love the cool sopranos and tenors. Almost no vibrato, all restrained passion.

[cavelamb]

Moe:
I think much of time in Bach's age was spent feeling guilty. That way the church had a good grip on you. Original sin and guilt go hand in hand. I'll check and see if I have a recording of that Cantata.

But such exquisitely beautiful guilt! I have the Suzuki/Bach Collegium Japan recording, I love the cool sopranos and tenors. Almost no vibrato, all restrained passion.

As Radar said, "Ah, Bach"...

[Soñadora]

I was single-handing Soñadora once with the stereo blasting and this song came on. Didn't even realize it was on the memory stick...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JthxVHkRT9Y[/youtube]

Some won't consider this 'classical', but in the moment it really had a profound impact. I had to repeat it about 100 more times after that. Fast Forward to about 2:30 for the music.

I used to think of it as the Piet Mondrian of classical music.

[Tigger]

Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611). Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet. This is just one part of a multi-part work.

One of my all-time favourites when relaxation is called for. Time seems to stand still when I listen to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--VLDnAG5pw

[bob perry]

I have the Phillip Glass opera SANYAGRATA on vinyl. I love it.
It drives my wife from the house.

Great vid Rick. No it's not "classical" but really "classical" music is music from the Classical period and ended pretty much when Beethoven started to bend and break the rules. I have no idea what you would call the music of Glass but I like it.

There is a very good book on music of the 20th century called THE REST IS NOISE by Alex Ross.

[Orestes Munn]

I have the Phillip Glass opera SANYAGRATA on vinyl. I love it.
It drives my wife from the house.

Great vid Rick. No it's not "classical" but really "classical" music is music from the Classical period and ended pretty much when Beethoven started to bend and break the rules. I have no idea what you would call the music of Glass but I like it.

There is a very good book on music of the 20th century called THE REST IS NOISE by Alex Ross.

Satyagraha

Glass is generally classed as "minimalist".

[bob perry]

Damn Orestes! I've been listening to Bach Cantatas all morning.
I do not have a recording of the one you posted though.

I wonder what Glass would call himself. SATYAGRAHA right. I think there are about 8 lp's to the vinyl set. My wife leaves around side 2.5.

[Orestes Munn]

Damn Orestes! I've been listening to Bach Cantatas all morning.
I do not have a recording of the one you posted though.

I wonder what Glass would call himself. SATYAGRAHA right. I think there are about 8 lp's to the vinyl set. My wife leaves around side 2.5.

I don't actually know what those guys called themselves. Some of the music is very interesting though. I once saw Steve Reich in concert and just the visual of his percussion section, all lined up so you could see the motion patterns formed by their arms, was pretty amazing.

I really love the cantatas. I am a non-believing Jew and some of the text is pretty uninspiring (he was often desperate for texts, I have read), but a lot of the music speaks directly to me and I found great comfort there a couple of years ago when both of my parents got sick and died. I love the smallness of the ensembles and the humaneness he put in the music.

[bob perry]

Moe:
It's good Lutheran music.
But the book I have just finished THE SWORD OF CONSTANTINE, a history of the Catholic Church and the Jews, goes to great pains to mark Luther as the foundation of modern anti semitism.

Not being a German speaker I have no idea what they are singing about in the Cantatas and that's probably why I enjoy them. I have the translations but It's not like it's PARSIFAL.

[Orestes Munn]

Moe:
It's good Lutheran music.
But the book I have just finished THE SWORD OF CONSTANTINE, a history of the Catholic Church and the Jews, goes to great pains to mark Luther as the foundation of modern anti semitism.

Not being a German speaker I have no idea what they are singing about in the Cantatas and that's probably why I enjoy them. I have the translations but It's not like it's PARSIFAL.

I haven't really developed the sitzfleisch for Wagner. My father and brother were/are real aficionados and always told me what I was missing.

I am on a European history kick at the moment and will put that book in the queue for listening, if it's available on audio.

[bob perry]

Moe:
Don't know if it's available on audio. I read it twice and made a lot of underlinings in my copy. I'm an underliner. And the pup chewed the corner.
It's not light reading and at times he uses fairy abstruse sentence structures so I have had to read many sentences over and over to get what he is struggling to say.
But I love history books too and this one is a good one.

[bob perry]

Moester:
Just got the Leonard Bernstien recording of St. Mathew Pashion.
Surprise! It's in English.
This may take some time to get used to.

[Orestes Munn]

Moester:
Just got the Leonard Bernstien recording of St. Mathew Pashion.
Surprise! It's in English.
This may take some time to get used to.

Very strange, very Lenny. Might spoil it entirely to know what they're on about.

[Tim OConnell]

Bobby McFerrin sings Vivaldi
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUNCzE73kyM[/youtube]

[bob perry]

Moe:
I'm slowly getting ito it but I find myself focusing on the sung text rather than the music. Not sure that's the way it is supposed to be.
I have it on now. I'm enjoying it. How could you not?

[BeauV]

Well, I'm finally over my cold and headed out for a hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains. What always runs though my head when hiking is:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-7XWhyvIpE[/youtube]

I suppose this is only "classical" in that it's a "classic military march". In my opinion, the best hiking music ever. It works great when hiking out on a laser going to windward too.

See ya,

Beau

[Orestes Munn]

I like Sousa. Almost a sub-genre unto himself.

[bob perry]

I agree. There are lots of great marches out there. Elgar did some great ones.
But nobody did marches like Sousa. I played them in the high school band and they could really get your blood boiling when you were 16 years old. I always listen for the piccolo part in THE STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER.
The ACLU will probably get that march banned form public schools. I think Moe is right. Sousa totally dominates the genre.

Damn, now I want to hear some.

[Tigger]

Marches, eh?

Here's an interesting one: March of the Mogul Emperors by Edward Elgar, composed in 1912 as part of the 'Crown of India' Suite. Curiously, it is in 3, and in a minor key. Does not take too much imagination to hear the Emperor arriving on an elephant! I'd love to be the one playing the great jeezly gong at the end...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axhqzeSa9zo

[bob perry]

Tiggs:
I'm an Elgar fan. When I hear his marches I can't help but think they reek of Britain's age of empire. He makes it at least sound very noble. You can't have troops marching along to whimpy tunes.

I have a cd of Elgar's Enigma Variations signed by the conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. The Maestro owns one of my boats and we are pals. He has some of my cartons framed in his salon above his piano.
So, I got that going for me.

[Orestes Munn]

My own limitation, of course, but I don't like symphonies past Mozart, at least on recordings. The overblown dynamics, gratuitous scoring, and representational themes, just bother me. Some people seem to feel chamber music takes more effort, but I find it a much easier listen, on the whole.