Classical music study recommendations

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lavengro
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Re: Classical music study recommendations

Postby lavengro » Sun Jan 12, 2020 11:40 pm

I opened my first Spotify account at the beginning of January and the ability to download music directly rather than going through Youtube is expanding my listening opportunities as I do not have mobile data access (long story, but my smart phone is employer-supplied). As a new Spotify member, I receive three free months of Premium service, which allows unlimited downloading onto my iPod).

Spotify appears to have quite a lot of early classical music – but I am not sure whether it has more or less than Youtube does.

I have listened to a lot of Hildegard von Bingen, who I mentioned earlier. My favourites so far are her O pastor animarum (previously linked) and especially Ave generosa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbg4TSP44yU . Attached is also a link to a performance of Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum described as an early (circa 1151 allegorical morality play) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBGgRSPyUFQ

I did not enjoy this latter work as much as some of her other work, but thought it interesting from a presentation perspective. I am a huge fan of small theatre, and sometimes micro-theatre: I once attended a play presented as the cast and audience of around 8 moved from room to room in a house – compared to that, this presentation uses the relatively roomy area of a small church in Switzerland. Spoiler alert for those who might be lulled into peaceful tranquility: there is a loud fella in red who comes bursting in around the 9:41 mark.
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lavengro
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Re: Classical music study recommendations

Postby lavengro » Sun Jan 12, 2020 11:48 pm

Now on to Gregorian chants generally. Attached is a link to a brief Youtube piece - a light introduction to some of the characteristics and the history and importance of Gregorian chants, particularly to the development music notation, with some odd references to Soulja Boy and Daft Punk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igoh5kEqj3Y
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Re: Classical music study recommendations

Postby Speakeasy » Mon Jan 13, 2020 12:46 am

Speakeasy wrote: Sadly, the Classical Guitar, despite the efforts and performance abilities of now several generations of outstanding musicians, still “lacks a pedigree” in the world of what is often called serious music…
lavengro wrote: … Somehow I suspect this might be the case for Classical Ukulele as well!
And yet, …
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Re: Classical music study recommendations

Postby aokoye » Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:16 pm

Speakeasy wrote:
aokoye wrote: I love classical guitar. I mean ok, I love a lot of things, and there are arguably things (musically) that I love more than classical guitar...
Sadly, the Classical Guitar, despite the efforts and performance abilities of now several generations of outstanding musicians, still “lacks a pedigree” in the world of what is often called serious music. From what I understand, the guitar’s lower status is due to its absence from the symphony orchestra, from smaller classical musical ensembles, its predominance in popular music styles (sniff, sniff) and, broadly speaking, the instrument’s historic inability to attract the world’s ranking classical composers, a problem which the violin and the piano have never suffered from. Yes, some really good pieces of music for the classical guitar do exist, but the greater part of the repertoire is mediocre; definitely technically demanding, but musically uninspiring nonetheless.

When I was much younger, I had the great privilege of attending two of Andrés Segovia’s concerts, I was absolutely mesmerised by his performances. He just sat there like a huge chunk of marble, his right hand balled up into a seemingly immovable fist, while his left hand danced along the fingerboard like a dragonfly over a pond. Since his passing, it has become rather commonplace for music critics to question the maestro's artistic interpretation of certain pieces (irrespective of the music he was interpreting, he seemed to be anchored artistically in the Romantic style) but what a command of the instrument he had (and what an imbalanced influence he exercised over the careers of so many promising guitarists).

That's awesome about being able to see Segovia. My most comparable experiences are getting to see John Adams conduct the American Composers Orchestra in an all Adams concert and being conducted (in a rehearsal) by Ēriks Ešenvalds in preparation for a concert where my choir was performing multiple pieces of his.
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Re: Classical music study recommendations

Postby Speakeasy » Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:45 pm

aokoye wrote: That's awesome about being able to see Segovia. My most comparable experiences are getting to see John Adams conduct the American Composers Orchestra in an all Adams concert and being conducted (in a rehearsal) by Ēriks Ešenvalds in preparation for a concert where my choir was performing multiple pieces of his.
Now, there, you've got me! Quite seriously, yours must have been a truly heady experience. I would imagine that a child, through lack of awareness, or perhaps a seasoned professional musician, owing to year's of experience in the milieu, would not have been moved. But, for the average adult who is both quite aware of the enormous privilege and who has not become accustomed to such stimulation, this must have been a rush. In my case, although I was fascinated by Segovia's control of his instrument and while I enjoyed his interpretation of the music, some of which I had practised myself (viz., Sor's studies), I was too young to appreciate the uniqueness of the experience.
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