Music Banter - The Classical Music Recommendation Thread

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Yuka Kitamura (performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra) - Abyss Watchers

At this point, I think John Zorn's at his best when he's composing some crazy classical music.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland (Post 1860344)

At this point, I think John Zorn's at his best when he's composing some crazy classical music.

You just gave me hope in the world again!!

I share this same opinion (though I love Naked City, Moonchild Project and the file-card pieces), his classical is not only his best but also some of my favorite contemporary classical music, for many reasons :beer:

Vivaldi's The Four Seasons is exquisite.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pantrimance (Post 1860739)

Vivaldi's The Four Seasons is exquisite.

Aids

Quote:

The Unanswered Question is scored for three groups: a string ensemble, a solo trumpet, and a woodwind quartet. The groups play in independent tempos and are placed in such a way that they might not be able to see each other; the strings play offstage.

Ives provided a short text by which to interpret the work, giving it a narrative as in program music. Throughout the piece the strings sustain slow tonal triads that, according to Ives, represent "The Silence of the Druids—who Know, See and Hear Nothing". Against this background, the trumpet poses a nontonal phrase seven times—"The Perennial Question of Existence"—to which the woodwinds "answer" the first six times in an increasingly erratic way. Ives wrote that the woodwinds' answers represented "Fighting Answerers" who, after a time, "realize a futility and begin to mock 'The Question'" before finally disappearing, leaving "The Question" to be asked once more before "The Silences" are left to their "Undisturbed Solitude".

The strings twice repeat a pianissimo thirteen-bar progression, so slowly it has a static feel. It uses voice leading, passing tones, and ornamental notes in a manner reminiscent of a hymn or chorale. After the repetition, the strings' part varies in subtle ways that are difficult for the listener to detect. In contrast to this ever-changing but seemingly regular "Silence", the trumpet repeats the same "Question." It is the woodwinds' atonal answers that change in obvious ways, growing increasingly agitated and dissonant. After the woodwinds finally give up, the trumpet poses the question quietly one last time.

So the real question here is: What is the question?

Dude, THIS is where **** get serious

Ives is amazing, he wrote some very avant garde stuff for his time (and wrote more extreme music before the other 20th century mavericks got their **** together)