The Classical Chat Thread

[EigenUser]

I had a good idea today. I have a digital piano that I take with me to college, but since I'm home now it we have that piano plus the regular upright at our house. A friend of mine who is quite good (far better than I am) often comes over and we move the digital piano into the living room so we can play stuff for two pianos. We forgot to move it back last time (takes two people to lift), so now it is just sitting there because I haven't yet asked my dad to help (and my mom hasn't complained yet about the living room being a mess with two pianos -- that will come soon enough though ).

So, I recorded the orchestra part of the beginning of the Ravel G major PC on the digital piano (it has a record/memory/playback feature). Then, I played the solo part on the acoustic piano at the same time! It was amusing. I made it through the fast opening, but I stopped around the slow solo piano blues section. I need to try this with more pieces.

[Ken B]

I had a good idea today. I have a digital piano that I take with me to college, but since I'm home now it we have that piano plus the regular upright at our house. A friend of mine who is quite good (far better than I am) often comes over and we move the digital piano into the living room so we can play stuff for two pianos. We forgot to move it back last time (takes two people to lift), so now it is just sitting there because I haven't yet asked my dad to help (and my mom hasn't complained yet about the living room being a mess with two pianos -- that will come soon enough though ).

So, I recorded the orchestra part of the beginning of the Ravel G major PC on the digital piano (it has a record/memory/playback feature). Then, I played the solo part on the acoustic piano at the same time! It was amusing. I made it through the fast opening, but I stopped around the slow solo piano blues section. I need to try this with more pieces.

Very cool. You ever see the old music minus discs? They always struck me as brutally unforgiving. Your timing has to be faultless. Anyone who can play that accurately doesn't need music minus one!

[jochanaan]

Very cool. You ever see the old music minus discs? They always struck me as brutally unforgiving. Your timing has to be faultless. Anyone who can play that accurately doesn't need music minus one!

Oh, I remember Music Minus One!  Yeah, they were good for making you listen and adjust to your "accompaniment."  But I soon came to prefer "live" accompaniment because you could adjust to each other.

[Ken B]

Oh, I remember Music Minus One!  Yeah, they were good for making you listen and adjust to your "accompaniment."  But I soon came to prefer "live" accompaniment because you could adjust to each other.

That has to be a large part of the fun of chamber music.

[EigenUser]

Very cool. You ever see the old music minus discs? They always struck me as brutally unforgiving. Your timing has to be faultless. Anyone who can play that accurately doesn't need music minus one!

Yeah, it is tricky. Especially entering after a cadenza, which almost always take a variable amount of time (when I was learning the Mendelssohn VC with MMO that was annoying). I have a record (LP) of Schubert "Trout" quintet MMO that my former violin teacher gave me (missing the violin part).

Reminds me of a viola joke. What is the most popular recording of the Berlioz Harold in Italy? Music Minus One.

[Ken B]

Yeah, it is tricky. Especially entering after a cadenza, which almost always take a variable amount of time (when I was learning the Mendelssohn VC with MMO that was annoying). I have a record (LP) of Schubert "Trout" quintet MMO that my former violin teacher gave me (missing the violin part).

Reminds me of a viola joke. What is the most popular recording of the Berlioz Harold in Italy? Music Minus One.

Ha! So viola jokes : violinists as engineer jokes : mathematicians!

[EigenUser]

Ha! So viola jokes : violinists as engineer jokes : mathematicians!

Not quite... Viola jokes : everyone as engineer jokes : mathematicians. You've never heard of viola jokes?? They're all over the place!
http://web.mit.edu/jcb/www/viola-jokes.html

Some favorites:
Why do violists stand for long periods outside people's houses?
They can't find the key and they don't know when to come in.

How was the canon invented?
Two violists were trying to play the same passage together.

What is the definition of a cluster chord?
A viola section playing on the C string.

What's the difference between the first and last desk of a viola section?
-half a measure
-a semi-tone

A violist and a 'cellist were standing on a sinking ship. "Help!" cried the 'cellist, "I can't swim!"
"Don't worry," said the violist, "just fake it."

[EigenUser]

Recent score purchases from various music stores and eBay (not all, but the ones that could fit in one picture). Especially happy to have Stravinsky's Agon, Mahler 1, and Debussy's Jeux.

[North Star]

Very cool, Nate!
Some are a bit hard to read (what is the Schumann?), apart from the picture appearing upside down, but I guess that Symphony No. 94 is Haydn. 

[EigenUser]

Very cool, Nate!
Some are a bit hard to read (what is the Schumann?), apart from the picture appearing upside down, but I guess that Symphony No. 94 is Haydn. 

Yeah, the pictures sometimes appear upside-down and I can't figure out how to fix it. I even edited the image so that it was upside-down to begin with and it still shows upside-down on GMG! If I right-click "view image" then it shows correctly, but you said that doesn't work for you.

-Haydn 94, 101, 104 (who else?)
-Beethoven 9
-Schumann PC
-Mahler 1
-Debussy Images, Jeux, and The Martyrdom of Saint-Sebastian
-Mendelssohn Hebrides
-Ravel L'heure Espagnole
-Stravinsky Agon and Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra

[Ken B]

Yeah, the pictures sometimes appear upside-down and I can't figure out how to fix it.

Not a structural engineer I hope.

[EigenUser]

My cousin and his wife are having a baby this coming October. Since I go to visit them often I figured I would get a baby gift. There are a lot of classical albums for babies, but many of them are synthesized! Why would they do this?? Perhaps to save money on performance royalties/rights, I guess.

By the way, I don't buy the "Mozart effect" thing, but I do remember really enjoying music (in particular, classical music -- mostly what I'd later discover to be baroque) when I was very young.

One series with real performances that got good reviews was this:

[Florestan]

My cousin and his wife are having a baby this coming October. Since I go to visit them often I figured I would get a baby gift. There are a lot of classical albums for babies, but many of them are synthesized! Why would they do this?? Perhaps to save money on performance royalties/rights, I guess.

By the way, I don't buy the "Mozart effect" thing, but I do remember really enjoying music (in particular, classical music -- mostly what I'd later discover to be baroque) when I was very young.

One series with real performances that got good reviews was this:

Baby needs love.

(I am the father of a 1-year-4-month son.)

[North Star]

Does your cousin and/or his wife like classical music? If they don't, it's probably not a good idea. Except 'Baby needs Berg', that's too hilarious. You should burn them a compilation, and include the ending of Lulu, the Chamber Concerto, and other choice material.
You should add Baby needs Xenakis, Baby needs Varèse, Baby needs Leifs, Baby needs Webern, Baby needs Bartók, and Baby needs Ligeti to the series, though.

[Pat B]

That's a good one, Nate! The photo is perfect.

[Ken B]

My cousin and his wife are having a baby this coming October. Since I go to visit them often I figured I would get a baby gift. There are a lot of classical albums for babies, but many of them are synthesized! Why would they do this?? Perhaps to save money on performance royalties/rights, I guess.

By the way, I don't buy the "Mozart effect" thing, but I do remember really enjoying music (in particular, classical music -- mostly what I'd later discover to be baroque) when I was very young.

One series with real performances that got good reviews was this:

Greg has met his match.

[EigenUser]

Does your cousin and/or his wife like classical music? If they don't, it's probably not a good idea. Except 'Baby needs Berg', that's too hilarious. You should burn them a compilation, and include the ending of Lulu, the Chamber Concerto, and other choice material.
You should add Baby needs Xenakis, Baby needs Varèse, Baby needs Leifs, Baby needs Webern, Baby needs Bartók, and Baby needs Ligeti to the series, though.

Berg's Op. 1 might work. Might. That's all I can think of. The ChC? Really?? Maybe parts of the VC.

Let's see, Baby Needs Ligeti. Which works of his output would be most suitable for infants? Yes, I know, probably none, but comparatively speaking? (Okay, I know, still none, but let's pretend we have to make a list):
-1st movement of Concert Romanesc -- but that's cheating!
-Lux Aeterna comes to mind
-So does Clocks and Clouds, but that might be a bit too profound
-An excerpt from the opening of the 2nd movement of the Violin Concerto
-The piano etudes Arc-en-ciel (sounds like a music box) and En Suspens, also the 7th piece from Musica Ricercata (the latter might seriously work)
-Melodien is a nicely flowing work with very few surprises -- I find it makes great background music, so a baby probably would, too!
-Oh, I know! The beautiful 6th song Kersedes from the cycle Sippal, Dobbal, Nadihegeduvel. Also would likely work.

Webern actually wrote a piece for kids for the piano! I was going to pick Bartok, but he did write several pieces for children (unlike the Webern, they would actually appeal to children).

Baby Needs Stockhausen?? He did write Tierkreis (originally for music box) and Gesang der Junglinge. Baby Needs Gruppen!

The reason I think that it is a good idea (the normal ones, not the joke ones!) is because they do enjoy classical music and have been to the symphony. They even went to see an open rehearsal once -- his wife liked it and found it interesting, but my cousin didn't "because he (conductor) kept stopping them!" (not that he was surprised, though). But, they are certainly not avid listeners. If they were, I wouldn't bother because they'd already have their own albums and it would be pointless. Besides, it is a gift that they would associate with me since they know how much I like music. I like to try to get gifts that people 1) will like, and 2) will look at years later and think "only Nathan would get something like that." When receiving gifts, that is what I like as well (not something generic).

I suppose it's only a matter of time before Paavo makes his appearance.

[North Star]

Berg's Op. 1 might work. Might. That's all I can think of. The ChC? Really?? Maybe parts of the VC.

Well, I wasn't entirely serious. 

Let's see, Baby Needs Ligeti. Which works of his output would be most suitable for infants? Yes, I know, probably none, but comparatively speaking? (Okay, I know, still none, but let's pretend we have to make a list):
-1st movement of Concert Romanesc -- but that's cheating!
-Lux Aeterna comes to mind
-So does Clocks and Clouds, but that might be a bit too profound
-An excerpt from the opening of the 2nd movement of the Violin Concerto
-The piano etudes Arc-en-ciel (sounds like a music box) and En Suspens, also the 7th piece from Musica Ricercata (the latter might seriously work)
-Melodien is a nicely flowing work with very few surprises -- I find it makes great background music, so a baby probably would, too!
-Oh, I know! The beautiful 6th song Kersedes from the cycle Sippal, Dobbal, Nadihegeduvel. Also would likely work.

Webern actually wrote a piece for kids for the piano! I was going to pick Bartok, but he did write several pieces for children (unlike the Webern, they would actually appeal to children).

Baby Needs Stockhausen?? He did write Tierkreis (originally for music box) and Gesang der Junglinge. Baby Needs Gruppen!

The reason I think that it is a good idea (the normal ones, not the joke ones!) is because they do enjoy classical music and have been to the symphony. They even went to see an open rehearsal once -- his wife liked it and found it interesting, but my cousin didn't "because he (conductor) kept stopping them!" (not that he was surprised, though). But, they are certainly not avid listeners. If they were, I wouldn't bother because they'd already have their own albums and it would be pointless. Besides, it is a gift that they would associate with me since they know how much I like music. I like to try to get gifts that people 1) will like, and 2) will look at years later and think "only Nathan would get something like that." When receiving gifts, that is what I like as well (not something generic).

I suppose it's only a matter of time before Paavo makes his appearance.

Really, all the more experimental music might go down very well as the baby / child isn't familiar with any music, and thus doesn't expect it to be tonal, let alone in sonata form.

[EigenUser]

Really, all the more experimental music might go down very well as the baby / child isn't familiar with any music, and thus doesn't expect it to be tonal, let alone in sonata form.

True. It's funny, because when I was looking through these I was starting to get irritated like I usually do when I see selections that are too common (you know, Spring, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, etc.) and then it hit me: this is for a baby -- they haven't heard any music before, so it is all new to them.

[North Star]

True. It's funny, because when I was looking through these I was starting to get irritated like I usually do when I see selections that are too common (you know, Spring, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, etc.) and then it hit me: this is for a baby -- they haven't heard any music before, so it is all new to them.

Some Vivaldi wouldn't hurt, as long as it's not the Four Seasons, as the baby will not need any help to hear that..