Topic: Composer Recommendation

[PerfectWagnerite]

My favorite performance of Ma Vlast without a doubt. The reissue two-fer, though, sounds even better as DG used their Original-Bit-Processing technology to clean up the audio plus you get the symphonic poems and the orchestral excerpts from The Bartered Bride:

Yes the original is a bit glaring in spots as DG's recording back then is nowhere as good as DECCA or EMI. But the BSO really shows off their muscle here. I don't think I have heard a better central moonlit episode in The Moldau where the violins achieve a sort of pianissimo yet full of intensity that is not heard in any other recordings. And those trombones in the later 3 symphonic poems are just awesome.

You pretty much get an embarassment of riches with Kubelik as all three of his Ma Vlast (BSO, CSO and CPO) are wonderful and yet so different.

[vandermolen]

GLIÈRE: Symphony no.3 "Ilya Murometz"¨  JANÁČEK:  Taras Bulba

+1

[Monsieur Croche]

Carl Nielsen ~ Symphony No.4
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/NYrCiE7U0_0" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/NYrCiE7U0_0</a>

Sergei Prokofiev ~ Scythian Suite
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/pPYWZYhWuGw" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/pPYWZYhWuGw</a>

John Adams:
Harmonium for full chorus and large orchestra, final (3rd) movement -- Wild Nights
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/jRDTcrprBiQ" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/jRDTcrprBiQ</a>

Adams' Dharma at Big Sur, the second half, Sri Moonshine, of this concerto/concertante piece for six-stringed violin and orchestra is dance-like, and wends its way towards a stunning and hair-raising final climax.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/cfBbY-BlX-k" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/cfBbY-BlX-k</a>

P.s.
There is an earlier quip somewhere in this thread, I think meant to be witty, about Debussy's La Mer, which is a symphony in all but name.  The third movement finale of this does not play out as hammer you on the head 'epic,' while it is quietly tense and as quietly builds to what is its ultimate many layered turbulent and EPIC finish.  I doubt if I'm overestimating your ability to sit through, follow, and enjoy the five minutes and forty seconds into this movement before it starts to build up to that thrilling last climax.
Debussy ~ La Mer, third movement, Dialogue du vent et de la mer.
 -- @ 07:49 -- (great recording, the uploader has the third movement in the middle slot, out of normal order :-)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/-qyO6nhM79E" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/-qyO6nhM79E</a>

[Abuelo Igor]

You pretty much get an embarassment of riches with Kubelik as all three of his Ma Vlast (BSO, CSO and CPO) are wonderful and yet so different.

I have another one with the WP, in the Decca 65-disc collection, so maybe we should edit that to all four. 

[Gaspard de la nuit]

Why don't you try 'Church Windows' by Respighi which sounds like it should be the soundtrack to an epic film score - a super work.

Seconded!

[Ken B]

Hi all,

I'm trying to find classical music that has an 'epic' feel... I'm after some music that has that big, bombastic sound with a strong sense of melody.

Spartacus by Khatchaturian.

[Mirror Image]

Notice how the OP hasn't even responded to anyone here. I guess we scared them off with our with manic, obsessive personalities.

[vandermolen]

I guess we scared them off with our with manic, obsessive personalities.

Surely not 

[Cato]

Notice how the OP hasn't even responded to anyone here. I guess we scared them off with our with manic, obsessive personalities.

Surely not 

And topics like MahlerMania, Great Composers with Mental Disorders, Most Fatalistic, Pessimistic, Despairing Composers - not to mention over 300 pages for the works of Havergal Brian  - and one might have to admit the presence of some at least slightly eccentric personalities.

I will proudly admit to being one of them! 

[Monsieur Croche]

And topics like MahlerMania, Great Composers with Mental Disorders, Most Fatalistic, Pessimistic, Despairing Composers - not to mention over 300 pages for the works of Havergal Brian  - and one might have to admit the presence of some at least slightly eccentric personalities.

Ya think?

The listener's attention span for music may have had something to do with it, too.  When some first come to classical via exposure to only the "EpiC" genre of quasi-classical film score rep, I'm fond of pointing out that within the same duration of time it takes the mere introduction to Wagner's Ring to unfold, J.Williams underscoring of Harry Potter's round trip on the Hippogriffe, Buckbeak (complete, beginning, middle, end), would allow Harry and Buckbeak nearly two and a half (ca 2.57) complete round trips within the same span of time.

Some of us as kids or in our teens would have had, say, Prokofiev's Scythian Suite along with our breakfast.  Depending upon the musical exposure one has had prior coming to the classical rep, if you'd not yet heard the likes of Prokofiev's particular harmonic palette of "EpiC" in that piece, that on its own could be enough to spook some and send them away screaming in terror ;-) 


Best regards

[ahinton]

And topics like MahlerMania, Great Composers with Mental Disorders, Most Fatalistic, Pessimistic, Despairing Composers - not to mention over 300 pages for the works of Havergal Brian  - and one might have to admit the presence of some at least slightly eccentric personalities.

I will proudly admit to being one of them! 

And that's without even mention of Sorabji!...

[ahinton]

Hey you got a future Sorabjian over here, so no need to worry!   

Oh, I wasn't worried! - and that's good to hear, too!

[Monsieur Croche]

Hey you got a future Sorabjian over here, so no need to worry!   

That would preferably be a later version of Sorabji, i.e. (to paraphrase a quip penned by one of our GMG colleagues,) one who has more than 47 ardent followers and fans worldwide ;-)


Best regards