best classical melodies in the XX century?

escher · August 03, 2011, 02:35:34 AM

Please i don't want suggestions like "Poulenc/Gershwin wrote a lot of great melodies", i'd prefer to see the precise titles of your favorites, and if it's a melody from a large work it would be great to single out where that melody is. And a link on youtube would not be bad at all.

Grazioso · August 03, 2011, 04:25:13 AM

pjme · August 03, 2011, 10:58:09 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-RZ9RxQYW4

Irresistible: Erland von Koch's Nordic capriccio.

P.

jowcol · August 03, 2011, 02:24:25 PM

My brain would melt just coming up with examples from Prokofiev.

eyeresist · August 03, 2011, 06:43:23 PM

There were so many fine melodies written in the first half of the century that I think listing them would be a massive project. But perhaps a representative one might be the 18th variation from Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

escher · August 03, 2011, 11:34:28 PM

Quote from: jowcol on August 03, 2011, 02:24:25 PM
My brain would melt just coming up with examples from Prokofiev.

Please i don't want suggestions like "Poulenc/Gershwin wrote a lot of great melodies"

come on jowcol, i'm really interested in a selection of prokofiev's melodies

escher · August 03, 2011, 11:38:26 PM

Quote from: Grazioso on August 03, 2011, 04:25:13 AM
Pardon me while I clean up: my brain just melted thinking of the possibilities...
...

Many more where those came from if you're interested.

thank you grazioso (and eyeresist and pjime too obviously, i've never heard of Von Koch)

Grazioso · August 04, 2011, 04:49:33 AM

springrite · August 04, 2011, 04:54:49 AM

Salome Final Scene stands out for me.

Also:

Opening of the Alban Berg Violin Concerto!

First theme (row?) of the Alban Berg Chamber Music for Piano, Violin and 13 Winds!

North Star · August 04, 2011, 07:28:13 AM

Lethevich · August 04, 2011, 07:41:20 AM

I second Vaughan Williams - he is unfairly known as a serial quoter of folk-tunes in his orchestral music, but he in fact rarely did this, and the folkish quality of his original themes derives from the use of the same tonal system as some of the pieces that he also transcribed. The secondary theme in the first movement of his 6th symphony is often assumed to be a folk-tune, such is its beauty, but it is an original theme.

I would include: Symphony No.5 (all, but esp mvmt I), No.6 mvmt I, The Lark Ascending, Norfolk Rhapsody No.1. If you consider the piece a series of semi-variations on a theme, then his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is one of the more striking melodic works of the century. As un-cool as large oratorios are nowadays, even the first few minutes of his Sea Symphony are incredibly striking.

Others: Sibelius 100%, although like Mahler some of the early works are only barely 20th century. Symphony No.3 mvmt II, No.2 mvmt IV, No.5 mvmt I, even his late "chaste" tone poems such as The Bard I can hum almost the entire duration of.

Britten is another: the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Simple Symphony, Variations & Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Four Sea Interludes, etc, all retain marginal repertoire status for their inspired melodies alone (although I think that there is far more than simple melody to the success of Britten's most popular compositions).

Mirror Image · August 04, 2011, 07:54:32 AM

Villa-Lobos wrote some incredibly nice melodies. A few examples:

Choros No. 11 for piano and orchestra
Choros No. 9
Forest of the Amazon
All of the of the Bachianas Brasilieiras
Genesis
Uirapuru
Discovery of Brazil Suites (particularly Suite No. 4)

And so many more...

escher · August 06, 2011, 05:20:51 AM

Quote from: Grazioso on August 04, 2011, 04:49:33 AM
Included some Prokofiev, one of music's great tunesmiths:

i didn't know the Scherzo Fantastique of Suk, the Korngold's symphony, the Atterberg symphony and not even the piano concerto of Shostakovic. Very nice discoveries.

Quote from: Grazioso on August 04, 2011, 04:49:33 AM
More if you want them...

of course

techniquest · August 06, 2011, 11:48:52 PM

I'd like to nominate the following as examples of excellent 20th century classical melodies:

http://youtu.be/ctsWdUaHsHM (Prokofiev - Peter & the Wolf March)
http://youtu.be/CJQJOs7ax0I (Khachaturian - Masquerade waltz
http://youtu.be/86v05kSTZ3Y (Khachaturian - Adagio from Spartacus)
http://youtu.be/uNYGg1B1lPk (Arnold - Concerto for 2 pianos, finale)

Rinaldo · August 07, 2011, 02:11:29 AM

Cpt. Obvious votes for: Boléro.

And speaking of Ravel, I love the little theme that his Menuet antique keeps coming back to.

Mirror Image · August 07, 2011, 10:03:51 PM

Barber wrote some of the greatest melodies of the 20th Century I think. A few examples:

Violin Concerto - opening of the second movement, which is one of the poignant melodies I've ever heard
Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Adagio for Strings
School for Scandal Overture
Canzonetta for Oboe and Strings (unfinished, but contains some remarkable melodies)
Madea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance

North Star · August 09, 2011, 07:46:53 AM

Captain Obvious missed this one: Elgar: Nimrod from the Enigma Variations

notesetter · August 09, 2011, 03:18:45 PM

Slow movements from the following symphonies:

Prokofiev Classical Symphony and 4th (op. 112)
Hanson 2nd 'Romantic', 3rd and 4th (last movement)
Mahler 5th (Adagietto) and 6th

Guido · August 09, 2011, 03:54:29 PM

First person that sprang to mind is Barber. For pure melodic beauty the Violin Concerto, but beautiful melody is a hallmark of his work. Both the first and second movements are crammed with them. His songs are also extraordinary in this regard.

best classical melodies in the XX century?

pjme

eyeresist

Mirror Image

Mirror Image