Hot for Sextets!!

[owlice]

Threads like this drive me crazy, because they make me realize how much music I'm missing.

So much music, so little time....

[kishnevi]

What's wrong with the Penderecki? Its one of the best chamber pieces written in decades.

It's an interesting thing, although in the scale of things that impact on the universe and  human history, an utterly trivial thing, that with the bizarre* exception of Bach (and Glenn Gould, I think) there is absolutely nothing James likes in music which I like, and apparently vice versa--our musical tastes seem to be polar opposites.  Even when I like something from the 20th century,  his special stomping ground, it turns out to be a composer who doesn't appeal to him (unless he likes composers like Corigliano and Adams, to whom I've never heard him refer in one way or another)..

Mind you, that's not meant to be negative about James--just a rather extreme example of  chacun a son gout (or as I prefer to say in a musical context, chaconne a son gout).

*Bizarre in the sense that there's no discernible reason our preferences should converge at all, much less with Bach.

At any rate,  Josquin's description of the Penderecki sextet is rather close to my view of it.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

At any rate,  Josquin's description of the Penderecki sextet is rather close to my view of it.

Mine too. It's kind of a strange case, because even in other Penderecki pieces I like (which are rather numerous), there are usually clunky or meandering sections which suggest he doesn't have a total grasp on his material. But in the Sextet, everything goes right for some reason.

[mszczuj]

Poulenc.

That was my first thought but snyprrr wanted some strings for the beginning.

[Josquin des Prez]

Mine too. It's kind of a strange case, because even in other Penderecki pieces I like (which are rather numerous), there are usually clunky or meandering sections which suggest he doesn't have a total grasp on his material. But in the Sextet, everything goes right for some reason.

Pretty much. Penderecki is rather inconsistent. Some pieces are perfect from start to finish, others, are somewhat more varied in quality. Maybe he should have focused more on his music career instead of collecting threes.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Pretty much. Penderecki is rather inconsistent. Some pieces are perfect from start to finish, others, are somewhat more inconsistent. Maybe he should have focused more on his music career instead of collecting threes.

Well a sextet is a "collection of threes" (2 of them, to be precise) so in that case it worked out pretty well...oh wait, do you mean "trees"?

I think he should write more chamber music, and not so much grandiose orchestral stuff.

[Luke]

Seeing as how this has clearly veered away from strings only, there really can only be one answer. Best Sextet Ever is obviously Janacek's Mladi.  The most joyous, wistful, gorgeous, lovable music in the world, it is an absolute masterpiece.

[Josquin des Prez]

Well a sextet is a "collection of threes" (2 of them, to be precise) so in that case it worked out pretty well...oh wait, do you mean "trees"?

I think he should write more chamber music, and not so much grandiose orchestral stuff.

Bleh, that doesn't even qualify as a Freudian slip.

Yes, i meant trees. For those who didn't catch the reference, Penderecki has a large collection of trees (i think they number in the tens of thousands now), and he stated in one interview that he now prefers this peculiar hobby over composing music.

[snyprrr]

Seeing as how this has clearly veered away from strings only, there really can only be one answer. Best Sextet Ever is obviously Janacek's Mladi.  The most joyous, wistful, gorgeous, lovable music in the world, it is an absolute masterpiece.

Good one!

[snyprrr]

I definitely want to restate the worth of the Pfitzner mixed ensemble work.