Behold, the Sea.

[vandermolen]

Here is your chance ( ) to discuss any work you like inspired by the Sea. My current favourite is 'Sinfonia del Mare' (Symphony No.3, 1946-48) by the Swedish composer, Gosta Nystroem(1890-1966), a hauntingly atmospheric work with some absolutely lovely, soulful sections. It is scored for soprano and orchestra, with the soprano singing Ebba Lundquist's poem 'The Only Thing'. There are, at least, three recordings on CD.

Another favourites is Frank Bridge's 'The Sea' and, of course Debussy's 'La Mer', with which I am probably over familiar - although it tends to sound very different, depending on the interpretation, my favourites being the recordings by Boulez, Barbirolli and Ansermet. Alan Rawsthorne's film music for 'The Cruel Sea', also contains some very evocative sea music.
[asin]B0051MQ6BY[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

I cannot help reverting to an old sentimental favorite: Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, whose first movement of course is The Sea and Sinbad's Ship.

[madaboutmahler]

I cannot help reverting to an old sentimental favorite: Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, whose first movement of course is The Sea and Sinbad's Ship.

+1. And what a climax in the finale! Full of imagery. I always find the recovery from the climax to represent the waves of the sea slowly becoming more calm as well, with the lilting feel....

The sea certainly inspires me, as I wrote in my 'Seascapes'.

[North Star]

My current favourite would probably be Britten's Sea Interludes from Grimes. And obviously Ravel's Une barque sur l'océan

[vandermolen]

I cannot help reverting to an old sentimental favorite: Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, whose first movement of course is The Sea and Sinbad's Ship.

An excellent point Karl and Sheherazade, in its Chicago SO, Reiner, RCA manifestation, was my first ever classical LP when I was about 14.

[vandermolen]

My current favourite would probably be Britten's Sea Interludes from Grimes. And obviously Ravel's Une barque sur l'océan

I also like the Sea Interludes - especially in the Previn EMI recording.

This is a fine 'Sea Music' CD:
[asin]B000000AEQ[/asin]

[relm1]

I adore these two epic choral orchestral contemporaneous works - Vaughan Williams symphony no. 1 "a sea symphony" and Vitezslav Novaks "The Storm".  Both these glorious, vivid, epic choral works tells the story of humanity's ceaseless battle against and hunger for the sea, and uses these images as a metaphor for the circle of life.  Recommended recordings are EMI/Haitink for Vaughn Willaims and Saraphon/Kosler for Novak. 

[vandermolen]

I adore these two epic choral orchestral contemporary works - Vaughan Williams symphony no. 1 "a sea symphony" and Vitezslav Novaks "The Storm".  Both these glorious, vivid, epic choral works tells the story of humanity's ceaseless battle against and hunger for the sea, and uses these images as a metaphor for the circle of life.  Recommended recordings are Haitink for VW and Kosler for Novak.

The title of the thread comes from the VW. I have known 'A Sea Symphony' for c40 years but only recently come to appreciate it. What did it for me was the Haitink recording on EMI. I found the last movement, in particular, more moving than ever before and have not looked back since.

How could I have forgotten Novak's 'The Storm'! One of the greatest 20th century choral/orchestral works, which after epic tribulations arrives at a spiritual catharsis which I find overwhelming. I gather that it was commissioned by the town of Brno, which is further from the sea than any other town in Europe! We badly need a more modern recording although the two Supraphon versions are fine.

[Karl Henning]

The title of the thread comes from the VW. I have known 'A Sea Symphony' for c40 years but only recently come to appreciate it. What did it for me was the Haitink recording on EMI...

Très cool, Jeffrey!

[TheGSMoeller]

Yep. 'Behold the Sea' is my answer. In fact, I initially thought this thread was dedicated to RVW's 1st symphony before I entered. The music is grand to begin with, and Whitman's text is what gets the imagination wheels turning.

The ending...

O my brave soul!
O farther farther sail!
O daring joy, but safe! are they not all the seas of God?
O farther, farther, farther sail!

And the piece does just that, it fades away as if watching the boat sail further and further into the sea.

[Karl Henning]

Yep. 'Behold the Sea' is my answer. In fact, I initially thought this thread was dedicated to RVW's 1st symphony before I entered.

Objection: Leading the witness, your honor! : )

[Cato]

A dark horse some might not think of immediately by Bernard Herrmann:

[asin]B0001LYE00[/asin]

Actually, I guess this would be more of a dark seahorse!   0:)

[snyprrr]

I also like the Sea Interludes - especially in the Previn EMI recording.

This is a fine 'Sea Music' CD:
[asin]B000000AEQ[/asin]

BUT WAIT!! THERE"S MORE!!:

http://www.amazon.com/Seascapes-Felix-1-Mendelssohn/dp/B000000A8T/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1369756623&sr=1-4&keywords=bax+britten+bridge+chandos

Isn't THIS!! the All-Time Award Winning Sea CD? And no one has mentioned 'The Oceanides'.

Honegger's 'The Tempest' is fun.

Xenakis actually has a piece of authentic 'Water Music', 'Eridanos' (one of the Four Rivers), that illustrates many musical functions of water.


And I have a weakness for the 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', with it's submarine reverb hit.


And, frankly, 'Jaws' has a CLASSIC 'Nautical' Theme,... just listening to the part that starts with the quick harp chords (Eb-A), and the strings bring out what I call the 'Sailboats Racing on the Bay' Theme (lots of variations in 'Jaws II').

Roussel wrote extremely good 'Nautical' Music.

And the one Sallinen Symphony (New Zealand Islands?, or the other one, 'New Directions'?).






What music do they always play every time a giant tidal wave is going to hit the city in the movies?

[Karl Henning]

What music do they always play every time a giant tidal wave is going to hit the city in the movies?

"Maple Leaf Rag"?

[Elgarian]

I cannot help reverting to an old sentimental favorite: Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, whose first movement of course is The Sea and Sinbad's Ship.

Oh yes. Good call!

At another end of the spectrum is Elgar's song cycle Sea Pictures. We usually manage to take a break by the sea at Lyme Regis once or twice a year, in an apartment with a balcony from which almost nothing but sea can be seen. Janet Baker's version of Sea Pictures always goes with us, and it's a perfect accompaniment to the view on a clear morning.

[AnthonyAthletic]

40 minutes of fine Sea~ness

[asin]B00000464Z[/asin]
Paul Gilson's a real favourite.

[vandermolen]

Thanks very much for very interesting replies. The opening of Zemlinsky's 'The Mermaid' comes to mind as does Grace Williams's 'Sea Sketches'.

[AnthonyAthletic]

There is another Debussy piece that evokes the sea -  La cathedrale engloutie

Beautiful work.

[Christo]

For me, another contender is Jūra (The Sea) by Lithuanian painter-composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. I have a number of recordings but found (when I still found time to play music  ) Vladimir Fedoseyev conducting the USSR RT SO among the best (there must be better recordings availabel from the last decade; I haven't been in Vilnius or Lithuania for over ten years).

Bought this recording with Gintaras Rinkevičius and the Lithuanian State SO on my last visit - here on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQeub39T-9c

[Cato]

Along those lines would be Korngold's Sea Hawk.

Aarrr, mateys!   

Another dark (sea)horse: Mahler's Second Symphony, Movement III, which has always sounded like a sea chantey to me!  It is based on the "Fish Sermon of Saint Anthony Song" composed by Mahler.