Cheerful fast paced pieces

[Ten thumbs]

Two piano pieces that are very fast and exhilarating to play:

Heller Prelude Op.150 No.20

Hensel Melody Op3/4 No.5

[pjme]

MERRY EYE BY HERBERT HOWELLS !!!!!!


From Musicweb:

By The Christian Science Monitor Special Correspondent



LONDON, England - Merry Eye, a new composition by Herbert Howells was produced at the Queens Hall Promenade Concert on September 30, the composer himself conducting. It is what may be called a big-little work, and possesses qualities which pique the listener's attention. Short as to length, delicately handled, and scored for a small orchestra, it achieves a music effect as if it were a symphonic poem. Upon the surface it appears to be light music; beneath there runs a vein of deep seriousness. The number of instruments employed looks small but it sounds wonderfully full and soft. Out of the resources of two flutes, one piccolo, two clarinets, two bassoons, three horns, percussion, piano and strings, HH has produced a score which for skill and beauty of color could hold its own beside anything by Debussy or Stravinsky.

The work itself however is English; merry, pathetic, lively or wistful in turn. Its full story is only divulged by the music, never in words, though the composer does go so far as to say in his note: "This piece has not necessarily a program; but if an idea of such be entertained, it can be supposed that the listener meets with an average-type character out of the domain of folklore - called "Merry-Eye" - who reveals more about himself and his personality than folklore itself ever tells of him or his kind. Much that he relates is true to his name and to such part of his history as is common reading - public property; much else, on the other hand, contradicts this."

As in some of Howells' other works - notably the opening movement of the Piano Quartet in A minor - the first subject is of less importance than the second. Here in "Merry-Eye" the second subject takes the form of a lovely melody treated canonically. The work was well received and is to be given again at the Queen's Hall in the near future.



by Marion M Scott

[Karl Henning]

Hasn't Howells been dead some thirty year?  Where'd they find a "new composition"?

[Karl Henning]

Oh, and he conducted. That must be quite an old item.

[pjme]

indeed, an old item. But Merry eye is a real gem , whatever its age.

Votes again for Emmanuel Chabrier. Not to forget plenty of music by Poulenc and  Prokofiev.

John Adams must not be forgotten!

http://www.youtube.com/v/jdz5QOaqpbk

Hindemith's Kammermusik nr. 1 is a wonderful piece full of rumbustious and optimistic drive.

Here's the finale:

http://www.youtube.com/v/KNBZbeqyCrA

[Karl Henning]

John Adams must not be forgotten!

Oh, I've forgotten.

[pjme]

That's OK. At a certain age we all suffer....

Anyway, this (nearly forgoten?) lollipop makes me smile:

Henry Litolff - it is fastpaced and good humoured.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Tzc5ti-03PI

[Karl Henning]

That's OK. At a certain age we all suffer....

(* chortle *)

[Ten thumbs]

Bartok's Romanian folk dances

Op.8 are definitely good fun but too loud for my wife! I confess I haven't played them for some time.

[AdamFromWashington]

This movement from Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony is extremely cheerful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv67YkOWJNA

This part of Berio's Sinfonia always makes me happy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU-V2C4ryU

Kabalevsky's The Comedians is a lot of fun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGYdeXRCD1c

And finally we have Chavez's raucous Sinfonia India:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKoq4KOHUEU

Hope that helps. 

[Xenophanes]

The cheerfullest of them all has to be "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" from Handel's Solomon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ptVP_DEEq4

A good bit of Sibelius' Karelia Suite is lively enough. It always picks me up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZYbTLzdLW0

But many of Angèle Arsenault's songs are lively and happy, though often with a satirical kick. I can't find all my favorites on YT, but here's a few.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPZgDtkXQVA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JIYxjVKs9U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Gdd9JbJXo

[Rinaldo]

Oberek by Grażyna Bacewicz.

A particular chacona by Juan Arañés.

Nyman's Wheelbarrow Walk (I dislike Nyman but this is pure joy).

Part 12 of Music in Twelve Parts. The twelve-tone finale gets me every time.

[vandermolen]

How about Prokofiev's 'Classical Symphony'.

[kyjo]

Bernstein's Candide Overture. I'm currently playing this one in orchestra and I love it!

[mszczuj]

For me Farandole from Bizet L'Arlesienne is  the most mighty of the all cheerfull fast paced pieces.

[jochanaan]

Bernstein's Candide Overture. I'm currently playing this one in orchestra and I love it!

Yeah, I've played that several times.  How fast is your group taking it?  I've never been in a group that could play it quite up to Bernstein's markings...

[kyjo]

Yeah, I've played that several times.  How fast is your group taking it?  I've never been in a group that could play it quite up to Bernstein's markings...

We're taking it pretty damn fast! Don't know exactly how fast we're taking it, though. I actually don't think the piece benefits from an excessively swift tempo, as the more lyrical middle section sounds a bit rushed when we've been practicing it.

BTW, at rehearsal yesterday, we did an entire run-through of Khachaturian's Gayaneh: Suite no. 3. There are some fun parts, but the cello part is terribly simple and repetitive in parts. I especially feel sorry for the poor bass players!

[Karl Henning]

Bernstein's Candide Overture. I'm currently playing this one in orchestra and I love it!

Good fun! Another piece I "met" via band transcription.

[snyprrr]

Anything by Pettersson or Schnittke!

[Karl Henning]

Nielsen, Commotio for organ