Guide to classical music

[Henk]

I have an idea.

Let's take this forum literally. Let's make a guide to classical music.

The approach:
Write a passionate little review about a piece of music that you like very much. Consequently we can gather all those reviews. That forms the basis of our guide. Next we write something about the genres in classical music and we structure these reviews in somekind of order.

The goal:
All together we have much knowledge about good classical music, but it's spread out among all members. We can join our efforts of searching for the best music to create this guide as a bundling of knowledge. Isn't this a great project, that everyone here could benefit from? The guide can also be a good starting point for laymen. It can be printed by a publisher and be sold at stores or in libraries or similar kind of places. Also probably lectures can be given with the help of the knowledge gathered in this guide.

What do you think?

[EigenUser]

I like this a lot. I'll be here posting (and reading) a lot, I expect. I hope other people do as well.

[North Star]

Very nice idea indeed. Of course, lots of similar writing exists in other parts of the forum already, so gathering them here could be a good idea, too.

[Marc]

Short reaction:

Nice idea indeed.

Check this out: go to the the homepage of this site (http://www.good-music-guide.com/index.htm), and then you'll notice that the administrator already had more or less the same ideas many years ago.

For instance, he created a review 'subdivision': http://www.good-music-guide.com/reviews/index.htm.
Unfortunately, the supply dried up already in late 2005.

So, maybe it's an idea for 'our man' in Canberra to join this discussion/idea, and somehow breathe new life into subdivisions like these?

[Ken B]

DIBS on Four Saints in Three Acts DIBS, DIBS DIBS!
So totally dibsed.

[Henk]

I hope Rob will join this discussion. I don't want to get the honours for this project. The ones who get the honours are the ones who do the writings, and if we all contribute we all get a little bit of honour.

I think three basic elements can drive the content of the guide:
1. reviews of works and recordings
2. writings of composers
3. writings of genres and styles

Subsequently we can create three threads accordingly to these elements (with indexes of the writings in the first post). Members can write texts in these threads directly, but in order to stimulate this, moderators can search for all ready written texts and copy them to these threads and then can ask members to complete these texts to be suitable for the guide. I would like to do this as a moderator with one or two other members.

When we do this already quickly texts can be generated. After this there needs to be some editing and certain members can be asked to write some additional text (technical, something about classical music in general). The editing and who will to this is of later concern.

I think even we can offer some recordings with the guide. When the music only contains a certain movement of a composition, I think labels are interested. It then gets a kind of promotional character and the benefit for us is that we can offer a varied and well-balanced program of classical music.

[Henk]

Short reaction:

Nice idea indeed.

Check this out: go to the the homepage of this site (http://www.good-music-guide.com/index.htm), and then you'll notice that the administrator already had more or less the same ideas many years ago.

For instance, he created a review 'subdivision': http://www.good-music-guide.com/reviews/index.htm.
Unfortunately, the supply dried up already in late 2005.

So, maybe it's an idea for 'our man' in Canberra to join this discussion/idea, and somehow breathe new life into subdivisions like these?

I think the works of a composer should be in the forefront, because recordings are fastly outdated by new recordings. I think for this reason these two things should be seperated in the texts.

[Ken B]

I think the works of a composer should be in the forefront, because recordings are fastly outdated by new recordings. I think for this reason these two things should be seperated in the texts.

Good idea. Also avoids the conductor preference wars that would bore or turn off a newcomer.

[Henk]

I'm gonna write the guide. I have too much time. I will use texts which I find here if that's ok with everyone. I will try to mantain the enthousiasm typical of GMG.

What I want however is to track which compositions we think will pass the test of time. So therefor I would like to poll.

[Ken B]

I'm gonna write the guide. I have too much time. I will use texts which I find here if that's ok with everyone. I will try to mantain the enthousiasm typical of GMG.

What I want however is to track which compositions we think will pass the test of time. So therefor I would like to poll.

Strongly oppose a poll! We want not just the standard repertoire but personal takes on by ways.

[EigenUser]

Strongly oppose a poll! We want not just the standard repertoire but personal takes on by ways.

Agreed (with due respect to Henk, of course!). There are so many works that got me interested in classical music, but almost none are things that might show up on a poll. It's easy to find a guide on Brahms 2 or Beethoven 7, though I'm certain infinitely more can be said about these great works. On the other hand, it isn't so easy (if possible) to find a decent guide to Bartok's 1st piano concerto, Debussy's "Jeux", or Ligeti's "San Francisco Polyphony". Why don't we just have this thread somehow "stickied" to the beginners section and add decent write-ups for whatever pieces we wish? Maybe there could be a separate thread for comments on this thread so that people can read continuously. I suppose that could get somewhat complicated, but it would be nice.

The idea as presented by Henk in the original post is great. Yes, there are bits and pieces scattered throughout the GMG forum, but it gets difficult to keep track of. Also, as a relatively new member, I will say that I came across GMG several times while looking for information on specific pieces. Eventually after seeing the "Mystery Score" thread I decided to join. This could potentially bring in many new people as well as serve as a place for information.

[Henk]

This is not gonna work. I'll do a different proposal.

[North Star]

Polling compositions that will 'last the test of time' might not be such a great idea - better to ask everyone for 1 (or 2, 3, 4 or 5) suggestions. You can always choose to ignore James' votes and copy/paste writings...
And I agree, this kind of thing is much more useful if it focuses on works that haven't been written about so much.

[Ten thumbs]

This idea could be useful as most standard guides are written by conventional people, who trot out conventional ideas and do not want to think outside of any boxes.

[Ken B]

Polling compositions that will 'last the test of time' might not be such a great idea - better to ask everyone for 1 (or 2, 3, 4 or 5) suggestions. You can always choose to ignore James' votes and copy/paste writings...
And I agree, this kind of thing is much more useful if it focuses on works that haven't been written about so much.

Mostly concentrates on particular pieces that someone loves and can write a brief note on saying why. Gotta avoid the stuffy must hear list. If you get people listening at all they will hear the other stuff eventually.
When I was in radio one woman told me she never paid classical much mind until she flipped past my broadcast of a Bruckner symphony and listened. Seems like an odd trigger piece but it worked for her.