Your first classical 'hero'?

[Renfield]

Renfield,
   Thank you for your compliment. but I don't in any way consider myself "ancient". I will be 72 yrs of age in January, and I saw Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony (courtesy of my grandparents)when I was about 6-8 yrs of age (don't remember exactly). Living in NY, I then became very interested in the NBC under Toscanini. In my 20s, I worked at Tanglewood as a "gofer". That's how I met Munch, Monteux and Bernstein.  Rehearsals and press conferences were far more enlightening (and enjoyable) than were the actual concerts.

Still very impressive, to the eyes of a person born a year before Herbert von Karajan died (1988).

I can only know most of the musicians (especially conductors) I admire so much through old videos, indirect sources, and of course recordings. But in "in the flesh" is different: it alway is.

[Bogey]

[George]

Well said. 

[marvinbrown]

  I wonder where he's off to? To visit his "immortal beloved" perhaps??


  marvin

[Mark]

  I wonder where he's off to?

Somewhere where there's some real ice for him to skate on ...

[BachQ]

  I wonder where he's off to? To visit his "immortal beloved" perhaps??


  marvin

Marvin, he's off to see a Wagner opera .........

[marvinbrown]

Marvin, he's off to see a Wagner opera .........

  LOL  oh thats really good- I loved that response!! 


  marvin

[jochanaan]

Marvin, he's off to see a Wagner opera .........

"Uh, mein Herr, where's the nearest time travel station?"  Or better yet, "When does the next swan leave?"

[marvinbrown]

  I just love that picture- look at him- proud, self assured, and possessing talent in spades.....in the words of Mozart "this man will make a great name for himself in the world."  0:)  Yes I can easily see how he would be the first classical "hero" for many.

  marvin

[drogulus]

 

[Bogey]

I also like this one as well:

[Peregrine]

Somewhere where there's some real ice for him to skate on ...

Beethoven on ice...

[longears]

Beethoven on ice...

With lots of lovely young women in very short skirts!

Oh, wait a minute...that would be Brahms on ice!

(And if there were lots of cute little boys:  Saint-Saëns on ice?)

[marvinbrown]

With lots of lovely young women in very short skirts!

Oh, wait a minute...that would be Brahms on ice!

(And if there were lots of cute little boys:  Saint-Saëns on ice?)

  Brahms was a ladies man??  I thought Alban Berg and Chopin were ladies men?? 

  marvin

[Mark]

  Brahms was a ladies man??  I thought Alban Berg and Chopin were ladies men?? 

  marvin

And Schubert.

[Haffner]

I'll probably get shit for this, but this is the man who drew me into the classical realm. I have told this story before, but when I was a kid I grew up in NY and was in receptive distance from the Vassar College radio station, which played EVERYTHING. One night I heard this music that was absolutely engaging. I couldn't stop listening to it. I found out after the piece that it was Schoenberg and the piece, if memory serves me correctly was Verklärte Nacht. Before that I only had a few classical records which I had no passion for. Suddenly I gained an interest in them too (a Beethoven and a Bach).

What a cool post!

For me, it was originally J.S. Bach and Paganini, but my middle-of-life "discovery" of Mozart, J. Haydn, Wagner, Mahler, and Beethoven changed that all around.

[Anne]

My first "hero" was Pavarotti.  If it were not for him, I doubt I'd be here today.

[Mark]

My first "hero" was Pavarotti.  If it were not for him, I doubt I'd be here today.

What? He was your ... father?

[not edward]

What? He was your ... father?

"I am your father Luciano!"

[Kullervo]

"I am your father Luciano!"

"Join me... and together we can collaborate with the Spice Girls. It is your destiny."