Which works excite you from their opening notes?

Started by Mark, October 27, 2007, 04:36:04 AM

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Dancing Divertimentian

#20
October 27, 2007, 05:36:52 PM
Shostakovich's Op.67 piano trio.




Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

jochanaan

#21
October 27, 2007, 06:34:38 PM
Among others: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Pathetique Sonata (among many others).

Debussy's La Mer and Prélude à l'Après-Mide d'un Faune.

Lutosławski: Symphony #3 and Concerto for Orchestra.

All of Mahler's symphonies, even the Tenth, and Das Lied von der Erde.

Carl Nielsen's Symphony #4--this one takes the cake for abrupt openings. :o

Saint Saëns Piano Concerto #2.

Sibelius Violin Concerto.

Tchaikovsky Symphony #1.

Agree about the Bruckner openings.
Imagination + discipline = creativity

orbital

#22
October 27, 2007, 07:16:47 PM
Schumann - Kreisleriana
Brahms - C Minor Piano Quartet
Alkan - Grand Sonata



Norbeone

#23
October 28, 2007, 09:35:32 AM
Quote from: Novitiate on October 27, 2007, 10:23:43 AM
Also the Johannes-Passion as well: I love the sense of urgency with the strings, and then the choir's entry, wow! I recently heard for the first time the 1725 version with the 'O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sünde groß' opening that was later used in the Matthäus-Passion; the 'Herr, Unser Herrscher' is so much better and a lot more dramatic as an opening IMO.

Oh man how could I forget that one?! Another vote for that and for the B Minor Mass' Kyrie Opening.

longears

#24
October 28, 2007, 09:40:31 AM
Sibelius's 1st, 4th, 5th, VC, and Tapiola, fer shure!

mahlertitan

#25
October 28, 2007, 10:12:40 PM
Bruckner's "0" symphony third movement, one of his best scherzos.

hautbois

#26
October 29, 2007, 12:07:03 AM
Bruckner gets my vote too, his 4th and 5th symphonies have amazing openings.

Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto.

Howard

Grazioso

#27
October 29, 2007, 03:44:57 AM
Lots of works grab me and hold me enchanted throughout, but if you mean works that grab me with their opening notes, how about Vaughan Williams's 4th symphony? That opening chord grabs you by the scruff of the neck and throws you against the wall.
There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact. --Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

greg

#28
October 29, 2007, 10:17:10 AM
Quote from: Grazioso on October 29, 2007, 03:44:57 AM
Lots of works grab me and hold me enchanted throughout, but if you mean works that grab me with their opening notes, how about Vaughan Williams's 4th symphony? That opening chord grabs you by the scruff of the neck and throws you against the wall.
with that description, i'm looking forward even more to listening!

Grazioso

#29
October 29, 2007, 04:04:28 PM
Pettersson's 7th symphony. The opening really stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it: it's so deeply menacing and foreboding.  And the whole piece still holds me rapt throughout its 46-minute single movement. The 8th is similar in that it opens under grey clouds and seems to hover there, without immediately signaling its intentions: you just don't know exactly what you're in for. Man, what a trip it turns out to be.

For those who haven't heard these, you can hear free extended samples at Naxos.com (along with thousands of other pieces).
There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact. --Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Bonehelm

#30
October 29, 2007, 04:12:35 PM
Mahler 2 anyone? It's electrifying.

Dancing Divertimentian

#31
October 29, 2007, 05:07:48 PM
Brahms symphony #1, from those opening tam-tam wallops on...

Shostakovich's second piano trio, Op.67. Those opening cello lamentations in the high register are as penetrating as it gets.




Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

jochanaan

#32
October 29, 2007, 08:45:46 PM
Quote from: donwyn on October 29, 2007, 05:07:48 PM
Brahms symphony #1, from those opening tam-tam wallops on...
??? There's no tam-tam in Brahms 1, or any Brahms that I've ever heard.  But the TIMPANI wallops are hypnotic... ;D

Agree about the Shostakovich Opus 67. :D
Imagination + discipline = creativity

greg

#33
October 30, 2007, 06:25:09 AM
Quote from: jochanaan on October 29, 2007, 08:45:46 PM
??? There's no tam-tam in Brahms 1, or any Brahms that I've ever heard.  But the TIMPANI wallops are hypnotic... ;D

Agree about the Shostakovich Opus 67. :D
a tam-tam would make a nice addition in Brahms 1

Joe_Campbell

#34
October 30, 2007, 06:57:01 AM
The Prelude from Liszt's transcendental etudes always stands me to attention!

Dancing Divertimentian

#35
October 30, 2007, 04:25:57 PM
Quote from: jochanaan on October 29, 2007, 08:45:46 PM
??? There's no tam-tam in Brahms 1, or any Brahms that I've ever heard. ... ;D

Did I say tam-tam? I meant tom-tom...



Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

Dancing Divertimentian

#36
October 30, 2007, 04:42:00 PM
I'd also give props to the tom-tom opening of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. On par with anything in Brahms...




Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

c#minor

#37
October 30, 2007, 05:46:47 PM
I don't know if this counts b/c it's not really the first notes of the work but it is the first notes of the 2nd movement. but anyways Shostakovich's 10th, 2nd Movement

Chopin's Revolutionary Etude
Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto, Serenade for Strings, Nocturne Op. 19
Festival at Bagdad - Rimsky-Korsakov (I really really get into this one)
Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto
Dvořák's Carnival Overture (good piece to wake up too ;D)

karlhenning

#38
October 30, 2007, 05:54:43 PM
Shostakovich Sixth Symphony
Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms
Prokofiev, Cinderella

Ten thumbs

#39
October 31, 2007, 08:40:49 AM
Quote from: Drasko on October 27, 2007, 05:05:36 PM
Scriabin's 5th Sonata
Stravinski's Rite of Spring
Rachmaninov 3rd Concerto
I agree with these.
In a way, one could make subdivisions here, for instance pieces that begin with a bang, eg Medtner's Sonata Tragica.
When sight reading, knowledge of the composer can forewarn you. For instance, in Fanny Hensel's 1843 book for Felix, no10 (Adagio) looks relatively innocuous with a base note followed by an arpeggiated phrase in quavers in the middle register, repeated. The effect is like plugging into 1,000,000 volts, a good introduction to the unremitting tension and dissonance that is to follow.
A day may be a destiny; for life
Lives in but little—but that little teems
With some one chance, the balance of all time:
A look—a word—and we are wholly changed.
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