Most original opening of a piece of music

alkan · March 31, 2009, 01:53:25 AM

As a counterbalance to the most intense ending thread, what about the most original, startling or unexpected START to a musical work ?

I can imagine that at the first performance, Beethoven's 5th must have shocked quite a few in the audience.

Off the top of my head, the following original openings spring to mind

1. The clarinet in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
2. The stuttering opening to Nielsen's 3rd Symphony
3. Haydn's "Drumroll" symphony (no 103)

Over to you ....

sul G · March 31, 2009, 02:15:10 AM

The Rite of Spring would have to be pretty high up the list, I'd say. And I suppose, in the same vein, but less shockingly, that one Eric likes about the Faun.

alkan · March 31, 2009, 02:31:39 AM

"Also spracht Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss. This Zarathustra person could talk pretty loud ....

alkan · March 31, 2009, 02:34:02 AM

And Shostakovich's 4th symphony gets a special award for the most terrific opening AND ending !!!

Renfield · March 31, 2009, 02:51:48 AM

Quote from: alkan on March 31, 2009, 01:53:25 AM
2. The stuttering opening to Nielsen's 3rd Symphony

This was the first thing that came to mind, as soon as I'd read the thread's title.

Apart from this, Bruckner's 1st Symphony also comes to mind, for a certainly unexpected opening; compared to most symphonies (not the least the rest of Bruckner's own), it sounds almost pedestrian!

alkan · March 31, 2009, 03:09:18 AM

For sheer originality, not to mention pure insanity, I reckon that the opening of John Cage's "Four minutes thirty three seconds" has never been bettered

Renfield · March 31, 2009, 03:10:52 AM

Quote from: alkan on March 31, 2009, 03:09:18 AM
For sheer originality, not to mention pure insanity, I reckon that the opening of John Cage's "Four minutes thirty three seconds" has never been bettered

Nor any other part of it, I'd reckon.

Florestan · March 31, 2009, 03:12:13 AM

Not the most original, but certainly original for its time: Mozart's PC 9.

alkan · March 31, 2009, 03:22:16 AM

Quote from: Renfield on March 31, 2009, 03:10:52 AM
Nor any other part of it, I'd reckon.

.... although I find the ending very disappointing and not at all worthy of the first two movements (and it IS actually written in three movements .... no kidding !)

Gabriel · March 31, 2009, 03:40:47 AM

Haydn's first movement (Allegro moderato) for op. 33 n. 1 (B minor) should certainly be in this list.

alkan · March 31, 2009, 03:43:18 AM

Quote from: Gabriel on March 31, 2009, 03:40:47 AM
Haydn's first movement (Allegro moderato) for op. 33 n. 1 (B minor) should certainly be in this list.

Not familiar with this .... could you describe ?

Kullervo · March 31, 2009, 04:02:19 AM

The gorgeous "Palestrina" music at the beginning of Sibelius's 6th. Brings a tear to my eye every time.

Gabriel · March 31, 2009, 04:07:22 AM

Quote from: alkan on March 31, 2009, 03:43:18 AM
Not familiar with this .... could you describe ?

Haydn plays with a tonal ambiguity: we are announced that the string quartet is in B minor, but he starts plainly in D major, its relative major, before taking formally the official tonality. Haydn makes it sound wonderfully natural, and even more effective as the cello takes the initiative in this change.

Quote from: Florestan on March 31, 2009, 03:12:13 AM
Not the most original, but certainly original for its time: Mozart's PC 9.

I agree that it was a very original opening. This makes me think about the concerto for piano 4-hands in D major of Ludwig Abeille (1761-1838) and the piano concerto in B flat major of Joseph Anton Steffan (1726-1797): both use a slow introduction before the opening allegro, something that was quite unusual for orchestral music of their time, as it was used mainly for symphonies and not for concertos. (If somebody knows more examples, I'd be really grateful).

Iago · March 31, 2009, 04:13:12 AM

Dvoraks "Carnival Overture".

HOT, very HOT.

Especially as played by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony.

And it ends in an even bigger blaze of glory than it starts with.

karlhenning · March 31, 2009, 04:13:48 AM

Quote from: alkan on March 31, 2009, 03:09:18 AM
For sheer originality, not to mention pure insanity, I reckon that the opening of John Cage's "Four minutes thirty three seconds" has never been bettered

I find that insanity mixed, actually . . . .

alkan · March 31, 2009, 04:29:30 AM

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 31, 2009, 04:13:48 AM
I find that insanity mixed, actually . . . .

pray continue ......

karlhenning · March 31, 2009, 04:31:32 AM

Quote from: alkan on March 31, 2009, 04:29:30 AM
pray continue ......

If it be madness, yet there is method in 't.

ChamberNut · March 31, 2009, 05:13:46 AM

The opening Prelude of The Ring!

Bogey · March 31, 2009, 05:37:40 AM

I always thought the first few seconds to LvB's 9th fit this description.

Copland's Symphony No. 2....not your average beginning to a symphony IMO.

pjme · March 31, 2009, 05:42:08 AM

Just for fun :

Ravel's Concerto en sol : the whip, l'Heure Espagnole: the clocks
Hindemith : Mathis der Maler : heaven's door!
Mahler 8 : the organ!
Honegger 5 : the orchestra as an organ
Panufnik: Symphonia sacra: the trumpets
van Beethoven : pianoconcerto nr 4( and 5...)
Haydn : Die Schöpfung
Stockhausen : Klavierstück 9

Most original opening of a piece of music

sul G

Renfield

Renfield

Kullervo

karlhenning

karlhenning

ChamberNut

pjme