Your favourite melodies?

[Florestan]

I have read something similar in the sleeve notes of a disc written by Anner Bylsma, which also includes one of my favourite descriptions of Schubert.

In a major key the mood is rarely entirely joyous and in the minor, apart from a sudden upsurge of rebellion, his music is of a soothing sweetness.

Schubert is the man on the way to the gallows, unable to stop telling his friends how incomparably beautiful life is -- and how simple.

That's great. Thanks for sharing.

That's quite apt.

Indeed - and applies to Schumann himself as well.

[knight66]

Yes, that is a great favourite of mine. It is also very subtle in the note values as they are not quite as you might expect. I would like to see the melody line written down to see just how they are plotted out. It is  very beautiful indeed.

Mike

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Another obvious choice from the baroque department:
Henry Purcell - Music for a while

http://www.youtube.com/v/xwIXtwx2gi4

[starrynight]

Mendelssohn's 3rd, 'Scottish' symphony's first movement (Maag & LSO) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znpzP8Aru3U

I like the bittersweet melody of the 3rd movement of his 4th symphony.

[johnshade]

,
Melodies from the Four Last Songs.

[Opus106]

Heard Szymanowski's fourth "symphony", Concertante, this morning. The opening theme on the piano, tinged with elements of (Polish?) folk music, was lovely. In many ways the first movement reminded me of Bartok's 3rd PC. Oh, and I liked the whole work as well.

[Mirror Image]

Heard Szymanowski's fourth "symphony", Concertante, this morning. The opening theme on the piano, tinged with elements of (Polish?) folk music, was lovely. In many ways the first movement reminded me of Bartok's 3rd PC. Oh, and I liked the whole work as well.

Yes, Opus. The Sinfonia Concertante "Symphony No. 4" is a very strong work full of all kinds of melodies. One of the things I love about Szymanowski, especially in his middle to late works were the unresolved harmonies he used which were buried underneath the melody, especially in the opening of the second movement of Sinfonia Concertante. There's always a feeling of unrest in his music that I just love. It's as if the journey never comes to an end and the music just drifts along this long current. An incredible composer and one I have come to really appreciate over the past few years.

[Florestan]

Recent discoveries that quickly rose to the top of my list:

The main theme here
http://www.youtube.com/v/YvLeuLrdhog&feature=related

The middle section here (starts at 2:15)
http://www.youtube.com/v/lH71dxtzNEo&feature=related

The main theme here
http://www.youtube.com/v/JWs3R0tBFPk&feature=related

[Lisztianwagner]

From Siegfried, the Weltbrgrüssensthema (Brünnhilde's Awakening): it is certainly one of the most touching and beautiful motives of the whole Ring Cycle; it starts with a shrill of flutes, bassoons, tubas and horn, after that woodwinds, brass, string and timpani get into the music, in a so passionate and intense crescendo which then tones down softly, with that brilliant shade of harp and that ethereal trembling of violins, absolutely powerful and poetical, overwhelming!

This motive is also used in the prelude of Götterdämmerung, but lowered by a semitone, and without the harp: in this way the atmosphere becomes graver, darker (presage of the twilight of the world of the Gods), not as bright and romantic as it was in Siegfried, but equally impressive and evocative.

[Lisztianwagner]

In Zampa-Galopp, one of my favourite works by Johann Strauss I; I absolutely love the second theme of the piece, it has a so involving rythm that often makes me move my arms and begin conducting: it starts with a beautiful, joyous solo of clarinets, piccolo and flute, supported by a piano of the woodwinds and the pizzicato of the strings, and then, after an fast, vibrant phrasing, the melody is played again by the whole orchestra in a more expressive way, till the return to the first theme. Absolutely enjoyable and brilliant.

[The new erato]

Currently: "Here Without You" by Gene Clark. The Classical Guys (and well above 95% of my listening is classical) don't have a monopoly on melody. Structure certainly, colour and orchestration usually, drama odten; but even a spotty teenager (eg Schubert) can dream up a sublime melody.