What music would you like played at your funeral?

[dtwilbanks]

Chopsticks.

[Larry Rinkel]

Chopsticks.

Whose recording?

[dtwilbanks]

Whose recording?

Richter, of course! 

[btpaul674]

Anything DMX

[RebLem]

Billie Holiday singing "Please don't talk about me when I'm gone."

[Iago]

Richter, of course! 

I know you're saying that "tongue-in-cheek". But I wouldn't be quite so dismissive of that possibility if I were you. I can't speak about  Richter. But I can speak about another great pianist ..Rudolf Serkin.

One of the summers that I was working at Tanglewood, Serkin was scheduled for a performance of the Beethoven "Emperor" Concerto, with Munch and the Boston Symphony. He was at the Shed about 3 hrs before the concert doing his very preliminary "warm-ups". I was busy doing my preliminary duties as well, but when I heard the sound of the piano, I looked in at his dressing room, and saw that it was he seated at the Steinway. He looked up, saw me in the doorway, and said "Come in. What would you like to hear"?  Now a bit weak in the knees, I said "anything that pleases you, Mr. Serkin".

He played "Chopsticks"   Apparently he was unsatisfied with his initial performance, so he played it two more times. I said "thanks, is there anything I can get for you"? He said "no, I don't need anything right now". And I left.

[Mozart]

Weak in the knees? How come? That doesn't sound like you.

[Iago]

Weak in the knees? How come? That doesn't sound like you.

I was young. It wouldn't happen now. believe me.

[Mozart]

I dont't understand why people would become so shy when meeting someone they admire. Why is that, I mean they aren't any better than anyone else. I imagine, If I ever meet Erika Miklosa, I'd put the moves on her 

[rach]

Mahler number 3

[Symphonien]

Ligeti's Requiem.

[max]

Zero sound or at most the sound of a single instrument. A Mozart or Haydn piano sonata will do just fine but most definitely Schubert's last piano sonata D.960 played by Wilhelm Kempff, transcendent and lighthearted at the same time.

[dtwilbanks]

I know you're saying that "tongue-in-cheek". But I wouldn't be quite so dismissive of that possibility if I were you. I can't speak about  Richter. But I can speak about another great pianist ..Rudolf Serkin.

One of the summers that I was working at Tanglewood, Serkin was scheduled for a performance of the Beethoven "Emperor" Concerto, with Munch and the Boston Symphony. He was at the Shed about 3 hrs before the concert doing his very preliminary "warm-ups". I was busy doing my preliminary duties as well, but when I heard the sound of the piano, I looked in at his dressing room, and saw that it was he seated at the Steinway. He looked up, saw me in the doorway, and said "Come in. What would you like to hear"?  Now a bit weak in the knees, I said "anything that pleases you, Mr. Serkin".

He played "Chopsticks"   Apparently he was unsatisfied with his initial performance, so he played it two more times. I said "thanks, is there anything I can get for you"? He said "no, I don't need anything right now". And I left.

Great story. Thanks.

[Novi]

I'll be in a better place having a cuppa with Mr Beethoven - they can play anything they like at my funeral .

But I can tell you my playlist from when my dog died though :

Fauré requiem - because that's one of the gentler requiems; Verdiesque fire and brimstone weren't my dog's style

Des Abschieds from Das Lied von der Erde - to bawl my eyes out to

Mahler 2 - because of the uplifting ending 0:)

[mahlertitan]

Bruckner's 7th adagio

[bhodges]

I would love almost anything live to be played at my memorial, as a composer I know did for his mother who died a few years ago.  (He did a very beautiful percussion piece - soft - that seemed very timeless.) 

But if that doesn't happen, here's a possible program:

Ligeti: Atmosphères
Mahler: Andante from Symphony No. 6
Gubaidulina: String Quartet No. 3
...followed by something much more upbeat, like some traditional New Orleans jazz...(can't be morose the whole time)...

--Bruce

[mahlertitan]

and after the Bruckner this (from an all time classic):
http://www.youtube.com/v/jHPOzQzk9Qo

[Don]

I would love almost anything live to be played at my memorial, as a composer I know did for his mother who died a few years ago.  (He did a very beautiful percussion piece - soft - that seemed very timeless.) 

But if that doesn't happen, here's a possible program:

Ligeti: Atmosphères
Mahler: Adagio from Symphony No. 6
Gubaidulina: String Quartet No. 3
...followed by something much more upbeat, like some traditional New Orleans jazz...(can't be morose the whole time)...

--Bruce

You must be planning on a very long funeral.

[bhodges]

You must be planning on a very long funeral.

--Bruce

[rach]

I would love almost anything live to be played at my memorial, as a composer I know did for his mother who died a few years ago.  (He did a very beautiful percussion piece - soft - that seemed very timeless.) 

But if that doesn't happen, here's a possible program:

Ligeti: Atmosphères
Mahler: Adagio from Symphony No. 6
Gubaidulina: String Quartet No. 3
...followed by something much more upbeat, like some traditional New Orleans jazz...(can't be morose the whole time)...

--Bruce

Andante from M6 or adagio from M5???