We don’t talk about it much on here, but I imagine some of us on here are listeners. If so, what’s your current favourite piece/composer/group of composers?

I have a penchant for 20th century French (Satie; Debussey; Faure; Saint-Saens), but am currently listening to Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa.

Sublime.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HON4AswPVk[/video]

If you don’t know Pärt, give a listen to ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ and ‘Te Deum’ as well.

Hm, R3 on in background most of the day here 🙂

TBH it depends on mood – can be Bach (often) or another one just played, Zeleneka, Schubert lieder, do like Janacek and Bartok for their force of nature and individual sound worlds. Britten. Steve Reich as well. So much to admire – even just coming up with the ideas let alone orchestrate them. Beyond me in so many ways.

[ Edit: that didn’t really answer your question and I think it changes so much over time. There are some pieces of music that will move me to tears – not every time but high proportion. I’m thinking Mozart Clarinet Concerto and the Britten Canticles. But they are not necessarily my favourite pieces! ]

I know what you mean, kcal. I am on a Pärt kick right now, and think of him as a favourite; but next week, I’m sure I would say something else.

The mood I’m in is more critical as to what classical music I listen to but I rarely tire of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Edit, more critical than listening to pop/rock etc.

Lots of minimalist stuff, Cornelius Cardew, John Tavener.

Big love is Bruckner.
On the the brink of the new era, but looking back too.
All the beauty, less of the bombast.

An enormous range of stuff. More paper needed.

But yes, Britten is pretty special.

I’m big into Pärt. I’ve listened to disc one of Kanon Pokajanen must be getting on for hundreds of times now…

Symphony no. 4 is also a favourite. About 6 months ago I bought about 7-8 Pärt cd’s in a splurge. Not found one I didn’t like (Adams Lament, Te Deum, Miserere, I am the true vine, they are all good!).

Symphony no. 3 by Gorecki.

I like minimalism, so Reich, Glass, Cage, et al. I also really like the Bang on a Can stuff, esp their Music for Airports and Michael Gordon’s Weather.

Also partial to JS Bach and Purcell. And Allegri’s Miserere.

Trying to get my way into Britten…

Does this count?
[video]http://youtu.be/EujDcc2xEUI[/video]

Morricone. Well not exactly classical I guess but some great music. Unfortunately though I’ve been roped into playing Gabriel’s Oboe which I’m not terribly keen on. But that’s life.

Also partial to JS Bach and Purcell. And Allegri’s Miserere.

Trying to get my way into Britten…
Purcell is your route into Britten. Or vice versa. Works both ways. Try the string quartets, especially nos. 2 and 3 which have definite links in their structure back to early music (chaconne, pasacaglia, etc,). Lachrymae for viola is based on a John Dowland piece.

Oh and I should just mention in passing that Peter Grimes is the best opera by an English composer, the best 20th century opera and possibly the best ever opera. All IMHO of course.

I find I have moved away from the big behemoths I used to love, Mahler, Bruckner, et. al. and listen more to smaller forces these days. Chamber orchestra, solo instrumental etc. Though for extremely clever use of larger forces I reckon Shostakovich takes some beating.

No idea on composer but I love listening to the soundtrack to the Pride & Prejudice movie, the one with Kiera Knightley. That’s my girly side I guess!

Sibelius is worth a listen especially Tapiola, Swan of Tuonela, Finlandia and 5th Symphony.

Sibelius is worth a listen

Yes. Occurred to me on the train home. Wonderful stuff.

Mind you some of the old guys are worth a listen too. Mozart and Beethoven work for me.

Rattle’s recordings of Sibelius’s symphonies with the BSO are really good.

The 19th and early 20th century Russian composers are the ones that do it for me. Tchaikovsky’s 5th is probably my favourite bit of music of any genre.

Shostakovich, Piano Concerto No. 2 andante is my favourite piece. It’s odd that no matter how many versions I hear, the first always seems to be the “correct” recording. Managed to see it live, melted 🙂 Also caught a few of the London Sinfonietta concerts when they were performing avant grade pieces alongside reinterpretations of Warp Records electronica. Various other concerts over the years, nothing odder than 100 Metronomes, where there are no performers, only a stage full of partially wound metronomes decaying in front of you.

Classical music feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface. As above, stuff like Reich, Glass et al appeals to me. I think it’s a medium that works best in the live environment rather than recorded. What’s the piece that features a violin over a shortwave radio, is that Reich? That was awesome live, can’t see it being as inspiring on record somehow. Prepared Piano too just is not the same when it’s coming from a pair of speakers.

I know I post this on every classical music thread (that I attempt to derail into the avant garde) but this film is really worth watching if you are at all interested in minimalism:

[video]http://youtu.be/h0NwiTHIhGM[/video]

Rich, that violin/radio thing sounds ace, be interested if you find out what it is. It reminds of Yannis Karipades conSPIrosy which is 60’s cia spy broadcast with some background noise…

Also, talking of prepared piano: Stephen Scotts New Music for Bowed Piano is also worth checking out.

My regular listens would be

Sibelius- Finlandia, Symphony No. 4
Beethoven- Anything really but currently piano concertos.
Grieg- Peer Gynt Sweet (Death of Aase is probably my favourive piece of classical music)
Brahms- Any symphony
Gershwin- Rhapsody in Blue
Zoe Keating- Modern moody cellist making her own stuff.

Ludovico Einaudi for me most of the time when I’m working although his stuff is a bit melancholy. A good spin usually sorts that out though.

Yannis Karipades conSPIrosy

Ahem, Yannis Kyriakides ConSPIracy Cantata. 😳

I’m a massive noob when it comes to classical, but sometimes certain pieces just strike a chord, as it were.
Satie and Debussey seem to have a fascinating imagery connected to their music (in my mind at least).
Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony was recommended to me too, which is fantastic.
Plus, I came across this on Radio 3 one night and it blew me away. Synfonia Sacra by a Polish composer called Andrzej Panufnik.

Allegri’s Miserere is my favourite piece. Watch the version by The Sixteen. The last note gets me every time (I think the voices ‘resolve’, but not certain, somebody here may have the correct term)