Classical Music As An Adult

[Jason Tandro]

Okay, so there have been some pieces of Classical music that I've always liked, thanks in part to Fantasia and other such things. Bach's Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor and Mussorgsky's A Night On Bald Mountain were among my favorite growing up (if that gives you any idea about me and my love of all things creepy), but also I enjoyed Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and I don't know a single kid who didn't enjoy the high energy pieces such as the William Tell Overture and of course 1812 Overture.

But just because I enjoyed it didn't mean I appreciated it. It was around my young adulthood when I really began to appreciate music. It began with what remains my favorite classical piece of all time, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, a simple piano piece which is equally beautiful and haunting (again, my love of creepy things). I don't know why and even to this day am still not certain why but that piece moves me. It was followed up by Ravel's Bolero which I'll admit was more about how it sounded than what it meant, but I still found my artistic appreciation for classical music growing.

Nowadays I've been listening to the lot, and while I'm not exactly an old man (I'm only 26), certain pieces of classical music really touch me just for their beauty. It came out of nowhere, but I was showing my 6-month old daughter Fantasia for the first time the other day, and for some reason the Ave Maria at the very end (and forgive me if I have to turn in my "man card" for this) really got to me. It's not just an incredibly beautiful piece, but the orchestration, and the imagery is just very powerful.

It's just very weird to me how a mere decade can so rapidly change a person's outlook. I know, to the older members I am revealing exactly how young I am still, but I just felt like talking about it.

Anyways, sermon over. What about you all? Any changes in how you've viewed some of the best music ever written? Any personal favorites?

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Well, I was a choir kid, which is where I a-choired my love of baroque music. Pretty much any chorus by Bach, and I can happily sit through an entire performance of the St Matthew Passion or The Christmas oratorio (with a few loo breaks thrown in please). Vivaldi, Handel (I love the Coronation Anthems), Pergolesi.... I go through phases of listening to opera, too. Baroque music just sounds completely right to me in a way that almost nothing else does. I love the tinkly sound of harpsichords. I wish I owned one.

While not crazy about 19th century music, I adore "Au Fonds du Temple Saint" duet from the Pearl Fishers, especially the Jussi Bjoerling/Robert Merrill version. (Confession: In my mind I imagine Zack and Cloud singing it about Aerith).

 

[Octo]

I think growing up there was a lot of classical stuff I didn't like, not because it was bad but because I had a pavlovian association with long boring motorway journeys to get my mum from work.

Anyway, now I listen to Classic FM when driving, just because even though I don't like all of it, I can still tolerate it more than popular stuff that I don't like (eg I like rock music, but I can't listen to a rock band I hate)

Anyway, I've always liked Beethoven's 9th - specifically Ode to Joy. Thats just always going to be fucking awesome.

But I think my main problem with classical stuff is that it's really hard to figure out which bits are the good bits. Like you can like something but then it turns out to be 5% of a 40 minute piece. I guess I'm not very well versed in all the terminology and stuff.

 

[jazzflower92]

Anyone who is a Disney fan would be intrigued to find out that the music from Sleeping Beauty is actually lifted from an older opera including once upon a dream. I found out the score for Malificent's spell is based on the Puss in Boots and the White Cat scene from Opera. Yes, this creepy little diddy is based on two cats flirting with each other.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w2SqTg-R2Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WO0XEgGZ_4

 

[Jason Tandro]

Licorice: I love baroque music too. Harpsichord (and Basso Continuo in general) has a really nice sound to it. All of Bach's pieces are amazing of course. There's also one which actually has a video game association.
(Edit: And you know I flat out went from one thought right to another without mentioning the actual Bach piece. It's Minuet in B Minor by Bach. This was used in Tetris, Gameboy version. Heres somebody playing it on piano)

Since you are versed in Handel, you might be familiar with: Bouree, From Night Music. I feature it in the preceeding video I did a while ago showcasing classical music references in video games. There's a lot of them in there.


Octo: If you haven't seen Disney's Fantasia, it's a very good "introduction to classical music" that'll help you learn some of the good bits. You might also look into some smaller pieces rather than the large more detailed ones. I wouldn't suggest somebody start off with Wagner.

Here's a few very short favorites of mine:

Shostakovich's "Waltz. No 2" - Again, I like creepy things. Apart from the middle it sounds like it could be on Disney's Haunted Mansion ride.

Handel's "Sarabande" - This one is actually my mother's favorite piece and my dad knows how to play it on piano / harpsichord.

Mozart's "Lacrimosa"- A very powerful (and be warned, very loud) piece.

Shubert's "Serenade"- This is a very emotive piece. I like the way it twists about musically.

Chopin's "Tristesse"- Odds are good you'll recognize this one when you hear it.

Mozart's "Turkish March"- Funny story. My dad first heard this piece while he was stationed in Turkey.

 

[Airling]

Oh I do like me some Classical and Baroque music. My parents made sure we never had a shortage of it. I always liked having music on when we were learning and remember sitting in the kitchen in my foundation grades listening to Mozart and Bach especially. And the Royal Philharmonic's "Hooked on Classics". I listened to the Best of album so much I had to rip it the other day because it was starting to skip despite being almost scratchless.

I very much love Moonlight Sonata too. Mozart's Piano Concerto nr 21 also pulls at my heart.

Once my sister started playing piano, I got a lot of exposure to Chopin and have acquired quite a taste for his music too.