Hi! I don’t know much about classical music but I’ve recently grown obsessed with comparing various renditions of the same piece, and I would so love to have a classical music geek friend next to me to explain the variations and choices made, how and why considering the history of the piece, the notation available, the intent that has been infered, etc, etc…

Is there a podcast or documentary series you could recommend that would replace this friend I don’t have? I’m French but can understand English ok!

Thanks for your suggestions 😊

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoIIGB2Spvo

Movement n. 2 may be one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

From someone who knows little to nothing of classical music, I need some help for what to see in Vienna on December 4th or 5th. I found this which I think is the best option:

https://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/en/konzerte/chamber-music-in-the-brahms-saal/10669/

Can any one help confirm this or suggest alternatives that would be so much appreciated!

I was lucky to get a ticket to see the Louisville Orchestra in collaboration with Jack Harlow. I will be seated in the front. Going by myself. I have never been to the Louisville Orchestra in a VERY long time. I’m a woman and was going to wear a very formal velvet pantsuit with crystals on the Jacket closure. Is this overdressing?

Peccato Mortale, Camille 2000, and Lady Love are incredible

This is a meandering post if that is a trigger for you. Lol. I'm relistening to Dvorak symphonies 7-9 which are amazing (hot take, I know). It's probably been 10 years since I've listened to them. I'm struck by similarities to Tchaikovsky symphonies 4-6. Not in melody but they are very similar in style and orchestration. Tchaikovsky was criticized by his Russian contemporaries that his orchestrations favored German techniques. Dvorak never had to deal with this as his home was part of the Austro-hungarian empire. What are your thoughts on Tchaikovsky and Dvorak? Are there significant differences in writing? I'm kinda thinking Dvorak was the Tchaikovsky of the "West". What are your thoughts?

What are some of your favorite timpani moments, especially pedal tones/rolls? Two of mine:

Butterfly Lovers Erhu Concerto https://youtu.be/tu5XohUR3Pg?t=903

Messiah Amen https://youtu.be/Gs60o3SZKK0?t=8479

Look, I love dynamics, but this BS of super quiet and super loud is absurd for the at-home listener. I'd like to hear music without the f'n anxiety of, did the music stop, oh no, I'm about to get the police called for a noise complaint. Can we get a few 100 pieces mastered through a compressor to make it work for a home audio system. Can't just listen to bon jovi all the time, ya know

From "Life of Chopin" by Franz Liszt.

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Send forth Your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great You are, How many are Your works, O Lord! The earth is full of Your riches.

Send forth Your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

You take back Your spirit, they die, returning to the dust from which they came. You send forth Your spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.

Send forth Your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord last for ever! May the Lord rejoice in His works! May my thoughts be pleasing to Him. I find my joy in the Lord.

Send forth your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

I'm watching "The Cat Returns" and I'm hearing a ton of music that is similar to Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. The Dance of the Knights is one of the most obvious. For those that have watched the movie or listened to the soundtrack, what else do you hear?

I'm currently trying to nail down the melody in "Am I a cat?" I just don't remember where the melody is from.

In a moment of madness, I purchased the Pristine Audio Digital Music Collection. Pristine Audio does wonderful restorations of old classical music recordings, and on this single USB drive you can own their complete collection to date, around 1175 recordings, including over 200 operas, most originally recorded from the 20s through the 60s. I expected to have buyer’s remorse over this, since the cost is well north of $1,000.

But no, this is one of the very best purchases I’ve ever made. This is literally a lifetime of listening, and everything I’ve heard so far is magnificent. I’ve been listening to Wagner operas recorded in the 30s and 40s, and although you’re always aware you’re listening to a vintage recording, I would say they could never be made to sound better than this. Does anyone know of any other music collections that are available in this form? How lucky are we to be able to hold this much music in the palm of our hand!

I swear I don’t work for Pristine Audio! But I’m bubbling over with enthusiasm over this product, and wonder if other companies will follow suit.

For the next 2 sonatas (opus 49), we are rolling back the clock because due to Beethoven’s brother, these sonatas got published. These sonatas are shorter, with only 2 movements each, and easier than his other sonatas, and were likely written between his third and fourth sonata. For this reason, I will be pairing these two together in one post.

The first movement from his 19th sonata is in G minor and in a typical minor key sonata form. It is pretty gloomy and misty, with not too much drama. I imagine an evening in the forest in the fall. It’s a little eerie, but it’s still beautiful. One notable aspect of this movement is the Picardy third at the end leading the way to the G major second movement.

The second movement is a lively gigue in a modified rondo form. There is something pretty funny about this movement, considering it comes after the more reserved movement. Perhaps it’s that same forest in the daytime. There’s not much else to say about this work.

The first movement of the 20th sonata sounds like Haydn and his wit. It’s a delightful piece in G major that may make you giggle a little bit. It’s in typical sonata form, although there is an interesting moment where the closing theme of the exposition (and the recapitulation), is used as the transitional theme in the recapitulation in C major.

The second movement (also in G) is a lyrical minuet that uses a theme that he later uses in his op. 20 septet. A short and simple rondo, it feels like the stereotypical minuet. This movement isn’t trying to do anything radical, it’s just meant to be enjoyed, so enjoy it.

As much as it is exciting to see Beethoven’s style develop and for him to use more complex musical ideas, sometimes it’s nice to step back and look at his early works to clear your mind, and hey, you may find something interesting in the music as well.

Hello! I am a college musician and music education major. I am currently a member of my university's trumpet studio, though I am actually playing french horn in all of my ensembles (made the switch halfway and didnt want to go through the audition process to change studios LOL). I am due to have my senior recital next semester on trumpet. I was wondering if anyone knew of any solo pieces for trumpet AND french horn, so I have an opportunity to flex both my skills on my upcoming senior recital. Does a piece like this even exist? TYIA!

TLDR: looking for solo piece for trumpet AND french horn (preferably with piano accompaniment)

I had a little discussion with my harmony teacher where I harmonized a Bach chorale and used a D2. He said Bach never wrote something as low for the bass. I was sure he did, but completely forgot where I saw it. I also said that even if he didn't, it wasn't that uncommon to be able to reach D1 (I'm thinking of "O wie will ich triumphieren" where D2 is sung, although it is not chorale music).

Do you think it's possible he wrote such a low note? I'm pretty sure I found a few E2. Perhaps the D1 was a quick passing note, such as Eb2-D1-Eb2.

If anyone found a D2 in Bach vocal works, I would be delighted to hear it !

I'm making a student documentary about Shostakovich's 4th symphony and I need to use a video recording for part of it. I've reached out to Naxos licensing but I'm not confident that they have this particular symphony (it's not very popular) so I'm looking for any other potential sources.

Good, the truth is that the other day I came across a youtube video of a mix of artists like:

- Chopin

- Bach

- Beethoven etc...

And the truth is that I really liked this music and it gave me a lot of tranquility and calm, I would like to know recommendations to start in this genre and artists.

Best regards!

I just saw Mahler 8th at the Wiener Konzerthaus (Wiener Symphoniker directed by Philippe Jordan) and I'm struggling to find the words for what I experienced during the hour and a half it all lasted. It was a physical experience. I was exhausted when it all ended, I felt as if I had run a marathon, as if I had experienced probably 1% of what Faust experienced in order to achieve salvation. My heart was just pumping very hard during the finale and I even felt my hands tingling and getting weaker. And should we talk about Regula Mühlmann as Mater Gloriosa? She sung from the middle balcon you see well above the orchestra (where the metal winds played the finale afterwards) and was lightened from below as if she herself—her voice—were a divine apparition. It's impossible for any recording to make justice to the 8th. It's just so theatrical (as all Mahler's symphonies). You just have to see the two full choruses and the Sängerknaben rising at once to dimension the scale of this work. Thank you Mahler, I cannot fathom that a single human mind was able to conceive this and, what's even more remarkable, to have been capable of bring it into existence.

https://preview.redd.it/h897lbxjdyzd1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ea689c9729973a41b529942f58b4fba852ef61f

Title says it all. (Btw I mean like conservatories, not music schools within normal schools.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3lb9p0Io0LEZxzV4zzb1A8?si=53ff7d141fe8486d

Other similar Modern composers including Richard Reed Perry, Bryce Dessner and Andrew Lloyd Fry

That was always one of my father‘s favorite. Our kids just attended a symphony starter education program with their school, and my daughter and I have watched the Fantasia portion, but I’d like to sit through the entire performance with her. Youtube preferably, but I would subscribe to a service if need be.

Hey Reddit! I’m looking for pieces I can sing at a concert. They should be in some way queer. I already found some beautiful ones by Ben Moore and Jake Heggie and was wondering, if some of you know more beautiful pieces :)

Maybe we can make a list

Jake Heggie: For a look or a touch Ben Moore: love remained