Joy in music

[Bella Kemp]

Listening last night to the final movement of Gliere's harp concerto I was struck with how utterly joyous this music is, which then led me to consider where else one might find such emotion (as opposed to mere lightheartedness or jollity.) I appreciate this must be to an extent subjective; but for me, Rossini overtures are jolly - a superficial, albeit nevertheless pleasant and welcome emotion - whereas Appalachian Spring, Saint Saen's 5th piano concerto, parts of Mahler's 3rd symphony and Haydn's 39th symphony are imbued with joy. (I might add that Mahler's Third Symphony is, for me, the finest achievement of western civilisation, containing, as it does, every possible human emotion - but that's another story.) Joy makes one realise that, gosh, life may be awful and sometimes despairingly terrible at times, but on the whole it is rather good to be alive - most of those little sperm don't make it so we are the special and lucky ones. Do forum members have any other suggestions?

[Mal]

Listening last night to the final movement of Gliere's harp concerto I was struck with how utterly joyous this music is, which then led me to consider where else one might find such emotion (as opposed to mere lightheartedness or jollity.) I appreciate this must be to an extent subjective; but for me, Rossini overtures are jolly - a superficial, albeit nevertheless pleasant and welcome emotion - whereas Appalachian Spring, Saint Saen's 5th piano concerto, parts of Mahler's 3rd symphony and Haydn's 39th symphony are imbued with joy. (I might add that Mahler's Third Symphony is, for me, the finest achievement of western civilisation, containing, as it does, every possible human emotion - but that's another story.) Joy makes one realise that, gosh, life may be awful and sometimes despairingly terrible at times, but on the whole it is rather good to be alive - most of those little sperm don't make it so we are the special and lucky ones. Do forum members have any other suggestions?

Most joyous today: Posthorn Serenade, Mozart, the ASMF wind section created an especially joyous mood.

[Joseph K]

John McLaughlin - Marbles

[pastoralguy]

Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony.

[Serial_Apologist]

Who is this "Joy" everyone is on about???

OK then, I'll nominate the finale of Bartok's second Piano Concerto as the, for me, most joyous moment in music.

[Edgy 2]

Mozart : String Quartet K 387,Sonata for 2 Pianos
Vaughan Williams : Serenade to Music,8th Symphony
John Field : 1st Piano Sonata
Kalinnikov : 1st Symphony
Dvorak : 8th Symphony
Mendelssohn : Italian Symphony,2nd Cello Sonata

[Conchis]

https://youtu.be/z7IPJw6gvxE

[jayne lee wilson]

Listening last night to the final movement of Gliere's harp concerto I was struck with how utterly joyous this music is, which then led me to consider where else one might find such emotion (as opposed to mere lightheartedness or jollity.) I appreciate this must be to an extent subjective; but for me, Rossini overtures are jolly - a superficial, albeit nevertheless pleasant and welcome emotion - whereas Appalachian Spring, Saint Saen's 5th piano concerto, parts of Mahler's 3rd symphony and Haydn's 39th symphony are imbued with joy. (I might add that Mahler's Third Symphony is, for me, the finest achievement of western civilisation, containing, as it does, every possible human emotion - but that's another story.) Joy makes one realise that, gosh, life may be awful and sometimes despairingly terrible at times, but on the whole it is rather good to be alive - most of those little sperm don't make it so we are the special and lucky ones. Do forum members have any other suggestions?

Interesting that you choose the Haydn 39, one of his sternest and most fierce Sturm und Drang creations - with a fairly downbeat conclusion. Is it the intensity of its contrasts (e.g. slow movement, trio etc) that finds a response in you?)

First thing to come to my own mind as purely joyous (in its conclusions) would be the Martinu 4th... and then, the first three Nielsen Symphonies (4 and 5 deal with greater extremes)... but joy is a mood I find increasingly elusive IRL, and I tend to avoid such works just now... (mind you, that Berwald 2nd....).

The finale of Mahler's 3rd once produced such personal, heart-bursting euphoria it was extremely difficult to bear, or to reach the end of without fearing for my survival. I would never have described it as "joy".
I'm not sure I'll ever be able to, or want to, face it again. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing .

[Lat-Literal]

20 Suggestions:

Ramirez - Misa Criolla
Coleridge-Taylor - Hiawatha
Bolcom - Rags
Piazzolla - Tangos
Moncayo - Huapango
Sibelius - Symphony No 5
Moross - The Big Country
Reich - Clapping Music
Copland - Ching a Ring Chaw
Bearcroft - Joyous Carillon
Bhundus - Chekudya Chose
Cass - Make Your Own Kind of Music
Bedford - Alleluia Timpanis
L Harrison - Symphony No 3
Simone - Ain't Got No, I Got Life
Flynt - Hillbilly Tape Music
Kapsberger - Canarios
W Lloyd Webber - Aurora
Lambert - The Rio Grande
Respighi - The Pines of Rome

(As for harp music, I wouldn't call Henriette Renie especially joyous but she is quite interesting - it would be the Xavier de Maistre interpretations that I would recommend)

[MickyD]

My list would be a long one and I don't have time at the moment, but Haydn would certainly figure highly on it - I think his music often personifies joy more than most.

[MrGongGong]

[greenilex]

Lovely but I could only get half way...I think my choice would be Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Nights Dream incidental music, mainly for memories. Bottoms up.

[doversoul1]

Vivaldi!!

[kea]

No love for the last movement of Beethoven 9 for some reason

Actually it is usually Beethoven I look to for joy although more often the 7th symphony, the "Hammerklavier", the Op. 135 string quartet, the Grosse Fuge as well as its subsequent replacement finale (in somewhat different ways). Joy isn't necessarily the most positive of emotions though, it has an undercurrent of wildness, trampling over everything in its path without regard for what came before. Beethoven I think was quite good at problematising it in this way while still allowing it to win out. Something like Mahler 3 (or 2 or 8) meanwhile tries to end with a grand spiritual apotheosis that's wholly convincing while you're listening to it but afterwards raises questions in your mind (such as, e.g., "whatever happened to that O Mensch")

[greenilex]

Wot the Euro national anthem?