Composers whose music means more to you as the years go by

[Thropplenoggin]

Beethoven was the first composer whose oeuvre I explored fully, lining the shelves with more and more works. I wonder if such total saturation had a nefarious effect, causing this first bloom of love to wane, as it has done. Or perhaps my tastes have just changed now I've been exposed to a broader spectrum of music.

These days, I'd be far more likely to rescue Bach and Mozart from the flames. Mozart is someone I'd convinced myself I couldn't stand,but thanks to chance hearings on the radio of this or that piece, over time, a trickle became a flood, but in a different way to the Beethoven obsession. Nowadays, I find myself returning to Mozart more and more. I'm still discovering his output of quartets and quintets, sonatas and trios, and finding that it has more and more to say to me. Perhaps Einstein said it best: "Mozart's music is so pure that it seems to have been ever-present in the universe, waiting to be discovered."

As for Bach, I would turn to Landowska's words: "There is something eternal in Bach’s music, something that makes us wish to hear again what has just been played. This renewal gives us a glimpse of eternity." It does feel eternal, as if it is revealing some enigmatic truth, or pulling back the veil on some Platonic higher realm...

[DracoM]

Elliott Carter

As music strives to be ever more commercial / ambivalently ingratiating, so the flinty individuality of Carter, esp the string qts, strike me as pure gold. Like Bach's Violin partitas and sonatas, I keep coming back to them.

[salymap]

Haydn for his wonderful symphonies, a great comfort to me at times when I need comfort.

Mozart for his piano concertos, familiar but lovely to return to.

Dvorak for a lot of his music, particularly symphonies, now known as numbers 7 and 8.

Naturally RVW, Holst, Britten, etc

I suppose I retain a love for music I've known for about 65 years and as my hearing deteriorates I find it hard to tackle new works.

[Bryn]

Morton Feldman. When I heard works such as:

many years ago I was intrigued but did not venture to delve much further at the time. However, in the past decade or so his work has come to the top of the pile for me.

[MrGongGong]

many years ago I was intrigued but did not venture to delve much further at the time. However, in the past decade or so his work has come to the top of the pile for me.

I first discovered Feldman's music in the 1980's , (my composition teacher was a friend and enthusiast of his work)
I remember playing this as a student and finding it fascinating and continues to be ..........

(not the greatest performance but great music )

[umslopogaas]

Frank Martin. To me his music is a bit like very dry sherry, it takes a bit of getting used to, but very enjoyable when you've made the effort. And his discs have a certain scarcity value, you dont come across them very often, but all the better when you do.

Bryn #4, have you come across Feldman's 'Crippled Symmetry: at June in Buffalo'? Its a 2 CD set with no detectable code or number, I cant remember how I managed to order it, but the local CD shop succeeded in getting me a copy. The only distinguishing marks are frl/2 and www.frozenreeds.com I have played it through and found it rather tough stuff, more effort needed.

[Bryn]

I first discovered Feldman's music in the 1980's , (my composition teacher was a friend and enthusiast of his work)
I remember playing this as a student and finding it fascinating and continues to be ..........

[Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety] ...

There's a piano arrangement of that work by Frank Markel. It's very well done and a favourite of John Tilbury's.

As for the original, John Adams directs a decent performance on:

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Beethoven. One of the first Classical (and "classical") composers whose work I ever heard: the Headmaster of my Primary School used to play movements from the Pastoral Symphony, the "Moonlight" Sonata and other works (and, on other mornings, pieces by Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Bach and Mozart) as we gathered for Assembly. "Lovely Ludwig van" has been with me throughout my life; the fixed star in a firmament of constellations - he just gets better (more astonishing, more wonderful, more audacious) with each hearing.

Many, many others have joined him over the years, but he remains the centre and focus of my Musical passions: the one who got me here.

[Thropplenoggin]

Beethoven. One of the first Classical (and "classical") composers whose work I ever heard: the Headmaster of my Primary School used to play movements from the Pastoral Symphony, the "Moonlight" Sonata and other works (and, on other mornings, pieces by Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Bach and Mozart) as we gathered for Assembly. "Lovely Ludwig van" has been with me throughout my life; the fixed star in a firmament of constellations - he just gets better (more astonishing, more wonderful, more audacious) with each hearing.

Many, many others have joined him over the years, but he remains the centre and focus of my Musical passions: the one who got me here.

Very nicely put. I wish I'd had a headmaster like that!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I wish I'd had a headmaster like that!

A great man, Throppers; when he took up the post (years before I went there), he threw away the sticks and straps of the previous regime and led by example. He would join in lessons, do playground duties, chat to parents when they dropped off/picked up their kids, and gave extra lessons at lunchtimes for those needing extra help with their work/studies.

He died about thirty years ago. Ben Kirkham RIP.


Sorry: back to Topic.

[amateur51]

A great man, Throppers; when he took up the post (years before I went there), he threw away the sticks and straps of the previous regime and led by example. He would join in lessons, do playground duties, chat to parents when they dropped off/picked up their kids, and gave extra lessons at lunchtimes for those needing extra help with their work/studies.

He died about thirty years ago. Ben Kirkham RIP.


Sorry: back to Topic.

Apparently not - a lovely tribute that keeps his example very much alive, ferney

[Pabmusic]

...He died about thirty years ago. Ben Kirkham RIP...

our immortality lies in the memories we leave behind and the people we influence. Lovely post.

[Ferretfancy]

Mozart is a constant source of pleasure and sustenance, his music never fails me whatever my mood. The first piece that really caught me was the Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and orchestra, introduced to me by a small group of devoted performers in a concert at school. We were lucky enough to have a classics teacher, Mr Francombe, who almost single handedly ran all the music and drama activities, aided by his wife and son, who was a pupil while I was there. Like ferney, it's nice for me to remember a devoted teacher.

Like salymap, I love the Haydn symphonies and string quartets, and I find more and more to enjoy in Schubert these days, particularly the early symphonies and the piano sonatas.

I try to be adventurous, but as I get older it's a little more difficult to assimilate new music, but there's nothing wrong with comfort eating is there ?

[Thropplenoggin]

our immortality lies in the memories we leave behind and the people we influence. Lovely post.

That one's a keeper. Quote of the Week.

[antongould]

Naturally RVW, Holst, Britten, etc

Naturally you mean

Naturally Bruckner, RVW, Holst, Britten etc.........