Well, it's Valentine's Day, the day of celebrating love and all types of relationships. This year, I choose to celebrate my love of music, particularly classical music, an area I sometimes neglect. It's a one-sided relationship, I suppose, but I don't care.
Beethoven! I will never deny it--his brooding pieces get me down in a very good way. The first clip is from a movie titled Immortal Beloved, a drama based on Beethoven's life. Jump to 0:46.
And, one of my FAVORITES of his, Beethoven's Symphony 7 Movement 2. Just listen to that slow boil.
Mozart's Requiem: Rex Tremendae. I'm going to see all Mozart's Requiem IN CONCERT with Mom, Kjersite, and Kelli in May and I'm so excited!
Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op 23 No. 5
Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C Major
Mahler's Symphony 5, Adagietto. Deny this piece, I DARE you.
Samuel Barber (American composer!), Adagio for Strings. Another glory.
And the vocal version, Agnus Dei, which I think I like even better, somehow.
Of course, not every beautiful piece involving an orchestra HAS to be from centuries ago by a "classical" composer. I have a bit of an obsession with soundtracks, especially this one. Schindler's List by John Williams.
Hope you've enjoyed this! Of course, there are only a million more things I wish I could share. But this will do for today. Happy Valentine's Day!
Tiffy, I can't tell you how much I love you! Thank you for posting these pieces. I just sat down and listened to them all and you are so amazing, brilliant, and perceptive to understand and appreciate music like this.
ReplyDeleteI freaking love that part in Immortal Beloved. Oh Gary. You kill me, and so does that part in the sonata.
The Beethoven 7th Symphony's 2nd movement is so incredible. I loved how they used it in Immortal Beloved and also in The King's Speech (another great film). Few things can top that piece.
Except maybe the freaking Mozart Requiem. I AM SO JEALOUS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT!!! I get such massive chills when I hear the music of that requiem. It's like a blast of sound from heaven.
The Mahler is amazing. Gets me every time.
Loved the Rachmaninoff. And strangely, I loved the applause at the end. The sudden burst of such zealous agreement and approval -- all in a pounding rainfall of sound. Makes me believe in humanity again.
And I neeeeed to get that Schindler's List soundtrack. Thank you especially for posting that. I can't believe that anyone was able to capture the anguish, waste, and loss of the Holocaust through music, but John Williams (and Itzhak Pearlman and Yo-Yo Ma) did it. Astounding.
Love you!!
Oh, and dude, the freaking Samuel Barber. God I love him.
ReplyDeleteLoved how they used the "Agnus Dei" in The Scarlet Letter. Yet another amazing Gary film. That film already had my heart in its hands and then they used that piece... Gah...