It’s a sunny, Spring-y Sunday here in Happy Larryville, GN! (Which is nice after several overcast days in a row.)
Hope Sven’s head is feeling better today.
Mac --
Enjoyed your detailed responses from last night and the link to that Solti recording (which is a damned good one). He got a lot of passionate performances out of various orchestras and really helped rejuvenate the Chicago Symphony in the late ’60s -- early ’70s.
Keep in mind I have no musical education or talent at all. I only speak of what I like or dislike without presuming to judge what is good or bad.
When it comes to music, I find that there are basically only two types: stuff I enjoy and stuff I’ll probably never learn to appreciate. FWIW, I largely agree with what you opined re various composers.
I think a lot of 20th Century “classical” music was crap; lacking much in the way of melody and/or rhythm, without which it resembles a sort of noise to my ears. A little lack of tonality / rhythm goes a long way for me; especially if it’s not film / TV music. Gets tedious rather quickly.
The extended harmonies which were part of bebop are something I was exposed to from an early age and probably made some of the same in classical music more palatable and, in fact, interesting to me as a kid. (The progenitors of bop actually picked-up those extended harmonies from composers like Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky and others.)
A blessed Sabbath, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa!
It’s another scorching-hot day in paradise, but Monday should be cooler.
Speaking of scorching hot, we ate dinner at a new pizza joint last night. They cook their pizza in a 900° wood-fired oven. Their crust was the best I’ve had outside Italy.
First night in 10+ days that I’ve slept through. So far today, no headache. Working outside--as Paddy said, megahot again--we got 90 and muggy--reminds me of Houston.
Ok, so if I was interested in educating myself on classical music, recognizing that this is an incredibly broad category, where would I start? Suggestions on artist and compositions?
Hi Sven! I am so glad you got a proper nights sleep and no headache today.
It is easy to sample some great music now thanks to You Tube. I download many fine performances from there. Some recommendations?
Symphonies- Beethoven’s 4th and 5th are among my favorites. Also Tchaikovsky’s 4th and 5th.
Overtures- Rossini’s William Tell and the ones by Suppe I linked in the earlier post Fatwa mentioned. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 and Romeo and Juliet are great.
Ballet suites- Tchaikovsky again, Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker.
Opera- While these are my favorites you might not care for it. If you do decide to try them I strongly suggest video with subtitles so you can understand it. This is what turned me around on it. Mozart’s Figaro or Don Giavani. Beethoven’s Fidelio. Rossini’s Cinderella. One of the best as a first opera and the one that hooked me would be Verdi’s La Traviata. If you saw the movie Pretty Woman this is the opera they went to. My favorite performance is the Franco Zeffirelli film on VHS or DVD with Teresa Stratas and Placedo Domingo. You may remember The Gentle Lady and I discussing this. It is an outstanding production.
Concertos and Sonatas for violin and piano can be great.
I can share some links but anything by Mozart will be excellent and You Tube makes it easy to browse many different composers and types.
Hope you find something you like. I have been into classical since I was a child and found opera in the early 1980s with video that included subtitles. I had no interest before that.
Sven, I’m glad to hear that your migraine has subsided and that your are feeling better.
Paddy, I’m very impressed with your fence construction job. I’ll keep you in mind when mine needs replacement. Free vacation for everyone in your family -- except you.
Fatwa and Mac, I don’t know nuthin’ ’bout music. So there!
My long delayed trip to Mississippi finally took place on Tuesday morning at 5:30 am. Not Jerry’s finest hour.
The town, Laurel, is sitting on top of an oil dome and is surrounded by wells drilled horizontally under the town. The wells we are looking at are in the same formation but in Alabama. All light-sweet crude (kinda like Jerry) which brings a premium in the market. Sweet indicates a low amount of sulfur. Better, easier and cheaper to refine.
We’re going to fund the first exploratory well. If that well is wet, then we will fund up to 10 more. IF.
A neighbor! Actually I live closer to Frisco. It is a small section that is technically McKinney but is close to downtown Frisco. My wife’s father lives in Frisco and they are only about 2 miles away. We pay McKinney property taxes but Frisco school taxes. This has been good for our property value as Frisco Schools are highly regarded but our taxes are supposed to be better than living in Frisco. I was told that when we bought the house and it seems to be true. Other areas not far away lost a lot of value but ours held.
It’s all nice area. I hope he is a good old boy. I have really liked Texas people I have met.
Good to see you, Jerrie, and wishing you safe and productive travels.
Thanks for the recommendations, Mac: copying them down and will give it a start. The last couple of months I’ve more or less turned off the teevee and have been spending more itme with books and music.
Sven, I have a lot of music, including full length performances, that I have downloaded from You Tube. I also find many performances on Netflix and such that I record. I don’t buy much music, other than the cost of renting DVDs from Netflix.
Hope you find some good stuff. I do sometimes collect short pieces from different types that I remember or like. It will sometimes surprise Elena when she hears something out of the ordinary playing. I also capture musical numbers from movie DVDs that I like but I have a good collection and programs to do that.
It’s a sunny, Spring-y Sunday here in Happy Larryville, GN! (Which is nice after several overcast days in a row.)
Hope Sven’s head is feeling better today.
Mac --
Enjoyed your detailed responses from last night and the link to that Solti recording (which is a damned good one). He got a lot of passionate performances out of various orchestras and really helped rejuvenate the Chicago Symphony in the late ’60s -- early ’70s.
When it comes to music, I find that there are basically only two types: stuff I enjoy and stuff I’ll probably never learn to appreciate. FWIW, I largely agree with what you opined re various composers.
I think a lot of 20th Century “classical” music was crap; lacking much in the way of melody and/or rhythm, without which it resembles a sort of noise to my ears. A little lack of tonality / rhythm goes a long way for me; especially if it’s not film / TV music. Gets tedious rather quickly.
The extended harmonies which were part of bebop are something I was exposed to from an early age and probably made some of the same in classical music more palatable and, in fact, interesting to me as a kid. (The progenitors of bop actually picked-up those extended harmonies from composers like Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky and others.)
BBL.
A blessed Sabbath, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa!
It’s another scorching-hot day in paradise, but Monday should be cooler.
Speaking of scorching hot, we ate dinner at a new pizza joint last night. They cook their pizza in a 900° wood-fired oven. Their crust was the best I’ve had outside Italy.
That sounds very good. We get Domino’s so my bar is set VERY low. I would probably have trouble after tasting something like that. Yum!
Happy Sunday!
First night in 10+ days that I’ve slept through. So far today, no headache. Working outside--as Paddy said, megahot again--we got 90 and muggy--reminds me of Houston.
Ok, so if I was interested in educating myself on classical music, recognizing that this is an incredibly broad category, where would I start? Suggestions on artist and compositions?
Hi Sven! I am so glad you got a proper nights sleep and no headache today.
It is easy to sample some great music now thanks to You Tube. I download many fine performances from there. Some recommendations?
Symphonies- Beethoven’s 4th and 5th are among my favorites. Also Tchaikovsky’s 4th and 5th.
Overtures- Rossini’s William Tell and the ones by Suppe I linked in the earlier post Fatwa mentioned. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 and Romeo and Juliet are great.
Ballet suites- Tchaikovsky again, Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker.
Opera- While these are my favorites you might not care for it. If you do decide to try them I strongly suggest video with subtitles so you can understand it. This is what turned me around on it. Mozart’s Figaro or Don Giavani. Beethoven’s Fidelio. Rossini’s Cinderella. One of the best as a first opera and the one that hooked me would be Verdi’s La Traviata. If you saw the movie Pretty Woman this is the opera they went to. My favorite performance is the Franco Zeffirelli film on VHS or DVD with Teresa Stratas and Placedo Domingo. You may remember The Gentle Lady and I discussing this. It is an outstanding production.
Concertos and Sonatas for violin and piano can be great.
I can share some links but anything by Mozart will be excellent and You Tube makes it easy to browse many different composers and types.
Hope you find something you like. I have been into classical since I was a child and found opera in the early 1980s with video that included subtitles. I had no interest before that.
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE!
Greetings from sunny, breezy and delightful Bountiful.
I sure do hope y’all are having a super day, ’cause you just know I am.
Sven, I’m glad to hear that your migraine has subsided and that your are feeling better.
Paddy, I’m very impressed with your fence construction job. I’ll keep you in mind when mine needs replacement. Free vacation for everyone in your family -- except you.
Fatwa and Mac, I don’t know nuthin’ ’bout music. So there!
My long delayed trip to Mississippi finally took place on Tuesday morning at 5:30 am. Not Jerry’s finest hour.
The town, Laurel, is sitting on top of an oil dome and is surrounded by wells drilled horizontally under the town. The wells we are looking at are in the same formation but in Alabama. All light-sweet crude (kinda like Jerry) which brings a premium in the market. Sweet indicates a low amount of sulfur. Better, easier and cheaper to refine.
We’re going to fund the first exploratory well. If that well is wet, then we will fund up to 10 more. IF.
Jerry, I doubt there’s anything you “don’t know nuthin’ ’bout”.
One of the oil company partners was a very nice guy from McKinney, Texas. North of Dallas, I hear.
Howdy Mac! Bet you a million dollars on that.
A neighbor! Actually I live closer to Frisco. It is a small section that is technically McKinney but is close to downtown Frisco. My wife’s father lives in Frisco and they are only about 2 miles away. We pay McKinney property taxes but Frisco school taxes. This has been good for our property value as Frisco Schools are highly regarded but our taxes are supposed to be better than living in Frisco. I was told that when we bought the house and it seems to be true. Other areas not far away lost a lot of value but ours held.
It’s all nice area. I hope he is a good old boy. I have really liked Texas people I have met.
Mac, He really is a good ol’ boy as are you.
How are you and Elena? Is she back home?
She is back home and doing well, thank you. She is done with physical therapy and is just doing exercises to build up strength.
Jerry, you are a Renaissance man as well as a gentleman.
If you mean that I was alive during the Renaissance, then you are correct, sir.
As for gentleman? The jury is still out.
That’s ok, unless my room is already taken.
I thought you were featured on this album:
Good to see you, Jerrie, and wishing you safe and productive travels.
Thanks for the recommendations, Mac: copying them down and will give it a start. The last couple of months I’ve more or less turned off the teevee and have been spending more itme with books and music.
I see they made an arrest in Ferguson…damn Klan.
Sven, I have a lot of music, including full length performances, that I have downloaded from You Tube. I also find many performances on Netflix and such that I record. I don’t buy much music, other than the cost of renting DVDs from Netflix.
Hope you find some good stuff. I do sometimes collect short pieces from different types that I remember or like. It will sometimes surprise Elena when she hears something out of the ordinary playing. I also capture musical numbers from movie DVDs that I like but I have a good collection and programs to do that.
Our Gentle SBH and her dear Dv8 are very fond of Bach. I think David specialized in Bach when younger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOc6I7rxAO8
Some Harpsichord Concertos. I have always liked the harpsichord.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJdTsDUuuFk