Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry93D
All orchestral, instrumental, classical, symphonic music is of interest to me. I will listen to it all. Even rock has, to an extent, grown on me thanks to Sasai and Tsuyoshi Sekito. Do you have any particular pieces you'd recommend? I am always on the look out for new music to take a listen to.
|
Absolutely.
I made a playlist of some favorites. As I was doing it I realized I could probably make a hundred of such lists and never run out of good suggestions, but this is a decent place to start.
Some notes:
Strauss--if you choose to search for a live performance of this piece from the opera, be warned that it may be NSFW. One of Strauss' best, colorful in orchestration during the first half, and a seductively beautiful melody in the second (starts about 5.5 minutes in, very memorable theme)
Bach--it's difficult to find good recordings of wind ensemble music performed by professional groups rather than students. This is the best one I found; it's OK, and gets the point across. Heavy, dark, and brooding arrangement of a Bach song (1736).
Grainger--I had the pleasure of playing this in college (euphonium). It's my favorite work for wind ensemble. These are just two selections, but the whole suite is fantastic. Great mixing of traditional folk songs and colorful chords.
Smetana--brilliant, light orchestration during that first minute meant to convey flowing water in a river.
Tchaikovsky--everyone knows the melody from this, but few are familiar with the whole piece. The 5 minute build-up in the beginning is a lush, creeping palette of warm colors and yearning melodies. A dramatic, sweeping action cue follows, and only after all that the familiar "theme of romance" enters--but only for a moment before gentle and timid strings play a second theme. Then the true exposition of the romance theme comes in.
Bartok--Tamawari pays homage to the poly-rhythmic theme from the middle of this piece in "The History" and "Destiny" from Vandal Hearts II.
Ravel--his own orchestration of 4 pieces from a longer piano suite, which I also recommend. My favorite composition of his. Also, Tamawari's "Epilogue and Staff Credits" is based on Ravel's "Bolero".
Candide--I threw this one in here for fun, but also because Tamawari spent a large part of his post-Konami career doing arrangements, lyric translation, and stage direction for popular musicals. This work by Leonard Bernstein shows carefully executed orchestration that's perfectly matched by one of the best sopranos in the musical theatre business. She's also absolutely hilarious.