This thread could use a little colour. So how about some African-American classical?
Amusingly I just mentioned this is another thread. Haven’t heard it yet, so won’t comment on it. But I bet cello players are a bit pissed off, as if violinists don’t already have a huge repertoire already, they start pinching the Crown Jewels from other string instruments!View attachment 26155
One violin, multichannel recording.
I saw it a few years ago in our local opera house - it was a fantastic performance.
A few years ago I stumbled upon a sampler with 2 CDs called MoMu Meisterwerke des 20. Jahrhunderts (master works of the 20th century). The focus of this sampler is on "listenable" music, because many people think of 12-tone scale music only. The result was that I bought 20 CDs of composers on this sampler.I got into the operas of John Adams fairly recently. I used to laugh at my father because his taste in music pretty much started and stopped at Verdi and Pucinni but I realised that although my tastes were quite wide I had basically ended up listening to 19th Century Austro-German composers (particularly Beethoven, Schubert, Bruckner and Wagner) for the vast majority of my listening sessions and was in a rut. I love 20th century Russian music (particularly Prokofiev) but even there I was becoming very stuck in my ways. So I decided to make a conscious effort to listen to new music (well, new to me), I really struggled with some, for example Ligetti (in fairness probably no more than I struggle with Mahler) and am not sure Glass is really music however I have fallen in love with the music of Adams. I know some of the stories are controversial and for sure I'd recommend nobody approach his operas if they are wanting to find out about historic events but as musical theatre/opera some of his works are really rather wonderful I think.
I share this opinion. I like the choir works like those Stanley Kubrick used in 2001. I listened once to an opera (or kind of) and the singing was unbearable.I find with Ligetti some of his work is really very beautiful and others awful (well, in my opinion)
I listened once to an opera (or kind of) and the singing was unbearable.
I didn't knew that Ligeti has written this.Come on, Bohemian Rhapsody doesn't count.
I didn't knew that Ligeti has written this.
Wait, there was singing in that video?Oops, context is everything; I thought you meant some random opera, not Ligeti specifically.
Everyone seems to love that Barbara Hannigan video of her singing from the "Mistère du Macabre", but I never got what the jailbait outfit had to do with it.
Have you tried Glass’ Akhnaten? I saw it at the ENO this year, hypnotic music, amazing stage show. Admittedly, pretty similar to other Glass I’ve heard (and mostly liked), so might not do anything for you.So I decided to make a conscious effort to listen to new music (well, new to me), I really struggled with some, for example Ligetti (in fairness probably no more than I struggle with Mahler) and am not sure Glass is really music however I have fallen in love with the music of Adams. I know some of the stories are controversial and for sure I'd recommend nobody approach his operas if they are wanting to find out about historic events but as musical theatre/opera some of his works are really rather wonderful I think.
I heard this—Billy Strayhorn's arrangement— before hearing the original orchestration. "Sugar Rum Cherry" is a rare treat:This thread could use a little colour. So how about some African-American classical?