 |
Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums
Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments.
Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
|
|
|
|
37 members (Erinmarriott, David Boyce, 20/20 Vision, Animisha, beeboss, Cominut, brennbaer, crab89, aphexdisklavier, admodios, 4 invisible),
1,329
guests, and
280
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 84
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 84 |
Someone mentioned Cage. I don't take him seriously.
You don't take him seriously? His work on mushrooms is quite interesting you know.
Last edited by Pangur Bán; 02/28/12 10:05 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392
9000 Post Club Member
|
|
9000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392 |
You don't take [Cage] seriously? His work on mushrooms is quite interesting you know.
He studied mushrooms? Hopefully the 'festive' variety. 
Jason
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 84
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 84 |
He studied mushrooms? Hopefully the 'festive' variety. All sorts I think, including, I would imagine, the  sort. He was a respected amateur mycologist. And yes he prepared composed some stuff as well.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,746
6000 Post Club Member
|
|
6000 Post Club Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,746 |
Am I the only one who can't seem to find the appeal of Mozart? Nothing against him, and I understand and appreciate his work from a compositional and technical point, however there are very few pieces that I can bare to listen from him. If we are talking about his piano works, yes, but his orchestral works are wonderful. This is why, for me, Beethoven is king. Strong on piano, strong on orchestra. Even my beloved Liszt loses me a bit on the orchestral works. I'm not a big Schumann fan either.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,060
7000 Post Club Member
|
|
7000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,060 |
Schumann is great, but I'm not the biggest on him.
Same with Mendelssohn, if we're talking just for piano.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392
9000 Post Club Member
|
|
9000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392 |
Schumann is great, but I'm not the biggest on him. I confess to being a bit mystified, but to each his own. Yet I could never live without the Fantasy. OTH, the finale of his first symphony I find utterly tedious. Same with Mendelssohn, if we're talking just for piano. A handful of M's piano works are fully worthy of his genius, but some of them I could give a miss. But the symphonies, the two great oratorios, the chamber works -those I have heard- and even some of the part songs? Love 'em.
Jason
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 498
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 498 |
Schumann is harmonically complex but often lacks the strong rhythmic patterns used by composers such as Bach, Schubert and Beethoven.
Simply not true. To me Schumann has too much predictable rhythmic patterns that I often get bored. But in general, I like his work, he has style different from others. That may be a better description. With Schumann it's never long before an overwhelming sense of "circling in the woods" asserts itself.
Piano is hard work from beginning to forever.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 84
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 84 |
I think it's not so much a question of rhythmic patterns as the architectonics of a given piece of Schumann's solo piano music. Whilst a lot of keyboard music 1700-1900 was written in a small number of standard musical forms (e.g. sonata form, rondo, various dances, &c &c), Schumann tended to write a lot of programme music. Unlike a lot of programme music where the 'programme' is fairly explicit, the 'programme' in Schumann's music not always obvious, and often there's a narrative of sorts going on; and you have to decide, from the notes before you, what sort of story you want to tell, or what story you want to hear. In short, you need to work that much harder, either as a listener or as a performer.
Last edited by Pangur Bán; 02/28/12 11:31 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,060
7000 Post Club Member
|
|
7000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,060 |
Mendelssohn's a capella works are fantastic, too!!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 498
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 498 |
Am I the only one who can't seem to find the appeal of Mozart? Nothing against him, and I understand and appreciate his work from a compositional and technical point, however there are very few pieces that I can bare to listen from him. I totally agree with what you've said. So no you're not the only one. I find Mozart a fascinating personality but his piano compositions, not much so other than as study items. On the other hand I adore his whimsical operas - but more for libretto and treatment than the music.
Piano is hard work from beginning to forever.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 498
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 498 |
I think it's not so much a question of rhythmic patterns as the architectonics of a given piece of Schumann's solo piano music. Whilst a lot of keyboard music 1700-1900 was written in a small number of standard musical forms (e.g. sonata form, rondo, various dances, &c &c), Schumann tended to write a lot of programme music. Unlike a lot of programme music where the 'programme' is fairly explicit, the 'programme' in Schumann's music not always obvious, and often there's a narrative of sorts going on; and you have to decide, from the notes before you, what sort of story you want to tell, or what story you want to hear. In short, you need to work that much harder, either as a listener or as a performer. Excellent! This is quite true as I never quite comprehend what Schumann is trying to say while Liszt, another 'programme' composer always speaks quite clearly to me. My inner voice petulantly stamps its foot and tells Schumann to be quiet if he can't find anything logical* to talk about. Logical* = long list of musical programmes/dances I care for.
Piano is hard work from beginning to forever.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,585
1000 Post Club Member
|
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,585 |
Am I the only one who can't seem to find the appeal of Mozart? Nothing against him, and I understand and appreciate his work from a compositional and technical point, however there are very few pieces that I can bare to listen from him. I totally agree with what you've said. So no you're not the only one. I find Mozart a fascinating personality but his piano compositions, not much so other than as study items. On the other hand I adore his whimsical operas - but more for libretto and treatment than the music. The funny thing is (no pun intended) that I feel most of his works revolve too much in the major scales and those trill flourishes that sprout from most of his sonatas for example really get on my nerves...lol
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,769
1000 Post Club Member
|
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,769 |
Shostakovich and Bartok...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 204
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 204 |
I know I'm destined for the fires of heck when I die (and maybe sooner, here) but I'll say it anyway: Bach. I respect the heck out of him, I admire his music, I play a little of it but I don't love it. I own a number of recordings of his music and do listen to it but it's more a clinical study than an act of love. How do you feel about the music of other baroque composers such as Handel? Are there other baroque composers who appeal to you considerably more than Bach? (Very) loosely speaking, I more or less switch on at Mozart. There are probably too many exceptions to list (some Handel, some Haydn, ...) but Mozart onward is where the bulk of my music collection is centered. I have similar musical tastes as you. For the most part, I consider Haydn to be a contemporary of Mozart (although Haydn had a considerably longer life span)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 651
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 651 |
Interesting to see Schumann get so much hate. I love the guy. Fantasie, Symphonic Etudes, Kreisleriana, 2nd Piano Sonata...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392
9000 Post Club Member
|
|
9000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,392 |
Interesting to see Schumann get so much hate. I love the guy. Fantasie, Symphonic Etudes, Kreisleriana, 2nd Piano Sonata... I've really taken a fancy to the Humoreske these last several weeks. No one -except the general public- seems to like the piano concerto, but the late 'Introduction & Allegro' Op 134 (also for piano and orchestra) is oddly neglected, I don't understand that. A very worthy piece, superbly written, it builds to a luscious and glowing climax.
Jason
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,955
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
|
|
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,955 |
No one -except the general public- seems to like the piano concerto......
Well then, thank God for the general public !!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,562
6000 Post Club Member
|
|
6000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,562 |
Shostakovich and Bartok... REALLY!?!?!? I mean I understand Bartok, but Shostakovich is the idol of tons of film composers and it shows in their works (just look at the works of John Williams for example who is VERY influenced by both Shostakovich and Stravinsky).
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,955
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
|
|
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,955 |
My inner voice petulantly stamps its foot and tells Schumann to be quiet if he can't find anything logical* to talk about.
Logical* = long list of musical programmes/dances I care for.
So it's all about YOU.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,769
1000 Post Club Member
|
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,769 |
Shostakovich and Bartok... REALLY!?!?!? Shostakovich is the idol of tons of film composers and it shows in their works (just look at the works of John Williams for example who is VERY influenced by both Shostakovich and Stravinsky). ...and that has what to do with me liking them or not? Williams does write beautiful music, granted..but I always thought he was more Wagner than Shosty..
Last edited by Opus_Maximus; 02/29/12 04:16 AM.
|
|
|
|
Forums43
Topics223,385
Posts3,349,183
Members111,631
| |
Most Online15,252
Mar 21st, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
