Our software update is now concluded. You will need to reset your password to log in. In order to do this, you will have to click "Log in" in the top right corner and then "Forgot your password?".
Welcome to PokéCommunity! Register now and join one of the best fan communities on the 'net to talk Pokémon and more! We are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.
Hi everyone and welcome to the Classical Music club!
This club is for everyone: instrument players, classical music casual listeners and enthusiasts, people who know much about classical music, but also people who know nothing at all!
Sharing your passion, your interest, curiosity and anything related to classical music is the spirit to be part of this club! Everyone is welcome to join and we will have very interesting discussions and tons of interesting activities!
To join:
Username:
Do you play an instrument?
Do you have a favorite composer? How about a favorite piece?
Members list:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
_confused_piplup_
VisionofMilotic
Janp
Harmonie
My answers:
Spoiler:
The exact answer is "kind of". I play the violin only when I go back home, which is like three-four times a year. I am planning to actually start playing and follow a course again, next year!
Personally, I don't really have a favorite composer because I really think there's still a lot of classical music to explore for me, so I'd say it's too early for me to have an actual favorite composer. When it comes to objectively rate who is the best composer, I have seen a lot of people bringing in Bach or Mozart and I surely agree. I think Bach was a crazy good composer. However, if I have to say which composer has pieces I like the most, I'd say that it's probably Liszt! I like the complexity and the richness of his sound. I indeed have no doubt that my favorite era in classical music is Romantic/Virtuoso era.
As of now, my favorite classical music piece is surely Vieuxtemps' 5th Violin concerto (click on the Gardevoir pic in my signature) and I really love how energetic the third movement is! I really hope one day I'll be able to play this wonderful concerto!
Joining you at the theater to make music together.
Do you play an instrument?
Yes, though not classical ones. Instead I have a copper sistrum with wood beads and steel jangles, a type of instrument that was played at sanctuaries in ancient Egypt. I also have a chestnut ahoko, this perscussion istrument comes from Côte d'Ivoire. Since i have some Ivorian ancestry I am proud of that.
Do you have a favorite composer?
It's hard to pick a favorite, but I think the music of Richard Strauss is quite wondrous.
How about a favorite piece?
I like operas, Don Carlo, Bluebeard's Castle and the Ring cycle are some of my favorites. Part of what draws me into the aforementioned is the use of bass-bartone vocals. I can appreciate singing in every vocal fach, but there's something about a warm deep voice that melts my heart.
Welcome to the Club! I am so happy to have you here! Also, very cute Milotic's pic! How's it even playing the drums though lol
I had never heard of these instruments before, but indeed they seem really interesting! Those instruments especially from different cultures in the world are so fascinating because they're pretty unique and different from the usual famous instruments, so I am glad to have learnt about them!
Strauss' music is indeed pretty good and while I don't really listen to opera a lot, I bet all of those are very good choices (gonna go listen to them soon lol)
Welcome to the Club! I am so happy to have you here! Also, very cute Milotic's pic! How's it even playing the drums though lol
I had never heard of these instruments before, but indeed they seem really interesting! Those instruments especially from different cultures in the world are so fascinating because they're pretty unique and different from the usual famous instruments, so I am glad to have learnt about them!
Strauss' music is indeed pretty good and while I don't really listen to opera a lot, I bet all of those are very good choices (gonna go listen to them soon lol)
Thank you! I'm excited to be here. Haha, I got early accsss to the dlc for Scarlet and Violet. There's a Paldean form of Milotic that's part psychic. She uses telekinesis to play the drums!
I couldn't agree with you more about instruments from all over the world. Since music is universal it's interesting to see people across time and place find different ways of trying to express the same things that they are feeling. Glad that I got you intrigued.
I am also impressed to be in the company of a violinist. The sound of the violin is so emotionally-charged, and can be used to say so many different things. it can be so tearful and lamenting, or full of fire and action, it can turn sweet and radiant. You are lucky lady to play one, i hope you get some more visits home with family where you can practice and also that you really enjoy the music classes you are starting!
I mentioned that I think Strauss is beautiful, and after reading that you have enjoyed some of his work too I have gotten up the courage to a share something that always resonated with me. Do you know his lieder Four Last Songs he wrote just before he died? One of the things that I think is most breathtaking about the third song Beim Schlafengehen is the violin solo in the middle. I thought that it might appeal to you as well, if you have not heard it before, or if you have then it might be something that you would like to hear again. There are a lot of amazing renditions of this, but the one that is the best to me is sung by Gundula Janowitz. Her phrasing is so sensitive, and as always her clear angelic timbre is gorgeous.
I'm going to start my morning by listening to Vieuxtemps' 5th Violin concerto for the first time. I am learning new things from this club already :)
I am also impressed to be in the company of a violinist. The sound of the violin is so emotionally-charged, and can be used to say so many different things. it can be so tearful and lamenting, or full of fire and action, it can turn sweet and radiant. You are lucky lady to play one, i hope you get some more visits home with family where you can practice and also that you really enjoy the music classes you are starting!
Oh, yeah violin is indeed a wonderful instrument. I remember choosing it when I was around 11/12 for school. I was undecided between that and piano. It's weird how I had never seen a violin before that (like, no interaction), but I still knew that I liked it. The sound always conquered me lol. And yeah, anyway, I still love the piano. I'd say that after violin the instrument I'd like to try the most is probably piano.
I mentioned that I think Strauss is beautiful, and after reading that you have enjoyed some of his work too I have gotten up the courage to a share something that always resonated with me. Do you know his lieder Four Last Songs he wrote just before he died? One of the things that I think is most breathtaking about the third song Beim Schlafengehen is the violin solo in the middle. I thought that it might appeal to you as well, if you have not heard it before, or if you have then it might be something that you would like to hear again. There are a lot of amazing renditions of this, but the one that is the best to me is sung by Gundula Janowitz. Her phrasing is so sensitive, and as always her clear angelic timbre is gorgeous.
Well, I am really glad that you shared that video! I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but today it's actually also Strauss' birthday! Anyway, I really appreciated this piece. I think it's very beautiful and I love both the voive and the violin part. I haven't heard many other interpretations, but I can totally see that this rendition is amazing! I love how powerful and rich the sound is, I could totally say it sounds like the Romantic era lol. It's really cool because it brings out a lot from each instrument, including the voice! I also really liked the violin part!
Username: Janp Do you play an instrument? Sadly no. I'm really incompetent when it comes to music. Do you have a favorite composer? I'll go with my fellow Czech composers Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana. Other than that, I also really like Gabriel Faure. His music reminds me of Ghibli movies. How about a favorite piece? Dvořák's New World Symphony
Username: Janp Do you play an instrument? Sadly no. I'm really incompetent when it comes to music. Do you have a favorite composer? I'll go with my fellow Czech composers Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana. Other than that, I also really like Gabriel Faure. His music reminds me of Ghibli movies. How about a favorite piece? Dvořák's New World Symphony
Surely! I am so glad to have you here! Welcome to the club!
Oh yeah, Dvořák is a very good composer! I also really like his New World Symphony. I also like his violin concerto and I really love his Serenade for strings. It's just so elegant and passionate! If you haven't checked it out, I'd definitely recommend you to listen to the piece, especially the 'Tempo di Valse' part, which is among my favorite pieces.
I have never heard of Smetana, but I have listened to Fauré before. His Pavane is really famous and is indeed a really good piece! I think I have listened to some of his Nocturnes too.
Today, I am glad to announce one of the interesting initiatives of the club! This club is made for us to talk, discuss and learn about classical music, so here that it comes our opportunity to learn more about this amazing genre of music: the wheel of Composers!
Spoiler:
As you might have understood, this gigantic wheel has names of some of the most famous composers. Each month, during the first day of the month, I'll spin the wheel and the name of one of the composers will be chosen.
During that month, you're invited to talk, discuss and share your opinions or any kind of information about the composer. You're also obviously invited to listen to their pieces and share your thoughts on those. As for me, it'll vary from month to month according to how busy I am, but since I am always trying to know more about classical music, I'll try to listen to most of the pieces that the chosen composer made. Here in the wheel we have very famous but also less famous Composers and obviously we won't have to listen to all of them, but rather stop whenever we want.
I really hope this will be an opportunity for all of us to learn more about Composers and classical music and also to discover new amazing music!
Hello everyone! Today is the first of the month, so I am thrilled to spin the wheel of composers for the first time! I fixed some things and added some more composers to the list. Here's the wheel:
Well, this is the official 1st spin of the wheel, so get ready! The first Composer will be...
Wow, that truly is a great start! He surely is one of the most important pianists and composers and there's a lot to say about him and his music!
I love this idea of a wheel of fortune to spin for classical composers, and this is a groundbreaking start I must sa
When it comes to Rachmaninoff nothing does it for me quite like his Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. When I hear the those strings come in at the first movement it has the powerful feel of a great ocean wave that had been rising, crashing down over me, and it's thrilling. Since this is one of his best-known and most beloved compositions, it might be a good place to start.
Rachmaninoff is a great composer. I already knew him, but I am taking this month to better explore his compositions. Interestingly enough, I almost casually found a very interesting video that could really be a great way to start listening to him! Here it is:
Spoiler:
When I first listened to Rachmaninoff, I could feel something dark and deep in his music, but that also makes it majestic. I think I really like the third movement of his third piano concerto. And while we're here, I am also going to share some interesting facts I have discovered about him!
So, first of all, being one of the greatest composers and piano players of the modern days, we actually have some of his recordings! We're extremely lucky to have his recording of his own piano concertos and (that's for me really cool) a recording of Liszt's famous 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody (which is one of my personal favorite pieces). You can find more information here.
It also looks like he had very good skills at piano because of his big hands and in fact I have also commonly found videos and jokes of piano players saying that you need big hands to play his music.
There is also something more I'd like to add, which is some music advice. On of the most unusual pieces I have ever listened from Rachmaninoff is the Italian Polka. Compared to his usual dark and majestic tone, this piece sounds very playful and I really like it. Since I don't think it's too famous, it's definitely worth a listen!
I also recommend to listen to his 4th piano concerto. It's often less played and listened if compared to his other concertos. I haven't heard the entire piece, but I have definitely really enjoyed it!
I found a youtube video about different ways that classical music has inspired humble 8-bit Pokemon music. Bach, Stravinsky and Shastakovich were all influences on Junichi Masuda's compositions. Our club seemed like a good place to share this nice video. The video is a bit long, but I enjoyed it. I learned some interesting things from listening.
I found a youtube video about different ways that classical music has inspired humble 8-bit Pokemon music. Bach, Stravinsky and Shastakovich were all influences on Junichi Masuda's compositions. Our club seemed like a good place to share this nice video. The video is a bit long, but I enjoyed it. I learned some interesting things from listening.
Yes! I had already watched it and thought to share it at some point! Thanks for sharing!
I found this video extremely interesting and it actually made me realize how much work there could have been to make the first Pokemon games, especially considering the hardware limitations!
I really find interesting how Masuda made these songs. Also, after watching the video, it really seems like you can better appreciate the music knowing what there is behind that!
I absolutely need to join this club! I have an immense appreciation for classical music!
Name: Lina/Ninetales Instrument: I can play the tenor saxophone, though I admittedly haven't played in a few years. Favourite Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Favourite Piece: Pas de Deux by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Such a romantic, serene piece, listening to it feels as if you're prancing around a field of vivid wildflowers.
I absolutely need to join this club! I have an immense appreciation for classical music!
Name: Lina/Ninetales Instrument: I can play the tenor saxophone, though I admittedly haven't played in a few years. Favourite Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Favourite Piece: Pas de Deux by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Such a romantic, serene piece, listening to it feels as if you're prancing around a field of vivid wildflowers.
I am so glad to have you here! Welcome to the club!
Saxophone is a such a particular and great instrument. I really like the way it sounds!
And Tchaikovsky is a great composer and I like several of the pieces that he composed. I really like that one!
Hello everyone! Today it's time for the second spin of the wheel of composers!
Before that, I'd like to spend a couple of words on my listening of Rachmaninoff during the last month.
Spoiler:
Will update once I am back at home, but I really enjoyed Rachmaninoff's music and found some interesting pieces I hadn't heard about before. I really appreciated his 4th piano concerto, which I think is less famous if compared to the other ones he made.
That said, it's time for the second spin of the wheel! Here we go...
Wow, Mozart! There's a lot to talk about his music and his personality. I have listened to several of Mozart's pieces, but this will be an opportunity to get to know his music even better!
Wow Mozart! Angie seems to have magic fingers, always spinning a winner. For me Mozart's Requiem is it. It's such an incredible piece of music. From the first notes of the Introitus before the chorus even thunders in you just know something monumental is about to happen, the way the wind instruments creep along- the basoon playing D C# D E and F stir this foreboding feeling like clouds gathering together and darkening before the storm.
The story behind the Requiem's creation has always pulled me in too, as I think it does many people. It could come out of an Agatha Christie novel- a masked stranger in gray, commissioning a requiem for a client who could not be named. Even knowing that it was Count von Walsegg who wanted the requiem as tribute to his late wife on her death's anniversary, and planned to take the credit for writing it himself, the legend still intrigues me. It's also poignant that Maestro Mozart died mysteriously while he was still young in the middle of writing this extraordinary music, and it literally became his own requiem at his funeral mass, as he predicted. So I want to treat his last will and testament with utmost care.
Username: Harmonie Do you play an instrument? I play oboe and bassoon. I also like to dabble in other woodwinds from time to time for fun. Most recently that was tenor saxophone. Now I hope to find an excuse to play bass clarinet someday, as well! Do you have a favorite composer? The classic Johann Sebastian Bach. I love Baroque, I love counterpoint & polyphony, and I love all of the love he gave for the oboe in not just his concertos and other orchestral works, but also his cantatas. Guillaume de Machaut is also up there for me! How about a favorite piece? There is a lot, but I'm partial to Marcello's Oboe Concerto in D Minor.
Hi! I actually studied to go into musicology for grad school. Sadly life and everything got in the way and that hasn't happened yet and now I'm getting older. D: But suffice to say, I have a passion for classical music! I first got into it as a teen. Over the years my favorite eras have been (in chronological order) Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism, French Impressionism, and some late 19th/early 20th century (such as Holst, Vaughan-Williams, Stravinsky, etc.). The amount of music I listen to the most probably falls more in the early music category, though.
As for the subject of Mozart, here's a movement from a perhaps lesser known piece by his. I picked it because it is a prime example of what my username refers to, a piece for an ensemble of winds:
It almost feels uncharacteristic from the Mozart I know, in which a lot of his music has that light, playful feel to it. This one is... well,.. not that. lol
I found a youtube video about different ways that classical music has inspired humble 8-bit Pokemon music. Bach, Stravinsky and Shastakovich were all influences on Junichi Masuda's compositions. Our club seemed like a good place to share this nice video. The video is a bit long, but I enjoyed it. I learned some interesting things from listening.
Something that's very interesting, I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees this. One that really strikes out to me as Stravinsky-esque is Union Cave from G/S/C and HG/SS.
The first thirty seconds sound a heck of a lot like Mystic Circles of the Young Girls from Rite of Spring.
But then right after that, it sounds a lot like the last thirty or so seconds of the Berceuse from Firebird:
When I was a child, I was really captivated by the Union Cave and ruins themes. Later, as an adult, when I got to play Rite of Spring in a university orchestra, I quickly fell in love with the beautiful yet ominous Mystic Circles ... section. Is it any wonder after having loved Union Cave as a child? lol
Username: Harmonie Do you play an instrument? I play oboe and bassoon. I also like to dabble in other woodwinds from time to time for fun. Most recently that was tenor saxophone. Now I hope to find an excuse to play bass clarinet someday, as well! Do you have a favorite composer? The classic Johann Sebastian Bach. I love Baroque, I love counterpoint & polyphony, and I love all of the love he gave for the oboe in not just his concertos and other orchestral works, but also his cantatas. Guillaume de Machaut is also up there for me! How about a favorite piece? There is a lot, but I'm partial to Marcello's Oboe Concerto in D Minor.
Hi! I actually studied to go into musicology for grad school. Sadly life and everything got in the way and that hasn't happened yet and now I'm getting older. D: But suffice to say, I have a passion for classical music! I first got into it as a teen. Over the years my favorite eras have been (in chronological order) Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism, French Impressionism, and some late 19th/early 20th century (such as Holst, Vaughan-Williams, Stravinsky, etc.). The amount of music I listen to the most probably falls more in the early music category, though.
Spoiler:
As for the subject of Mozart, here's a movement from a perhaps lesser known piece by his. I picked it because it is a prime example of what my username refers to, a piece for an ensemble of winds:
It almost feels uncharacteristic from the Mozart I know, in which a lot of his music has that light, playful feel to it. This one is... well,.. not that. lol
Something that's very interesting, I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees this. One that really strikes out to me as Stravinsky-esque is Union Cave from G/S/C and HG/SS.
The first thirty seconds sound a heck of a lot like Mystic Circles of the Young Girls from Rite of Spring.
But then right after that, it sounds a lot like the last thirty or so seconds of the Berceuse from Firebird:
When I was a child, I was really captivated by the Union Cave and ruins themes. Later, as an adult, when I got to play Rite of Spring in a university orchestra, I quickly fell in love with the beautiful yet ominous Mystic Circles ... section. Is it any wonder after having loved Union Cave as a child? lol
Welcome Harmonie and please excuse me for the late welcome message! I am very very glad to have you here :)
It's always nice to see someone else share your own interests and I find pretty cool that you can play oboe and bassoon. You also seem to know much about classical music in general, so your comments are really appreciated, but i didn't even have to tell lol, as you have already provided us really interesting information and insights on several topics!
It's actually so true that the Union Cave theme sounds a lot like the pieces you posted. I find it really interesting because while I love classical music, there's a lot of composers and pieces that I still have to discover, so this was quite a big surprise for me. Indeed one of the composers whose works I don't really know much is Stravinsky, and that's one of the reasons why I am running the wheel of composers hehe. I have definitely listened to The Rite of Springs several times and I even had the great occasion to go to a classical music concert where they played the piece. I was really fascinated by it!
I have to say that the video of how 8 bit pokemon music was inspired by classical music was deeply important for me, even on the technical side. It really looks like the video is also about how classical music theories were used to overcome some of the gameboy limits, which I find extremely interesting, because I am working on a project that is based on replacing pokemon platinum music with classical music. While working on it, I realized how much the platform you're working for can be limiting. So, the work that has been done in those early pokemon games is truly impressive.
Now, about Mozart, here's my monthly experience so far. So, firstly, I'd like to thank again Harmonie for providing us this piece, which is indeed unusual for Mozart. It's a very nice and interesting piece, and while it doesn't feel as joyful as many others of his works, I can definitely still hear his "signature". It does sound still playful somehow, but with a more serious tone.
There are several pieces that I had already listened to, like the most famous ones like Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which is iconic lol, Queen aria, Alla Turca, ecc. I also really enjoy his piano sonata 16 in c major, it sounds so calm and joyful!
Like VisionofMilotic mentioned, I also really appreciate his Requiem, especially the Lacrimosa part.
For me Mozart's Requiem is it. It's such an incredible piece of music. From the first notes of the Introitus before the chorus even thunders in you just know something monumental is about to happen, the way the wind instruments creep along- the basoon playing D C# D E and F stir this foreboding feeling like clouds gathering together and darkening before the storm.
The story behind the Requiem's creation has always pulled me in too, as I think it does many people. It could come out of an Agatha Christie novel- a masked stranger in gray, commissioning a requiem for a client who could not be named. Even knowing that it was Count von Walsegg who wanted the requiem as tribute to his late wife on her death's anniversary, and planned to take the credit for writing it himself, the legend still intrigues me. It's also poignant that Maestro Mozart died mysteriously while he was still young in the middle of writing this extraordinary music, and it literally became his own requiem at his funeral mass, as he predicted. So I want to treat his last will and testament with utmost care.
The entire story of this piece is really interesting and musically it's a piece that conquered me since I started listening to classical music. The requiem is indeed quite dark and unusual for Mozart. I find it powerful and majestic, while the theme of death and sorrow can be easily perceived and fully resonates, in different ways, through the entire piece. It's a real masterpiece, in my opinion!
Instead, talking about the pieces I listened to, I am currently listening some of his sonatas. I also listened to his violin concertos. His third violin concerto is pretty famous and I I had already heard here and there, but never completely. I have to say that my personal taste in classical music, and consequently in violin concertos, is mainly in the late romantic/virtuosistic era. So, those are probably not among my favorite violin concertos, but they're still really great. My favorite Mozart's violin concerto is the 5th. I find that the solo entrance of violin is very powerful, yet very elegant. And the third movement is so good too! I love how softly it ends.
About his sonatas, I am really in love with most of them. I don't really have a favorite one for now. As I have already said before, I really enjoy his piano sonata 16. It really sounds like he's playing with the piani and it's really relaxing to listen to. It has some sort of rich sound to it, but very elegant. For the rest, I enjoy a lot most of them. I like a lot the 1st, the 2nd, 10th and obviously the 11th.
Instead, I'm still in the process of listening to his symphonies, so I have not much to say about those lol.
I have also listened to some parts of some of his piano concertos. I have always been in love with his Piano concerto N 20. It's just too epic, powerful and entertaining. It's one of those pieces that made me feel the "wow" factor as soon as I listened to it for the first time. It really feels like you fall into the world of music and the music just keeps going and you're completely lost in it. It truly catches my attention to the highest levels from the beginning to the end. It's by far my favorite piece from Mozart and one of my favorite pieces overall. I love almost everything of this piece, going from the powerful beginning to the calm and elegant entrance of the piano, to the incredible harmony the piano and the orchestra create, to some wonderful passages in the second and third movements. If you haven't listened to this concerto yet, I really advice you to!
Finally, there are a couple of videos I recommend you to watch. I haven't watched all of them yet, but I am pretty sure you'll find them interesting, because I've been following this channel for a while and it has very interesting content!
I was also thinking to watch Amadeus, a movie about Mozart and his personality!
I also want to say that I am thinking to suspend the wheel of composers for this month as there's very much to listen about Mozart. Let me now how you feel about that!
