O/T: Classical Music

[IronFist]

It's easy to tell with angry alternative songs with lyrics, but what do you think Classical composers were thinking of when they composed their songs? I would assume, partly from the name, that "Für Elise" was written for a woman to express his feelings about her.

But actually the song I was wondering about is Bach's Toccata and Fuge in D Minor. What do you think he was feeling when he wrote that?

IronFist

[PHILBERT]

Bach was thinking "This tune will be used in countless movies in a few centuries when it is invented."

Or he was trying to make early techno with the repeated keys using a piano.

I think he wasn't trying to create a creepy song like it is often viewed as (in horror movies and all), but maybe at the time of writing he wasn't happy. I dunno.

[IronFist]

Creepy? I think it's beautiful. I wonder if most people have heard the whole thing, or just the beginning, which is what everyone seems to know*. But, I remember one time Junior year I was playing it kind of loud in my room and someone came in and asked if I was watching a horror movie. Haha, I was like, no, I'm listening to classical music.

*Same thing with Für Elise. People only know the main part at the beginning. It has a whole second part that no one knows, I think. It's totally different.

IronFist

[PHILBERT]

Thats the thing about classical music, usually the beginning is the only part that is famous.

[Vapour]

Composing classical music is like writing a long novel. You set up a theme and then compose plot. Each line of tunes have to be a poetry.

[cwheelie]

Up until the late Classical period, most art (music, painting, sculpture, poetry) was meant to be religiously themed or a homage to God. The Church dominated everyday life. There were certainly some other themes as entertainment for the masses (shakespeare was looked down on for writing "lowbrow" type stuff. mozart's "the magic flute" was similarly frowned on).
Of course, Bach was probably just trying to score chicks.
"Like to come back to my place and see my organ?":p

[Robinf]

I have heard a story about Beethoven's Fifth. He wrote it in an angry and sarcastic response to critics who had been panning his other work because it didn't follow the rules set for the Classical style. So he wrote in perfect classical style "D-D-D-C. D-D-D-C." The rest is the same Classical simplicity/symetry.

I don't know if this story is true, but it seems plausible. Beethoven wanted to experiment and grow and the critics just wouldn't let him.

[Chang Style Novice]

The Tocatte and Fugi (or whatever the correct plural is) are part of a larger body of work called "The Well Tempered Klavier." A Klavier is a keyboard instrument from the baroque era, something like a harpsichord. Of course, the pieces are often played on pianos, organs, and so forth as well.

The Well Tempered Klavier established western tonality, where every note is equally out of tune, hence the 'well tempered' part of it's name. It's been a while since I took intro to classical music, but I'm pretty sure I remember that it was old JS' intention to establish a common tonal system out of the many different ideas for tonality that were floating around europe at the time. So, what I'd say was going through his mind was something like "okayt, D minor is gonna sound like THIS!"

[FatherDog]

Originally posted by IronFist
Creepy? I think it's beautiful. I wonder if most people have heard the whole thing, or just the beginning, which is what everyone seems to know*.

...

*Same thing with Für Elise. People only know the main part at the beginning. It has a whole second part that no one knows, I think. It's totally different.

Yeah, a lot of people are like that with classical music... Most people know the "Ode to Joy" part of Beethoven's 9th, for example, but wouldn't know the rest of it... and did you know that the music for diamond commercials is just the first part of a three part Allegreto? It's by Karl Jenkins and it's a lovely piece of music.

[Chang Style Novice]

On a related topic, those f@#$ing cell phones have totally ruined whatever pleasure I was once able to derive from Fur Elise and Bach's Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor. At least I never did like "The Thong Song."

[fa_jing]

Some of those composer suffered great personal losses. I think that leads to very expressive people. Mozart and his sister were the only children out of 7 to survive childhood; Giuseppi Verdi lost his wife and two children to disease.

[IronFist]

Does anyone know any books or anything I could read to learn more about Classical music history?

Also, how about some Classical theory books? I've played guitar for 12 years (from 4th grade Christmas until now) although after the first 5 I stopped taking lessons, and for the last 4 since I've been at college it's just been messing around on it when I have time (a couple times a month tops, usually less). Anyway, I never studied anything classical and the only classical "theory" I know is intuitive. So, something fairly basic would be nice, if you know of anything.

Thanks,

IronFist

[fa_jing]

Wierd. I know tons of information about the life and works of all of the major composers and I can't even remember where I learned it from or read about it. Knowledge acquired over 15 years of music study, but it wasn't from any teacher I had.

[Chang Style Novice]

A cellist friend of mine says this one

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0028721454/qid=1048207372/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-1640572-7404865?v=glance&s=books

is really good.

[joedoe]

Track down Huang Kai Vun - apparently he is a professional violinist.

[Serpent]

Apparently he trained at Juilliard and was selected by his last Sifu during a violin performance because said Sifu could see HKV's chi on stage from the auditorium.

Of course, HKV will be happy to tell you all this in excrutiating detail whether you ask him or not.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
A cellist friend of mine says this one

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0028721454/qid=1048207372/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-1640572-7404865?v=glance&s=books

is really good.

$58.00!! :eek: :eek:

I may check it out later, tho, thanks for the recommendation. Maybe my library has it.

IronFist

[KC Elbows]

What's really sad is that the last classical station in town closed up shop two years ago. If you want classical, you've only got NPR late in the evening. Or your own collection.

[Robinf]

If your college has a music department, snoop around for a nice professor and ask to borrow a book or two (explaining your interest, of course).

Robin

[Chang Style Novice]

If you're in college and there's a music dept., you should be able to check out the stuff you want from the fine arts library. The FAL at UT is incredible. I can check out anything except rare, expensive, and in demand multi-disc sets. But the library has a computer lab with CD burners! So, I can check out the Complete Charlie Parker on Verve, for example, burn it to disc, and take the copies home!

And Bird's been dead nearly 50 years, so I don't feel any guilt about stealing his royalties.