I spoke with a co-worker earlier today and somehow got onto the issue of music. I noted for instance that my Dad has requested (and said he would put it in his will that this is what he wanted) the music for his funeral to be “The Great Gate of Kiev” from Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky (orchestrated by Ravel who, in Bolero, gave us the most hypnotic 8 bars of music ever to be repeated endlessly…not counting Techno music). One of the best recordings I’ve heard of this one in a while is here (done by Janackova Filharmonie Ostrava). It begins with La cabane sur des pattes de poule before ending with La grande porte de Kiev. I think I like this one the most because the percussion actually sound like they mean business!
Switching composer’s…my favorite Beethoven: Eroica (Part 1) & Eroica (Part 2). Both of those are conducted by Karajan. In my opinion, the 2nd movement of Eroica is some of the best music ever composed, rivalled only by Tchaikovsky’s Adagio lamentoso from his 6th symphony–music which is even more powerful when you realize that he killed himself just a few days after it debuted by intentionally drinking Cholera-tainted water.
On a more upbeat Tchaikovsky note, let’s throw in Marche Slave. I’d get the third movement (the Scherzo) from his 6th symphony but haven’t found a decent recording of it yet on YouTube, although there is a piano version of it. It sounds so much better with full orchestra though :-(
Anyway, on to Mozart: Dies irae from his Requiem.
And Smetana: The Moldau.
And since I mentioned it earlier: Ravel’s Bolero. Just imagine what it would be like if you got stuck playing the snare drum on this song….
And just to prove John Williams has never come up with an original theme in his life: Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, 4th movement. Note the Jaws theme Williams stole. You can also listen to the Firebird Suite (which I’m not going to link to because I don’t like it) and hear how Williams stole the flute line for his Tinkerbell theme in the movie Hook.
Oh well.. that should do for now! :-)
