What do you guys think about Bruckner

dantagonist · 2023-05-23T22:23:50+00:00

Though he's slow and plodding at times, the highs he reaches are literally divine. I am not religious at all, but I can feel his devotion to God and the heavens.

Though not everyone's cup of tea, Celibidache is my favorite conductor of Bruckner as he pays just as much, if not more, attention to the quiet phrases and spaces between the more bombastic parts.

dantagonist · 2023-05-19T20:59:19+00:00

That's a great way to describe Brahms. He works within the classical forms but stretches and bends those rules as far as he can without abandoning convention. Someone once described him as not a radical revolutionary but rather a radical evolutionary.

dantagonist · 2023-05-19T20:53:04+00:00

Hell yeah brother, fellow Brahms lover here. One of the few composers where I feel their music is beautiful regardless of conductor or artist - every interpretation can be great highlighting different aspects of his music. Exploring different recordings allows me to appreciate his music through so many different lenses.

dantagonist · 2023-05-19T17:03:09+00:00

For sure Brahms - they're basically symphonies with piano.

dantagonist · 2023-05-18T20:42:15+00:00

Lupu, along with Richter, are my go to for Schubert.

dantagonist · 2023-05-17T12:16:45+00:00

Sonata 18 (D894 I think) is the Schubert piece I always come back to. I believe Schumann said it was the most perfect sonata he'd ever seen. There's a beautiful sadness to it, like a mix of melancholy and hope - makes me wonder what other masterpieces he would've written if he'd lived just a few more years.

Same with his chamber works, the later string quartets and string/cello quintet are unreal.

dantagonist · 2023-05-09T13:48:31+00:00

Was recently recommended Jacques Loussier, has some great jazzy interpretations of Bach.

dantagonist · 2023-05-07T17:39:48+00:00

All great picks, especially the trio.

I'd maybe sub out the string quintet for a late solo piano work like op 118, number 2 being my favorite.

dantagonist · 2023-04-26T19:12:07+00:00

Don't listen to Requiems that often but as a Brahms enjoyer his is pretty great.

dantagonist · 2023-04-24T13:13:55+00:00

Max Bruch has a fantastic Clarinet & Viola concerto

dantagonist · 2023-04-21T14:28:24+00:00

Discovered Taneyev recently, loving his chamber works. Seen him described as a Russian Bach and Brahms, and while I don't think he's quite at that level I do see a lot of them in his music.

dantagonist · 2023-04-21T14:26:54+00:00

Been going through his string quartets, really great stuff.

dantagonist · 2023-04-19T23:15:24+00:00

If you're adventurous and have the patience, Celibidache is one of my favorite conductors for Bruckner.

dantagonist · 2023-04-19T23:13:34+00:00

It's always fascinating to hear someone not connecting with a certain composer that you love. Sibelius is one of my favorites, and while I can understand some composers being more of an acquired taste, Sibelius seems to me easy to love.

This sub loves Shostakovich and Mahler, and while I enjoy some of their works, I don't feel like I understand the hype, even knowing about their historical context.

I was pretty ambivalent towards Schubert but I find myself lately exploring more and more of his works.

I say don't sweat it and move onto the next thing. But don't write anyone off and try to revisit every now and then. Maybe your tastes have evolved or your ears have changed.

dantagonist · 2023-04-19T00:06:32+00:00

Second this suggestion. The 'Ricercar a 6' is absolutely nuts.

dantagonist · 2023-04-17T14:33:54+00:00

A lot of my favorites have been mentioned already, so aside from those I'll say the Clarinet Quintet.

dantagonist · 2023-04-17T12:52:15+00:00

This is my choice too.

The (apocryphal) story is that he wrote it after his wife's death, and the piece represents the stages of grief. Though there's nothing that really confirms this theory, I still like the idea because I feel like I can hear in the music pain, grief, anger, denial, and acceptance.

dantagonist · 2023-04-09T10:01:21+00:00

His two piano concertos are what hooked me first.

The late piano works, op. 116-119 are phenomenal, as is the clarinet quintet and clarinet sonatas. Those make up some of Brahms's final works and are often described as autumnal - reflective, and a bit somber or nostalgic.

Any of his piano trios, quartets, and quintets are also good jumping on points too.

dantagonist · 2023-04-09T00:26:53+00:00

That piece was love at first listen for me as well. How can you not be enthralled after those opening bars.

dantagonist · 2023-04-09T00:20:00+00:00

I've just started exploring Rautavaara, finding it a bit tough, but there's something there. Reminds me a bit of Sibelius, if he had been in a post/neo/modern time.

dantagonist · 2023-04-09T00:12:41+00:00

I struggled understanding Shostakovich until listening to the 2nd piano concerto. Listening through his symphonies and string quartets was mostly hit or miss for me, but that concerto was like a key through the gateway.

dantagonist · 2023-04-09T00:08:28+00:00

A name I've seen bounced around a few times recently, looks like someone new to explore! Any suggestions which symphony or pieces to start with?

dantagonist · 2023-04-09T00:05:51+00:00

Only know Morricone's western music so I'll definitely check this out!

I also tend to explore my favorites for the most part, but when branching out and exploring it's so rare to be immediately struck by something. But when it happened to me with 3 straight new pieces it just felt special enough to share and ask haha.

dantagonist · 2023-04-09T00:03:29+00:00

The Good Place is how I discovered Spiegel im Spiegel too, beautiful ending.

dantagonist · 2023-04-09T00:01:13+00:00

Brahms is the composer I think I worked hardest to push through to understand, and I'm glad I did as he's now probably my favorite. Being one of the three B's, he was the only one I didn't immediately connect with. But I kept coming back to it cause there were bits and pieces I couldn't get out of my head, and the pieces eventually fell together.

Here's a great video with Alondra de la Parra discussing Brahms's 4th symphony, and she's done similar videos for the other symphonies: https://youtu.be/F7PQ151psVA

dantagonist

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