FAQ: rec.music.classical
Archive-name: music/classical-faq
Version: 1.9.5
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) file for rec.music.classical
Version 1.9.5
Edited and compiled by Gabe Wiener (gabe@panix.com)
Many thanks to all the readers of rec.music.classical who have helped
in the compilation and upkeep of this list. Comments, corrections,
and queries regarding this file should be sent to the above address.
Last modified: June 5, 1995
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Table of contents:
Q1. What are the major periods of "classical" music?
Q2. I'm new to classical music and don't have any classical recordings.
What should I listen to so that I can learn more?
Q3. I heard this melody on the radio. How do I figure out what it is?
Q4. When I went to the record store to buy a CD of [insert piece],
I found dozens of versions. How do I know which one to buy?
Q5. Why are there so many recordings of the same piece?
Q6. How do I find out if [insert-piece] has ever been recorded?
Q7. What is that music from [insert TV-show/Movie] called?
Q8. What are the essential reference books on classical music?
Q9. What distinguishes classical music from popular music?
Q10. What is the difference between an opera and a musical?
Q11. What is the history behind Orff's Carmina Burana?
Q12. What are the words to the first movement of Carmina Burana?
Q13. How do you pronounce all those conductors' and composers' names?
Q14. How are composers' works usually indexed? Why so many ways?
Q15. What's the point of having a conductor?
Q16. Will a "DDD" recording always sound better than "ADD" or "AAD"? What
do those codes mean anyway?
Q17. What is "authentic performance practice?"
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Q1. What are the major periods of "classical" music?
What the public generally calls "classical" music is actually many
different styles of music that come from many historical periods. The
usual classifications are: Medieval music, Renaissance, Baroque,
Classical, Romantic, and Modern. The precise dates of the beginning
and end of each period are a source of major academic debate, and many
argue (and perhaps correctly) that there is no precise date but rather
a long overlap. It is also quite accurate to say that styles changed
in different places at different rates, so one date isn't necessarily
valid for every region of Europe.
With that disclaimer, here are *approximate* dates that distinguish
each period. Some of them overlap, as you can see, since certain
composers adopted the new styles before others.
Early: 1100-1300
Medieval: 1300-1430
Renaissance: 1430-1600
Baroque: 1600-1750
Classical: 1750-1827
Romantic: 1810-1900
Modern: 1890+
This breakdown attempts to categorize fundamental shifts in the
attitudes and styles of characteristic composers. Chances are that if
you like the music of a composer of one period, you will like music by
other composers of the same period, though we *do* encourage you to
experiment and to sample music of all periods.
Q2. I'm new to classical music and want to learn about it. What should I
listen to?
Probably the first thing you should listen to is your local classical
radio station. Because there are so many different types of music
that are usually lumped in as "classical," there is no easy answer to
this question. By listening to a varied program at first, you can
begin to identify the types of music and the eras which are most
interesting to you. You will then be better armed to purchase
recordings.
Another useful tool is your local public library or university music
library. If you are wary of plunking down your greenbacks for a composer
whom you've never heard, go and check out a CD or throw on a headset in
the library's listening center and check out a sample. Many people
listen to entire discs on loan before buying them.
Still, the regulars on rec.music.classical have compiled the following
lists to help you get started. We do make some assumptions, however,
namely that you have some idea of what _periods_ of music interest you
(once again, check out a classical radio station for a few days if
you're not sure). If you are eager to get started, we have also
provided a general survey of music that covers all the major periods.
Table of contents for the lists:
L1 A list for rank beginners who want a general survey.
L2 A list of representative medieval/renaissance music
L3 A list of representative Baroque instrumental works
L4 A list of representative Baroque choral works
L5 A list of representative Classical instrumental works
L6 A list of representative Romantic instrumental works
L7 A list of representative Lieder
L8 A list of representative Classical and Romantic
choral works
L9 A list of operas spanning the history of the genre
L10 A list of music written between 1900 and 1918
L11 A list of music written between 1920 and 1945
L12 A list of music written since 1945
L13 A list of piano concerti
L14 A list of violin concerti
L15 A list of symphonies
L16 A list of piano/harpsichord music
L17 A list of chamber music
L18 A list of modern chamber music
L19 A list of viola and cello concerti
L20 A list of violin and piano music
L1 A list of recommended works for those who have no experience
with "classical" music. This list gives representative examples
of all the major periods, or so we believe.
1. Hildegard: Symphoniae
1. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame
2. Dufay: Chansons
3. Josquin: Benedicta es
4. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli
5. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #5
6. Bach: Cantata #140, "Wachet auf!"
7. Handel: Messiah
8. Mozart: Symphony #40, K. 550
9. Mozart: Selections from "The Marriage of Figaro"
10. Haydn: Op. 76 String Quartets
11. Beethoven: Symphonies #5, #6
12. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
13. Chopin: The "Horowitz Plays Chopin" disc, or
Rubinstein: "Highlights from the Chopin Collection"
14. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
15. Wagner: "Ring" cycle selections
16. Brahms: Symphony #3
17. Mahler Symphony #1
18. Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite
19. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire
20. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
21. Prokofiev: Piano Concerto #3
22. Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
23. Berg: Violin Concerto
24. Reich: Desert Music
L2 A list of representative medieval/renaissance works
1. A recording of Gregorian chant/organum
2. Hildegard: Columba Aspexit
3. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame
4. Dufay: Missa Se la Face ay Pale
5. Ockeghem: Chansons
6. Josquin: Benedicta es
7: Italian madrigals by Rore, Gesualdo, Monteverdi, etc.
8. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli
9. English madrigals by Morley, Weelkes, Gibbons, etc.
10. Byrd: The Great Service
11. Dowland: Lute songs
12. Gabrieli: Canzonas
13. Tallis: Lamentations of Jeremiah
L3 A list of representative Baroque instrumental works
1. Corelli: Violin Sonatas
2. Couperin: Pieces de Clavecin (harpsichord)
3. Bach: The six Brandenburg Concerti
4. Bach: Keyboard partitas
5. Bach: Sonata in E major for Violin
6. Bach: Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor
7. Handel: Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks
8. Handel: Organ Concerto #13 ("Cuckoo & Nightingale")
9. Handel: Trio Sonatas
10. Boyce: The Eight Symphonies
11. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
12. Telemann: Trio Sonatas
13. Scarlatti: Harpsichord Sonatas
14. Pachelbel: Canon in D
15. LeClair: Trio Sonatas
L4 A list of representative Baroque choral works
1. Monteverdi: 1610 Vespers (Vespro Della Beata Vergine)
2. Carissimi Jepthe
3. Handel: Messiah
4. Handel: Saul
5. Purcell: Ode for St. Cecilia's Day
6. Bach: Magnificat
7. Bach: Cantata 140, "Wachet auf!"
8. Schutz: Musikalische Exequien
9. Vivaldi: Gloria
10. Charpentier: Te Deum
L5 A list of representative Classical instrumental works
1. Mozart: Symphony #40, K.550
2. Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525
3. Mozart: Piano Concerti #20 (K.466), #21 (K.467)
4. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K.581
5. Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 76 #3
6. Haydn: London Symphonies ("Surprise" and "Clock")
7. Beethoven: Symphonies #5, #6, #9 (also choral)
8. Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 59 #1
9. Beethoven: Piano sonatas, Op. 13
L6 A list of representative Romantic instrumental works
1. Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90
2. Brahms: Symphonies #3, #4
3. Brahms: Hungarian Dances
4. Rossini: Overtures
5. Mendelssohn: Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream
6. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
7. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
8. Chopin: Preludes Op. 28
9. Liszt: Les Preludes
10. Rimsky-Korsakov:
Scheherazade
11. Dvorak: Symphony #8, Slavonic Dances
12: Saint-Saens:Symphony #3 ("Organ")
13. Smetana: The Moldau
14. Strauss: Don Juan
15. Bruckner: 4th Symphony
16. Tchaikovsky: 6th Symphony
17. Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
18. Barber: Adagio for strings
L7 A list of representative Romantic vocal works (Lieder)
1. Schubert: Erlkonig
2. Schubert: Die Schone Muellerin
3. Mahler: Kindertotenlieder
4. Schumann Dichterliebe
5. Wolf: Spanisches Liederbuch
6. Brahms: Liebeslieder Walzer
7. Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Ete
8. Faure: Melodies
9. Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel
10. Ravel: Chansons Madecasses
11. Strauss: Four Last Songs
12. Canteloube: Songs of the Auvergne
L8 A list of representative Classical and Romantic choral works
1. Mozart: Requiem, K.626
2. Mozart: Mass in C Minor, K.427
3. Haydn: The Creation
4. Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass
5. Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
6. Beethoven: Choral Fantasy, Sym. #9
7. Mendelssohn: Elijah
8. Brahms: Liebeslieder Waltzer
9. Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem
10. Verdi: Requiem
11. Berlioz: Te Deum
12. Dvorak: Stabat Mater
13. Faure: Requiem
14. Bruckner: Te Deum
L9 A list of operas spanning the history of the genre:
1. Monteverdi: Orfeo
2. Charpentier: Les Arts Florissants
3. Lully: Atys
4. Handel: Giulio Cesare
5. Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
6. Mozart: Don Giovanni, K.527
7. Mozart: The Magic Flute, K.620
8. Beethoven: Fidelio
9. Verdi: La Traviata
10. Puccini: La Boheme
11. Rossini: The Barber of Seville
12. Wagner: Die Walkuere
13. Bizet: Carmen
14. Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance
15. Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
16. Weill: Threepenny Opera
17. Strauss: Salome
18. Berg: Wozzeck
19. Britten: Billy Budd
20. Glass: Akhnaten
L10 A list of music written between 1900 and 1918:
1. Debussy: La Mer
2. Strauss: Salome, Rosenkavalier
3. Mahler: Symphony #9
4. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, 5 Pieces for Orch.
5. Sibelius: Symphony #2
6. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, Petrushka
7. Webern: 6 Pieces, Op. 10
8. Berg: Altenberg Songs
9. Holst: The Planets
10. Ives 3rd symphony, Concord Sonata
11. Reger: Clarinet Quintet
12. Scriabin: Piano Sonatas
13. Rachmaninov: 2nd Symphony
14. Bartok: Bagatelles
15. Prokofiev: Classical Symphony, Scythian Suite
16. Satie: Parade
17. Vaughan-Williams: Lark Ascending
L11 A list of music written between 1920 and 1945:
1. Berg: Violin Concerto
2. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
3. Webern: Symphony
4. Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo
5. Bartok: Music for Strings
6. Shostakovich: Symphonies #1, #5
7. Prokofiev: Alex. Nevsky
8. Vaughan-Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
9. Orff: Carmina Burana
10. Durufle: Requiem
11. Ellington: Black and Tan Fantasy
12. Milhaud: Le creation du monde
13. Honnegger: Pacific 231
14. Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time
15. Harris: Symphony #3
16. Hanson: Symphony #2
17. Janacek: Katya Kabanova
18. Schoenberg: Moses und Aron
19. Sibelius: Symphony #7
L12 A list of music written since 1945:
1. Boulez: Pli selon pli
2. Babbitt: A Solo Requiem, 2nd Quartet
3. Carter: A Mirror on Which to Dwell
4. Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
5. Poulenc: Gloria
6. Britten: War Requiem
7. Riley: In C
8. Reich: Desert Music
9. Glass: Glassworks
10. Rochberg: 3rd Quartet
11. Crumb: Black Angels
12. Stravinsky: Requiem Canticles, Rake's Progress
13. Schoenberg: A Survivor from Warsaw
L13 A list of piano concerti
1. Bach: Brandenburg #5 (Harpsichord)
2. Mozart: Piano Concerti #20, #21, #23 (K.466, 467, 488)
3. Beethoven: Concerti #4, #5
4. Chopin: Concerti #1, #2
5. Grieg: Piano Concerto
6. Schumann: Piano Concerto
7. Liszt: Concerto #1
8. Tchaikovsky: Concerto #1
9. Brahms: Concerti #1, #2
10. Rachmaninov: Concerti #2, #3
11. Bartok: Concerto #2
12. Prokofiev: Concerto #3
13. Mendelssohn: Concerto #1
L14 A list of violin concerti
1. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
2. Bach: Concerti #1, #2; for 2 violins
3. Mozart: Concerti #3-5 (K.216, 218, 219)
4. Beethoven: Violin Concerto
5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
6. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
7. Brahms: Violin Concerto
8. Bruch: Concerto #1
9. Bartok: Concerto #2
10. Prokofiev: Concerto #1
11. Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
12. Shostakovich: Violin Concerto
13. Sibelius: Violin Concerto
14. Elgar: Violin Concerto
L15 A list of symphonies
1. Mozart: Symphony #38, #40, #41 (K.504, 550, 551)
2. Beethoven: Symphonies #3, #5, #6, #9 ("Choral")
3. Haydn: Symphonies #94, #101, #104
4. Schubert: Symphonies #8 "Unfinished" & #9 "The Great"
5. Schumann: Symphonies #1, #3
6. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
7. Saint-Saens: Symphony #3 ("Organ")
8. Bruckner: Symphonies #4, #9
9: Tchaikovsky: Symphonies #4-6
10.Brahms: Symphonies #3, #4
11.Franck: Symphony in d
12.Borodin: Symphony #2
13.Dvorak: Symphony #7, #8, #9 "New World"
14.Mahler: Symphonies #5, #9
15.Sibelius: Symphony #2
16.Rachmaninov: Symphony #2
17.Nielsen: Symphony #4
18.Prokofiev: Symphony #5
19.Elgar: Symphony #1
20.Copland: Symphony #3
L16 A list of representative piano/harpsichord music:
1. Frescobaldi: Toccatas
2. Bach: Goldberg Variations
3. Scarlatti: Harpsichord Sonatas
4. Mozart: Sonatas #8, #11, #13, #15 (K.310,331,333,545)
Sonata in D, K.576, Rondo K.511, Adagio K.540
5. Haydn: Sonata #52
6. Chopin: Ballades, Nocturnes, Etudes, etc.
7. Mendelssohn: Songs without Words
8. Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90,
Sonatas for Piano D. 959, 960
F minor fantasy for piano 4-hands
9. Beethoven: Piano sonatas #14, 23
10. Schumann: Carnaval, Op.9; Fantasy in C, Op. 17
11. Liszt: Sonata in b minor
12. Ravel: Miroirs, Gaspard de la nuit
13. Debussy: Preludes
14. Liszt: Transcendental Etudes
15. Rachmaninov: Etudes, Preludes (inc. Op. 3 #2)
L17 A list of chamber music:
1. Purcell: Trio Sonatas
2. Telemann: Trio Sonatas
3. Mozart Divertimento, K.563
4. Mozart: String Quartets K.387,421,428,458,464,465,590
5. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K.581
6. Mozart String Quintets (K.515, 516, 593, 614)
7. Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 76 #3
8. Beethoven: String Quartets #8, #14
9. Beethoven: Piano Quintet
10. Schubert: String Quartet #14 "Death & the Maiden"
11. Schubert: Piano Quintet "Trout"
12. Mendelssohn: String Octet
13. Schumann: Piano Quintet
14. Dvorak: String Quartets #10, #14
15. Dvorak: Piano Trio #4
16. Borodin: String Quartet #2
17. Brahms: Piano Trio #1
L18 A list of modern chamber music:
1. Bartok: 6 quartets
2. Schoenberg: 4 quartets, Op.. 7,10 (w/soprano),30, 37
3. Berg: Lyric Suite
4. Webern: Quartet for Sax, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano.
5. Debussy: Quartet, sonata for flute, viola, harp.
6. Ravel: Quartet, duo for violin and cello
7. Shostakovich: Quartets, No. 8, 13-15.
8. Janacek: Mladi, Intimate Letters Quartet
9. Stravinsky: Octet
10. Babbitt: 2nd quartet
11. Carter: 3rd quartet
12. Quartets by Scelsi and Schnittke.
L19 A list of viola and cello concerti
1. Telemann: Viola Concerto
2. Haydn: Cello concerto in D op.101
3. Boccherini: Cello concerto in B flat
4. Schumann: Cello concerto
3. Dvorak: Cello concerto op.104
5. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a rococo theme
6. Saint Saens: Cello Concerto #1
7. Lalo: Cello Concerto
8. Walton: Viola Concerto, Cello Concerto
9. Bartok: Viola Concerto
10. Elgar: Cello Concerto op.85
11. Hindemith: Viola Concerto
12. Barber: Cello Concerto
13. Shostakovitch: Cello Concerto #1
14. Khachaturian: Cello Concerto
15. Moeran: Cello Concerto
16. Delius: Cello Concerto
17. Bloch: Schelomo
18. Penderecki: Cello Concerto #2
L20 A list of violin and piano music
1. Mozart: Sonata K.454
2. Beethoven: Sonata #5 op.24 "Spring"
3. Schumann: Sonatas op.105 & 121
3. Brahms: Sonata #3
4. Franck: Sonata in A
5. Faure: Sonata #1
6. Lekeu: Sonata in G
7. Strauss: Sonata in E flat
8. Respighi: Sonata in B minor
9. Saint-Saens: Sonata op.75
10. Lalo: Sonata
11. Grieg: Sonata #3
12. Pierne: Sonata
13. Debussy: Sonata
14. Elgar: Sonata
15. Janacek: Sonata
16. Walton: Sonata
17. Bartok: Sonata #2
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Q3. I heard this melody on the radio. How do I figure out what it is?
First option: Call the radio station and ask. They're usually quite
helpful about this sort of thing.
Second option: Most mainstream-market classical stations publish a
monthly program guide. If you are a regular listener, you might
consider subscribing for just this reason.
Beyond that, we are presuming you know a little something about musical
notation or at the very least, musical note names. Your local music
library will have a number of dictionaries of musical themes that will
help you identify the theme. See below in the reference books
section.
If after researching you still cannot find the theme, then post to the
net with the theme represented as note-names.
Q4. I heard this great piece on the radio, but when I went to the
record store to buy a copy, I found dozens of versions. Which is the
right one to get?
This question is one that often confronts even the most seasoned
record collectors. The decision of which version of a piece to buy on
record is entirely a matter of taste. Experienced listeners often
know the style of each conductor and can judge on that basis. If you
are unfamiliar with a piece or with the versions available to you, you
might want to start off by looking in the Penguin Guide (see
"Reference Books" below). Though not always 100% on the mark, this
guide will describe the differences between multiple recordings of a
given work, and may enable you to choose the recording that is right
for you. There are also magazines such as Fanfare, Gramophone, Stereo
Review, Audio, and some of the high-end audio journals that review new
recordings on a regular basis.
There is also a classical recordings database located at
<A NAME=id HREF="ftp://ftp.uwp.edu/pub/music/classical">ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/music/classical</A>
Q5. Why are there so many recordings of the same piece?
The question of interpretation is addressed in Q15. Briefly though,
All conductors and performers have their own interpretation of a given
piece of music, and thus no two recordings are truly the same, just as
no two painters' portraits of the same individual could ever be the
same. Some interpretations are subtly different from others, while
other interpretations raise serious performance issues. For instance,
Bach on piano, harpsichord, or clavichord? Beethoven with a large
orchestra, a chamber orchestra, or a period-instrument orchestra?
_Pictures at an Exhibition_ for piano, orchestrated by Ravel or
somebody else, or on solo guitar? (no kidding).
The other reason there are so many recordings of certain works is that
the record companies can sell them. A famous violinist's recording of
The Four Seasons will in almost all cases sell better than that
violinist's recording of an unknown work, even if the unknown work is
musically strong. People buy what they know, and record companies
want the assurance that they will see profit from a pressing.
The unfortunate result is that a lot of good music *never* gets
recorded while a lot of hackneyed music gets re-recorded every year.
I counted 52 versions of The Four Seasons once in a record store.
Q6. How do I find out if [insert piece] has ever been recorded?
*EVER* been recorded is tough. To check if there is a current release
of your piece of choice, look in Opus, a publication put out by
Schwann that lists all works currently available. Most record stores
will either sell you a copy, or have a desk copy that you can use. If
you're looking for an old vinyl recording, you'll have to check with a
rare record dealer. Many maintain very extensive back issues of the
Schwann catalog and can help you locate that rare gem.
Current discs in print can be found in Phonolog, a large looseleaf book
available at all record dealers. Akin to "Books in Print."
Q7. What is that music in [insert TV show/movie here] ?
We have a little joke in the newsgroup that no matter what movie or TV
show, it's probably either Pachelbel's Canon or Carmina Burana.
Anyway, here is a list of some movies and TV shows and the music they
contain.
2001, A Space Odyssey Also sprach Zarathustra R. Strauss
2001, A Space Odyssey Blue Danube Waltz J. Strauss
2001, A Space Odyssey Lux Eterna Ligeti
2001, A Space Odyssey Gayne Ballet Suite Khatchaturian
Acura commercial Romeo & Juliet Prokofeiv
All That Jazz Spring from The Four Seasons Vivaldi
Apocalypse Now Die Walkure Wagner
Babette's Feast Don Giovanni Mozart
Breaking Away Barber of Seville Rossini
Breaking Away Italian Symphony Mendelssohn
Children of a Lesser God Concerto for 2 violins Bach
A Clockwork Orange Symphony #9 Beethoven
A Clockwork Orange William Tell Overture Rossini
A Clockwork Orange Barber of Seville overture Rossini
A Clockwork Orange La Gazza Ladra overture Rossini
Dark Eyes Barber of Seville Rossini
Death in Venice Symphony #5 Mahler
Die Hard Symphony #9 Beethoven
Diva La Wally Catalani
Elvira Madigan Piano Cto. #21 Mozart
Empire of The Sun Suo Gan (Welsh folksong...circumflex on the a)
Excalibur Carmina Burana Carl Orff
Fatal Attraction Madama Butterfly Puccini
Foul Play The Mikado Sullivan
Forbidden Games Romance Yepes
A Fish Called Wanda Barber of Seville Rossini
Gallipoli Les Pecheurs de Perles Bizet
Glory Original music James Horner
Grey Fox Martha Flotow
Heaven Help Us Hallelujah Chorus (Messiah) Handel
Hannah and Her Sisters Manon Lescaut Puccini
Henry V Original music Patrick Doyle
Horse's Mouth Lt. Kije Suite Prokofiev
Huntley/Brinkley Report Symphony #9 Beethoven
Hopscotch Barber of Seville Rossini
Hopscotch Eine kleine Nachtmusik Mozart
Jean de Florette Forza del Destino Verdi
Kramer vs. Kramer Concerto for 2 Mandolins Vivaldi
Lone Ranger theme William Tell Overture finale Rossini
Love and Death Lt. Kije Suite Prokofiev
Masterpiece Theater theme Symphonie de Fanfare Mouret
Moderns Marriage of Figaro Mozart
Moonstruck La Boheme Puccini
Much Ado About Nothing Original music Patric Doyle
My Brilliant Career "Of Foreign Land and Peoples"
from Kinderszenen Schumann
Olympic Music ('84) Olympic Fanfare John Williams
Olympic Music (Every year) Bugler's Dream Leo Arnaud
Ordinary people/GE lightbulb Canon in D Pachelbel
Platoon Adagio for Strings Barber
Pretty Woman La Traviata Verdi
Prizzi's Honor L'Elisir d'Amore Donizetti
Prizzi's Honor Barber of Seville Rossini
Raging Bull Cavalleria Rusticana Mascagni
Room with a View Gianni Schicchi Puccini
Room with a View La Rondine Puccini
Sammy and Rosie Get Laid Der Erlkonig Schubert
The Shining Music for Strings Bartok
Scent of a Woman (tango) Par una cabeza Carlos Gardel
Schindler's List (first scene) Par una cabeza Carlos Gardel
Schindler's List (entire movie) Original music John Williams
Slam Dance Samson et Delilah Saint-Saens
Someone To Watch Over Me Lakme Delibes
Someone To Watch Over Me Gloria Vivaldi
Somewhere in Time Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini Rachmaninoff
Sophie's Choice Kinderszenen Schumann
The Four Seasons The Four Seasons Vivaldi
Trading Places The Marriage of Figaro Mozart
True Lies (tango) Par una cabeza Carlos Gardel
Traffik String Quartet #8 Shostakovich
Untouchables Pagliacci Leoncavallo
Wall Street Rigoletto Verdi
Witches of Eastwick Turandot Puccini
Year of Living Dangerously Four Last Songs Strauss, R.
Many of opera cuts can be found on one of the following recordings by Angel:
Opera Goes to the Movies
Son of Opera Goes to the Movies
The tango used in Schindler's List, Scent of a Woman, and True Lies,
entitled "Por una cabeza" by Carlos Gardel, has been recorded by The
Tango Project, available on Nonesuch 9 79030-2.
Q8. What are the best reference works on music in general?
The supreme musical references is probably the New Grove Dictionary of
Music and Musicians. This is a multi-volume set, about as large as
your average encyclopedia, so you'll probably have to trek to your
local library to find a copy.
Two more obtainable books are a) the New Harvard Dictionary of Music
(and the paperback version, the Concise Harvard Dictionary of Music),
and b) The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Both of these are
invaluable for all musicians and music enthusiasts.
David Mason Greene: Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers
(David Mason Greene) is a good choice for interested amateurs and
general listeners (those needing less than Grove's, in other words),
Greene is a great source because it's compact and includes a huge
number of composers (2400). His information could be refined in a
number of places, but there are few other source that fill the same
need.
There are composer biographies, almost all of them excellent,
published by Norton/Grove. These are the dictionary articles, with
worklist, bibliography, and index, and slightly updated. Some volumes
cover several composers, e.g., Bach Family, Northern European Baroque
Masters.
Grove also has multi-volume special dictionaries for opera, American
music, and musical instruments.
When picking recorded performances with which you are unfamiliar, you
might wish to consult the Penguin Guide. This book provides a good
starting point, and while it doesn't get everything right, it does
have some excellent reviews, and can do a lot to help you identify the
differences between the myriad versions of any particular piece. Be
warned, though. The Penguin folks have been known to have what some
consider an unfair bias against some early-instrument recordings. So
read some of the reviews with a grain of salt. There are also the
"Opus" catalogs put out by Schwann, the musical version of "Books in
Print." Many people also swear by magazines like Fanfare, Gramophone,
etc. for reviews.
If you don't have time to read all those magazines, you might want to
check out Stevenson's Guide to classical recordings. This publication
synthesizes the reviews of about 30 different magazines. Thus you
aren't getting only one opinion, but an overview of what all the
various critics thought about a given disc. The Guide also contains a
CD Guide Honor Roll, which lists the performances that have received a
three-plus (+++) rating from at least four critics, with no negative
reviews given from any other critic. In other words, if you buy based
on this honor roll list, you're pretty much assured of getting a
decent recording. This very useful publication is available at some
record stores, or else you can order it from Stevenson Classical Disk
Guide, P.O. Box 53286, Indianapolis, IN 46253. Subscription price is
$31 per year, four editions per year.
When trying to identify that theme you have running around in your
head, consult Barlow & Morgenstern's dictionaries. "A Dictionary of
Musical Themes" and "A Dictionary of Opera and Song Themes" are
essential references.
A good all-around historical reference book is "A History of Western
Music" by Donald Jay Grout and Claude V. Palisca. More than one grad
student has curled up by the fireplace with this tome in preparation
for qualifiers.
The Music Research Division of the New York Public Library has a
telephone reference service. The number is +1 212 870 1650.
Q9. What distinguishes classical music from popular music?
Scholars go round and round on this one. Some say that classical
music has more structure and "form" than popular music, but everyone
knows that there is plenty of form in popular music. Others say that
"classical music is an art, and popular music is entertainment."
While that may in part be true, to make that assertion is perhaps to
scoff at some of the artistry that exists in the popular venues.
Today, classical music has an elite patronage, whereas popular music
has more universal appeal. Also, classical music is generally
considered to have a more unified and rigorous body of theory. Of
course, these concepts did not exist at the time that most of the
"classical" music was written.
"Classical" music is repertoire music; when two artists play a piece,
the results will be similar, the differences subtle. Compare
different jazz versions or different pop versions of a song. One is
likely to find much more difference there.
Q10. What is the difference between an opera and a musical?
Generally, a musical has dialogue with interspersed songs. Opera is
generally sung through, the dialogue portions being replaced with
recitatives (music which is intoned in a way that resembles speech).
There are notable exceptions to this rule, e.g. Carmen (Bizet) and The
Magic Flute (Mozart), both of which have spoken dialogue. The German
name for operas with spoken dialogue is singspiel (pronounced
ZING-shpeel). German productions pre-Wagner were almost always
singspiel
Many musicals, such as Les Miserables, Chess, Joseph, etc. are sung
through, and are, in the classical world, often referred to as
"popular operas" or "rock operas" to signify that they do bear some
resemblance to "classical" opera.
Another important difference is that in musicals, the principal
singers also dance. In opera that never happens.
Q11. What is the history behind Orff's Carmina Burana?
"Carmina Burana" was originally a cycle of medieval songs. The text is
rather risque poetry written by medieval students. Carl Orff adapted
some of them into the best known arrangement, not surprisingly called
"Carmina Burana," in the 1930s. Of the songs he adapted, some are in
Latin and some are in Middle High German (much as Chaucer's "Canterbury
Tales" is in Middle English). The best known of the songs he used is
"Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" (a.k.a. "O Fortuna"), which was heavily used
in the film EXCALIBUR.
Carmina Burana is a wonderful introduction to classical music for the
Bruce Springsteen generation. When novice listeners are told that
it's all about sex, drinking, gambling, and more sex, it breaks down a
few of their preconceived notions about the classics.
The full texts to Carmina Burana, both original languages and English
translation can be found in the internet music archives, accessible by
Gopher or FTP (ftp.uwp.edu). We include the first movement here owing
to the frequency with which the request is made.
Q12. What are the words to the first movement? (the one in all the movies)
Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi Fortune, Empress of the World
1. O Fortuna 1. O Fortune
Coro Chorus
O fortuna, O fortune,
velut Luna like the moon
statu variabilis, you are changeable,
semper crescis, ever waxing
aut decrescis and waning;
vita detestabilis hateful life
nunc obdurat first oppresses
et tunc curat and then soothes
ludo mentis aciem; as fancy takes it;
egestatem, poverty
potestatem and power
dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts away like ice.
Sors immanis Fate - monstrous
et inanis. and empty.
rota tu volubilis. You whirling wheel,
status malus you are malevolent,
vana salus well-being is in vain
semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing.
obumbrata Shadowed
et velata and veiled
mihi quoque niteris; you plague me too;
nunc per ludum now through the game
dorsum nudum I bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.
Sors salutis Fate is against me
et virtutis in health
mihi nunc contraria and virtue,
est affectus driven on
et defectus and weighted down,
semper in angaria. always enslaved.
Hac in hora So at this hour
sine mora without delay
cordum pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings;
quod per sortem since Fate
sternit fortem, strikes down the strong man,
mecum omnes plangite ! everyone weep with me !
Q13. How do you pronounce all those conductors', composers', and
performers' names?
We don't have schwas and umlauts in ASCII, so I'll do my best. A *k
indicates that the guttural k sound (as in chutzpah or Bach) should be
used. #k indicates a palatal "ch" sound as in "reich." *n is the
french "n" as in "bon." *r is the French r. "zh" as in "vision"
Note that I assume a generic American accent here. Some of these
pronunciations may not work with other accents.
Claudio Abbado ah-BAH-do
Ernest Ansermet ahn-sair-MAY
Arleen Auger Au-ZHAY
Daniel Barenboim BARE-'n-boim
Berlioz Bair-lee-OHZ
Leonard Bernstein BURN-stine
Bizet BI-zay
Pierre Boulez BU-lez
Dieterich Buxtehude DEE-te*ri#k BOOKS-te-HOO-de
Chailly CHI-yee
Chopin Sho-PA(*)N
Couperin COU-peh*r-a*n
Debussy De-bu-SEE
Antal Dorati AHN-tahl DOH-rah-tee
Charles Dutoit Du-TWAH
Dukas DU-kahss
Dvorak D'VOR-zhack
Faure FAU-*ray
Cesar Franck Say-ZAHR Frahnk
Wilhelm Furtwangler VIL-helm FOORT-veng-ler
Bernard Haitink BURN-ard HIGH-tink
Haydn HIDE-in
Herbert von Karajan HAIR-bairt Fawn KAHR-ay-ahn.
Kodaly KO-da-ee
Raymond Leppard LEP-pard
James Levine Luh-VINE
Liszt List
Charles Mackerras Muh-KAHR-ass
Neville Marriner NEH-vul MARR-in-er
Kurt Masur Mah-ZOOR
Zubin Mehta ZOO-bin MAY-tuh
Monteverdi Mon-te-VARE-dee (not Mon-te-VUR-dee)
Mozart MOH-tsart
Johann Pachelbel YO-hahn Pa-*KEL-bel
Poulenc POO-lenk (that's how he pronounced it)
Ravel Ruh-VEL
Reiner RHINE-er
Saint-Saens Sa*n-SOH*N
Schubert SHOO-bairt
Shostakovitch shash-teh-KOH-vich
Smetana SMET-nuh
Georg Solti jorj SHOL-tee
George Szell jorj sell
Tchaikovsky Chiy-KAHF-skee
Verdi VARE-dee (not VUR-dee)
Richard Wagner *RI#K-art VAHG-ner
Bruno Walter VAHL-ter
Webern VAY-bairn
Weelkes Weelks
Wilbye WILL-bee
(Please do not send mail "correcting" the French pronunciations. I
know there are many schools of thought on them. I finally settled it
for the FAQ by asking a native Frenchman. Unless you can offer a very
compelling argument the other way, it's staying. Sue me. Sorry, but
I'm sick to death of my mailbox flooding every month with thirty
opinions on how to pronounce Debussy. Thank you for your cooperation.)
Q14. How are composers' works usually indexed? Why so many ways?
I just heard this radio guy announce "Foobar's string quartet #13
in E flat minor, opus 173 number 3, the `Boiled Egg,' FWV 145."
Why did he identify it four times over?
Newcomers to the classical repertoire are often disturbed to discover
that a work may have a "catalog number" and an "opus number" and a
name (e.g. The Jupiter Symphony, the Clock, the Cuckoo and the
Nightingale, the Goldberg Variations, etc). Many early composers did
not catalog their works at all, and thus it was left to scholars in
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to compile thematic catalogs.
Bach, for instance, is catalogged with BWV numbers (Bach Werke
Verzeichnis, "Bach work catalog"), etc. Handel, however, published
some of his work in collections called opera (that's the Latin plural
for "Opus" and has a meaning entirely different from the word meaning
sung musical drama). Thus a Concerto Grosso of Handel might be
referred to as Opus 3 No. 3, but will still have an HWV number. To
make matters worse, some works have their own names and numbers.
Sticking with Handel as example, Organ Concerto #13 is also known as
"The Cuckoo and the Nightingale," and as HWV 295.
Here is a list of the major thematic catalogs...
B - Catalog of the works of Dvorak by Burghauser
BeRI - Catalog of the works of Roman by Bengtsson
BuxWV - "Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of
Buxtehude by Karstadt
BWV - "Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of J.S. Bach
by Schmieder (sometimes designated by "S.")
D - Catalog of the works of Schubert by Deutsch
D - Catalog of the violin concertos of Tartini by Dounias
E - Catalog of the symphonies of L. Mozart by Eisen
F - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Fanna
F - Catalog of the works of W.F. Bach by Falck
G - Catalog of the works of Boccherini by Gerard
G - Catalog of the works of Torelli by Giegling
G - Catalog of the violin concertos of Viotti by Giazotto
H - Catalog of the unpublished works of Beethoven by Hess
H - Catalog of the works of Charpentier by Hitchcock
Hob - Catalog of the works of F.J. Haydn by Hoboken
HW - Catalog of the works of J.C.F. Bach by H. Wohlforth
HWV - "Handel-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Handel by Baselt
J - Catalog of the works C.M. von Weber by Jahns
K - Catalog of the works of W.A. Mozart by Koechel (same as KV below)
K - Catalog of the works of Rosetti
K - Catalog of the works of D. Scarlatti by Kirkpatrick
KV - "Koechel-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of W.A. Mozart by Koechel
L - Catalog of the works of D. Scarlatti by Longo
L - Catalog of the works of Debussy by Lesure
LWV - "Lully-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Lully by Schneider
M - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Malipiero
MS - Catalog of the works of Molter
Op - Opus number, generally a chronological publication number that may
have been assigned by either the publisher or composer
P - Catalog of the works of J.M. Haydn by Perger
P - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Pincherle
R - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Malipiero as published by Ricordi
R - Catalog of the works of Gottleib Muffat by Riedl
RO - Catalog of the works of Gottschalk
RV - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Ryom
S - Catalog of the works of Liszt by Searle
SR - Catalog of the works of Soler by Padre Samuel Rubio
SWV - "Schutz-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Schutz by
Bittinger
TWV - "Telemann-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Telemann
by Kassel
VB - "Valentini Bakfark Opera Omnia" Catalog of the works of Balint
Bakfark
WoO - "Werk ohne Opuszahl" or "Work without opus number", typically
unpublished works or works that were not assigned an opus number
by the composer
Wq - Catalog of the works of C.P.E. Bach by Wotquenne
WWV - "Wagner-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Wagner by
Deatheridge, Geck & Voss
Z - Catalog of the works of Purcell by Zimmerman
Q15. What's the point of having a conductor? Can't professional
musicians keep time by themselves?
Yes, professional musicians can keep time by themselves, but a
conductor does significantly more than just beat time. A good
conductor will add interpretation and shape to a piece of music by
controlling the dynamics of the music and by indicating entrances and
cutoffs with great precision. There are some orchestras that play
without a conductor (the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra springs to mind),
but even in that case, there is usually one instrumentalist who
functions as the "leader" for a particular piece and whom the other
musicians look to for cues. Many pieces change tempo in mid-stride,
and a single person making the choice of exactly when and how can make
the transition occur with great precision.
In a large symphony orchestra there is also the additional problem
that very often the acoustics of the hall are such that the musicians
on, for instance, the extreme right of the orchestra simply cannot
hear what the musicians on the extreme left are doing, and thus it is
necessary to have a common reference, namely, the conductor. While it
is true that each musician can keep time, the accumulated error would
eventually cause the rhythm to become murky.
The conductor has yet another purpose, and that is to set the "tone"
of a piece. Whether the conductor uses sudden, forceful movements or
smooth and delicate strokes will in many ways affect the way the
musicians interpret the music and subsequently, the overall color of
the work.
Listen for yourself to the effects of the conductor. Pick any work
that you know well and listen to a particular recording many times...
until you really feel you *know* it. Then buy or borrow recordings of
the same piece under other conductors. How is it different? Is the
conductor interpreting the music differently? Is he adding color to
certain areas and letting other areas speak for themselves? With
practice it becomes relatively easy to differentiate conductors'
styles.
Q16. Will a "DDD" recording always sound better than "ADD" or "AAD"? What
do those codes mean anyway?
In the early days of the CD, the Society of Professional Audio
Recording Services (SPARS) [pronounced "sparz" not "sparse"] developed
a three-letter coding system to distinguish between the types of
recording equipment used at different junctures of the making of a CD.
The D indicates digital equipment, and the A indicates analog
equipment.
The first letter indicates the type of equipment used in the initial
recording. The second letter indicates the type of equipment used for
mixing and editing. The third letter is superfluous. It indicates
the type of equipment used for mastering, which in the case of a CD
can only be digital.
Many people use the SPARS code as a barometer of the sound quality of
a CD, and this is a wrong thing to do. The SPARS code doesn't, nor
was it ever meant to, reflect the actual quality of the CD. Between
digital and analog recorders, neither intrinsically sounds better than
the other. A recording made on a good Studer A820 fitted out with
Dolby SR will generally sound better than a recording made on a cheap
Sony TCD-D3 DATman, though the DATman will sound better than many
cheap analog systems.
In the end, both analog and digital systems have the ability to sound
great or to sound awful. It all depends on the type of equipment and
the skill of the engineer operating it. Many modern DDD recordings
are so carelessly made that they don't sound nearly as good as analog
recordings made 20 years ago. Then again, a good DDD can sound
*excellent*, as can a good analog recording. You get the idea.
Of course, neither method of recording says anything about miking.
Even if the engineer uses the best digital equipment, if the
microphones are not placed properly, the recording won't sound very
good, and a good mic technique recorded to a walkman will in all
likelihood be more aesthetically pleasing.
There is also confusion over what rubric should apply to a particular
recording. What about classical recordings made straight to two-track
and thus don't need any mixing? What about digital recordings mixed
through an analog console versus digital recordings mixed through a
digital console? Why should a 40-year-old reissue get the same AAD
rubric as a carefully-made analog recording produced using Dolby SR?
The code did not evolve with the technology, and is hopelessly
outdated.
Q17. What is "authentic performance practice"?
Any musical work can be interpreted in a variety of different ways.
Authentic performance practice stresses scholarship and an
understanding of the performance characteristics in vogue during the
composer's lifetime, those actually intended by the composer, or those
which the composer might have heard, performed, or been aware of.
Therefore, a performance of the Chicago Symphony playing a Bach
orchestral suite, for instance, would probably fail to impress
authentic performance aficionados, because Bach never even heard (let
alone intended the piece for) such a large ensemble.
Authentic performance practice can extend to the selection of
instruments themselves (you don't see hurdy gurdies or recorders in
modern orchestras), instrument construction, string material, tuning
and temperament, seating arrangements, trills and figures, numbers of
performers on a given part, tempo, doublings, and of course, overall
playing technique. Compare an authentic performance and a modern
performance of the same work. One is likely to notice substantial
differences between them. The choice as to which one prefers is left
as an exercise for the reader.
******
Copyright (C) 1995 by Gabe M. Wiener. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
This compilation document is copyrighted. Permission is hereby granted
for electronic distribution by non-commercial services such as
internet. Any other use, or any commercial use of this document
without permission is prohibited by law. Inquire to gabe@panix.com.
******
--
Gabe Wiener Dir., Quintessential Sound, Inc. |"I am terrified at the thought
Recording-Mastering-Restoration (212)586-4200 | that so much hideous and bad
PGM Early Music Recordings --- (800)997-1750 | music may be put on records
gabe@panix.com http://www.panix.com/~gabe</A> | forever."--Sir Arthur Sullivan
-------------------------------
Date: Sun, Feb 25, 1996 1:05 AM EDT
From: GJohnston
Subj: Classical Music FAQ
To: gabe@panix.com
cc: GJohnston
Gabe,
I enjoyed reading your Classical Music FAQ. Good job.
I teach a music appreciation classes at Northern Kentucky University and would like to use your FAQ with me students. Would you give me permission to distribute your FAQ to my classes? I would appreciate it very much.
What is your job in music? I assume from the quality of your report that you are a musician. Thanks in advance.
Gary Johnston, Associate Professor of Music, NKU
gjohnston@aol.com, johnston@nku.edu, http://www.nku.edu/~johnston
--------------------------
Subj: Re: Classical Music FAQ
Date: Sun, Feb 25, 1996 1:29 AM EDT
From: gabe@pgm.com
X-From: gabe@pgm.com (Gabe M. Wiener)
To: GJohnston@aol.com
You're welcome to use the FAQ for your classes so long as the credit and
copyright info remains attached.
Yes, I work in the biz. I produce classical CDs.
--
Gabe Wiener Dir., PGM Early Music Recordings |"I am terrified at the thought
A Div. of Quintessential Sound, Inc., New York | that so much hideous and bad
Recording-Mastering-Restoration (212) 586-4200 | music may be put on records
gabe@pgm.com http://www.pgm.com | forever."--Sir Arthur Sullivan