| |
|
Classical music is an odd genre for me. It's something I feel I'll never get my arms around, but I'm okay with that. It's easy music. Something to put on the Discman and let wash over me.
See, I reckon this is a dangerous habit to get into. If one treats any music as aural wallpaper, I think the tendency is to only ever see it as such - especially with classical stuff. As the initial post mentioned, many see the genre as stuffy, scary and representative of the establishment, stuff which can be difficult to get over. I know lots of people who're into a shitload of stuff but refuse to touch opera because they're convinced it's old fogeys' music. That it's too much work for little enjoyment. Which is pure crap, as there's certain operas that're just as dark as any music (Weber's Der Freischutz, from whence comes the tale that was reworked as The Black Rider, and Mozart's Don Giovanni being some of the strongest things I've ever heard) and as light and tripping as any pop there is (most of Mozart's other opera output, the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas).
I dunno. I just wonder why it gets labelled so, you know? I've never found it difficult to get into. It's daunting, yes, but so is Johnny Cash's output. So is the Wu-Tang Clan's. So is Merzbow's. It's a matter of finding what you like and making it your own - and with classical, you've got a fair bit of range for doing that, thanks to classical stations and cheap (but often brilliant) labels such as Naxos. I've been listening to classical stuff seriously for about 15 years now, and I'm at the point where I can say what I like about different ensembles' versions of the same pieces, or different conductors' versions of the same pieces. Can't read stave, can't play (classically speaking) but simply by checking stuff out of the library and writing down what I liked (and what I didn't) I was able to find a foothold and plough on.
It's snobby, but I think things like those goddamned classical chillout albums give people the wrong impression of classical music. Chopping things like Arvo Part's Tabula Rasa in halves and only giving you the "peaceful" bit without providing the edgy, paranoid buildup of the first movement is a bit like giving someone the outro of a song only and expecting them to like it. It's bollocks, I feel.
Right, I've actually been helping a mate of mine get into classical stuff - here's what I wrote him, with a little expansion. There's links to a couple of Naxos CDs 'cause they're some of the cheapest (and in some cases, the best.)
First stop: Arvo Part. Composer bio here or here(Wikipedia).
He's the main man. My favourite composer bar none. Awesomeness personified: Estonian guy who wrote truly mind-bending music. Imagine you'd heard years of Motley Crue - and then you hear Low. That's the jump in sensibilities that he gets happening. Really a fantastic person, went from serialism/Russian school stuff to "tintinnabulism" - his term for the music that he writes now. It's brilliant - pure. People like Michael Stipe and Nick Cave laud him in embarrassing terms, but his work truly is affecting. CDs to get? Fratres. It's a CD of a number of variants of a handful of tunes. Interesting in terms of the way the music changes by arrangement, it's one of the best CDs of his around.
Next, I'd get this one as it has a couple of important works: Collage uber BACH which is a transitional piece, Symphony Number 3, which is his first "tintinnabulist" piece, and Tabula Rasa which is honest-to-god my favourite piece of music ever, without question. It's in two pieces, and is for string ensemble, two solo violins, and prepared piano. Prepared piano plays these fabulous percussive chords. The first part is really frantic, sort of Bach-on-speed, over this big wave of build-and-release strings, while the second part is an amazing, sedate piece that's full of emotion. Sounds like planets moving as the sun burns its last - really, really powerful stuff.
However, if you can find it, there's a disc on HMV Classics which is about twelve bucks, I think, which has a better selection, and a better recording of Tabula Rasa. If you want to splash out, get the version that's on the ECM label, simply called Tabula Rasa - it's got the dedicatees of the piece (Gidon Kremer, Tatyana Gridenko and Alfred Schnittke) playing on it.
There's heaps of Arvo Part info here. - I wrote to him once and he wrote back to me, in german, from his home in Austria. It was unbelieveable how humble he was, how proud and honoured that someone like me took the time to write and let him know I liked his stuff. Really incredible. He's really religious, so there's a lot of choral stuff in his canon, and most of it is quite beautiful. De Profundis, his setting of the 23rd psalm, is sung by a bass, so very low, with these high, angel voices floating around ... it's pretty spectacular.
What else? John Adams is pretty good, in terms of introducing yourself to minimalism. Bio here. This cd contains Shaker Loops which is probably his best-known work. It's based on simple patterns: repetition of cell-based music. Surprisingly full of subltle nuance.
But then, if you're gonna go for that, you can't beat Philip Glass, who's also pretty good. Best thing to get is his rerecorded version of Koyaanisqatsi, which is on Nonesuch records, and has a car on the front. It's jawdropping. This CD is a good start. Sony also have one called "Glassworks", I think, which is cheap, and is a good best-of to check out.
For interest's sake, look at George Antheil: This CD is a rare full recording of his Ballet Mecanique which features aeroplane engines and buzzers as well as more typical classical instruments.
Further thoughts? Mahler. Get ye some Mahler. And see where John Williams ripped everything off from. In particular, the sixth symphony. I think it's the NPO/Barbirolli version that's the best - torturously slow in the introduction (I think other conductors rush the piece) and then fabulously emotional at the piece's conclusion, when a sledgehammer is slammed against the floor for each disabling blow dealt the symphony's subject.
Great stuff, and bundled with Richard Strauss' Metamorposes, IIRC.
That's pretty much my initial send to my mate. There's heaps more I'd recommend, but I have to give a big thumbs up to the props given Morton Feldman and Gavin Bryars, particularly. The Sinking Of The Titanic is magical.
Last.fm offers a bit of streaming stuff to sample (if you search about) and there's some great classical podcasts out there to hook into if you're keen. |
|
|
