Music for a romantic evening
TJSEL
to enhance an, um, romantic evening
J. Patrick Murphy
There's some great music by Stockhausen that might be appropriate.
The Glomph
I was always partial to "Dinah-Moe Humm" by the late great Frank
Zappa. Doesn't win awards for subtlety, gets right to the point.
Robert R. Ramirez
> Looking for suggestions for both pieces and specific performance for music
> to enhance an, um, romantic evening
Here's one you can't go wrong with: Mahler's Fifth Symphony, fourth movement
-- this tender piece of music was Gustav Mahler's musical love letter to
Alma; after hearing it, you'll understand why it swept her off her feet.
For a great recording, try Leonard Bernstein's digital (1986?) recording
with the Vienna Philharmonic on DG. Have fun!
Robert Ramirez
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas
rr69...@bcm.tmc.edu
Christopher Rickey
On Wed, 5 Apr 1995, James C Liu wrote:
> tj...@aol.com (TJSEL) writes:
>
> >Looking for suggestions for both pieces and specific performance for music
> >to enhance an, um, romantic evening
>
> Dmitri Shostakovich: Scherzo, from Symphony No. 8.
> Olivier Messiaen: Quatour pour la fin du temps
> Giuseppe Verdi: Dies Irae, from Messa da Requiem
> Gustav Mahler: first movement, from Symphony No. 2
>
> sorry, too late for April 1 ...
I'm glad I noticed the hook at the end, or I would have thought you were
into really violent, um, love.
Incidentally, I heard that Berg's Lyric Suite was intended as some sort
of love letter to an object of his, um, feelings. After hearing it in
concert, I could only pity the poor woman, who must have felt that she
was being stalked by some psychopath.
Ryan M. Hare
: Incidentally, I heard that Berg's Lyric Suite was intended as some sort
: concert, I could only pity the poor woman, who must have felt that she
: was being stalked by some psychopath.
I *should* be able to let a post like this just go by...but I can't. It
is very unfortunate that you have that "psychopath" response; it
obviously prevents you from recognizing some incredibly sublime and
beautifully expressive music. It think it is a simply lovely and
highly Romantic (in the truer sense of the word) piece. Many women I know
think so as well. IMHO, it is the highest pinnacle (so far) of string
quartet writing in the 20th century. I can hardly imagine a more stunning
gift.
Ryan Hare
rh...@scs.unr.edu
bkw...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
: >Looking for suggestions for both pieces and specific performance for music
: >to enhance an, um, romantic evening
: Dmitri Shostakovich: Scherzo, from Symphony No. 8.
: Olivier Messiaen: Quatour pour la fin du temps
: Giuseppe Verdi: Dies Irae, from Messa da Requiem
: Gustav Mahler: first movement, from Symphony No. 2
: sorry, too late for April 1 ...
: --
: /James C.S. Liu, MD "He couldn't play sh*t, but he sure made
: jl...@world.std.com it sound good!"
: Department of Medicine -- proposed epitaph for Theodore
: New England Med Ctr, Boston MA "Hound Dog" Taylor
I find your last selection, the Mahler, a very interesting one... Wow,
that'd be pretty creative! The last thing I'm ever thought of when I
listened to that movement is romance; more like hulking battleships out
on the rough sea.
--
BnK
bkw...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
Christopher Rickey
On 8 Apr 1995, Ryan M. Hare wrote:
> I *should* be able to let a post like this just go by...but I can't. It
> is very unfortunate that you have that "psychopath" response; it
> obviously prevents you from recognizing some incredibly sublime and
> beautifully expressive music. It think it is a simply lovely and
> highly Romantic (in the truer sense of the word) piece. Many women I know
> think so as well. IMHO, it is the highest pinnacle (so far) of string
> quartet writing in the 20th century. I can hardly imagine a more stunning
> gift.
>
> Ryan Hare
> rh...@scs.unr.edu
>
>
If that is so, then why could I see the entire audience arch their backs
as if suffering from a nerve overload?
Anyway, the point of my LIGHTHEARTED post was that the original poster
was asking for mood music of sorts, to set a romantic evening, and the
person to whom I was replying had suggested, in the spirit of April
Fool's, some decidedly stringent pieces. And whatever the intellectual
beauties of Berg's piece, stringent it is. My implication was not that
it wouldn't make a wonderful present to someone, but as for setting a
romantic mood it leaves something to be desired. I naturally leave open
the option that that particular Viennese woman was capable of being
turned on by this piece.
As a parallel, if you composed a poem to express your love to someone,
would you imitate Ezra Pound or Shakespeare?
Christopher Spring
intense you want things to get, the Vorspiel und Liebestod from Wagner's
Tristan und Isolde is also very good. It needs a good performance, though.
Christopher Spring
On 7 Apr 1995, Robert R. Ramirez wrote:
> tj...@aol.com (TJSEL) writes:
>
> > Looking for suggestions for both pieces and specific performance for music
> > to enhance an, um, romantic evening
>
Neil Tingley
> tj...@aol.com (TJSEL) writes:
>
> >Looking for suggestions for both pieces and specific performance for music
> >to enhance an, um, romantic evening
>
> Dmitri Shostakovich: Scherzo, from Symphony No. 8.
> Olivier Messiaen: Quatour pour la fin du temps
> Giuseppe Verdi: Dies Irae, from Messa da Requiem
> Gustav Mahler: first movement, from Symphony No. 2
I could handle the above because my Romantic evenings always end up with
a huge pile of records scattered around the place.
The Tristan Prelude ?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neil Tingley http://music.demon.co.uk (occasionally)
ne...@music.demon.co.uk Compuserve 100577,504
Edinburgh *Mail quicker to 10057...@compuserve.com*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan M. Hare
: Anyway, the point of my LIGHTHEARTED post was that the original poster
: person to whom I was replying had suggested, in the spirit of April
: Fool's, some decidedly stringent pieces. And whatever the intellectual
: beauties of Berg's piece, stringent it is.
I totally disagree. I think it is a *beautiful* piece; i.e. I think it
*sounds* beautiful. If you can't see that - if you can't appreciate the
beauty of a greater variety of sounds - all I can is that you're missing out.
If you said Xenakis was stringent, I *might* agree. But Berg's
_Lyric Suite_??!?!?!?!!? No. Give me a break. I really don't understand
how anybody could call that piece "stringent" unless they're totally
unfamiliar with the style, and with the kinds of expression one can find
in the 20th century in general.
I am very unclear about what "intellectual beauty" is - could you
explain? I will admit I find much admiration for the structure,
counterpoint, etc., that can be found Berg's piece, but when I call it
beautiful I mean it sounds beautiful.
: My implication was not that
: it wouldn't make a wonderful present to someone, but as for setting a
: romantic mood it leaves something to be desired.
Whatever. I have no problem with the idea of the _Lyric Suite_ being used
to create a "romantic" setting. If all you want is syrupy-sweet sounds -
well, I suppose _Lyric Suite_ won't do it.
My feeling regarding using only insipid, smooth, and sweet music for
creating a romantic setting is - what a boring romance. How
unimaginitive; how stereotypical.
: I naturally leave open
: the option that that particular Viennese woman was capable of being
: turned on by this piece.
That's very magnanimous of you.
: As a parallel, if you composed a poem to express your love to someone,
: would you imitate Ezra Pound or Shakespeare?
I would imitate neither, but rather find my *own* voice. Of course, it
would probably be closer in style to Pound than Shakespeare, but, hey,
Shakespeare's esthetic is totally distant from my own (given the
centuries between his civilisation and mine - not that I don't love
Shakespeare's art.) Pound is somewhat more contemporary - and thus much
closer to the sort of means of expression I am likely to seek.
Any woman who is incapable of understanding that is not a woman for me.
Ryan Hare
rh...@scs.unr.edu
Alain DAGHER
: > tj...@aol.com (TJSEL) writes:
: >
: > >Looking for suggestions for both pieces and specific performance for music
: > >to enhance an, um, romantic evening
: >
: > Dmitri Shostakovich: Scherzo, from Symphony No. 8.
: > Olivier Messiaen: Quatour pour la fin du temps
: > Giuseppe Verdi: Dies Irae, from Messa da Requiem
: > Gustav Mahler: first movement, from Symphony No. 2
This reminds me of Annie Hall, and the common topic shared by all
books Alvy gives Annie.
Here are a few more suggestions:
Beethoven: slow movt. from Eroica Symphony
Berlioz: 4th movt., Symphonie Fantastique
Chopin: 3rd movt., Sonata No. 2
Shostakovich: 2nd movt., Symphony No. 10
and, of course, most frightening of all:
Wagner: Wedding March
--
Best wishes,
Alain Dagher "De la musique avant toute chose"
Montreal Neurological Institute
E-Mail: al...@pet.mni.mcgill.ca -Paul Verlaine
John
A while ago my SO and I went to an Italian restaurant on a pier, and sat
outdoors. Below us some folks in one of the boats was having a small
party, and the classical music station was turned on so that we could hear
it from where we were. The announcer said next up was Brahms' 1st Piano
Concerto. My first reaction was that the 2nd would be more appropriate
for this romantic evening, but somehow the 1st worked better than the second
ever could have. It's more forceful and passionate, not as laid back as
much of the second.
It has a pretty slow movement, too, IMHO. What a nice evening! :)
John
HenryFogel
>for this romantic evening, but somehow the 1st worked better than the
second
>ever could have. It's more forceful and passionate, not as laid back as
>much of the second.
>It has a pretty slow movement, too, IMHO. What a nice evening! :)
I'm not sure we want to know how you define working "better than the
second ever could have." :-)
Henry Fogel
bkw...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
Organization: Edmonton Freenet, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
: I am very unclear about what "intellectual beauty" is - could you
: explain? I will admit I find much admiration for the structure,
: counterpoint, etc., that can be found Berg's piece, but when I call it
: beautiful I mean it sounds beautiful.
In my opinion, intellectual beauty is less spontaneous than appreciating
truly romantic pieces. Some early twentieth century music expressed in
the "intellectual" style, or the buddings of it, could be considered
romantic. I think this brand of beauty is founded on more like
appreciation of the musical form, rather than on emotional qualities.
Hence, it takes a person with tolerance and appreciation of such music to
find any beauty in Berg, or late Scriabin, or Schoenberg.
This is very hard for me to explain myself....
BK
Francis Cox
al...@pet.mni.mcgill.ca "Alain DAGHER" writes:
tj...@aol.com (TJSEL) writes:
>Looking for suggestions for both pieces and specific performance for music
>to enhance an, um, romantic evening
What you are looking for is 'Verklaerte Nacht' (Transfigured Night)
by Arnold Schoenberg! I wouldn't try to explain the scenario to your
beloved in too much detail though ;-)
--
Francis Cox ............. fc...@octave.demon.co.uk
Ryan M. Hare
: ilver.scs.unr.edu>
(I wrote:)
: : I am very unclear about what "intellectual beauty" is - could you
: : counterpoint, etc., that can be found Berg's piece, but when I call it
: : beautiful I mean it sounds beautiful.
: In my opinion, intellectual beauty is less spontaneous than appreciating
: truly romantic pieces. Some early twentieth century music expressed in
: the "intellectual" style, or the buddings of it, could be considered
: romantic. I think this brand of beauty is founded on more like
: appreciation of the musical form, rather than on emotional qualities.
: Hence, it takes a person with tolerance and appreciation of such music to
: find any beauty in Berg, or late Scriabin, or Schoenberg.
I think exposure and familiarity with the style is the key, not some sort
of "intellectual" grasp of the music. Berg's _Lyric Suite_ abounds with
"emotional qualities." I'm not sure how well I understand what's going on
(technically) in that piece myself! Nevertheless, it *sounds* beautiful
to me.
I think open-mindedness about new sounds, the realization that dissonance
isn't necessarily "ugly," and a general exposure to the style are what
are necessary to appreciate the music you mention.
Ryan Hare
rh...@scs.unr.edu
Christopher Rickey
On 13 Apr 1995, Ryan M. Hare wrote:
> I totally disagree. I think it is a *beautiful* piece; i.e. I think it
> *sounds* beautiful. If you can't see that - if you can't appreciate the
> beauty of a greater variety of sounds - all I can is that you're missing out.
> If you said Xenakis was stringent, I *might* agree. But Berg's
> _Lyric Suite_??!?!?!?!!? No. Give me a break. I really don't understand
> how anybody could call that piece "stringent" unless they're totally
> unfamiliar with the style, and with the kinds of expression one can find
> in the 20th century in general.
>
> Whatever. I have no problem with the idea of the _Lyric Suite_ being used
> to create a "romantic" setting. If all you want is syrupy-sweet sounds -
> well, I suppose _Lyric Suite_ won't do it.
>
> My feeling regarding using only insipid, smooth, and sweet music for
> creating a romantic setting is - what a boring romance. How
> unimaginitive; how stereotypical.
>
> I would imitate neither, but rather find my *own* voice. Of course, it
> would probably be closer in style to Pound than Shakespeare, but, hey,
> Shakespeare's esthetic is totally distant from my own (given the
> centuries between his civilisation and mine - not that I don't love
> Shakespeare's art.) Pound is somewhat more contemporary - and thus much
> closer to the sort of means of expression I am likely to seek.
>
> Any woman who is incapable of understanding that is not a woman for me.
>
> Ryan Hare
> rh...@scs.unr.edu
My, I did touch a nerve, didn't I? You managed to impunge my ears,
brains, character and taste in women, all in one message and all over a
little piece of music.
You probably picture me as some Four Seasons-Tchaikovsky-loving, bourgeois
simpleton. Well, perhaps I am. And I really don't care if you're not.
But for the record, approximately one-third of my classical music
collection consists of pieces from the 20th century, admittedly most come
from before 1920. I attended six concerts this last fall dedicated to
Anton Webern. I found the first movement of Shostakovich's 8th symphony
profoundly moving, dissonance and all. I hunt out Schoenberg concerts
because I find the music powerful. And yes, I even sort of liked Berg's
Lyric Suite when I heard it in concert, unlike just about everyone else in
the concert hall. I appreciate modern literature. I thought that Paul
Celan's "Todesfuge" was one of the most incredible pieces of poetry ever,
any time, any language. I prefer post-impressionism and expressionism to
impressionism. And I like intelligent women.
I just wouldn't try to seduce 99% of them with any of the above.
bkw...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
zillionth time...)
:)
--
"I drink, therefore I am."
-MP
bkw...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
bkw...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
: are necessary to appreciate the music you mention.
I don't think that music can be beautiful when one has to think about it.
NirvJam
First Place (hands down): Satie: 3 Gymnopedies
2: Brahms: Symphony 3 (third movement)
3: Debussy: Clair de lune
4: Debussy: La fille aux cheveux de
lin
5: Beethoven: Pathetique Sonata, 2nd
movement
Ryan M. Hare
: : I think open-mindedness about new sounds, the realization that dissonance
: : are necessary to appreciate the music you mention.
bkw...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca wrote:
: I don't think that music can be beautiful when one has to think about it.
What you don't realize apparently is that ignorance and prejudice are
large impediments to the appreciation of diverse kinds of beauty. Being a
native of Nevada, I often find a good parallel with the desert. To many
people, unfortunately, the desert is a barren "waste-land," brown and ugly.
Their prejudices and pre-conceived, narrow-minded notions about what beauty
must be (i.e. green and lush) prevent them from seeing the astonishing
wealth of beauty that exists in the desert. (I heard recently that Nevada
ranks number five in the U.S.A. for greatest bio-diversity, after
Hawaii, Florida, California, and Alaska, not necessarily in that order.)
It's not so much a matter of *thinking* about it as it is opening one's eyes.
Appreciating modern music is not so much a matter of thinking about it as
it is opening one's ears. I don't see how realizing dissonance isn't
necessarily ugly (and dissonance in any case is totally relative) is any
great step of *thinking*.
Ryan Hare
rh...@scs.unr.edu