One thing the recent rounds of Random Track of the Day has done is reminded me that there is some excellent classical music out there. And let's face it: without classical music there would be no rock, no metal, no punk, no rap, no hip-hop, no country, no pop … no music at all. If it wasn't for the pioneers of music sitting down at pianos and working with orchestras more than four hundred years ago, and more, who knows how music might have gone, or if it would even have become popular? Classical music allowed the ordinary folk to enjoy the wonders of music, and laid the groundwork for everything that has come after.
So, this section is going to feature some of the best, well-known and least-known classical music that I know of. I'm no classical buff, but I know my Mozarts from my Mendelssohns, and I can tell a Chopin from a Grieg, so sit back and have a listen, and those of you who know no more of classical than Beethoven's fifth symphony or the theme to “The Onedin Line”, or anything you've heard on telly or in the movies, or indeed any piece of classical that has been sampled by modern artistes, may learn something here, and perhaps even gain an appreciation for the oldest known form of popular musical expression.
Music, maestro, please!
We start off with something just about everyone will know, but where do you know it from? You've heard it in movies, on TV ads, perhaps even in videogames. It's called “Mars, the bringer of war”, and it's the opening movement from Gustav Holst's (1874-1924) “Planets suite”. It conveys brilliantly and in no uncertain fashion the dark power and hostile stance of not only the planet Mars, but the Roman god of war, after which it is named. It starts low, gets louder as it goes and builds to a pretty deafening crescendo to the end, so be warned if you have your amp/speakers up high!
After that, something to calm down. How about some nice piano? Ludwig von Beethoven (1770-1827), with another piece you'll have heard, even if you didn't know who it was. It's called “Piano sonata no. 14 in C Sharp Minor”, but it's better known by the name “Moonlight sonata.”
Let's get things moving again with a bit of ballet (how often do you hear anyone say
that??) --- This is the waltz from “Sleeping Beauty”, Ballet Suite Op 66, by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).
Now how about a nice violin concerto? Here's Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), with Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor.
And to finish things off, everyone knows “William Tell overture”, by Gioachino Antonio Rossini (1792-1868). This is the finale, the bit we all know.
Okay, so none of those particular pieces will have surprised you, and many if not all you will have known of, if not actually heard, but I thought it might be best to just ease you in gently (those of you who are lacking in your knowledge and appreciation of classical music, that is) with some old favourites. As the section grows, I'll add more obscure and less well-known, but equally brilliant and noteworthy compositions and extracts.
So, if after that all you're doing is humming the “Lone Ranger” theme, that's not a bad start!
