john field
 

check out little know composer john field, esp if you love chopin!

abiow.com

My fellow townsman Boccherini!! Someday I will post a photo of me in front of the house where he lived, if you like. :) I love his music too. Last Christmas I took this picture of a bust of him at a small square (it is named Boccherini Square) next to the Royal Palace:

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/854...oaboccheri.jpg


One of his best-known works is Night Music of the Streets of Madrid. You probably know the 5th movement because of this:



Note the irony: An actor from the antipodes playing that music in a film entitled "The Far Side of the World".

That's what was assumed... until recently. A few years ago, one of his direct descendants studied his testament and other documents, and he came to the conclusion that Boccherini had a quite decent economic level at the end of his life.

Wow, Zaqarbal, I didn't realize that Boccherini, when living in Spain, lived in your city! That's exciting. Perhaps we should say that Boccherini lived in what would be *your* town. :D

Yes, I would like to see the photo of you in front of his house. I haven't heard much of his music yet, but what I've heard I enjoy. We are playing part of his devil song in the orchestra of which I'm a part, and I like playing it. I can't play it well, but I still enjoy it!

That's a great scene and I had no idea they were playing a song by Boccherini. I like it: festive and energetic, the song feels like it is leading somewhere. A great dance song! This makes me want to listen to the whole of "Night Music of the Streets of Madrid."

Yes, that detail about the actor *is* an irony. Cool world map and clever observation.

I'm happy to hear that! Thank you for telling me. We should make a Boccherini thread. I think he deserves it.

:laughing: Well, I've always been jealous of Viennese and Milanese people when it comes to Classical music. So I guess that must have been a sudden sprout of "Madrilenian musical pride". :) Last week I was taking night photos at the historic district which inspired Boccherini's music. This is one of them:


And, of course, I thought of the famous quintet.


I agree. And he was inspired by the Madrilenian popular scenes he himself saw. Probably like these ones painted by Goya by that time:


Maybe that popular feature is inherent in this city. 200 years later, that vitality was brilliantly expressed through pop and rock. But that's another story. :)


I think so. Boccherini is a bridge between Classicism and Romanticism. He was able to compose a delicate and elegant minuet with a harmonious and serene melody.... ...or a vigorous and dynamic symphony:

Thanks for sharing the photo of your city. I'm glad you are having a sudden sprout of "Madrilenian musical pride."

Hmm...Goya's paintings show what appears to be a much more exciting social scene than Madrid has in modern times, where the desolate street at night is streaked (artistically) only by the lights of cars! :p:

That sounds like a very interesting story and one about which I know nothing (besides what your wikipedia link article says). It looks like the Madrilenian groove scene was a little like the '60s in the U.S. (from what I hear of it) what with the 'freedom of expression, transgression of the taboos, and use of recreational drugs.'

Or we could just turn THIS thread into a Boccherini thread, like we are doing! :p: Siege and conquer!!

Zaqarbal, I had no idea that this beautiful, light and happy Minuet was by Boccherini! I think I shall now swoon with adoration for him. I delighted in playing that Minuet on the violin when I was a child, and now that I think of it, maybe that's why the name 'Boccherini' seemed familiar. Isn't that just the happiest little song, and with such nice variety yet also repetition in its short length?? If 'gay' were still used to mean 'happy,' I would say this minuet is gay.

The Symphony in C major is tranquil yet also energetic in parts, "vigorous and dynamic" just like you say, as Boccherini quickly jumps between the moods, with a few more pensive moods that I love thrown in. I am reminded of music by The Auteurs that reminds me of a sunny day when clouds pass over the sun briefly shadowing the landscape before the cloud passes. The more I hear of Boccherini's music, the more I like it!

Does Boccherini do any very brooding, serious music? So far most of his music I've heard seems quite light-hearted. (I'm now listening to Sinfonia in B Flat G. 497 - Mov. 1/3, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRHk9gRYNDg&NR=1 )

I love that Jean-Baptiste Cartier quote almost as much as I enjoy listening to Boccherini's music!!! :) Perhaps I am God. ;)

(Max4296) I just listened to John Field's Nocturne in E major. It is beautiful. He should be given as much credit and acknowledgement as Chopin since it seems like his style was a direct influence. He clearly preceded and influenced Chopin. Thanks for putting me onto this.

He's a very original musician, indeed. For instance, when he was entrusted with the composition of music for an operetta entitled Clementina, he did it in a particular Madrilenian style named Zarzuela. The story has reminiscences of one of those ancient Greek tragedies, but its characters are based on the late 18th-century nobility, and it contains some humorous elements.



Boccherini included elements from Spanish popular music into many of his compositions. For instance, fandangos. Which, by the way, had a reputation for being "lascivious" dances at the time, to some aristocrats. I've just taken out a very interesting biography of Boccherini from a library, and I've read some fun details there. To show how succesful fandangos were then, the book quotes Giacomo Casanova (you know, the famous Italian "playboy"). Casanova was in Madrid in 1767-1768, and he attended a concert together with a local noble lady (I guess he seduced her before :)):

It seems he was really impressed! I don't know how that particular fandango sounded exactly. But we can listen to this one composed by Boccherini in the 1790's. Quintet no.4 (G.448). Played with castanets (it begins at min. 0:16):


Yes, I'm gonna start a Boccherini thread myself. :)

Hey, try Gunnar Madsen, I like him a lot, he is very modern and different... 'Anna' is a wonderful piece!

Big fan of Andrew York -- Sunburst is ridiculously hard to play

David R. Holsinger