by liberal japonicus
To be honest, my musical tastes are probably clinically insane levels of ecleticism. This hasn’t been helped with the purchase of ear pods that prevent Mrs LJ from being subjected to whatever I’m listening to. I also use music in my classes, so even if I don’t like it, if students like it, I’ll subject myself to it enough to be able to answer questions about the video or the lyrics.
All my listening is done thru Youtube, so it won’t be just music, but also all of the visual stuff that will be up for discussion. The first entry is suitably serious, the first video is Georg Solti directing a rehearsal of Siegfried’s Funeral March from Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, which came to me from a horn channel. A couple of interesting points, first, this is Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, so they are using the older instruments, Wagner Tubas and the rotary valve trumpets. Second is Solti’s conducting, I’m guessing that this is the mid 60’s, so Solti is in his 50’s, but you can see why he is basically wearing a sweatshirt. Last, it is baffling to me that they have cut (I think) the cymbal crashes at the end. The timing is quite good, but it looks obvious that the percussionist was added later. Anyway, discuss, enjoy and give me suggestions for other things. I’ll probably do a Bad Bunny, who I have never heard, in a few weeks, so you at least know what’s up with him playing in the Super Bowl.
Wagner: orchestration without melodies.
I’m pretty sure my taste doesn’t qualify as eclectic. But even YouTube doesn’t provide video for something like Buddy Holly records.
I’ve seen videos for other artists’ work from similarly far back, where it’s obviously added on recently. But some of the “original cast” classics are audio only.
That’s so apocalyptic, JP. Does it reflect your state of mind? I think I would tear my ears off if I had to listen to that all day.
Paul and I are the opposite; our home is nearly always silent. No radio, no TV.
Funny. It sounds triumphant to me, but maybe because I associate with the film “Excalibur.” It is a triumphant scene, so whoever selected it for the soundtrack must have agreed with me. And I like it. To me, it’s kind of metal. \m/
That is “\m/.”
Okay, it’s not me. Doesn’t like backslash.
Solti’s Bayreuth Ring* (his first I think) had a making-of made as a feature of its own.
A film team officially accompanied the production and the rehearsals. Something quite uncommon at the time. In addition there was an audio feature using the recordings to explain Wagner’s leitmotif technique in detail.
*that’s where the clip comes from if I am not mistaken
I found the video interesting in pieces, but the combination of a uncertain sync between video and audio and the lower fidelity of the audio made it hard for me to stay focused. It made Solti’s conducting feel less than intuitive and had me constantly wondering if what he was signaling was the moment I was hearing.
Chasing down the audio recording in full fidelity on Apple Music and losing the video completely eliminated that feeling of disorientation, as did chasing down a more recent live performance video from Dudamel where the conducting seemed better matched to the audio.
Between watching that and another performance with Gatti conducting, I started to really get a sense for the different impressions that one can get based on where one’s visual attention is drawn. The gaze plays a powerful role in what the ear seems to hear in these videos.
My go-to lately for listening is Milt Jackson. Been trying to get some vibes happening, he’s more or less the beginning of the modern period on that instrument.
Have also been stumbling through a lot of jazz standards on the piano. Not to perform – I will never be a competent pianist – but just to get an understanding of the harmonic language.
Don’t know if I’ll live long enough to get anywhere that all of that, but I like it.
Other than pedagogical listening, I continue to be drawn to early European art music. Basically the modal counterpoint from the very late middle ages to the early pre-Baroque Renaissance. Dufay, Machaut, et al. That music is sophisticated but so accessible, and has (to my ear) a very direct emotional impulse. My wife sings with a choir whose director is also a fan of that period, I sometimes get to provide percussion accompaniment, which is always a lot of fun.
@wonkie, I forget who said it but, “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.” :^)
“Ride of the Valkyries” is excellent for the soundtrack of certain sorts of movie scenes, and has been used often for that purpose, probably most famously for the helicopter attack in Apocalypse Now. (Or perhaps for the Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd cartoon “What’s Opera, Doc?”, often referred to as “Kill the Wabbit”.) But it’s only five minutes out of a five-hour opera. And even in five minutes it suffers from repeated cases of “Oh, yes, there’s supposed to be a melody here someplace, isn’t there?”
Personally, I think Wagner could have been brilliant writing movie scores where the running time constraint was imposed on him. Think John Williams’ score for the original Star Wars, very much in the Wagner mold, and often cited as the best movie score ever written.
@nous, it would be interesting to see the conductor during the actual performance. My impression of the rehearsal is that he’s focusing more on individual bits, sort of “remember what I want here” to a particular section of the orchestra. During an actual concert, the conductor is performing for the audience more than directing the musicians.
Fun stuff all! The line about Wagner’s music is credited to Mark Twain, but a quick gemini check says it was something that Twain quoted of Bill Nye (Not the Science Guy, Edgar Wilson “Bill” Nye)
About the synch, I don’t really notice is. I don’t know if this video has the same synch issues, but it shows Solti in rehearsal and in concert.
https://youtu.be/2L85eTSWrmg?si=ZhwNpAPkM4weqDyu
Some may recognize the Overture to Tannhauser as the melody that Elmer and Bug sing a love song to each other as Siegfried and Brunhilde. Sadly, What’s Opera, Doc is no longer on Youtube.