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Thu, 8 Apr 1999 16:06:30 -0800 |
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Gilbert Chang wrote:
>I need music that has a mixture of tragic, ironic and farcical elements.
Hmm. Complicated; I am contemplating and appreciating other list members'
suggestions (Beethoven 8 especially). I saw Shostakovich mentioned a
couple of times. He seems like the perfect candidate. I'd say
Shostakovich: Aphorisms for Piano
The version I have is arranged for chamber ensemble [Moscow Contemporary
Music Ensemble, Triton CD 17011] and the instrumental colorings in the
arrangements are very cool. (I think the bassoon is a sarcastic-sounding
instrument.) And the chamber feel might make better background music than
a piano version. There are 10 (Aphorisms) and they are all very short.
My other suggestion (perhaps a no-brainer?) is
Prokofiev: 5 Sarcasms for Piano, Op. 17
The name says it all.
Andrew Carlan suggested:
>1. Haydn, Surprise Symphony. Well almost any Haydn symphony.
Wow. This is beyond my ken. And I admit I have a Haydn stigma. I like
some Sturm-und-Drang stuff for fun, and some late symphonies and quartets
for their invaluable influence on Beethoven. But mostly it sounds like
scales to me. [Same with Handel, but worse.] I can't sense the farce.
Sometimes I wonder if younger CM freaks aren't jaded; by the time I got
around to being born Varese was old news; John Cage was getting old and
well-known, even accepted. Haydn et al. ceased to be, well...interesting.
I believe that there's something there I'm missing. What is it? Am I
diseased? Hopeless? Young?...Jaded?
Bob K, trying to overcome his modernity after work
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