The thing about great composers is that they each have their own 'voices' that are recognizable if you listen closely. For example, I've come to know Mozart (ah, my first love!) very well (for various reasons) and now whenever I hear him on the radio (which is alot!) I can tell if it's him or not within the first 5 seconds. (About 45 out of 50 times) =] It's quite fun! Certain characteristics and sounds often give composers away. In Mozart's case, it's usually an extended trill that ends with a lower note, a higher note, and then a lower note again.
It starts by being able to tell which period the music is from (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist, 20th Century). And slowly progresses to a group of composers. (Haydn and Mozart are sometimes hard to tell apart). Elgar has a voice (Very English!). Beethoven is Mr. Cadenza. Vivaldi is Mr. Concerto. And Rachmaninoff is the Russian Dante. ;) Etc. etc.
But it really really really gets awesome when you can tell what period, which composer, the type of composition, what instruments, AND the soloist playing the piece. (Something I've only achieved once, that was while listening to the Beethoven Triple concerto with Anne Sophie Mutter on the Violin [I own a cd set of her playing all the Mozart violin sonatas, her Stradivarius has a very distinctive accent to it, it reminds me of German] and Yo-yo Ma on the Cello. You know you've crossed over to nerd status when.... =]
But silliness aside when I'm listening to individual pieces, there's a certain mood/feeling/memory/sensory sensation that is almost touch-able. Rachmaninoff for example runs the gamut from overwhelming ecstacy and breathless tenderness of the Second Concerto to the unequaled sparkling joy of his Bach transcriptions. (Especially when he himself plays it!). Oh Bach! You don't know what you do for my soul. When I listen to you, it's like having my soul soaked in sunshine after coming out of a refrigerator.
But seriously though, each piece, I believe, has a memory/feeling that is that piece. The mental/spiritual sensation is burned in. I can sometimes almost taste a piece! It's so hard to describe. =P
Anyone else feel the same way?
Tonight is Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff at the Bowl.
It will be good. =]
4 comments:
you are so musically amazing.
Wow.
Maybe someday, but I certainly can't do that yet!
"When I listen to you, it's like having my soul soaked in sunshine after coming out of a refrigerator"
:) Lovely simile. (It would make a hilarious pick-up line, too. :D)
Ditto to Mkr mouse! God is certainly to be praised for His masterful creativity; both in creating music and people who can truly appreciate it.
Ooh, I have that Anne Sophie Mutter CD, too. In high school I trained my Dad to recognize one violinist from another. I had about seven recordings of the Beethoven violin concerto, and I'd put one on and try to have him guess which artist was playing. He got pretty good at it, and can now recognize some particular players on the radio, as well!
Yes yes! That's so cool. =] I've been working on my dad, but so far I've only gotten him to like it as background music. ;) It's coming along.
What I really want to be able to do though, is to tell between Cellists. Oh Boy! Especailly in the Elgar Cello concerto...DuPre makes me soooo happy. =] (and sad too cause she died.) =[
Thanks for posting everyone!
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