In the vein of “everyone is entitled to my opinion“:
me: holy jeez. I’d rather [do something else] than listen to a Liszt concerto, but that’s why you’re you and I’m me.
sister: well, [husband] and I are also pretty music nerdy
me: also I am only MEH on Stravinksy
sis: how can you be MEH on Stravinsky! Firebird, come on!
whatevs, dude
me: It seems that the romantic period is not a kind of music I generally love.
sis: well, that’s some silliness
me: I’m so old school. I prefer baroque.
all those complicated thingies and fugues and whatnot, I like them.
counterpoint, ya know.
sis: I enjoy Baroque, and seeing mad Baroque styling skillz in action is pretty cool, but give me an expressive art song, some impressionistic piano, and a flexible tempo any day
I actually prefer Renaissance counterpoint (so, super-early counterpoint)
the ducking and diving of madrigal singers, for instance
I like renaissance too. I don’t like impressionistic piano at all.
sis: don’t tell [husband], his heart is with the Romantics
me: shhhh.
sis: and Debussy is a big thing for him
me: He can have Debussy. Handel can be mine, all mine.
sis: although Debussy never used nor liked the term “impressionism”
me: fair enough
I think baroque people didn’t call themselves that, either.
but it’s easier than saying “music with fancy bits put on”
sis: well, he’d tell you to keep your damn Bach
me: good, I shall!
to the romantics, I say: fugue you.
sis: when it comes to piano, Bach is the enemy of human hands
me: yes, I can see how Bach would be monstrous to try to play.
Much like Sondheim is a bitch-and-a-half to sing, but so very shiny.
sis: the Romantics are a bitch to play as well, but they were actually written for the piano (as opposed to harpsichord or organ), and they, you know, have something to say in their music as opposed to being a mere exercise in form.
That’s a roast, folks
me: yeah, but I find what they have to say whiny.
and I like harpsichord or organ music.
sis: hey, that’s cool if you’re an expert in that action, the problem is that people expect this music to be played on the piano too, and it’s just not supposed to be done that way.
me: well now, I agree there. it’s not for the piano.
sis: indeed
Bach never had to contend with the weighting/action and dynamics of the piano. You can only hit a key on a harpsichord a few ways
me: also I think some performances I hear get bogged down in all the detail and it can sound muddy, instead of light, which I prefer.
sis: indeed, should be light, crisp, the melodies should play with each other, not overshadow each other
me: yes, for reals.
sis: and excellent Baroque performers should, of course, be considering expression in their ornamentation and not doing it at inexplicable times just because they can
me: worst example EVAR, who should be stuck in a sack and kicked: the Mormon Tabernacle Choir trying to do The Messiah. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. Stuck in treacle!
sis: well, that’s unfortunate
me: it IS.
Best recorded Messiah: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, with Samuel Ramey, Florence Quivar, some tenor, and Kathleen Battle.
Very light.
sis: hmm…
but Kathy B is such a DIVA
me: sure, sure,
I don’t dispute that.
I wouldn’t necessarily want to work with her.
I like Ramey’s work on the Jello Aria. [and I will shaaaaaaaaaake...]
sis: I haven’t heard the recording
will add to amazon list forthwith
me: the Jello one is another place where people get really bogged down, and he doesn’t.
sis: dude, the Toronto recording is all out of print and stuff
lamesauce
I can download it, but I don’t want to, bitches
me: yeah, bitches! wait, why not?
hm, the editorial review on amazon thinks nobody is “involved” with the music on that recording, but all the listener reviews are very high. The people reviewing it who say they are conductors or musicians love it.
But anyway, I do so hate it when things I like go out of print.
ew, even the abridged version is out of print
sis: like I said, lamesauce
me: yes. wynton marsalis: I like his baroque
tum-tiddly-tum-te-tum and whatnot
sis: I do like Wynton Marsalis
me: though I suppose I should clarify: although I do like me some baroqueness, Pachelbel’s canon in D can go hang.
sis: ok, I’ll give you that one
#2 says: I like Romantic composers with names I can’t spell. Like Puccini and Rimsky-Korsakov. So fugue me, I guess. Pachelbel’s canon makes me fall asleep because in high school we had this yoga class where they played it while we were supposed to be relaxing, but I would always fall asleep instead.
Discussion question: How come they make you take naps in kindergarten when you don’t want them and don’t let you take them when you’re all grown up and need them?
