supergran71 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Thought I would launch a new thread to find out a little more about my bcf friends. 1. Do any of you play a musical instrument (yes I know you do Ice Cream) and if so how good are you and how often do you play; do you play classical, jazz, rock or pop or let's not forget brass band, or any other type of music 2. Do you like classical music? If so what do you like; do you have a favourite composer; a favourite piece of music, favourite soloist, favourite instrument. Me? I love classical music, I would listen to Classic FM all day if I could. I have lots of favourite pieces and composers. Elgar, Vaughn Williams, Saint Saens, Rachmaninov, Beethoven, Brahms etc etc. I love the Organ Symphony by Saints Saen, also Elgar's Cello Concerto. I love most violin concertos, particularly Barber's. I also love opera, my favourite operas are La Boheme and Madama Butterfly, but I also like Tosca. I could go on and on, but let's hear from the rest of you, or if necessary I will shut up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I don't listen to much classical music but I have an absolute passion for Gilbert and Sullivan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I used to play the piano, violin for a while, the recorder, was in the school choir and school madrigals. I studied music to O level. Therefore I have always been the one to help the children! I can happily listen to classical music. I like Vivaldi, Rachmaninov, Grieg, Debussy and JS Bach. I also enjoy listening to Concerto de Aranjuez. Similarly artists like Jean Michele Jarre and Mike Oldfield have written some very good contemporary music For me, I can combine it with pop music and have many types of genre on my MP3 so that when I have it on shuffle I am never bored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergran71 Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 I used to play the violin, trombone and French horn but gradually let them go. Oh, and the recorder of course! I'd love to take up the violin again and/or learn the piano. I share a birthday with Tchaikovsky and Brahms. And, to disprove your theory that young 'uns know nowt nowadays, supergran...! I grew up watching Bette Davis fillums and fell in love with a Tchaikovsky piece which played all the way through Mr Skeffington, I think it was. His first piano concerto. I much prefer the Russian composers. Bliddy mental they were. And passionate. Did you know Tchaikovsky conducted in the way he did (hand up to his temple) because he believed his head would fall off otherwise? And he committed suicide by deliberately drinking choleraic water. Mentalist. (That's why I like him...) And, to disprove your theory that young 'uns know nowt nowadays, supergran...! (I didnt really say that did I?) This was the reason I started this thread, to give you all a chance to tell me what you know and like. My first favourite composer was Tchaikovsky too and I loved the Piano Concerto and also his Romeo and Juliet Fantasy. I am swept away by romantic, full bodied music. Classic FM definitely widened my knowledge of music, I knew "the tunes", but not the titles, but I do now thanks to them. I learned to play the piano when I was very young and used to bang out The Blue Danube regularly, I still love it today and go dancing around the room when I hear it. Strangely, I have completely forgotten how to play the piano now, I dont know why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I used to play violin and a little piano years ago, but it all fell by the wayside. I wanted totake up clarinet but, for some bizarre reason, I wasn't allowed to because I coldn't get a flute towork (despite the fact that they work in a completely different way!). I love Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Rachmaninov. Like Angel, I also love Oldfield and Jarre, who I consider to be modern composers of a similar nature in their innovative approach to music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Severnlad Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Kell I too like J M Jarre and Mike Oldfield my OH is prepared to listen to the former but not keen on Oldfield except his "Tubular Bells". I also listen to classical one of my favourite composers being Edward Elgar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I used to play the flute and the piano, but I haven't been able to in recent years because of living in apartments. As soon as my boyfriend and I are able to rent a house, my parents are giving my my grandmother's piano, which she bought used in the 1930's. It's the piano my brothers and I grew up playing, so it's very special. I also want to take up the flute again, as they're very inexpensive to rent. I LOVE classical music! I love anything by Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn (the Emperor's Quartet is my favorite), and Schubert. My family is very musical, and my parents never listened to modern music (they stopped after about 1950), so this is what we always had playing at home. I'm not a huge fan of opera, but I love watching ballet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbel Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I don't play a musical instrument myself, but my partner and daughter both play the classical guitar. Recently I have been enjoying listening to Australian classical guitarist Karin Schaupp, she does a lovely rendition of Mascagni Intermezzo for Cavalleria Rusticana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I don't play any instruments, although I have a keyboard at home (which doesn't get much use right now unfortunately!) I quite like classical music but I'm not good with names. I have a couple of those 'best ever classical music' albums, and I certainly have some favourites but I couldn't tell you names or composers I guess they're just the 'usual' ones that everyone knows. I do have an absolute favourite piece of classical music, however, and that is Air on the G String by Yehudi Menuhin (even with that one, I had to look up the composer's name! ). It's quite possibly the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I believe that Air on a G String was originally composed by Bach sometime in the mid-eighteenth century. It's one of my favorites also, and is often played at weddings here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Right you are Echo I wonder why I have it in iTunes under the name of the violinist and not the composer? I've just looked at the rest of that album and it's very inconsistent - I'll have to fix it. That would explain why Bach was at the back of my mind when I was thinking of the song and I was surprised to see a name I didn't really recognise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I do love classical music. I can sit and listen to it for hours, however, I also love film soundtracks - not sure if that is classed as "classical" or just "instrumental"? I can play the flute and saxophone, but the sax is never out these days as the breathing technique causes me to have panic attacks Strange I know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Yes I do enjoy classical music now and again. I love strings and right now I am really into Vivaldi's four seasons. I like Mozarts piano concertos, although I haven't listened to them for a long time. I think my all time favourite piece of music is The Dance of the Knights (Act 13) from Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergran71 Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 I don't play any instruments, although I have a keyboard at home (which doesn't get much use right now unfortunately!) I quite like classical music but I'm not good with names. I have a couple of those 'best ever classical music' albums, and I certainly have some favourites but I couldn't tell you names or composers I guess they're just the 'usual' ones that everyone knows. I do have an absolute favourite piece of classical music, however, and that is Air on the G String by Yehudi Menuhin (even with that one, I had to look up the composer's name! ). It's quite possibly the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard. I think you can get Classic FM on line Kylie, that's how I learnt all the names of my favourite pieces. I forgot to say that I love ballet music, particularly Swan Lake and every now and again I have to go and see it again. I have lost count now how many times I have seen it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I would love to see The Nutcracker. When I was in Kindergarten we put on The Nutcracker for the old people in the nursing home that was down the road from us. I remember dressing up as a fairy I have a soft spot for that ballet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I would love to see The Nutcracker. I saw The Nutcracker performed in Moscow, it was amazing. I've taken Mum to see Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake too, but they were in Brighton. All three were breathtaking though. The costumes in The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty were beautiful. I was gripped the whole way through. Made me wish I hadn't given up ballet all those years ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Severnlad Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Not a great fan of ballet myself but I took the OH to see Romeo & Juliet as a surprise and must confess I enjoyed it. Costumes were fantastic and so is the music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Ooo I've not seen Romeo and Juliet, I must look out for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I've seen The Nutcracker a few times as the Pacific Northwest Ballet performs it every year, and it's beautiful! I would also love to see Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slywaka1 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I really want to see the Beatrix Potter ballet. I've seen the film version but I'd love to see it live- the costumes are amazing. I saw Swan Lake when I was about 7 or 8 and really didn't appreciate it. I think my mum only took me and my sister because she couldn't get a babysitter..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergran71 Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 I too would like to see the Royal Ballet's production of Beatrix Potter. I have seen Romeo and Juliet and still have an old recording of the Royal Ballet doing it. Its wonderful. Try and see Swan Lake Slywaka, you will never regret it. Make sure it is a world ranking ballet company performance that you see though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Wow, I got a mention. Do I go on too much? In no particular order, I play piano, keyboard, recorder, drums, guitar (acoustic and a little bass), organ, and cornet, but since becoming a mummy the only one that gets played is my cornet, and as a lot of you know I am in a brass band, where I play repiano cornet (though just in this week I have played rep, 2nd and flugel parts!). I occasionally get time to get my guitar out or the keyboard for piano practise (we haven't made room for a real piano yet). Up until the girls came along my cornet was my baby. It is my pride and joy. I absoutely love classical music. Me and the girls have Classic FM on as much as possible. Actually, I have it on right now. It is much better than television. I put it on when I was in hospital having Millie and my Mum, who can't stand it, had the cheek to switch over (and I can't stand pop music). My list of favourites would be too long to type. At the moment I am up for anything that calms me down so that I don't shout at the children. The healing power of music ahhh.... Katie adores classical music too. She seems to like Gabriel's Oboe and Concerto de Aranjuez. She sings along! One of my favourites os definitely Stravinsky's Firebird. I have a BTEC National Diploma in popular music (where my passionate dislike of the genre was born), and a degree in music (mostly classical with some pop and lot's of other bits) I love love love opera, though I don't have the time or money to see them nowadays, and only got to see a few full ones during my degree. I would love to see Fidelio, because even though I was a student of music Beethoven is still my favourite composer and it was the only opera he wrote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergran71 Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 I dont think you can ever go on enough about classical music, the pop stuff gets too much airing I think. One of the best film musical soundtrack was "The Ladies in Lavender", which I can watch and listen to over and over. Whenever I feel a bit wound up I play the CD of the soundtrack and it calms me down immediately. It also includes "Meditation" from the operate Thais which is one of my absolute favourite pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I think the Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks are lovely to listen too when I'm reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathandt2 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I used to play piano, which was a long time ago. Now for classic music, I could listen to it all day long but my wife and little girl can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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