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Violins, Fine Wine, and Your Classical Music Recommendations — Vince
My wife and I were trying to unwind after a work week full of fighting murders and child molesters (we are both prosecutors). We opened a lovely bottle of pinot from the Willamette Valley and retreated to our patio to enjoy an amazing Arizona evening. Despite the gentle breeze, we wanted music to accompany our time. We turned on classical iTunes Radio and just sat.
I’ve always enjoyed the violin, but when the second movement of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Winter (Max Richter version) played, my appreciation soared. There is nothing more memorable than when music perfectly captures feeling. It was then that I realized that classical music—really good classical music — is a lot like being introduced to fine wines. It’s an intimidating education, full of lingo and infinite choice, but still very rewarding. I don’t know why I love the pieces I do, but I do. When Jay Nordlinger and Mona Charen discuss music I always listen closely. I hope they do another music episode of their podcast soon.
In the interim, I’ll reach out to you all. Any classical music selections to recommend, particularly those featuring the violin? The more haunting, lonely and sorrowful the violin the better.
Published in General
Hello, S. Pessimist,
My sympathies. I have perhaps a comparable frustration when, despite having achieved some understanding of mathematics, I cannot remember numbers, even numbers I care about.
There has to be a way for you through this door. There has to be, because humans invented music in imitation of the sounds around them, and that would include the sounds of nature and of the human voice. They invented music in order to express human emotion, including the emotions also expressed by the human voice.
So my flippant response is “Forget violin – listen to viola and cello, as they are closer to the voice in emotive power, however that comes, be it with tone, timbre, or range.” (See, music is quite personal!)
But my serious suggestion is that you continue to listen to song, as lieder (for example, Schubert lieder) and as opera. Put it on, take that libretto in hand, and flop on the sofa to follow along. You’ll learn new languages as a bonus.
It’s never too late.
Ah, laymen tend to overrate the importance of numbers in mathematics, anyhow. There are gifted mathematicians who also have trouble remembering numbers. I’ve met ’em.
Despite my training in math, I still have trouble remembering numbers, even numbers I care about. When I’m lucky, a long string of numbers makes a passable melody when each numeral is interpreted as a scale degree – that’s the only way I remember my own phone number.
Remembering numbers by scale degrees is so handy that we asked our landlord to give us a security code that signified a distinctive musical phrase when he installed our new alarm. He didn’t give us the exact code we wanted – the last number is off. This is a source of constant consternation as we struggle to remember what random pitch the landlord ended the phrase with before time runs out and the alarm is tripped.
When it comes to Lieder and opera, though, it pays to be very picky about choice of singers when you buy a recording. Buy a recording only if you love the way that particular singer sounds. Else you’ll just be torturing yourself.
I’ve had a lot of bad experience with Lieder for that reason: the singer’s interpretation is such a big part of the Lied that I wasn’t sure whether I hated the Lied itself, or just that particular singer. Much the same goes for opera, especially Wagner.
SP, you appear to like Isabel Bayrakdarian’s voice. Excellent choice ;-) She does opera, too, and tango music. Maybe start with her.
Chamber music also certainly needs to be recommended to people who have spent all day working to send creeps to the slammer. By its nature, it’s intimate, and among the most cleansing and uplifting is that of Johannes Brahms.
So, hmm, here’s a plug for Brahms: Piano Quintet, op.34.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BGc9NV7OBw
Here’s some unusual Bach for you Bach-lovers.
Hello, Mokuren!!!