I get so pumped whenever anybody talks about classical music lol. Ive been fully Maestro-pilled
That thought experiment on best finale-deliverers is a neat one. I do love Mahler finales but thinking about it more he actually might be the equivalent champion for 1st movements. Tchaikovsky really does have such knockout endings but he also slaps in the middle movements- his dances are just so rich
Mahler is a great challenger for sure — but yes I’m always driven to those first movements with him. Shostakovich was the other finals guy who came to mind
fran i am someone who deeply desires to be into classical music and i had a brief love affair with the genre during my short and doomed college semesters. but if you were to recommend one Big Piece i should sit and spend some time with, what would you recommend? i ask u not as an expert but as someone with taste i tend to align with…
symphonie fantastique by hector berlioz!!! first ever narrative piece of western classical music, tells the story of a young artist (based on berlioz himself) who is “Down Bad”. much to love! goes from pining to partying to druggy (!) to spooky
Chiming in (unasked) w/ Dvorak's 9th, aka "From the New World Symphony." Start with the fourth movement, which is quite famous, but also just barely not-famous-enough that it is still surprising and riveting and fun, then go back and listen to the whole thing and see how excellently he foreshadows the "big moment" of the fourth movement throughout. It's very 'poppy' and accessible, and also one of the hardest bangers in the whole of the canon, and basically everyone loves it, even though it's "overplayed." That and Tchaikovsky's 'Rite Of Spring' are what got me into pre-modernist classical music. You can't go wrong with either-- me and fran have wildly differing tastes in classical but we both agree quite strongly on these as awesome pieces that have earned their places in the canon.
My fav rn probably Rachmaninov piano concerto 2, which is very moody and sexy and sad and guilt-ridden, and maybe even losely vampyric, which could also be good!
This was a delight to read! In college I wrote a term paper on the development of all Tchaikovskys symphonies and this made me sprint to listen to 4 & 5
I’m digging around in my memory but (especially from the 4th on) lot of chromaticism, hemiolas, and people clowning him for continually not sticking to strict sonata form.
That melody was not "stolen" from Tchaikovsky by Dario Marianelli. It comes from a traditional folk song composed many years before Tchaikovsky wrote de fourth symphony. What Marianelli did was exactly the same Tchaikovsky did before, he took it and gave it a meaning. All these is credited by Marianelli in the cd booklet.
Hi Fran, just read my first Fran Mag, & it’s terrific. So glad it came my way via email, thru the Substack referral system…I see I’ll have to wait until Feb for more Fran.
In the meantime, I have a casual on & off relationship with my classical music, , but I have my vinyl 1975 Lenny Tchai 4,5, & 6 (Columbia/Sony… (ha, I think purchased at same time as Neil Young Tonight the Night at Sam Goody NYC,) & I know that “close music listeners” all have their fave recordings & I pay attention to that….Based on your comments here on your recco classical music foundations ( so far Tchai 4, the Berlioz, Dvorak 9, can u give us some more of your personal must-have classical music , pls list the suggested recordings…& I hope you’ll find time to continue these Sunday stacks….
Hi Steve!! Thank you so much for reading & subscribing... I will think of some good recs for specific recordings.. I have a budding record collection myself (the classical albums are often on sale at most "cool" record stores) and need to peruse my favorites of those
Hi Fran, just a light touch reminder about Fran recs of specific fave classical recordings…..after a very long time, listened this past week to Tchai 4 Lenny vinyl & Solti/Chicago on Spotify…tx!
Oooh the scherzo was always very uninteresting to me when listening at home.. but hearing the sound wave from left to right with rustioni’s play was SO exciting. I was grinning the entire time and mimicking his movements afterwards. 10/10
agape at bell’s age. even just reading the words joshua bell in your opening pars i was like “omg the hot one”
I was like there’s no WAY he’s almost my parents’ age….. I wonder if he’s dyeing his hair
I get so pumped whenever anybody talks about classical music lol. Ive been fully Maestro-pilled
That thought experiment on best finale-deliverers is a neat one. I do love Mahler finales but thinking about it more he actually might be the equivalent champion for 1st movements. Tchaikovsky really does have such knockout endings but he also slaps in the middle movements- his dances are just so rich
Mahler is a great challenger for sure — but yes I’m always driven to those first movements with him. Shostakovich was the other finals guy who came to mind
Jaap looking swag in da Mao pyjamas
tea
fran i am someone who deeply desires to be into classical music and i had a brief love affair with the genre during my short and doomed college semesters. but if you were to recommend one Big Piece i should sit and spend some time with, what would you recommend? i ask u not as an expert but as someone with taste i tend to align with…
symphonie fantastique by hector berlioz!!! first ever narrative piece of western classical music, tells the story of a young artist (based on berlioz himself) who is “Down Bad”. much to love! goes from pining to partying to druggy (!) to spooky
Chiming in (unasked) w/ Dvorak's 9th, aka "From the New World Symphony." Start with the fourth movement, which is quite famous, but also just barely not-famous-enough that it is still surprising and riveting and fun, then go back and listen to the whole thing and see how excellently he foreshadows the "big moment" of the fourth movement throughout. It's very 'poppy' and accessible, and also one of the hardest bangers in the whole of the canon, and basically everyone loves it, even though it's "overplayed." That and Tchaikovsky's 'Rite Of Spring' are what got me into pre-modernist classical music. You can't go wrong with either-- me and fran have wildly differing tastes in classical but we both agree quite strongly on these as awesome pieces that have earned their places in the canon.
My fav rn probably Rachmaninov piano concerto 2, which is very moody and sexy and sad and guilt-ridden, and maybe even losely vampyric, which could also be good!
i was also going to suggest dvorak 9 for what it’s worth! an early fav of mine
Stravinsky's**** Rite of Spring. getting my Pyotrs and Igors in a twist....
This was a delight to read! In college I wrote a term paper on the development of all Tchaikovskys symphonies and this made me sprint to listen to 4 & 5
Thank you!! What were your findings on his symphonic development?
I’m digging around in my memory but (especially from the 4th on) lot of chromaticism, hemiolas, and people clowning him for continually not sticking to strict sonata form.
I always get Joshua Bell and Joshua Roman mixed up since they're both from Indiana.
real
That melody was not "stolen" from Tchaikovsky by Dario Marianelli. It comes from a traditional folk song composed many years before Tchaikovsky wrote de fourth symphony. What Marianelli did was exactly the same Tchaikovsky did before, he took it and gave it a meaning. All these is credited by Marianelli in the cd booklet.
well yes!
Hi Fran, just read my first Fran Mag, & it’s terrific. So glad it came my way via email, thru the Substack referral system…I see I’ll have to wait until Feb for more Fran.
In the meantime, I have a casual on & off relationship with my classical music, , but I have my vinyl 1975 Lenny Tchai 4,5, & 6 (Columbia/Sony… (ha, I think purchased at same time as Neil Young Tonight the Night at Sam Goody NYC,) & I know that “close music listeners” all have their fave recordings & I pay attention to that….Based on your comments here on your recco classical music foundations ( so far Tchai 4, the Berlioz, Dvorak 9, can u give us some more of your personal must-have classical music , pls list the suggested recordings…& I hope you’ll find time to continue these Sunday stacks….
Hi Steve!! Thank you so much for reading & subscribing... I will think of some good recs for specific recordings.. I have a budding record collection myself (the classical albums are often on sale at most "cool" record stores) and need to peruse my favorites of those
Hi Fran, just a light touch reminder about Fran recs of specific fave classical recordings…..after a very long time, listened this past week to Tchai 4 Lenny vinyl & Solti/Chicago on Spotify…tx!
oop yes apologies I was away for work!
Beethoven 3 - Bernstein/NY Phil
Respighi Pines of Rome - Herbert von Karajan/Berlin
Mahler 4 - Claudio Abbado/Chicago
Rachmaninoff 2 - Gustavo Dudamel/Yuja Wang (recency bias but great)
Shostakovich 5 - Andres Nilson, Boston
all the Beethovens - Herbert Blomstedt - best living conductor of Beethoven imo!
Oooh the scherzo was always very uninteresting to me when listening at home.. but hearing the sound wave from left to right with rustioni’s play was SO exciting. I was grinning the entire time and mimicking his movements afterwards. 10/10
he really brought new life to it!
I love Tchaik! Wintery. We played one in college but I don't remember (6?)
2025 the year of the pathetique…. 😳
we played 2 in college which was so over my head… 6… the pathetique! always hits in times of strangeness and yearning
Great newsletter!!!
thank you Josh!