Posted on 08/27/2023 11:44:40 AM PDT by karpov
In the summer of 1968, a friend and I went to see the blockbuster movie of the year—2001: A Space Odyssey. We settled into our seats and the theater went dark. The film began. And then we heard the most astounding music. It grabbed me like no movie music ever had.
There was more magnificent music in 2001, some of which I recognized, such as “The Blue Danube,” but it was the opening that stuck in my mind. What was that music and where did it come from?
Many others were wondering the same thing.
A year or two later, I found out that 2001 opened with the beginning of a tone poem by Richard Strauss entitled Also Sprach Zarathustra. I learned the name of the work because I had taken to listening to Milwaukee’s radio station WFMR, which broadcasts nothing but classical music. Through that station, I’d discovered a tremendous world of sound, ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach through 20th-century greats like Dmitri Shostakovich. After hearing that 2001 music one evening, I had to buy a recording of that magnificent work by Strauss.
As a youngster, I had heard a variety of music on radio and records—pop songs, Broadway show tunes, jazz. It was okay listening, but nothing to make me want to hear it again and again. Nothing that made me tune out everything else so I could savor the music.
A few years before my movie encounter with Strauss, I made a discovery that changed my life. One day my mother asked me to put on some nice music before dinner, so I went to the big stereo cabinet and found an LP that looked unusual. The cover read: “Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakoff—London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux.”
(Excerpt) Read more at firstthings.com ...
THANK You for posting this....love all the suggestions....I am sooooo tired of “country music” (I live in a small town)
“I fell in love with classical (Longhair) music as a kid.”
Same here, maybe only 8 years old.
It opened my brain and made me look at the world, and history.
GREAT movie.
“I fell in love with classical (Longhair) music as a kid.”
I did as well though I don’t recall the exact circumstance. I do remember that my parents gave me a complete recording of the opera Carmen at age 11 which then I proceeded to listen to once a week in its entirety for two years. 50 years later I was commuting between Southern California and Nevada late at night and a 1938 French recording of the opera was playing on satellite radio and I found I remembered every single note as I hummed along.
The love of classical music also impelled me to learn the piano and that broadened my musical horizons further.
Sat entranced yesterday and listed to radio broadcast of “Scheherazade” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakoff, performed by Dutch orchestra. Haven’t been that entranced in a long long time.
Tannheuser... :)
I’ve never matured enough to understand and appreciate the music of Wagner.
Nobody on this thread mentioned that classical music is now considered racist.
You folks are so insensitive!
;-)
Cracker music. Used to keep the other folk down.
Tannhauser is a good place to start, if one is interested in Wagner.
:)
Everyone. Indeed.
It is probably what you grew up with. When I was very young, my mother played the Metropolitan Opera on the radio nearly every Saturday, and I joined her in listening. She would tell me the plot. Our old one-sided windup Victrola records were mostly classical. A number of Gigli I remember plus instrumental. I never much cared for the popular singers of the day. Later I found some old-time American ballads that I liked, like “Oh Shenandoah.” The Norwegian singer Sissel has a nice version of it I like to listen with earphones to when my wife is on the phone or a conference call.
Aaron Copland 4 Dance Episodes from Rodeo - III. Saturday Night Waltz (HD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu_Q9ijKx8c
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Me, too! I especially love the Baroque Era. Bach is my favorite composer.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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