My Favorite Music
Submitted by MJongo on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 01:04
Tags:
- 1st Tier
- Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 (1824) [Karajan (1963)]
- 2nd Tier
- Johann Sebastian Bach - Mass in B minor (1749) [Herreweghe (1989)]
- Johann Sebastian Bach - Die Kunst der Fuge (1749, unfinished) [Fretwork (2002)]
- Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 9 (1826) [Solti (1981)]
- Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 9 (1910) [Walter (1961)]
- Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)
- 3rd Tier
- (Attributed to) Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata and Fugue, BWV 565 (~1710) [Walcha (1947)]
- Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 (1808) [Karajan (1963)]
- Ludwig van Beethoven - Große Fuge (1825) [Petersen Quartett (1999)]
- Franz Schubert - String Quintet (1828) [Melos Quartett, Rostropovich (1978)]
- Richard Wagner - Tristan und Isolde (1859) [Böhm (1966)]
- Giuseppe Verdi - Requiem (1874) [Solti (1967)]
- Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 4 (1884) [Kleiber (1980)]
- Olivier Messiaen - Turangalîla-Symphonie (1948) [Chailly (1992)]
- Karlheinz Stockhausen - Gesang der Jünglinge (1956)
- The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land (1967)
- Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica (1969)
- Faust - Faust (1971)
- Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 15 (1971) [Ormandy (1972)]
- The Residents - Meet The Residents (1973) [mono mix]
- Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom (1974)
- Alfred Schnittke - Concerto Grosso No. 1 (1977) [Schiff (1988)]
- 4th Tier
- Guillaume de Machaut - Messe de Nostre Dame (~1365) [Summerly (1996)]
- Thomas Tallis - Spem in Alium (~1570) [The King's Singers (2006)]
- Johann Sebastian Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 (~1721) [Pinnock (1982)]
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony No. 41 (1788) [Bernstein (1968)]
- Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 3 (1804) [Karajan (1963)]
- Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 8 (1822, unfinished) [Bernstein (1963)]
- Richard Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (1848-1874) [Solti (1958-1965)]
- Claude Debussy - Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894) [Boulez (1991)]
- Charles Ives - Symphony No. 4 (1916) [Dohnányi (1994)]
- Olivier Messiaen - Quatuor pour la fin du temps (1941) [Tashi (1975)]
- Béla Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra (1943) [Reiner (1955)]
- John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (1964)
- John Coltrane - Ascension (1965)
- The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
- Soft Machine - Third (1970)
- Carla Bley & Paul Haines - Escalator over the Hill (1971)
- Popol Vuh - Hosianna Mantra (1972)
- Klaus Schulze - Irrlicht (1972)
- Alfred Schnittke - Symphony No. 1 (1974) [Rozhdestvensky (1987)]
- Elliott Carter - A Symphony of Three Orchestras (1976) [Boulez (1977)]
- Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa (1977) [ECM release]
- Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance (1978)
- Meredith Monk - Dolmen Music (1981)
- 5th Tier
- Johann Sebastian Bach - Goldberg Variations (1741) [Gould (1981)]
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Concerto No. 21 (1785) [Szell (1961)]
- Felix Mendelssohn - Octet (1825) [Auer Quartet (2003)]
- Gustav Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde (1909) [Walter (1958)]
- Igor Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (1913) [Stravisnky (1960)]
- Charles Mingus - Epitaph (~1940-1962, unfinished) [Schuller (1989)]
- Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - Absolutely Free (1967)
- The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1968)
- Terry Riley - A Rainbow in Curved Air (1969)
- Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - Uncle Meat (1969)
- Tim Buckley - Lorca (1970)
- Popol Vuh - In den Gärten Pharaos (1971)
- Can - Tago Mago (1971)
- Can - Future Days (1973)
- Gong - Flying Teapot (1973)
- Neu! - Neu! (1973)
- John Fahey - Fare Forward Voyagers (Soldier's Choice) (1973)
- The Residents - Not Available (1974)
- 15-60-75 - Jimmy Bell's Still in Town (1976)
- Pere Ubu - Final Solution / Cloud 149 (1976)
- Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (1976) [ECM release]
- Conlon Nancarrow - Studies for Player Piano (1948-1977) [1750 Arch recordings]
- The Pop Group - Y (1979)
- Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves (1979)
- James Chance & The Contortions - Buy (1979)
- Pierre Boulez - Répons (1984) [Boulez (1999)]
- Foetus - Nail (1985)
- Constance Demby - Novus Magnificat: Through the Stargate (1986)
- Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden (1988)
- Royal Trux - Twin Infinitives (1990)
- Slint - Spiderland (1991)
- Vampire Rodents - Lullaby Land (1993)
- Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994)
- Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me (2010)
Oh Scaruffi your corrupting force is enveloping the whole of the internet.
But your list is a good and tasteful one and reminded me that I still really gotta listen to Terminal Tower, Hosianna Mantra, and Parable of Arable Land damn bad...
I actually considered Not Available, Terminal Tower, The Modern Dance, and Trout Mask Replica to be in my top ten favorite albums years before I had heard of Scaruffi. I only found his site when I did a Google search one day of ' "greatest albums" "pere ubu" ' to see if there was any record list out there that included my favorite band at the time (and still are).
Any suggestions are welcome!
Currently listening (and re-listening) to:
Mahler - Symphony No. 9
Wagner - Tristan und Isolde
I’d recommend Symphony No. 3 (1983) by Witold Lutosławski and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936) by Béla Bartók. I think you will find the third movement of Music for Strings to be especially interesting – it was even used in The Shining!
Will listen to those next week. Thanks for the suggestions!
I’d recommend you to check out the music by György Ligeti. I have been listening to the ‘Clear or Cloudy’ box set and it’s been one masterpiece after another. He’s unbelievable!
Already listened to it about three times now :) I like to make at least five before I rate.
Interesting list.
Have you listened to any of Beefheart's other albums?
Yep; all of them.
Besides TMR, which ones did you like?
Safe as Milk, The Mirror Man Sessions, and Lick My Decals off, Baby get regular plays by me, and once in a while I'll listen to Shiny Beast, Doc at the Radar Station, and Ice Cream for Crow.
Besides TMR, I like Doc (which actually is almost as good as TMR IMO, and I keep switching them around as my fave Magic Band album) and Safe as Milk the most. Mirror Man, Lick My Decals Off, Shiny Beast, Ice Cream for Crow, and Strictly Personal are brilliant too. Spotlight Kid and Clear Spot are decent albums too.
Great list :) Are you much into movies?
Not really. Most movies (and literature) require many prior experiences (such as knowing a language, cultural literacy, relatable scenarios, etc.) in order to fully appreciate them, and I'm more into trying to find "culture-fair" works of art, that can be emotionally powerful no matter what one has previously experienced in their lives. However, there are some exceptions; Welles' films (Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil in particular), through his use of non-traditional camera angles and pacing, really stand out to me as visual experiences that would be emotionally powerful on their own. 2001: A Space Odyssey can also hold that claim as well.
My preference for "purity" in things also explains why I am a mathematician and philosopher of logic as well.
Interesting take. I've never really found much of a difference in cultural knowledge needed between movies and music appreciation - maybe some though... I totally agree re: Welles. Just incredible :)
What do you mean by "purity"?
Great list. Made me want to check out Coltrane's Ascension.
May I suggest an album ? Considering your taste and the fact that you're a mathematician, I think you'll enjoy Don Caballero's first 3 records, particularly "What Burns Never Returns".
Checking them out right now. BTW, though it didn't quite make my list, I completely agree that Monster Walks the Winter Lake is amazing. It is probably my second favorite Pere Ubu-related album, after The Modern Dance.
Since you mentioned "Meet The Residents" I've downloaded it, listened to the full album 8 times and listened to the individual songs many many more times. My opinion of the album has slowly changed from "interesting weirdness" to "probably a masterpiece". This album is a treasure, a full universe to explore. It's one of those rare enigmatic records that are worth repeated listening, and it's been really rewarding up to now. For now, my favorite moment is the disillusioned/hilarious "Uh, It's Christmas, but there ain't nobody raising much of a fuss!" and my favorite song is "Rest Aria" with all it's wonderful creepiness.
I'm sure my opinion will change after this, and I'm sure I'll find more magical moments in this album.
...
Thank you. Your suggestion was SUPERB! I Haven't had this much fun with an album since "White Light/ White Heat".
Have you written any review/analysis on "Meet the Residents"? If no, do you know of a good one? What's your favorite song?
Sorry for the late reply,
I am glad you are enjoying it! I have written about it a little bit, but I honestly cannot express fully in words why I like it so much. It is possibly a combination of the incredible amount of timbres present, the unique composition style, and the feeling of the album as a cohesive whole, from the warped-tape beginning of "Boots" to the "Go home, America" fade-out. As for my favorite song on it, I really cannot decide. My favorite sequence is the Rest Aria/Skratz/Spotted Pinto Bean section of side one. Rest Aria is just completely beautiful, Skratz has one of the most chilling horn parts ever, and on Spotted Pinto Bean the female chorus/piano combo is breathtaking. More often than not, I consider it my favorite work of music ever.
You must listen to Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem (1874). It changed my life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xODZi64vVCw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NdDtc9KQLcs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WJzFz7Q8Pz8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=U4XM0N1loOU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=omCHe6bXYEA
[btw, these are all by Giulini]
I used to have it on my list, but somehow it got removed and I forgot to re-add it. Thanks! Do you have any other suggestions?
BTW, I just got done listening to a crapload of Bernstein interpretations of my favorite works. I was completely taken away by the emotion of most of them; so much that I can't really listen to any others without going back to him. His output in the 1960s in unparalleled IMO.
Recommendations:
Richard Wagner: Die Walküre (1856) [Solti (1965)] [I love this opera mainly for the 3rd act, but the entire opera is great, as well as the rest of the Ring. Die Walküre is one of my top 3 favorite works - the other 2 being Verdi's Requiem (1874) & Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936).]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O_OZmClSt1A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5MlfnHXuhVI
Igor Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms (1930) [Stravinsky (1930)]
Robert Schumann: Fantasie in C Major (1839) [Richter (1961)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRQZQjAPguA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhxJeKjH1hE
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor “Unfinished” (1822) [Bernstein (1963)]
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major "The Great" (1828) [Furtwängler (1951)]
Krzysztof Penderecki: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (1960) [Penderecki (1972)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOnC5X8rWi0
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem (1792) [Marriner (1990)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHB4HkuSXbo
György Ligeti: Lontano (1967) [Nott (2001)]
Antonín Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World" (1893) [Talich (1954)]
Claude Debussy: Études (1915) [Uchida (1989)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bq9xg97Y2Xc
Claude Debussy: Préludes (Books I & II; 1910 & 1912) [Gieseking (1953)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OkhQ6iud_TE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FEYTQ1r1wU&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35IZjVh8ySs
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (1829) [Davis (1974)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnpUbW4yWAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzkFrnBH1fU
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (1808) [Kleiber (1974)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUWlGmw01zo
Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (1707) [Walcha (1965)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRRwZZM08L8
P.S. I don't know what music you've already listened to outside of your list.
I agree with you on Bernstein. He is truly one of the greats. Scaruffi also seems to agree. Some critics, however, have accused Bernstein of being overly sentimental. As if it were a crime to bring out the utmost emotional intensity in music.
Faust and The Residents certainly never struck me as "emotional music", but to each his own. :-D
They definitely elicit strong emotions in me. I can't listen to Faust, Meet The Residents, or Not Available without getting chills down my spine.
I had to move Meet The Residents to the top spot. The reason I had it lower before is because I hadn't listened to it in a while and for some reason thought I had overrated it. I listened to it again a few times in the past couple of hours, and I can't deny my feelings anymore: it is my favorite work of music ever. My iTunes listen count for it is approaching 1200 plays (admittedly, some of those come from having it on repeat while I sleep) and it still has not diminished in quality for me, only increased. It is everything I enjoy about music: the creativity of arrangement, the sculpting of sound, the onslaught of emotions from joy to despair, the combined comedy and tragedy of it all. Some people may think I'm crazy for this opinion, or that the album is an elaborate joke, but I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, it is a masterpiece.
EDIT: Changed my mind again, lol.