I am not sure if I can honestly say what I like of certain music since I started being a “professional” artist. I am a big classical music fan. I am a bit hesitant to say it normally, since classical music has its cultural and historical weight as a representative of high-culture in the West. I am sure that I am more hesitant to use the words “high-culture” and “the West,” but my honest love seems to be a bit outdated, and already well examined artistically and historically. New Music or “Contemporary Classical Music” is often outside of the scope for people…. Well.. I should stop talking for “people’s mouth.” I love classical music. Period.
Since I was young, I had a curious intimate feeling to 2nd movements. Often, a 2nd movement is not as catchy as the 1st, and not as grandeur and dramatic as the 3rd (say when the music has three movements). I love a quiet and subtle 2nd movement. These are my favorites. Okay, I know this Ravel is too sweet. Well… I am educated as an artist who has a critical mind toward any cultural thing… I know this Ravel is too sweet. But, I should admit that I love it, still.
Bartok, the 2nd movement of Piano Concerto No. 2
Bartok, the 2nd movement of Piano Concerto No. 3
Ravel, the 2nd movement of Piano Concerto in G major
I am also a big fan of 2nd movements. One of my favorites is the 2nd movement of Dvořák’s “American Quartet.” It’s definitely a little on the dramatic side (and maybe also a little sweet, too), but it has such a searing quality. There is a moment where there is a pause and then a note jumps in on a high register that breaks my heart.
I was surprised to have your (or anybody’s) comment on my blog. I through nobody would find or pay attention to my blog, Hahaha. I sometimes write some embarrassing things. I was not a big fan of Dvořák but I listened to the one you had mentioned and I really liked it. Especially how it’s developed. I thought the idea of “America” that time must be so different from the current one… (it seems Dvorak was interested more in Native American and African American music resources…)
More contemporary, but in Czech composers, I like Janáček.
for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgvWJHzsYRE
I really like his opera work also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmHoYKjEXCs
I went that particular opera “The Makropoulos Case” when I was in NYC. After the overture, in the first song by a baritone singer who climbed up to a very high ladder to reach a drawer of extremely high file cabinets, he suddenly stopped singing and fell down from almost the top of the ladder. Everything stopped. And that was the end of the night. Next morning, I got a news paper and found that he died. The opera has such a mysterious story, and the accident happened that night. I haven’t even tried to see the opera since then.
Anyway, thanks for checking my blog!
Another 2nd movement that I have loved since being a teenager is Schubert’s Trio in E-flat, Op. 100. Of course, I will have to admit that one of the versions that I love the most is the version that is used in the closing credits of The Hunger. In this version, it seems as if it is played at a slower pace and arranged such that it is stripped of almost all ornamentation. I know that other versions have more ‘musical merit’ but that dark, romantic version really gets to me. Basically it sounds like exactly what it is – which is the closing credits to an overly-stylish vampire movie in the ’80s. I have listened to many versions of that trio, and many are wonderful, but for some reason I always come back to that gothy version from The Hunger.