What is your favorite classical piece?

[kingjames]

I don't know about all of you but,I think classical music is the ultimate test for any vintage JBL. We all know what really made JBL famous "The L100's" and we know what made the L100's famous "Rock Music" In the 70's Rock never sounded so good than it did on the L100's. The true beauty and appreciation of vintage JBL'S comes from Classical music. To listen to all those symbal's, horns,trumpet's and drums is just breathtaking, I loved JBL for the way it made rock music sound when I was a teenager in the 70's"hell who don't like rock? I never tested JBL'S with rock music if I was going to buy a pair, I always used classical music. My favorite piece to check JBL'S ,is the theme from "How The West Was Won", you must hear this on some old JBL'S.Another piece is the main theme from the movie"Rudy" and the main theme from "Lonesome Dove". What is your favorite piece of classical music to play on your JBL'S? I haven't given up Rock music but now I am in my 50's more relaxed and can't take the volume like I used to.What ever you enjoy,enjoy it with JBL!
:)

[Don Mascali]

Bach J.S: Toccata & Fuge D Minor. for the system work out and Chamber Music for gentle listening.

One of my favorite records was the 1812 on Telarc. It was amazing to see a groove take a hard right :D

[yggdrasil]

My favourite classical piece would be Gershwin, Rhapsody in blue.

[toddalin]

One of my favorites is Pictures at an Exibition and I have it in classical, as well as Emerson, Lake, and Palmer in vinyl, CD, and Dolby Surround CD.

I also like Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor (for those less familiar with classical, Phantom of the Opera), Rodeo by Aaron Copeland, and the Nutcracker.

[scott fitlin]

One of my favorites is Pictures at an Exibition and I have it in classical, as well as Emerson, Lake, and Palmer in vinyl, CD, and Dolby Surround CD.

Ill second Pictures at an Exhibition! And if you play the Emerson, Lake and Palmer album, theres that one bass note that is the bass test of all time!

[Alex Lancaster]

:) Nothing of JS Bach, Vivaldi, etc., is really "classical", they are baroque, to me, the first classics are the last production of Haydn and WA Mozart.

[speakerdave]

Maybe we should have subcategories:

Sonata (by instrument)
Concerto (by instrument)
Chamber Music
Symphony
Oratorio
Mass
Opera
Rock Adaptation
Pops
Movie Music With Violins
etc.

[Mr. Widget]

:rotfl:

From reading the earlier posts on this thread I got the impression that there really aren't many classical music listeners here...

Last night I was enjoying MTT conducting Stravinsky recorded here in SF at Davies Hall and wondering if that was "Classical" since the purists call it modern. :D


Widget

[kingjames]

I think maybe I should have asked about Instumental instead of classic? I assumed (maybe poorly) that Instrumental music and classical music was one in the same. I'll just say all music with no volcal's. That should cover all category's.:banghead:

[speakerdave]

It doesn't matter. I agree completely with your premise, that the classic JBL speakers do classical music well.

Categories are always problematical, and your implicit definition of classical music--shall we say, music using orchestral instruments--is really the only one that accommodates both Stravinsky and Bach (Widget's point, I think), both of whom would doubtless be included in anybody's "classical music" and it (your definition) also accommodates all the other pieces that have been mentioned.

David

[Alex Lancaster]

:) Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc., really liked vocals (chorals), sorry for being such an AH, the forums have been slow lately :blah: :blah: .

[sonofagun]

Hands down (for me anyway) the closing music (death scene) in "Soylent Green".

Pastoral suite was it?

:applaud:

[jandregg]

Beethovan's violin concert in D.John

[Bernard Wolf]

:rotfl:

Last night I was enjoying MTT conducting Stravinsky recorded here in SF at Davies Hall and wondering if that was "Classical" since the purists call it modern. :D


Widget

I wouldn't call that modern at all even if it is very exciting.. the rite of spring, I hope ?? For modern how about some Pierre Henry or Edgar Varese... if you really want to toture your JBL's and see if the got the right stuff try some George Crumb !

Bernard

[Bernard Wolf]

Its getting harder and harder for me to tell what is and isn't considered classical music. Lately I listen to a lot of later 20th century classical/art music. Like I say, I don't know quite what to call it anymore seeing as not only is the piano often 'prepared' but they use tape and found sounds sometimes as well. I like Pendereki, Artur Scnittke, Xenaxis,Hans Werner Henze,Charles Ives. One thing for sure though is that I love listening to this power music on these great JBL horns - S/3100.

Favorite piece for all time? J.S. Bach unacompanied cello suites - Janos Starker

Bernard

[norealtalent]

I'm for "The Rite of Spring." I loved it so much from my college class that we went to the Binghamton University performance a few years back. It was interesting to experience live but was really disappointed with the dynamics. I enjoy it MUCH more at home on the BIG JBL's. I'd like to see it done at a real auditorium, with a world class orchestra. That would be something!:bouncy:

[Bernard Wolf]

A real fun dynamics test is Berlioz Symphony Fantastique - there are some really big swings in there ! I'm always amazed at how modern this piece sounds considering it was composed in 1830, not long after Beethovens death.

Bernard

[Mr. Widget]

I'm for "The Rite of Spring." I loved it so much from my college class that we went to the Binghamton University performance a few years back. It was interesting to experience live but was really disappointed with the dynamics. I enjoy it MUCH more at home on the BIG JBL's. I'd like to see it done at a real auditorium, with a world class orchestra. That would be something!:bouncy:The dynamic range of the performance will be affected by the interpretation... the Michael Tilson Thomas recording with the San Francisco Symphony has an amazing dynamic range that simply wasn't possible pre digital... it literally has whispers to screams levels and cannot be enjoyed in anything but a very quiet room with your full attention... but it is quite impressive.


A real fun dynamics test is Berlioz Symphony Fantastique...I particularly like the fifth movement, the "Witch's Sabbath" (Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat) It is real classical rock and roll....

[Rolf]

Bach J.S: Toccata & Fuge D Minor. for the system work out and Chamber Music for gentle listening.

One of my favorite records was the 1812 on Telarc. It was amazing to see a groove take a hard right :D

Both sounds even better on the CD!

One of my favorites is Tchaikovsky, Nut Cracker, Swan Lake etc.

Rolf

[Bernard Wolf]

Well Rolf, I don't want to fire up the old CD vs Vinyl thing again, but I have to tell you that at my house vinyl rules !! Especially with Classical music. Jazz, Electronic, Pop, what-have-you I can live with, but Classical....Mmmmm... as my wife says " listening to CD's is akin to talking with someone who does not breathe" !!

Long live modern String Quartets !

Bernard

[Rolf]

Well Rolf, I don't want to fire up the old CD vs Vinyl thing again, but I have to tell you that at my house vinyl rules !! Especially with Classical music. Jazz, Electronic, Pop, what-have-you I can live with, but Classical....Mmmmm... as my wife says " listening to CD's is akin to talking with someone who does not breath" !!

Long live modern String Quartets !

Bernard

Very well Bernard, I can agree to a point. BUT what I can't like after the cd came along is all that "pops", "clicks" and noise from the picup. But thats me. Besides that, the sound of vinyl is ok. Many recordings from "earlier times" also sounds better than many new recordings today. (But not all). I guess MP3 and other compression on recording today in to blame?

Rolf

[Bernard Wolf]

Yes, noise can be an issue, but with a better front end setup and a bit of luck things can get real good. For all their imperfections Lp's still end up sounding more like real music to me that Cd's. But then again, I am a real old codger !

Bernard

[Maron Horonzakz]

Mahler Sym. # 6.....The three death blow wacks on the big bass drum will wipe the green off your teeth. :biting: I love that Symphony.

[Mr. Widget]

Yes, noise can be an issue, but with a better front end setup and a bit of luck things can get real good. For all their imperfections Lp's still end up sounding more like real music to me that Cd's. But then again, I am a real old codger !I too am a huge fan of analog... I made the digital comment above though because there is no way to get the ~80dB dynamic range on an analog disc... the dbx discs were close...

Ticks and pops... my on board analog computer can filter them out pretty well.:)


Widget

[eyedoc]

Wow, this is tough, as I listen to almost as much jazz and classical as any thing else.

Gershwin, Rhapsody in blue (have several different recordings)
Copland, Third symphony (on telarc label)- killer recording
Dvorak's “New World” Symphony
Samuel Barber, adagio for strings
Grezky (not wayne the hockey player) third symphony
Stravinsky, Rite of Spring
Rossini, Barber of Seville (Rabbit of Seville if you are a buggs bunny fan)
Mussorgsky, Night On A Bare Mountain (or mayby Night on Bald Mountain)
Stravinsky, Firebird Suite
Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet

All of these are very powerful, and not for the faint of heart of woofer. :)
eyedoc

[zhid]

this one

by this one conductor -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN21c9RX1zA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtW40OtK_KA

[jcrobso]

I love when the cannons go off at the end!:D
There is a lot of dynamic range in this piece. John

[Ducatista47]

The Music Of Arnold Schoenberg Vol 4, The Complete Music For Solo Piano/Songs For Voice & Piano. Recorded by Glenn Gould. I find piano to be one of the toughest tests of a system when it comes to realism.

These are old vinyl, not much of a bass test. But Very sharp and complex waveforms with much subtlety. Also, some of my favorite music on Earth.

Clark

[MikeBrewster77]

Ma Vlast - Smetana: Deutsche Grammophon recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra - I like it so much I have it on vinyl and CD.

Hungarian Fantasty - Liszt: London/Decca all digital recording, and a Philips recording on vinyl

Gloria RV 588 - Vivaldi: Nimbus Records all digital recording

Prelude No. 2 in C sharp Minor - Rachmaninov: Various recordings, both digital and analog. AKA "The Bells of Moscow." A bit OT, but it's also the most complex piece of music I ever managed to master on piano. Extremely difficult, and took over a month of almost daily practice to get there (I never said I was good :p)

Sonata 14 in C Sharp Minor, Presto Adagio - Beethoven: Various recordings, both analog and digital. AKA The "Moonlight Sonata." Never understood why the first movement is so ubiquitously popular, but the third receives virtually no recognition. Also a royal b*tch to learn on piano...

I could go on, but it's a three year old thread, so I'll just stop myself now.

P.S., for the record I realize that some of the pieces above are not classical, rather Romantic period, but for conversation's sake...

Best,
- Mike

[Joe Alesi]

This is it- well a version of it.

Dance of the Tumblers by Rimsky-Korsakov.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVIB3T2Q-sY&feature=related

The best version I have heard is the Reference Recordings CD entitled "Tutti". FANTASTIC dynamicS you will not be disappointed.....BUY IT ....especially if you have horns.


Best
JA

[bone215]

Beethovan-9th
Stravinsky-Rite of Spring
1812 overture
Ravel Bolero
Eric Satie-Piano stuff
Debussy