berlioz, saint-saens, smetana
First entirely classical post ever! I've tried to choose those which are less famous.
1. Hector Berlioz [March to the Scaffold]
2. Camille Saint-Saëns [Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28]
3. Bedrich Smetana [Nicht zu hitzig]
Composer Hector Berlioz
Title March to the Scaffold
Duration 6:48
Background Berlioz was a nutjob. He was in love with this actress but she was engaged to someone else so he decided to travel to Nice and kill her, her fiancee, her mother and himself. On the way there he changed his mind, so he wrote this symphony (which is pretty fucked up too) and then she decides to marry him. They get married. But then, he realizes she's kinda boring and that he doesn't like her that much.
Comments Anyways this is the fourth movement of the Symphony Fantastique, which is famousish. I think it's one of the few orchestral pieces that require a tuba part. It's very mood swingy. I love the little clarinet solo at the end right before the blade falls.
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Composer Camille Saint-Saëns
Title Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28
Duration 8:46
Background Supposedly this guy was a genius of some sort, started playing piano when he was 2, studied music [DUH]. He was good friends with crazy guy Berlioz and ugly warty guy Liszt. But he hated Debussy. He is most famous for "The Carnival of the Animals", which is the flamingo yo-yo thing in Fantasia 2000.
Comments This piece feels very clean, empty. Boring. I don't know, it doesn't do anything for me. He looks boring, and doctory. I could so see him as a 19th century doctor. Clean, antiseptic. In a minor key, violin and orchestra. Maybe too much vibrato for me.
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Composer Bedrich Smetana
Title Nicht zu hitzig
Duration 4:33
Background Smetana is often considered the father Czech nationalistic music [how do I say this?]. He's most famous for Ma Vlast, a series of six tone poems. Like Beethoven, he became deaf from syphilis later in life. Like every other famous musician during the mid 1800s, he was familiar with Lizst, etc. Influenced Antonin Dvorak greatly. Dvorak became more famous though.
Comments From his most famous opera, the Bartered Bitch. It's in German - this is from the end of the second act. Bartered Bitch is a comedy based on a love triangle. Anyways it's amusing, and this is funny. Repeats the melody from the overture [which is a good thing!] BTW the actual name is "the Bartered Bride". We just called it "Bitch" because it's a bitch to play.
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Anyone willing to pimp this out? I can't announce in asianmusicljs or any of those other communities.