re: Challenge - Sunday March 2 is "10 new tracks" day!!

Here's an easy one, especially for those with a Zune Pass... on Sunday March 2, listen to 10 tracks of classical music you have never heard before. You can do 10 tracks from a single CD, mix it up with 10 different pieces by the same composer, or go all out and pick 10 movements from 10 different composers. The "classical" definition is loose here, you can go modern with Gavin Bryars or Philip Glass, or go with the old standbys like Beethoven or Dvorak. Just pick 10 tracks you have NEVER heard before. Dig deep in the Zune Pass, pick up a couple CDs from the library, or drop a few bucks at Amazon on some MP3s. If you are a classical neophyte, go ahead and pick Ode to Joy or the Messiah, it only matters that they be new to you!

All the better if some of these tracks will actually show up on your recently played list, and some of your friends spot them and give a listen too. Take a look through the social and you will find plenty of composers or ensembles with zero plays... that would be a good place to start, make yourself their number 1 fan with just 1 play!

Drop a reply and let everyone know if you plan to participate. Ask for suggestions if you don't know where to start!

 Anyway, whether the tracks show up on your recently played list or not, come back after the 2nd and post what you played, and what you liked (or didn't). There have to be some closet classical listeners out there, and hopefully some soon-to-be-converts.

count me in for ten tracks. On a side note, as we get older, we must lean towards the newer.

---

There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another. Frank Zappa

I'm in!

 

 I'm also up for some suggestions. I like classical music, but I don't really know squat about it. Any new artists would be a big plus.

---

Brown 30GB
Black 8GB

 shootingMaNs wrote:

I'm in!

 

 I'm also up for some suggestions. I like classical music, but I don't really know squat about it. Any new artists would be a big plus.

Dvorak wrote his most famous stuff right at the end of the 19th century, which is pretty "new" in the world of classical music. The New World Symphony is a good choice. Dmitri Shostakovich was born in the 20th century, so pretty new; anything by him is interesting.

As for truly new stuff, a few choices, although I'm not sure which ones are available in the Marketplace:

• Michael Gandolfi - The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is good, and about as new as you can get as it literally was released this week
  
• Philip Glass has been around for a while, and still producing, but a lot of his stuff is not my bag. Pretty atonal and avant garde a lot of the time, but I might actually put him on my list since there is more of his stuff I have not heard than I have heard.
• Gavin Bryars is contemporary and still going. I have not heard a lot of his stuff, but I have the Sinking of the Titanic and I like it. You can also find a version of Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet with Tom Waits, which might scratch your itch.

I hope that helps! Thanks for signing up!

Thanks for the suggestions. Not much of it is available on the Marketplace, but I'm going to be out shopping with my wife this weekend, so hopefully I'll find some of these.

---

Brown 30GB
Black 8GB

Here are my classical tidbits and a few thoughts they envoked while listening to them:

   Debussy - Images

      It has nice changes, like ebbs and flows.  I could close my eyes an see images while the music played.  Very complex and you can hear the influence that Debussy must have had on Gershwin.

   Modest Mussorgsky - Pictures at an exhibition

      Processional type music, not sure if I was in the procession at all.  Very "pompy" ditty.

   Erik Satie - Gymnopedie

    This one I liked the most. Simplitstic and moody.  It made me feel as if time was moving slower.  Also made me think of a blustery day.

   Isaac Albeniz - Suite espagnola Op. 7, Tango

      This would be considered a very lose tango, not at all what I expect.  What it did envoke was a monochromatic image of a fairy skimming across a misty pond early in the morning.  One of my favorites

   Manuel De Falla - Nights in the Garden of Spain, Symphonic Impressions

      I felt like I needed the story behind this!  So here is mine. I started myself on a journey through a Spanish garden.  The music became haunting or at least a hint of warning. All of a sudden there were interlopers in the garden!  Where were the guards, there must be guards.  After a crescendo in the music, I was relieved to continue through the garden feeling safer.  As the music lightened I was able to relax and make it through the garden (at least get throught it).  Phew, I made it out.  I would not use this on a travel promo for Spain : )

   Bedrich Smetana - Memories of Pilsen

      Exactely what it is titles.  Happy, bouncy Bavarian tune.

Badarzwska - La Prier d'une vierge

     It twittered.  Very post 20th century immigrant sound.  Perhaps a vaudeville opereta circa 1910-1920's.  Would sound good as a track to a silent movie.

 

All in all I enjoyed the music.  Sunday mornings were meant for Handel!  I was angry that although I have the albums, they are not showing up on my playlist, thus unavailable to anyone else to hear.  : (

 

     

---

There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another. Frank Zappa

 katedidnot wrote:

Here are my classical tidbits and a few thoughts they envoked while listening to them:

   Debussy - Images

      It has nice changes, like ebbs and flows.  I could close my eyes an see images while the music played.  Very complex and you can hear the influence that Debussy must have had on Gershwin.

   Modest Mussorgsky - Pictures at an exhibition

      Processional type music, not sure if I was in the procession at all.  Very "pompy" ditty.

   Erik Satie - Gymnopedie

    This one I liked the most. Simplitstic and moody.  It made me feel as if time was moving slower.  Also made me think of a blustery day.

   Isaac Albeniz - Suite espagnola Op. 7, Tango

      This would be considered a very lose tango, not at all what I expect.  What it did envoke was a monochromatic image of a fairy skimming across a misty pond early in the morning.  One of my favorites

   Manuel De Falla - Nights in the Garden of Spain, Symphonic Impressions

      I felt like I needed the story behind this!  So here is mine. I started myself on a journey through a Spanish garden.  The music became haunting or at least a hint of warning. All of a sudden there were interlopers in the garden!  Where were the guards, there must be guards.  After a crescendo in the music, I was relieved to continue through the garden feeling safer.  As the music lightened I was able to relax and make it through the garden (at least get throught it).  Phew, I made it out.  I would not use this on a travel promo for Spain : )

   Bedrich Smetana - Memories of Pilsen

      Exactely what it is titles.  Happy, bouncy Bavarian tune.

Badarzwska - La Prier d'une vierge

     It twittered.  Very post 20th century immigrant sound.  Perhaps a vaudeville opereta circa 1910-1920's.  Would sound good as a track to a silent movie.

 

All in all I enjoyed the music.  Sunday mornings were meant for Handel!  I was angry that although I have the albums, they are not showing up on my playlist, thus unavailable to anyone else to hear.  : (

 

     

Nice! Very evocative responses, I need to try the Badarzwska and Albeniz now! I am still cranking through my list, some of which is actually showing up on my recently played; quite a coup for classical, as I've learned playing various stuff on the Zune. It always sounds great, but most of the time nobody knows I've listened. I will post my own responses in the next day or so, I will probably hit the hay tonight listening to the final few of my chosen pieces. I have some Jacqueline du Pre on my list, so I'll probably fall asleep crying.

I did get sidetracked a bit once I saw your selections, since I had just stumbled upon a Jacques Loussier Trio adaptation of Satie's Gymnopédie and Gnossienne the other day but had not yet listened to it. I have heard the Gymnopédie before, but not Loussier's jazz adaptations. I'm a big Loussier fan, so I recommend anything from him, but you might like this one especially if you enjoyed Satie. I warn you that the first track made me want to barf, it felt so "smooth jazz" with flowing wind chimes and just a general blecchh. Luckily this track is one of 2 adaptations of the same movement, and the 2nd track more than makes up for it. I recommend starting on track 2 if you have never heard Loussier, so you don't get scared off, then come back to track 1 just in case it tickles your fancy. I also recommend the Loussier trio variations on Beethoven's Symphony 7 Allegretto... 1 whole CD with nothing but variations on the same allegretto movement, which might seem weird, but it's so good!

Thanks for stepping up to the challenge!