Here is a random, late-night music post. The first is Shania Twain. I really love this song, but oh-my-god it is gay. The backup dancers are wearing guyliner. Oh, and am I the only one that doesn't find them very attractive? Also, does anyone think that Shania Twain's outfit is a little Nazi-esque? Of course, I am referring to the outfit she starts out in, not the one she ends in. :P
And this is Adagio for Strings. For some reason, I have recently become obsessed by tragically sad classical music. This one is my current favorite. I swear, the first few notes are enough to break me down. Does anyone else know any exquisitely sad classical music that I might listen to?
P.S.: Day 3 of the Stereotypes Series will be out tomorrow morning.
7 comments:
God, they're so many. Try any of Beethoven's second movements. I especially love Leon Fleisher's rendition of the second movement of the second piano concerto, especially the poignant late portion in which the melody goes down by thirds. (The Fleisher/Cleveland Orchestra recordings done in the '50's of all the Beethoven Concerti are the best that were ever recorded, in my judgment.)Mozart's C Minor Mass has some beautifully sad portions, as does his Requiem, which was unfinished on his death, and finished off by Antonio Salieri, so skip the second half. I also thought Gounod's church music, like the St. Cecilia Mass, to be quite beautiful, and he doesn't get more moving than in the final trio in Faust. Also in opera, Maria Callas' rendition of Casta Diva from Norma, and her film recitals of arias from Tosca are electrifying. A lot of this stuff is on YouTube.
Recently I heard something that was quite astonishing, although I wouldn't call it sad. Listen to Paganini's cadenza for the first movement of Beethoven's Violin Concerto. You can find it quite well rendered by Joshua Bell on YouTube. Since the the performance is cut into several clips, go to 3 of 5. It starts just before midway in the clip.
I could write for hours about this, but you might start with these.
And speaking of the arts, several weeks ago I stumbled on a YouTube clip that illustrates why the great Russian Tatar ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev is my nominee for the sexiest man who lived. Go to the introductory clip of the PBS documentary Nureyev: The Russian Years, and look at about the first 10 or 15 seconds at least. Nureyev spoke english well, but he and Margot Fonteyn were busted on a bogus pot charge in San Francisco in their'67tour of the States. He was mobbed at the police station by the TV cameramen, and said absolutely nothing in response to their questions. But his sudden flirtation with the camera at the end is absolute dynamite. He died of AIDS in '93.
A good one is Mahler´s Adagietto(Set 1 of his 5th symphony). Propz Pilgrim
Barber's Adagio for Strings is an amazing piece, and it's actually pretty taxing to play well. It's been a few years since I've played that piece. I believe it's been called the saddest classical piece ever.
Other pieces with a similar feel you might like include:
Faure's Elegie, Op. 24
Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, Movement 1
Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Finale, Movement 4 (this piece is more "stormy" than sad)
Only one I know of is the Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata! But I <3 classical music and Phantom of the Opera is my little secret :p
You’ve inspired me to make a little post about “sad classical music” with referring to you. Hope you like it. It’s in German, maybe I will make a translation later.
Here are a couple for you:
Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor for strings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz4dpbk8YBs
Allegri's Miserere mei: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDRoL7ziDP4
I agree with Aek that Elgar's Cello concerto can hit the right notes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5C99JyP2ns (the other movements are also on Youtube)
I don't think you can go far wrong with a bit of Bach: the St Matthew Passion is my personal favourite, but there's a whole world of Bach to explore (check out the cello suite number 2, for instance). I find Brahms beautiful, too (eg, Piano Trio in E Flat).
Gilbert & Sullivan has a bad rep, but for sad songs check out these two from "HMS Pinafore": Sorry Her Lot (including the line for frustrated closet gays everywhere: "heavy the sorrow that bows the head, when love is alive and hope is dead"), and The Hours Creep on Apace; or from "The Mikado" there's The Sun whose Rays are All Ablaze (if you get a taste for this music, the film Topsy Turvy is funny and delightful).
For something more modern, check out Philip Glass's music: the works for solo piano, Metamorphosis 1+, are beautiful and, in parts, overwhelmingly sad (the films he scored for Godrey Reggio, Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi, both have their moments, too).
Requiems are an obvious place to hunt for sadness: Mozart's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d88xIIRDI9U and later parts) and Verdi's are both extraordinary (this part of Verdi's always gives me gooseflesh - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVjDP0vlem4).
And for quiet sadness, try Satie -- especially his Gnossiennes (no. 1 is particularly good!) and his Gymnopedies.
Er... I think I got a bit carried away there.
Man, I Feel Like a Woman...one of my favorites.
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