Masculine Pieces

[chopinfan_22]

I got this idea from the Male Pianists thread. Maybe we could come up with a list of "masculine" pieces. I can think of a few:

Prelude Op. 28 No. 24 -- Chopin
Etude Op. 10 No. 12 -- Chopin
Etude Op. 25 No. 11 -- Chopin
Etude Op. 25 No. 12 -- Chopin

Any others?

[gorbee natcase]

Rachmaninovs G minor prelude oozes with testosterone, I associate it with the millitary

[alzado]

I wish you luck. 

This is a very shaky topic.

Are we supposed to "hear" whether a composer is a man or woman?

I hope you are not looking for "John Wayne" type macho.

You cite Chopin.  In my mind, Chopin was a real man.  But he was a sensitive person and certainly not stereotypically "male aggressive."

Anyway, I wish you luck.  It will be interesting what you come up with.

[steve jones]

The Waldstein certain does lack for masculine charm imo. When ever I hear that piece it makes me think of scenes like the battle of Trafalgar!

Liszt Don Juan is also pretty well hung 

Rachmaninov's C#m Preludes is another that springs to mind.

SJ

[pianistimo]

girls can ride horses, too.  some ride side saddle and others bareback.  you just have to hang on and let your feelings out.  perhaps this is an equalizing statement (as i hoped) and yet some chopin and rach and a few others write extremely large chords or arpeggios that fit a man's hand better.  the waldstein actually fits in my hands very nicely and i don't have the trouble that i do with chopin.  chopin still gives me fits.  i am working the preludes and they seem a bit easier than the etudes right now.  might go back to the etudes if i get motivated.

[ted]

For me the question is meaningless. Even at the personal, imaginative level, I do not associate a gender with a piece of music.

[steve jones]

girls can ride horses, too.  some ride side saddle and others bareback.  you just have to hang on and let your feelings out.  perhaps this is an equalizing statement (as i hoped) and yet some chopin and rach and a few others write extremely large chords or arpeggios that fit a man's hand better.  the waldstein actually fits in my hands very nicely and i don't have the trouble that i do with chopin.  chopin still gives me fits.  i am working the preludes and they seem a bit easier than the etudes right now.  might go back to the etudes if i get motivated.

I tend to have this theory about Chopin, that although his music appears to aimed at the large of hand, it is infact made for all. Indeed, the man himself was not bless with large mitts, quite the opposite infact. I feel with Chopin, its all a matter of technique. Most of his tenth chords are just open triads, and more often than not they are indicated to be arpeggiated. Imo, this was all part of the 'new' technique. And the fact that he even dedicates an Etude to this very technique, convinces me further.

Ofcourse, those with particularly large hands need not worry about developing this to fullest, as there is no need. 

But that aside, I think the original poster was talking more about the music itself as opposed to the mechanics of playing said pieces. Much of Rachmaninov's music strikes me as particularly masculine. Same with Beethoven, infact especially Beethoven!

Not really sure why this is, it just gives me that feeling... if that makes sense?

SJ

[chopinfan_22]

For me the question is meaningless. Even at the personal, imaginative level, I do not associate a gender with a piece of music.

It's just for fun. Nothing serious.

[pianokid16]

liszt totentanz... its crazy and amazing

[gonzalo]

PROKOFIEV'S TOCCATA

[maxy]

MEPHISTO waltz!   feel the manly power!   

[nanabush]

Rach Etude Eb + op 33.... March for the love of three oranges too which kicks complete ass

[alwaystheangel]

Yellow bird
No woman no cry....
I'm in a tropical mood... Yeah Bob Marley
Ohh... really? yeah, um classical... um.
Polonaise by Rachy I think that's what it's called you know:
Da dah daum Bom Bauh Bom da da da da dee da dum Bom bauh bom

[pianalex]

prokofiev  sonata 7, 3rd movement

[jas]

Not to go all boring and intellectual on everyone, but there's been a study of Schubert in this respect. Seemingly his music - particularly the Unfinished Symphony - has a "difference" which some have construed to mean that he was possibly gay. Apparently, it's less goal-driven and more "circular", developmental and repetitive. There were other things too but I can't remember them now...

I don't believe that you can tell a person's sexuality from their music, but when compared with the "masculine" music of Beethoven, you can kind of see a masculine/feminine dichotomy there. It's quite interesting.

I do think that a lot of Beethoven's music is quite masculine. Liszt's, too. In the early 19th century women in the Paris conservatoire generally weren't given pieces after Hummel, because they were seen as too "masculine" for them. Men, on the other hand, got lots of Liszt and Beethoven.

Jas

[prometheus]

I agree with Ted. I really get bothered by the idea that other people for some reason imagine something as masculine of feminine.