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Topic: Jaw Dropping  (Read 2065 times)

Offline redragon

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Jaw Dropping
on: December 07, 2009, 04:26:09 AM
When I first heard Chopin's "Fantasie impromptu," I was in awe. What are some pieces that you've listened to that just makes your jaw drop?
"Music is the strongest form of magic." -Marilyn Manson

Offline iroveashe

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #1 on: December 07, 2009, 04:48:11 AM
Pretty much anything by Mahler, no other composer leaves me so impressed from the first time I listen to a work of his. Besides that, if I can mention a particular interpretation rather than a piece, Zimerman's version of Totentanz.

Before you get other people overreacting, you should change the term songs with pieces btw =P
"By concentrating on precision, one arrives at technique, but by concentrating on technique one does not arrive at precision."
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Offline go12_3

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #2 on: December 07, 2009, 05:00:28 AM
Pretty much anything by Mahler, no other composer leaves me so impressed from the first time I listen to a work of his. Besides that, if I can mention a particular interpretation rather than a piece, Zimerman's version of Totentanz.

Before you get other people overreacting, you should change the term songs with pieces btw =P

I agree about Mahler...the 9th Symphony, I think.  =P
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Offline furtwaengler

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #3 on: December 07, 2009, 05:18:24 AM
I agree about Mahler...the 9th Symphony, I think.  =P

Ah, Go, I've not been following this thread, but if you love Mahler's 9th, than I love you!
Don't let anyone know where you tie your goat.

Offline furtwaengler

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #4 on: December 07, 2009, 05:32:53 AM
This is a short thread...I did not realize. I should look up and read.

Xenakis is jaw dropping. Mind blowing is more apt. The first piece that I got, that led me to the others was the piece for violin and piano, Dikhthas. Wow, what a piece! And then really any of the large orchestral works...Tracées is probably the longest, most spellbinding, jaw dropping, mind blowing 6 minutes in the history of music. It's the one piece I'd love to conduct more than any other, if I was a conductor...just to start a subscription concert out with Tracées, no explanations and no apologies...to have people trapped in the room with that massive, unrelenting, unbelievable sound for six minutes. It is an actual dream of mine! And then there's the impossible trombone piece, Troorkh :o :o :o

Xenakis is without a doubt the most jaw dropping composer there is.

(...a 60 note chord in the strings.... :o )

 :)
Don't let anyone know where you tie your goat.

Offline iroveashe

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #5 on: December 07, 2009, 05:49:48 AM
This is a short thread...I did not realize. I should look up and read.

Xenakis is jaw dropping. Mind blowing is more apt. The first piece that I got, that led me to the others was the piece for violin and piano, Dikhthas. Wow, what a piece! And then really any of the large orchestral works...Tracées is probably the longest, most spellbinding, jaw dropping, mind blowing 6 minutes in the history of music. It's the one piece I'd love to conduct more than any other, if I was a conductor...just to start a subscription concert out with Tracées, no explanations and no apologies...to have people trapped in the room with that massive, unrelenting, unbelievable sound for six minutes. It is an actual dream of mine! And then there's the impossible trombone piece, Troorkh :o :o :o

Xenakis is without a doubt the most jaw dropping composer there is.

(...a 60 note chord in the strings.... :o )

 :)
I'm listening to it now, it's scary.
"By concentrating on precision, one arrives at technique, but by concentrating on technique one does not arrive at precision."
Bruno Walter

Offline gyzzzmo

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #6 on: December 07, 2009, 06:45:26 AM
Rach's second, or Boelman's toccata. Theyre massive.
1+1=11

Offline go12_3

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #7 on: December 07, 2009, 09:24:19 PM
Ah, Go, I've not been following this thread, but if you love Mahler's 9th, than I love you!

Aww, how sweet of you to love me!   ;D
Yesterday was the day that passed,
Today is the day I live and love,Tomorrow is day of hope and promises...

Offline ghchopin

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #8 on: December 16, 2009, 02:30:49 PM
Uhh, Nothing that made my jaw drop, but maybe Liszt/Volodos Hungarian Rhapsody 2, or Chopin's Heroic Polonaise.

Offline john11inc

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #9 on: December 16, 2009, 10:09:43 PM
I'm more of an, "oh man" kind of guy than a jaw dropping one.  The most recent piece to elicit an "oh man" would be Joel-Francois Durand's (a composer who typically uses Spectral compositional techniques with dynamic choices that usually belong to the New Complexity school, so he's hard to classify) "Athanor".

If this work is so threatening, it is not because it's simply strange, but competent, rigorously argued and carrying conviction.

-Jacques Derrida


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Offline thalbergmad

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #10 on: December 16, 2009, 10:25:25 PM
God knows why, but i actually liked that.
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Offline thalbergmad

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #11 on: December 16, 2009, 10:32:30 PM
[/youtube]

New complexity 1996
Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

Offline john11inc

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #12 on: December 16, 2009, 10:43:16 PM
[/youtube]

New complexity 1996

New Complexity indeed; you can so easily tell how the composer completely disregarded the audience when writing this!
If this work is so threatening, it is not because it's simply strange, but competent, rigorously argued and carrying conviction.

-Jacques Derrida


https://www.youtube.com/user/john11inch

Offline thalbergmad

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #13 on: December 16, 2009, 10:48:29 PM
He almost completely disregarded the tune as well, but this is the price we must pay to progress.

I would feel more at ease with the New Complexity School if they wrote for banjos.

Thal
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Offline ahinton

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #14 on: December 16, 2009, 11:06:27 PM
I'm more of an, "oh man" kind of guy than a jaw dropping one.  The most recent piece to elicit an "oh man" would be Joel-Francois Durand's (a composer who typically uses Spectral compositional techniques with dynamic choices that usually belong to the New Complexity school, so he's hard to classify) "Athanor".


Well, it doesn't sound particularly "new complexity school" to me; I do take your point about the dymanics, but there are surely far too many tonal references to allow the composer to be so pigeon-holed. "Hard to classify" (as you suggest) seems indeed rather nearer the mark.

Best,

Alistair
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Offline ahinton

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #15 on: December 16, 2009, 11:19:33 PM
He almost completely disregarded the tune as well, but this is the price we must pay to progress.
Rubbish! It was a lot of fun and certainly not in any sense "new complexicist"; virtuosic, to be sure and some of the most engaging banjoliering I've yet encountered but hardly "new complexity"!

I would feel more at ease with the New Complexity School if they wrote for banjos.
Then why don't you commission some of "new complexity"'s luminaries to write works for solo banjo or banjo ensemble? It could produce some interesting results. Banjo Contra Naturam? Alabamy Country Banjotunes? (sorry, John!). Knospend-Gesbanjoltener? Champeng at the bit? (go look up https://www.hespos.info/index.php?navi=content&id_area=1&level=2&npoint=113,187,0,0,0,0 for the reference thereto). Just a few idle thoughts...

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline john11inc

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #16 on: December 17, 2009, 12:29:31 PM
Rubbish! It was a lot of fun and certainly not in any sense "new complexicist"; virtuosic, to be sure and some of the most engaging banjoliering I've yet encountered but hardly "new complexity"!
Then why don't you commission some of "new complexity"'s luminaries to write works for solo banjo or banjo ensemble? It could produce some interesting results. Banjo Contra Naturam? Alabamy Country Banjotunes? (sorry, John!). Knospend-Gesbanjoltener? Champeng at the bit? (go look up https://www.hespos.info/index.php?navi=content&id_area=1&level=2&npoint=113,187,0,0,0,0 for the reference thereto). Just a few idle thoughts...

Best,

Alistair

Really?  I always considered Hespos Avant-Garde.  Is there something I don't know?  D:
If this work is so threatening, it is not because it's simply strange, but competent, rigorously argued and carrying conviction.

-Jacques Derrida


https://www.youtube.com/user/john11inch

Offline pianowolfi

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #17 on: December 17, 2009, 10:57:09 PM
  Is there something I don't know?  D:

Noooo of course not!!!  ;)

Offline mikey6

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #18 on: December 17, 2009, 11:46:19 PM
tchaik 6 first time I heard it left quite an impression.
Still does - the ending gives the the feeling that there is no hope for anybody! EVER!
Never look at the trombones. You'll only encourage them.
Richard Strauss

Offline highcrappile

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Re: Jaw Dropping
Reply #19 on: December 18, 2009, 09:14:12 PM
Well before I heard about Kissin, and before I ever heard La campanella, I saw on public tv Kissin playing La Campanella. That very much dropped my Jaw.
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