Tag: baroque

512. Tomaso Albinoni

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(July 2023) Episode 512 is TOMASO ALBINONI, a Venetian composer in the Baroque era, a contemporary of Bach and Vivaldi. By background he was more an amateur rather than professional musician, but was a prolific composer of operas, cantatas and chamber pieces (although many have been lost).  I like the collections of concerti best. What his works lack in technical complexity they make up for in melodic beauty; Bach composed some works based on Albinoni’s themes. 

Favorite piece: Concerto, Opus 6, No. 11 in A Major (I, II, III, IV)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: If you also enjoy Baroque you will like Albinoni. It’s a highly orthodox style, and I admit I’m not expert enough to notice the differences.

263. Georg Philipp Telemann

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(May 2020) Episode 263 is GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN. I do love me some baroque, but this was like an overdose. Perhaps the most prolific composer ever, Telemann wrote some 3,000 pieces, half of which survive, and I was able to find and listen to about half those — still about 800 pieces. Thanks to self-isolation, I did in 7 weeks what would have taken 7+ months. But his quantity isn’t matched by quality; while it isn’t fair to compare anyone to Bach, Telemann’s music can’t match his friend’s magic and melodicism. It’s all very nice though.

Favorite piece: Concerto for 2 Violins in C major

Favorite chamber piece: Overture-Suite in C major “Wassermusik”

Favorite cantata: Wie liegt die Stadt so wüste

Favorite big choral piece: Magnificat in G Major

Compared to expectations: same

Telemann

160. George Frideric Handel

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(March 2018) I have completed episode 160 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to the complete works of an artist. This edition: GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL. I love me some baroque, and I enjoy many Handel works. But this was a tedious effort. So many lengthy operas and oratorios — quite a slog. Prefer the chamber works.

Favorite work: “Water music” suites (HWV 348-350)

Favorite category: violin sonatas

Compared to expectations: same

800px-George_Frideric_Handel_by_Balthasar_Denner.jpg

 

106. Antonio Vivaldi

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I have completed episode 106 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to the complete works of an artist. This edition: ANTONIO VIVALDI. Always love me some Baroque! He was a master of the genre (although he lacked the diversity, mathematical brilliance and emotional resonance of his contemporary, J.S. Bach). This was a long one — more than 800 pieces.

Favorite work: The “Four Seasons” set of concertos

Favorite Season: “Spring” (RV 269)

Favorite string concerto otherwise: G minor (RV 587) from L’estro Armonico

Favorite lute concerto: D major (RV 93), notably the second (largo) movement

Favorite opera: Orlando Furioso (RV 728)

Compared to expectations: ↓

vivaldi

34. Johann Sebastian Bach

~ ernopepper ~ 2 Comments

(August 2014) I have completed phase 34 of my “opus project” in which I listen to the complete works of an artist. This episode: JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH. This was the biggest I have done and will do in this project. Some 1150 pieces of music (I did not include items in the catalogue whose authorship is doubtful or falsely attributed to J.S. Bach). It took almost six months. I don’t know how many hours, but I see that the running time of the complete Bach CD box set is 175 hours.

Favorite big work: Mass in B minor

Favorite category of music: orchestral pieces (concertos)

Favorite concerto: Brandenberg #4

Favorite movement: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, II. Air (the most beautiful piece of music ever written)

Favorite chorale prelude: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme

Compared to expectations: same

johann_sebastian_bach