IB Music: favorite period, composer, or world music culture?

[irenesme]

Just curious as to see what people like in terms of certain composers, musical periods, or world music cultures.

I personally adore the Romantic and Impressionistic Era.

Chopin, Debussy, Mozart, Rachmoninov, and Saint Saens.

Hmmm with world music cultures I really am liking Indonesian Gamelan and Spanish Flamenco.

[Tilia]

I can't say I like certain composers (apart from that I'm not that keen on Mozart), more certain works by different composers. Romantic music is nice, there's a wonderful flute concertino by Cecile Chaminade, and Saint Saëns wrote a very nice violin piece called Rondo Capriccioso that my orchestra performed. Honestly I don't know much about other traditional music cultures but I like many of the Swedish folk songs. Pan flute is nice also, but that's more an instrument than a culture.

[Flippy]

I don't take IB Music, though I did take IGCSE Music. Absolutely loved it, too, especially the world music section. I love traditional Japanese music...the shamisen has such a great sound.

[faerie]

The Romantic is really fun, especially with all the operas. The one thing I enjoyed most about IB Music was the fact that I got exposed to so many different music cultures! We had to be able to tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese music *laughs*. I'd have to say my favorite is probably the celtic music though. I can't get over the Celtic Woman concert we watched.

[Vvi]

I love Celtic Woman too. Hayley Westenra, the youngest member, has an astoundingly clear voice (and she's about 19). IB should make people learn about Indian Bhangra, I love it.

Schubert's Death and the Maiden is a great work. I love all kinds of classical music and hate jazz. Spanish songs (especially on the guitar) are amazing in terms of melody.

[faerie]

Vvi, you hate jazz? Why? It's lots of fun! (especially to play... lots of improv!)

[Vvi]

I don't like the beat. Me and my flute teacher used to have face-offs about it because she'd always give me jazz pieces (she liked them) and I wanted classical ones.

Did anyone else ever take music exams, like grade 2 or grade 4? I took up to Grade 5 in flute from the Royal School of Music in England. They were awful, having to play 3 pieces of music and then having the examiner play pieces for you to sing back to him/her.

[greaterthaninfinity]

It's definitely the romantic and classical eras for me. So, uh, Beethoven, Chopin, Paganini, and Bach (although he was more of a Baroque era composer). As for world cultures, I don't specifically lean towards one type... because generally, I think music is universal and is a giant mosaic of cultures by itself.

[narathiel]

I play harp. Saint Saëns wrote an amazing piece for that but Katschaturian is also great and he wrote for many more instruments.

Film music I love playing. Ennio Morricone and his Western film music is magnificent for orchestra: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Once upon a time in the West

Schubert and his Piano Sonata in B is magnificent and I also enjoy Rachmaninov (Piano Concerts 1&2; Symphonical Dance) and Shostakovich ( Jazz Waltz 2).

So I prefer modern music

all though both classical and romantic period are nice listening to too (Mozart and Tschaikovsky)

[iBella]

I don't like the beat. Me and my flute teacher used to have face-offs about it because she'd always give me jazz pieces (she liked them) and I wanted classical ones.

Did anyone else ever take music exams, like grade 2 or grade 4? I took up to Grade 5 in flute from the Royal School of Music in England. They were awful, having to play 3 pieces of music and then having the examiner play pieces for you to sing back to him/her.

I currently take the ABRSMs.. i already did grade 6 in singing, grade 4 in piano, grade 6 in theory. Doing grade 8 singing, grade 5 piano and grade 8 theory this june...

why didn't you like them?

[chowmein]

i also think romantic and impressionist era is best....and maybe a bit of the later classical, i can't stand the baroque and renaissance stuff.

my favourite composers are rachmaninov, liszt, prokofiev, ravel, grieg and schubert (no order)

tchaikovsky, mendelssohn, shostakovich, and a bit of beethoven (piano works) are also pretty good

i can't stand mozart, handel, haydn and bach (blahhh prelude and fugue...though his cello suites are nice)

[Krazim]

I think it's safe to say that we're a bit tired of the Baroque period... I know I am, but I am still in love with Pachelbel's "Canon D".

I honestly love the East Asian musical culture, but it's probably because I am actually more familiar with it than other cultures.

[hs_15]

In order:

G.F.F. Verdi

F.J. Haydn

J.S. Bach

W.A. Mozart

The romanticism is for me very influenced by philosophy, and thus, the music doesn't flow as adequate as it should. The exception for the romanticism is nationalism. Now, Maestro Verdi was a genius on expressing the human condition through his works, as well as expressing social problematic (La Traviata, Don Carlo). In my opinion, music should always be the reflection of humanity and Verdi catches the essence of love, suffering, hope, despair, and all kinds of emotions in his operas. I'm a pianist and Haydn Piano Sonatas (Hob. XVI) were a very special gift, they enhanced my musicality and my sense of expressiveness. Haydn, thorugh prefectly-well developed harmonics, counterpoint, and pianistic colour offered me 62 options for growing as a musician.