A website I found about Mozart :D

http://www.sheetmusicusa.com/tp/mozart/
Whats his best song in your opinion? I LOVE the Alla Turca (or Turkey March)!

Someone can explain me what is a harpsycord? @_@

What? A thread just about Mozart! Bless you sir.

A harpsichord is and instrument similar to the piano. On a piano, little hammers hit the strings when you hit the keys. On a harpsichord, when you mash the key, it plucks the string. Subsequently, a harpsichord cannot sustain a note for very long, so the piano rapidly replaced it. Listen to some Baroque music, and the thing that sounds like a synthesized guitar is a harpsichord.

There's no way I could pick a favourite song. And if I were to make a list of my favourites, it would just look like spam. I am a serious Mozart fanatic. I like everything in the Magic Flute: Sarastro's songs, The Queen of the Night's, The Three Boys', The Three Ladies', Tamina's, Pamino's, especially Papageno/a's, and even Monastatos's. I think that's everybody in the production. Oh well. Papageno is just about my favourite character in any opera, and almost anything.

Rondo Alla Turca is my favourite thing for solo piano. I also love his Piano Concerto in A major.

His Requiem is simply a masterwork. Here's (http://quoniam.social.tsukuba.ac.jp/choir/sound/12Mozart/) a website where somebody put up their performance of it. The recording isn't that spectacular, but it's good. It's sung by a Japanese choir and quartet, so it may sound funny if you've only heard Westerners sing the Latin (since no one reading this is ancient Roman, no one would natively recognize the accent). The orchestra is wonderful though.

Yeah, I could keep going, and as the thread progresses, I'm sure you'll hear much more in depth assessments of the above and many more pieces.

I think I'm the only one here who dislikes Mozart's work...ain't I? I just think there are so many better songs and compositions out there...that non-classical composers made.

Here's basically what a harpsichord sounds like -


Gavotte (http://home.ripway.com/2004-3/85833/Classical%20Songs/Gavotte-1.MID)

^ This is a MIDI file. The real thing sounds much better, though. :P

I just think there are so many better songs and compositions out there...that non-classical composers made.

So do you not like stuff from the classical period, or classical music in general? I have such a strong urge to try and preach Mozart to you now. You really should convert sir.

I still think that he's the best. Modern composers like Uematsu are good, but Mozart's music is not just pleasing or moving, it's profound. I mean it's the differance between hearing a witty one-liner and reading something like Henry V's Ceremony Soliloquy. I mean to the former you'll laugh when you remember it and it'll enhanve your life, but Shakespeare will actually change you. I love Mozart and Handel more than Uematsu, because they have actually changed the way I live from day to day. That's really an accomplsihment.

I have his Requiem; it is pure genius.

Rondo Alla Turca is actually part of his Sonata in A (I forgot the number); it's the one with the variations. You should listen to it as well.

For some reason, I prefer other eras compared to the classical period as well. I can probably deduce that it's due to the lack of complexity, at least compared to other eras (Mozart was considered complex compared to his peers). However, I must say that simplicity is the way to go, sometimes.

Mozart songs they are so, how can i say, its a strange feeling, a good one, that their songs give to you when you are playing them. You stop for a moment and think: "Wow, this song is so... so... emotional."
With their songs, you can become happy or sad, its hard to explain with words what they give to you.

And thanks Alfonso and Gnomish :D
There is a song from Rhapsody, The Dark Tower of Abbys, which the introduction is in harpsichord and it sounds great.
By the way, who know how to play piano, know how to play a harpsichord too?

Tnks :D

Originally posted by Alfonso de Sabio@Jun 27 2004, 03:20 AM
I have such a strong urge to try and preach Mozart to you now. You really should convert sir.
Go on and convert me, you'll need alot of attemps. Sir. B)

Yes, Suricat, if you can play the piano you can pretty much play the harpsichord but it'll take at least a month to get used to the keys - they're much slimmer (and often inverted colors) than the piano keys and are also much harder to push down on. Many people dislike harpsichords because you cannot do dynamics with them: thus in an orchestra, the harpsichord is only heard while the strings do piano or pianoforte, and is also drowned out by anything above forte, pretty much. It was often used during the Baroque era (and a bit after/before) as a continuo instrument. It was mainly only meant for harmonizing, improvising chords and following a set bass line that often matched the violoncello or contrabass parts.

Here's some information just in case you were ever curious.

-Suricat, you must learn more about the harpsichord! It's a blessed instrument! :D It sounds so lovely and is great for early classical and especially baroque/renaissance music. (Baroque... :drool: )

Harpsichords are quite rare these days, moreso in the U.S. than in Europe- in Nevada there are only 2! Lol! :P

You can purchase a nice harpsichord ("nice") for about $2000-7000, but for best results you need to dish out between $10,000-20,000. If you wanted a smaller, slimmer, or sleeker instrument, you may want to look at virginals or spinets.

You can look them up at claviersbaroques.com if you like. You can also get cool designs painted onto them such as floral patterns, scenary, famous portraits, etc. Perhaps I'll post a few pics later.-

Sorry for getting off-topic - anyway, my favorite Mozart piece is probably the Violin Concerto No. 4 in D. It's a joy to play and sounds great with the rest of the orchestra (or piano).

We have one of those at our school. And yeah, the keys are slimmer and reversed. The one we have is blue, and has a black top, with a painting on the right side.

Here's a picture -

http://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/college_life/pics/harpsichord.jpg

only a word.

wow!

i really wanna try and play one! lol ive never seen one before...other than in pictures o_O

I got to play one over the summer for a few minutes. It's probaby my least favourite keyboard instrument. It's pretty useless now. I mean, it's still nice to hear when you're listening to a baroque piece, but other than that... nah.
But back to Mozart. Listen to his Coronation mass in C minor. Part of it is in The Triplets of Belleville.

EDIT:


Mozart was considered complex compared to his peers

Yeah, but Mozart is just the right ammount of complexity for me. And he's wonderfully articulate without relying so heavily on complexity, like, say, Beethoven.

Originally posted by Alfonso de Sabio@Jun 28 2004, 04:33 AM
It's probaby my least favourite keyboard instrument. It's pretty useless now.

yeh but mana is my idol :D with his baroque style guitar ensemble and his overuse of the harpsichords :lol: and now im dying to try it out

I.... am going to shock everyone by saying I don't like Mozart... haha, his songs are too... well, I'm more of a romantic musician and like composers such as Chopin more than Mozart and his simplistic style. Not saying that his pieces are easy to play, it's just the style... has to be light and "child-like"....

I guess I just don&#39;t grasp his style well... that&#39;s just me... ><

Originally posted by Alfonso de Sabio@Jun 28 2004, 04:33 AM
I got to play one [a harpsichord] over the summer for a few minutes. It&#39;s probaby my least favourite keyboard instrument. It&#39;s pretty useless now.
Fair enough, but y ou have to like it more than a clavichord, right? :P

Originally posted by WindF2joker@Jun 28 2004, 09:10 AM
I.... am going to shock everyone by saying I don&#39;t like Mozart... haha, his songs are too... well, I&#39;m more of a romantic musician and like composers such as Chopin more than Mozart and his simplistic style. Not saying that his pieces are easy to play, it&#39;s just the style... has to be light and "child-like"....

I guess I just don&#39;t grasp his style well... that&#39;s just me... ><
Wosh, then there are 2 of us. :lol:

Better than Mozart, only J.S. Bach *____*

I used to be a Mozart fanatic, hehe. I once catalogued all the songs I owned on cd, cassette, and mp3 . . . for a grand total of 118 complete pieces&#33; :heh:

And I can&#39;t even listen to ONE whole piece written by Mozart.

Fair enough, but y ou have to like it more than a clavichord, right?
Forgot about the old Clavy. Yeah, that takes the cake on the worst instrument ever.

EDIT:

And I can&#39;t even listen to ONE whole piece written by Mozart.
Jeez, that pains me. So you&#39;re into VG music... (I&#39;m trying to dig for a piece you&#39;d like). Anything else you like? I&#39;m sure I can find a compatable piece somewhere. If you just like more folk-songy stuff, check out Papageno&#39;s Arias, "Der Vogelfanger bin Ich ja&#33;," and "Eine Madchen" from the Magic Flute. I bet you&#39;d also like his Piano Concerto in A K488. It&#39;s very thematic, and a surprising downer when it comes to Mozart.

As far as his music being childish, often it is. But look at something like his Tuba Mirum from his last Requiem. The opening is just a slide up and down the Bb Major chord, but it&#39;s juxtaposition next to the end of the livid and terrific Dies Irae (which is by no means childish or simplistic) makes its plain beauty shine through with astronomical power. I mean anyone who has played the trombone for fifteen minutes can learn to play the intro, but in context, it&#39;s enough to make a man weep. As far as the Masters go, Mozart was the most articulate with the least ammount of notes- that is when he wanted to do so. Let&#39;s not forget what the Emperor told him, "Too many notes my dear Mozart. Too many notes."

I like most music styles, but I don&#39;t see how classical music inspired so many people, you know? When I sometimes come across a Mozart mp3, I check it out...but then after like 2 minutes I think "Hey, let&#39;s see what&#39;s on TV". You understand? It doesn&#39;t impress me. Nothing special, in my opinion.

In fact, I like VG music because they have a certain melody in it. I know classical pieces have that too, but all I hear is a man playing the piano as if he can say: "This is the hardest piano piece, and thus the best". It seems to me like the harder the composition is, the better do classical lovers like it. I&#39;m not after complexity in a piece when I listen to it. I don&#39;t mind if the string orchestra can play 100000 notes an hour, or if a pianist can perform "Sonata X-Italiano Beethoven".

Then DEFINATELY listen to those arias and the piano concerto. All of Papageno&#39;s stuff is really easy to sing, in fact, I do it all the time in the shower. Pretty much anyone can hit all the notes. Also add to that the scene where Papageno meets Papagena. It&#39;s titled something like Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pagena. Also listen to the Dies Irae from his Requiem. It&#39;s a kick in the face. Part of it was in X-Men 2. And also remember that if you get a bad recording of it, a bad recording is a bad recording and there&#39;s nothing Mozart could do about it.

Yeah, I&#39;m not a huge fan of the overly complicated... crap. That&#39;s why I pretty much ignore Chopin. I&#39;m super crtical of composers that make something complicated just for the sake of making it difficult.

But I honestly believe that everyone has the potential to love something of Mozart&#39;s, because his style varies often, but all of it bears the Mozart Mark. You can always tell it&#39;s one of his pieces regardless of the stylistic changes. So listen to that stuff and if you want to find more, look for it, and don&#39;t listen to something if it bores you. (Even I&#39;ve found some stuff of his that I&#39;m not fond of, if you can believe it. I don&#39;t like his concerto for double piano. I actually saw that live. It opened for a performance of his Requiem and I was terribly disapointed.)

Well, there are songs I can actually enjoy. They&#39;re not Mozart&#39;s, however. I like Beethoven&#39;s Pathetique (2nd mvt) and Moonlight Sonata (1st mvt). They have a special touch in my opinion. Für Elise has that also, but I can&#39;t find one in Mozart&#39;s work.


:_;

If you like the first Mvt. of Moonlight Sonata, try that concerto I recomended. I bet you&#39;d like it.

Chopin is complicated? HAAHAA.HAAHA.

Complicated sounding. That&#39;s my complaint. Composers who try to sound complicated.

Uh, Alphonso de Se... dear god man, you are so linear, away with Mozart, you can only obsess about someone for so long... (Although I worship most of Mozart&#39;s work --- I know I&#39;m a hypocrite ---)

Thats a nice harpsichord. I had a piano instructor by the name of Scott Gravfaorx for a month or so, he owned a Steinway grand, and a very nice harpsichord that he said was worth 11k. I have preformed &#39;Sinfonie&#39; from Partita no. 2 by J.S. Bach, on it and it was an amazing feeling, because I had preformed it prior on a &#39;Kawal&#39; (or something) piano at my high school piano recital (I attend more than 3 piano "places of learning")

Eine Klein Nascmusik (I&#39;m sorry for the sp :sweatdrop: ) is the best in my opinion for instrumental, while his Requiem for orchestral is amazing, I&#39;ve sat through the full requiem, not the arrangement that people are so fond of, but the whole damn thing. One word AMAZING. &#39;Rex&#39; and the &#39;Confutatis Maeladictis&#39; are still my favorite sections from the requiem however.

Edit
====
Hey, uh when Moebius said that I just had to snicker to your response. As for Noir.... (prepares to crucify noir) where do you THINK all that CRAP from today came from, even rap is derived from poetry which is closely associated with classical, the beats and so forth, while technically reproduced in most cases are a result of the mathematical ground-works that the baroque and classical era&#39;s defined. Dear god man, if you will degrade classical music by comparing it to todays NONSENSE that appears on TV and things like MTV then you are gravely misled by todays age. (This is coming from an 18 year old... go figure)

Moonlight Sonata is the most MONOTINIST pieces ever assembled (the first movement) the third movement is great but its still technically only an arpeggio study and the Pathetique 2nd movement or the Andante is very nice but give credit to the Grave that precedes it and lays the melodic foundation of the whole Sonata. [[ Just a note: Moonlight Sonata is op27 no2 or Sonata 14, and Pathetique is op13 no1 or Sonata 8; it would also be more correct to refer to Moonlight by its germanic name which is &#39;Mondschein Sonaten&#39;


-- OWNS ALL 32 SONATAS in URTEXT format ^_^ ]]]

Originally posted by Hellspire@Jul 8 2004, 01:21 AM
where do you THINK all that CRAP from today came from, even rap is derived from poetry which is closely associated with classical, the beats and so forth, while technically reproduced in most cases are a result of the mathematical ground-works that the baroque and classical era&#39;s defined. Dear god man, if you will degrade classical music by comparing it to todays NONSENSE that appears on TV and things like MTV then you are gravely misled by todays age. (This is coming from an 18 year old... go figure)

I wasn&#39;t talking about rap, or MTV at all. Read my posts before you reply. And what did you mean about me "Degrading Classical from Today&#39;s music?" Seriously, read my damn posts. I said I didn&#39;t like classical music, is that degrading? =_=

So you think I&#39;m misled by modern music? I would rather say you are misled and over-obsessed with classical music.


it would also be more correct to refer to Moonlight by its germanic name which is &#39;Mondschein Sonaten&#39;

Why? Its international name is Moonlight Sonata. But then, you can&#39;t spell Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Is that less correct?

:doh: :doh: *Cowers in a corner and shakes fist* ah I was speed reading through the whole topic, perhaps I missed what you meant, and yes, I am very subjective towards those who don&#39;t like classical that much, and yes I am pretty obsessed I guess (sigh). As for the Mondschein thing, perhaps I was drunk when I wrote that, yesterday is such a blur, but I was trying to sound smart :think: and I probably sounded really odd :whistle: I had my URTEXT version of the sonata&#39;s, so of course all the markings are written out in german, and well... I dont have an Mozart books, nor Germanic influence in literature, so I guess it doesn&#39;t matter. (I believe i wrote &#39;sp?&#39;)

I do listen to modern music though a lot, just not as much as classical.

Forget what I said :crybaby: :crybaby: