The microtonality in question can be heard in the background sound effect of what I presume to be a set of metallic cans being hit against each other.

In your opinion, who are the 5 most underrated and the 5 most overrated composers?

You may answer through a plain old list, but this can work better if you'd want to explain why do you consider this or that particular composer as underrated / overrated. Of course this will be controversial - that's exactly the very point of it.

For instance, this would be my (short) answer.

Top 5 underrated composers:

1) Tchaikovsky: come on, everyone knows at least one tune by him, yet he's not as much of a household name as, for example, Bach. Also, I've read a lot of critics attempting to explain away his popularity as some sort of a fluke, rather than sheer talent and craftmanship. Never mind the Nutcracker or 1812 - he wrote superb operas (The Maid of Orleans) and orchestral works such as the Danish Anthem Overture Op. 15, or the Elegy for Strings.

2) Haydn: he created the sonata form almost from scratch, wrote more symphonies than Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich combined, and yet he's always confused with / overshadowed by Mozart.

3) Frederick Delius: listen to something by him and you'll know why I'm listing him.

4) Mendelssohn: he'd be regarded as a clean-cut top tier composer if not for Wagner using racial bias to berate him. Also, he has a Mozart-like biography but no Oscar-winning biopic.

5) John Williams: everyone is quick to accuse him of ripping off Wagner, Holst or Tchaikovsky - but hey, try to imagine Star Wars, Jaws or Indiana Jones with another music. Also, he has many other worthy pieces.

Honorable mentions: Shostakovich, Mahler, Kalinnikov, Berlioz, Sibelius, Rachmaninov, Elgar, Holst, Alban Berg, Karl Orff, Camille Saint-Saëns.

Top 5 overrated composers:

1) Richard Strauss: in my view, little more than a Wagner clone writing tone poems rather than operas. And the oh-so-overplayed fanfare from Also Sprach Zarathustra...

2) Anton Bruckner: almost always placed side-by-side with Mahler with no apparent reason other than writing 9 (or 11?) large symphonies. Personally, though, I find most of Bruckner's to be long, stately borefests.

3) Hans Zimmer: Mr. D-minor Rhythmic Pattern. And that's it.

4) Mozart: yes, he's actually regarded as the Chosen One. And yes, I love a lot of his works. Yet I find this assessment to be somewhat exaggerated - Haydn could match him rather easily, not to mention Beethoven.

5) Wagner: granted, his influence is almost unescapable - but I can't recall any other composer actively campaigning to be influential and berating his competitors, except maybe Boulez. No one else can claim to have overrated himself so much.

Dishonorable mentions: John Cage (seriously, silence?), Bartok (no match for Stravinsky, despite how hard he tried), Boulez (as stated above, although I do respect him as a conductor), Vivaldi (he wrote the Four Seasons, then rewrote them about 600 more times), most of the 20th century bunch.

Done. Let the piefest begin...

1. Pictures at the exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky!

2.  Beethoven Sonatas.

3. Bach works for the keyboard

4. Chopin's preludes, waltz, etc.

5. Rachmoninov preludes, musical moments..

6. Ravel and debusy (I have to group them together)

7. Brahms, Schubert, and Schumann

There are more: but this is just one layer.  I would like to hear yours.  

I'm having awful trouble choosing 1).....

1)

2) Mozart 20th K466, Mozart 27th K595, Beethoven 3rd op.37

3)Mozart 23rd K488, Mozart 24th K491, Mozart 21st k467, Beethoven 4th op.58

4)Mozart 25th K503, Mozart 9th K271

5)Mozart 26th K537, Chopin No. 2, Mendelssohn No.1

This is ridiculous with the amount of Mozart, I know....but that's seriously what I think.

The second place pieces are all obvious. Same for the 3rd place.

You might wonder why I like beethoven's 3rd better than his fourth, but IMO it really is just better.

I love both though

4th place..obvious again. In the 25th, the interplay between the piano and orchestra is completely perfect. There's the best balance between piano and orchestra that I've heard. In this piece, it's not a battle between piano and orchestra, but total harmony.

For the fifth place, I know alot of people don't like the 26th, but I think it's good, and the sparkling hints of virtuosity are nice. Chopin's second piano concerto I prefer to the first, although it's v good as well.

Again, my favourite Mendelssohn piano concerto.

Can't choose 1) :)

Vierne suffered either a stroke or a heart attack (eyewitness reports differ) while giving his 1750th organ recital at Notre-Dame de Paris on the evening of 2 June 1937. He had completed the main concert, which members of the audience said showed him at his full powers—"as well as he has ever played." Directly after he had finished playing his "Stele pour un enfant defunt" from his 'Triptyque' Op 58, the closing section was to be two improvisations on submitted themes. He read the first theme in Braille, then selected the stops he would use for the improvisation. He suddenly pitched forward, and fell off the bench as his foot hit the low "E" pedal of the organ. He lost consciousness as the single note echoed throughout the church. He had thus fulfilled his oft-stated lifelong dream—to die at the console of the great organ of Notre-Dame. Maurice Duruflé, another major French organist and composer, was at his side at the time of his death.

This topic is inspired by a series of messages I recently exchanged in which I realized that basically nobody on this forum knows about all the really corny pop songs I sing and play on the guitar!  LoL  So this first post will be dedicated to guitar music that I've been playing (although I also have other repertoire that I'm playing on other instruments).  In roughly chronological order from oldest to newest:

Bach's BWV996 Bourree in E minor - One of the first classical pieces I learned on guitar from my "Bach for Guitar" book.  Originally for Lute.

Bach's BWV Anh. 132 Menuett in E minor - Another classical piece I've been learning, more difficult than the Bourree. In the same book.

"Downtown" by Petula Clark - I found this song in the movie "Panic Room" and have since fallen in love with it completely independently of the horrific movie.  Some alternate chord shapes in this song let me play it easier rather than having to barre almost every chord.

"Wedding Bell Blues" by Laura Nyro - a really old song that I fell in love with and posed a challenge because of it's chords.  I modify the words to "Girl, I love you so..." when I sing it.  The only problem I see with this song is finding an occasion where a guy would actually want to sing it to a girl!  LoL

"Maneater" by Hall & Oates

"Wishing" by Electric Light Orchestra - ELO is my mom's favorite childhood band.  This particular song has chords that were easy enough for me to learn and a cool whistle solo that starts and ends it.

"Magic" by Pilot - the Scottish one-hit-wonder band Pilot's "Magic" is irresistible to me from the lyrics and emotional tone standpoint.  And maybe I also relate to this song just from personal experience LoL.  I sang this at a talent show two years ago.

"Easy Lover" by Philip Bailey, Phil Collins

"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by The Smiths - in my opinion The Smith's best song.  It was a challenge to learn because of all the constant barre chords.  But I've learned some alternate chord shapes to make it easier on myself.  I love the lyrics.

"Lovely Day" by Bill Withers - a song I got the hang of with some fussing around with different chord shapes on the guitar.

"Faith of the Heart" by Rod Stewart - I found this song because it was the title song for StarTrek: Enterprise.  LoL But it's also been used in a famous Robin Williams movie I forgot the name of.

"Friends Theme" by the Rembrandts - the theme song from the famous TV show "Friends".  This recording includes the 2nd verse which you never get to hear when the show is starting.

"Like Humans Do" by David Byrne - I found this song a while back when it was included with Windows 95, 98 or XP (don't remember which).  It has really funny words and tells a cool story.  Some challenging chord shapes.

"I Know You Know" by The Friendly Indians - the theme song to the popular TV show "Psych".  The chords are easy and I've heard it so many times I decided I should learn it.

"Used to be Young" by Miley Cyrus - I recently sang and played this at a talent show and won 3rd place!

"The Heart Wants What It Wants" by Selena Gomez - great meaningful lyrics.

"Chained to the Rhythm" by Katy Perry

"Streets of New York" by Alicia Keys - I really fell in love with this song for the chorus and how it emphasizes the Subdominant.  The lyrics are also full of heart.

"Sex, Drugs, etc." by Beach Weather - I fell in love with this song because of its hypnotic chords and cool lyrics (and it's easy to play!)

"Hometown" by Twenty-One Pilots - I love the whole album that this song is from but is probably the only Twenty-One Pilots song that I can easily play on guitar.

"Hold on Forever" by Rob Thomas - a song I learned for an ex-girlfriend.

"All the Stars" by Kendrick Lamar feat. Sza - a very seductive song written for the movie "Black Panther".  I wrote a little commentary on the meaning of the lyrics in a creative writing workshop.

"Never Enough" by Loren Allred - this song from the movie "The Greatest Showman" is full of emotional intensity and heartfelt lyrics.  I still haven't seen the movie though.

"Get Lucky" by Daft Punk feat. Pherrel Williams - a really simple but cool song with a dope mood.

"Love on the Brain" by Noah Guthrie/Rihanna - this song is a challenge to accurately fingerpick each arpeggio.

"Never Wanted Your Love" by She & Him - She & Him is Zooey Deschanel's band.  Really heartfelt lyrics.

"Ennui" by PeterthePapercomPoser - a song I wrote when I first started learning guitar in 2020 (also around the time I joined YCF!  I entered this song in the 2020 summer competition)

Some of these songs were picked by me because they had easy chords on guitar.  Others because I have a soft spot in my heart for the lyrics.  Some are just plain awesome.  Some of the songs by female artists I picked because they set a certain emotional tone that I got attached to when listening.  In some of the songs by female artists I changed the lyrics to make it more appropriate for a guy to sing the song (LoL).

Feel free to share your own songs or pieces that you're currently working on!  Or any composition that you're composing as well!

The harmony is as follows in A major:

Intro:

||: I | iv | I | bVII :||

Verse (x2):

||: I | vi | iii | ii | iii | ii | bVII :||

Chorus:

||: IV | I vi | bVII | iii | ii | bVII :||

Verse

Instrumental Solo

Chorus

Intro

Verse (x2)

Chorus

Verse

Outro (repeated Intro)

Harmonic commentary:  One could argue that the bVII acts like a backdoor dominant chord which is a common harmonic trope in jazz and rock music.  Each section of the song ends with the bVII which could be said to function as a dominant.  Also, in Bartok's Axis Theory of chord functions encompassing the whole chromatic scale, the bII, iii, V and bVII all function as dominant chords.  Either way, I included this song since it doesn't include a traditional V7 resolving to the tonic.  Thanks for listening and reading!

My vote goes for Liszt. His piano concertos are just brilliant, as are his Hungarian Rhapsodies. :D

Discuss!

This piece (at 0:26 where the piano comes in) is in A minor but uses a Bb prominently in the melody making it both A aeolian and A phrygian.

The chords are as follows in Eb major:

IV ii IV ii

vi iii vi V

I love how this track is orchestrated though.  The smooth and luscious string voicings are chef's kiss 😘.

We may associate each of the greatest composers with a condensed list of pieces that cemented their places in musical history. But now and again, we may encounter works by those same people that we feel showcase their talent, heart and soul equally or in some cases even more than many of those that made them into household names.

In short, what are some of your favourite pieces from great composers that often get overlooked in favour of their more "popular" pieces? Here are a few of mine:

String Quartet No. 3, Op. 30 & Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70 (Tchaikovsky)

Ruy Blas Overture, Op. 95 (Mendelssohn)

Tragic Overture, Op. 81 (Brahms)

Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 8 (Grieg)

Cello Sonata, Op. 19 (Rachmaninoff)

Symphony No. 4, Op. 60 (Beethoven)

Symphony No. 3, Op. 52 (Sibelius)

I think we too often see questions like "who is the best overall classical composer?", when in reality, many of them excelled in some areas and were weaker in others.

I thought it would be interesting to break down this question into the various composition types. For example:

Who is the best composer of...

- symphonies

- operas

- piano pieces

- violin pieces

- string quartets/quintets

- piano chamber music

- etc.

And of course, you can mention your favorite overall composer as well.

For me it is definitely the pizzicato-laced 2nd movement of Ravels String Quartet in F:

Apparently this quartet got a very bad reception the first time it was performed and Faure - who it was dedicated to - hated it.

Anyway - what's your favorite of all time?

What is/are your favourite national anthem/s?

(Post a link to a performance of it if you can find one).

I hope you’re all well. So I just spent a stupid amount of time transcribing Giuseppe Martucci’s Tarantella Op. 6 (not to be confused with his Op. 44 No. 6) into my music notation software because I couldn’t find a recorded performance of it on the web, and really wanted to know how it sounded.

I’m considering uploading it to YouTube with score accompaniment. I applied some of the feedback that I have been given in my own compositions, particularly regarding dynamics and variation in note texture. I tried my best to make it sound like a performance, although am fully aware that it could do with some changes in tempo now and again.

Hope you enjoy the piece, and if you’re interested please by all means let me know if there are some adjustments I can make to give it more of the feel of a performance!

Cheers,

Quinn

TarantellaMartucci.mid

I like Khachaturian - Masquerade Suite - Waltz for it's chromatically non-functionally moving bass line and an intoxicatingly dreamy melody.

A master piece where the  composer creates different superimposed layers or atmospheres, and where tonal and dissonance live together.

I would bring this five pieces in this order:

- Chopin prelude in C minor 

Quite a dramatic way to start, but is a sad piece and full of beautiful contrasts

- Rachmaninov etude tableaux in g minor 

The beautiful introspective melody of this etude with The barcarolle-like accompaniment makes it very emotional. This is specially beautiful when the high chords are introduced

-Rachmaninov moment musicaux in b minor 

just by listening to the first 20 seconds of this piece you will understand why I put it here, it starts quite solemn, but then, the contrasting phrase makes you want to cry 

-Bach prelude no 4 from book one of the well tempered clavier

Obviously, played in an unorthodox way with a piano instead of a harpsichord and with some pedal, this prelude can be beautiful and suitable for a funeral

-Rachmaninov prelude in B minor  

Such a beautiful nostalgic piece, full of emotional harmonies and a powerful climax in the middle section, followed by a delicate cadenza and a “reprise” of the stillness of the beginning, and ending between major and minor 

PS: the fact that I am thinking about what music to put in my funeral doesn’t mean that I am dying, it is just a mere consequence of my boredom

1. Symphony No. 6 - Tchaikovsky 
2. The Pines of Rome - Respighi 
3. "Mysteries of the Macabre" - Ligeti
4. Afro-American Symphony - W.G. Still
5. Thoroughly Modern Milly (Musical) - Jeanine Tesori

I just bought myself a mandolin, and I was wondering how much music there is out there for it, other then Vivaldi's concerto?

Thanks,

Zachary

Known for its distinctive sound, the mandolin is equipped with eight strings, typically tuned in pairs, producing a unique and charming resonance. Its versatility allows it to shine in various musical genres, from folk and bluegrass to classical and even rock.

One of the mandolin's standout features is its ability to add a delightful twang to any ensemble. Whether played solo or as part of a larger musical arrangement, the mandolin's melodic tones have the power to transport listeners to different landscapes and emotions.

Artists like Chris Thile, David Grisman, and Avi Avital have showcased the mandolin's potential for innovation and virtuosity, pushing the boundaries of what this small instrument can achieve.

Whether you're a seasoned musician or a curious listener, exploring the world of mandolin music is a journey worth taking. Its charming notes and unique timbre make it a captivating instrument that continues to captivate audiences around the globe. So, why not delve into the enchanting sounds of the mandolin and discover the magic it brings to the world of music? 

#MandolinMagic #MusicExploration

Time for another one.

The general outline is below (Copied from r/rock and slightly modified)

1. Post whatever you've been listening to lately, whether its a piece you've been listening to a lot, or a new piece you've discovered, it doesn't matter, post it.
2. This is where you can post all requests and recommendations.
3. If you're looking for a recommendation give a description/music link/composer so that other people will know what you want.
4. Example: "I want to hear an composer that sounds like Tchaikovsky" (you can get more specific but this is usually enough) - and then hopefully someone will respond with recommendations X, Y, and Z.
5. You can also leave a top level comment recommending an composer/school that you think others might like if they like X, Y, and Z.
6. The more descriptive you guys are, the easier it is to help you find what you want. Just stating a composer's name isn't that helpful since you might only like one specific aspect of that composer's music.