Has there been a piece that has changed your life?

My teacher always says that the writing in the piece is quite poor (except for the piano) - I must admit i've heard better concerto's since then but that piece was my starting point :) - the only classical music i really listened to was chopin's piano pieces to begin with, but after hearing the concerto I wanted to listen to more orchestral stuff which meant listening to different composers. I'm quite a fan of chopin in general still though ^.^ each to their own i guess :)

Yeah. His piano concertos aren't masterpieces when it comes to the handling of the orchestra (I've played horn in the second once... weirdest horn line I've ever seen - except that one cool horn signal!), but if you don't approach them as piano concertos but just as piano pieces with some "orchestral aura", they are quite beautiful. I still prefer his pure piano pieces, but I can enjoy the concertos too.

Beethoven changed my life with the fact that he brought me into a world of music I never knew existed.

Shostakovich changed my life by helping me find my voice.

Shostakovich's 4th inspired me to start writing music. My life was being consumed by online gambling; a few days after seeing it being performed I purposely lost my bankroll. I've spent thousands of hours playing poker (over 100K hands) and trying to improve; in one night I threw it all away and did not look back. Not knowing at the time exactly why, but now I know.

mozart piano concerto k 466 and k 467

and

rossini's ouvertures

changed my life and made me start composing, this goes back in 1999 :D

and i thank my father that bought those cassette accidentally!

Pierrot Lunaire by Schoenberg (especially "Mondestrunken", "Galgenlied", and "Enthauptung")

String Quartet No. 1 by Ives

String Quartet No. 8 by Shostakovich

Symphony No. 7 by Sibelius

Dvorak-"New World Symphony"-2nd Mvt.

Beethoven-9th Symphony-4th Mvt.

John Williams-Across The Stars

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 when I was 16. It was my first time to see and hear a professional orchestra with a thundering chorus with organ and huge orchestra. One of the best memories of my life. I had never experienced anything like it before and felt I understood what Mahler was trying to say in way words could never explain...only music could.

Amen to that!

Einstein on the Beach: Philip Glass. I had heard his concerto for saxophone quartet, so I borrowed this opera, and listened to it all the way through in one sitting. It has definately had a profound impact on my approach to music.

I would also nominate Passio by Arvo Part.

My teacher always says that the writing in the piece is quite poor (except for the piano) - I must admit i've heard better concerto's since then but that piece was my starting point :) - the only classical music i really listened to was chopin's piano pieces to begin with, but after hearing the concerto I wanted to listen to more orchestral stuff which meant listening to different composers. I'm quite a fan of chopin in general still though ^.^ each to their own i guess :)

Oh goodness, I was subbing 2nd bassoon in an orchestra that featured a Young Artist competition winner playing the 2nd concerto (or was it the 1st? It was in E minor, that's all I remember), and I almost fell asleep, even with the extensive cuts we made. I loved the piano solo, but I hated my part so much.

Anyway, I'd say Bach's Ouverture No. 2 in B Minor (BWV 1067) changed my life pretty significantly. I originally just listened to and arranged the Badinerie for bassoon and piano, but I also saw the Rondeau and Polonaise in my source, so I arranged those too, and I managed to make it to the state solo & ensemble contest. =) I'd also say the fugue from BWV 542 (G Minor, "The Great") is pretty significant for me, because it got me started on exploring how different double reeds work together; I arranged this fugue for oboe, English horn, two bassoons, and contrabassoon, just on a whim, and the way it sounded when I played it back was just awesome. (I've actually got it up in the Chamber Music section if you want to peruse it.)

Unfortunately, I'm still hoping to find such a piece.

Thus far I'm fairly convinced that if I want such a thing I'll have to write it myself. ;)

If it's even possible.

Probably something by Mozart...

A boy and a girl, by Eric Whitacre and Remember by Stephen Chatman, both SATB divisi. They pushed the boundaries of what we though choral music was, they are truly inspiring songs, for example Whitacre's a boy and a girl, the song sounds great but it is made up of mostly only +2's and Sus 4 with fifths in the TB parts, might sound boring but look it up on youtube it is sheer beauty

What is with all these Eric Whitacre lovers?! I mean, why does his music get so much recognition when it's not even that good?

What is with all these Eric Whitacre lovers?! I mean, why does his music get so much recognition when it's not even that good?

What is with all these Mahler lovers?! I mean, why does his music get so much recognition when it's not even that good?

What is with all these Eric Whitacre lovers?! I mean, why does his music get so much recognition when it's not even that good?

Well you get loads of attention when your opinions are utterly rubbish!

Good job, Mark.

Amazingly, I haven't commented on this thread yet.

It's clich

What is with all these Mahler lovers?! I mean, why does his music get so much recognition when it's not even that good?

Definitely your opinion, not fact..

What is with all these Mahler lovers?! I mean, why does his music get so much recognition when it's not even that good?

I am not a mahler lover, but his music is astounding.

Eric Whitacre is nice, but not even in the running frankly.

Shostakovich Symphony #5

I played it my senior year in high school with the All-State Orchestra, and then again with my college this past February. It's one of the darkest pieces of music I know and yet I still find it to be the most inspiring.

I am not a mahler lover, but his music is astounding.

Eric Whitacre is nice, but not even in the running frankly.

I second this post! :thumbsup:

What is with all these Eric Whitacre lovers?! I mean, why does his music get so much recognition when it's not even that good?

Go ahead and explain your opinion on this one. I mean a claim like that deserves to be backed up

The CONCEPT of Pink Floyd's "Division Bell" album changed my life; it got me out of eating disorder-habits as one change. It just change my overall view on things..everything.

If you feel like learning more about it:

The Division Bell Concept

Other than that? Pink Floyd means a lot to me...I can easily say that the music has kept me alive. Not exaggerating- think what you want. (And no I don't mean "The Wall" or even "Dark Side of the Moon" but everything, in the literal meaning of the word. I love everything they did.

I like "The Final Cut" less because that's pretty much just a solo album by Roger Waters with a 'guest appearance' by David Gilmour on the song "Not Now John".) Etc.

I won't say that a piece of music in the classical genre has changed my life as I actually do not know a lot. I listen to what I've heard and liked.

Predictable, but....

Janie Runaway was a stlye of music I had never experienced before. I probably wouldn't be a musician/composer if it weren't for this piece.

Not to mention I totally hated the group before I heard this song. They have 8 or 9 tunes on the radio, but they all sounded so......old. No offense. This is Young Composers after all....

~Kal