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Newsgroups: rec.music.classical,news.answers,rec.answers Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!news.kei.com!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.columbia.edu!cunixa.cc.columbia.edu!gmw1 From: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Subject: rec.music.classical FAQ Message-ID: <1993Jun18.145301.1419@news.columbia.edu> Followup-To: rec.music.classical Sender: usenet@news.columbia.edu (The Network News) Nntp-Posting-Host: cunixa.cc.columbia.edu Organization: Columbia University Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1993 14:53:01 GMT Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Lines: 966 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.music.classical:58308 news.answers:9535 rec.answers:1240 Archive-name: music/classical-faq Version: 1.8.4 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) file for rec.music.classical Version 1.8.4 Edited and collected by Gabe Wiener (gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu) Many thanks to all the readers of rec.music.classical who have helped in the compilation and upkeep of this list. Comments, corrections, and queries regarding this file should be sent to the above address. This file will be posted approximately every two weeks. Last modified: June 1, 1993 --- Table of contents: Q1. What are the major periods of "classical" music? Q2. I'm new to classical music and don't have any classical recordings. What should I listen to so that I can learn more? Q3. I heard this melody on the radio. How do I figure out what it is? Q4. When I went to the record store to buy a CD of [insert piece], I found dozens of versions. How do I know which one to buy? Q5. How do I find out if [insert-piece] has ever been recorded? Q6. What is that music from [insert TV-show/Movie] called? Q7. What are the essential reference books to classical music? Q8. What distinguishes classical music from popular music? Q9. What is the difference between an opera and a musical? Q10. What is the history behind Orff's Carmina Burana? Q11. What are the words to the first movement of Carmina Burana? Q12. How do you pronounce all those conductors' and composers' names? Q13. How are composers' works usually indexed? Q14. What's the point of having a conductor? Q15. Will a "DDD" recording always sound better than "ADD" or "AAD"? What do those codes mean anyway? ---------- Q1. What are the major periods of "classical" music? What the public generally calls "classical" music is actually many different styles of music that come from many historical periods. The usual classifications are: Medieval music, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern. The precise dates of the beginning and end of each period is a source of major academic debate, and many argue (and perhaps correctly) that there is no precise date but rather a long overlap. It is also quite accurate to say that styles changed in different places at different rates, so one date isn't necessarily valid for every region of Europe. With that disclaimer, here are *approximate* dates that distinguish each period. Some of them overlap, as you can see, since certain composers adopted the new styles before others. Early: 1100-1300 Medieval: 1300-1430 Renaissance: 1430-1600 Baroque: 1600-1750 Classical: 1750-1827 Romantic: 1810-1900 Modern: 1890+ This breakdown attempts to categorize fundamental shifts in the attitudes and styles of characteristic composers. Chances are that if you like the music of a composer of one period, you will like music by other composers of the same period, though we *do* encourage you to experiment and to sample music of all periods. Q2. I'm new to classical music and want to learn about it. What should I listen to? Probably the first thing you should listen to is your local classical radio station. Because there are so many different types of music that are usually lumped in as "classical," there is no easy answer to this question. By listening to a varied program at first, you can begin to identify the types of music and the eras which are most interesting to you. You will then be better armed to purchase recordings. Another useful tool is your local public library or university music library. If you are wary to plunk down your greenbacks for a composer whom you've never heard, go and check out a CD or throw on a headset in the library's listening center and check out a sample. Many people try to preview entire discs by listening to them first on loan. Still, the regulars on rec.music.classical have compiled the following lists to help you get started. We do make some assumptions, however, namely that you have some idea of what _periods_ of music interest you (once again, check out a classical radio station for a few days if you're not sure). If you are eager to get started, we have also provided a general survey of music that covers all the major periods. Table of contents for the lists: L1 A list for rank beginners who want a general survey. L2 A list of representative medieval/renaissance music L3 A list of representative Baroque instrumental works L4 A list of representative Baroque choral works L5 A list of representative Classical instrumental works L6 A list of representative Romantic instrumental works L7 A list of representative Lieder L8 A list of representative Classical and Romantic choral works L9 A list of operas spanning the history of the genre L10 A list of music written between 1900 and 1918 L11 A list of music written between 1920 and 1945 L12 A list of music written since 1945 L13 A list of piano concerti L14 A list of violin concerti L15 A list of symphonies L16 A list of piano/harpsichord music L17 A list of chamber music L18 A list of modern chamber music L19 A list of viola and cello concerti L20 A list of violin and piano music L1 A list of recommended works for those who have no experience with "classical" music. This list gives representative examples of all the major periods, or so we believe. 1. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame 2. Dufay: Chansons 3. Josquin: Pange Lingua 4. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli 5. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #5 6. Bach: Cantata #140, "Wachet Auf!" 7. Handel: Messiah 8. Mozart: Symphony #40, K. 550 9. Mozart: Selections from "The Marriage of Figaro" 10. Haydn: Op. 76 String Quartets 11. Beethoven: Symphonies #5, #6 12. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique 13. Chopin: The "Horowitz Plays Chopin" disc, or Rubinstein: "Highlights from the Chopin Collection" 14. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto 15. Wagner: "Ring" cycle selections 16. Brahms: Symphony #3 17. Mahler Symphony #1 18. Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite 19. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire 20. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring 21. Prokofiev: Piano Concerto #3 22. Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta 23. Berg: Violin Concerto 24. Reich: Desert Music L2 A list of representative medieval/renaissance works 1. A recording of Gregorian chant/organum 2. Hildegard: Columba Aspexit 3. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame 4. Dufay: Missa Se la Face ay Pale 5. Ockeghem: Missa Prolationum 6. Josquin: Pange Lingua 7: Italian madrigals by Rore, Gesualdo, Monteverdi, etc. 8. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli 9. English madrigals by Morley, Weelkes, Gibbons, etc. 10. Byrd: The Great Service 11. Dowland: Lute songs 12. Gabrieli: Canzonas for brass L3 A list of representative Baroque instrumental works 1. Corelli: Violin Sonatas 2. Couperin: Pieces de Clavecin (harpsichord) 3. Bach: The six Brandenburg Concerti 4. Bach: Keyboard partitas 5. Bach: Violin Sonata in E Major 6. Bach: Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor 7. Handel: Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks 8. Handel: Organ Concerto #13 ("Cuckoo & Nightingale") 9. Handel: Trio Sonatas 10. Boyce: The Eight Symphonies 11. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons 12. Telemann: Trio Sonatas 13. Scarlatti: Harpsichord Sonatas 14. Pachelbel: Canon in D 15. LeClair: Trio Sonatas L4 A list of representative Baroque choral works 1. Monteverdi: 1610 Vespers (Vespro Della Beata Vergine) 2. Carissimi Jepthe 3. Handel: Messiah 4. Handel: Saul 5. Purcell: Ode for St. Cecilia's Day 6. Bach: Magnificat 7. Bach: Cantata 140, "Wachet Auf!" 8. Schutz: Musikalische Exequien 9. Vivaldi: Gloria 10. Charpentier: Te Deum L5 A list of representative Classical instrumental works 1. Mozart: Symphony #40, K.550 2. Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525 3. Mozart: Piano Concerti #20 (K.466), #21 (K.467) 4. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K.581 5. Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 76 #3 6. Haydn: London Symphonies ("Surprise" and "Clock") 7. Beethoven: Symphonies #5, #6, #9 (also choral) 8. Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 59 #1 9. Beethoven: Piano sonatas, Op. 13 L6 A list of representative Romantic instrumental works 1. Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90 2. Brahms: Symphonies #3, #4 3. Brahms: Hungarian Dances 4. Rossini: Overtures 5. Mendelssohn: Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream 6. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto 7. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique 8. Chopin: Preludes Op. 28 9. Liszt: Les Preludes 10. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade 11. Dvorak: Symphony #8, Slavonic Dances 12: Saint-Saens:Symphony #3 ("Organ") 13. Smetana: The Moldau 14. Strauss: Don Juan 15. Bruckner: 4th Symphony 16. Tchaikovsky: 6th Symphony 17. Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition 18. Barber: Adagio for strings L7 A list of representative Romantic vocal works (Lieder) 1. Schubert: Erlkonig 2. Schubert: Die Schone Muellerin 3. Mahler: Kindertotenlieder 4. Schumann Dichterliebe 5. Wolf: Spanisches Liederbuch 6. Brahms: Liebeslieder Walzer 7. Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Ete 8. Faure: Melodies 9. Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel 10. Ravel: Chansons Madecasses 11. Strauss: Four Last Songs 12. Canteloube: Songs of the Auvergne L8 A list of representative Classical and Romantic choral works 1. Mozart: Requiem, K.626 2. Mozart: Mass in C Minor, K.427 3. Haydn: The Creation 4. Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass 5. Beethoven: Missa Solemnis 6. Beethoven: Choral Fantasy, Sym. #9 7. Mendelssohn: Elijah 8. Brahms: The motets 9. Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem 10. Verdi: Requiem 11. Berlioz: Te Deum 12. Dvorak: Stabat Mater 13. Faure: Requiem 14. Bruckner: Mass in E Minor L9 A listing of operas spanning the history of the genre: 1. Monteverdi: Orfeo 2. Charpentier: Les Arts Florissants 3. Lully: Atys 4. Handel: Giulio Cesare 5. Purcell: Dido and Aeneas 6. Mozart: Don Giovanni, K.527 7. Mozart: The Magic Flute, K.620 8. Beethoven: Fidelio 9. Verdi: La Traviata 10. Puccini: La Boheme 11. Rossini: The Barber of Seville 12. Wagner: Die Walkuere 13. Bizet: Carmen 14. Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance 15. Gershwin: Porgy and Bess 16. Weill: Threepenny Opera 17. Strauss: Salome 18. Berg: Wozzeck 19. Britten: Billy Budd 20. Glass: Akhnaten L10 A list of music written between 1900 and 1918: 1. Debussy: La Mer 2. Strauss: Salome, Rosenkavalier 3. Mahler: Symphony #9 4. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, 5 Pieces for Orch. 5. Sibelius: Symphony #2 6. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, Petrushka 7. Webern: 6 Pieces, Op. 10 8. Berg: Altenberg Songs 9. Holst: The Planets 10. Ives 3rd symphony, Concord Sonata 11. Reger: Clarinet Quintet 12. Scriabin: Piano Sonatas 13. Rachmaninov: 2nd Symphony 14. Bartok: Bagatelles 15. Prokofiev: Classical Symphony, Scythian Suite 16. Satie: Parade 17. Vaughan-Williams: Lark Ascending L11 A list of music written between 1920 and 1945: 1. Berg: Violin Concerto 2. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue 3. Webern: Symphony 4. Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo 5. Bartok: Music for Strings 6. Shostakovich: Symphonies #1, #5 7. Prokofiev: Alex. Nevsky 8. Vaughan-Williams: Fantaisa on a theme by Thomas Tallis 9. Orff: Carmina Burana 10. Durufle: Requiem 11. Ellington: Black and Tan Fantasy 12. Milhaud: Le creation du monde 13. Honnegger: Pacific 231 14. Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time 15. Harris: Symphony #3 16. Hanson: Symphony #2 17. Janacek: Katya Kabanova 18. Schoenberg: Moses und Aron 19. Sibelius: Symphony #7 L12 A list of music written since 1945: 1. Boulez: Pli selon pli 2. Babbitt: A Solo Requiem, 2nd Quartet 3. Carter: A Mirror on Which to Dwell 4. Bernstein: Chichester Psalms 5. Poulenc: Gloria 6. Britten: War Requiem 7. Riley: In C 8. Reich: Desert Music 9. Glass: Glassworks 10. Rochberg: 3rd Quartet 11. Crumb: Black Angels 12. Stravinsky: Requiem Canticles, Rake's Progress 13. Schoenberg: A Survivor from Warsaw L13 A list of piano concerti 1. Bach: Brandenburg #5 (Harpsichord) 2. Mozart: Piano Concerti #20, #21, #23 (K.466, 467, 488) 3. Beethoven: Concerti #4, #5 4. Chopin: Concerti #1, #2 5. Grieg: Piano Concerto 6. Schumann: Piano Concerto 7. Liszt: Concerto #1 8. Tchaikovsky: Concerto #1 9. Brahms: Concerti #1, #2 10. Rachmaninov: Concerti #2, #3 11. Bartok Concerto #2 12. Prokofiev Concerto #3 13. Mendelssohn Concerto #1 L14 A list of violin concerti 1. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons 2. Bach: Concerti #1, #2; for 2 violins 3. Mozart: Concerti #3-5 (K.216, 218, 219) 4. Beethoven: Violin Concerto 5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto 6. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto 7. Brahms: Violin Concerto 8. Bruch: Concerto #1 9. Bartok: Concerto #2 10. Prokofiev: Concerto #1 11. Stravinsky: Violin Concerto 12. Shostakovich: Violin Concerto 13. Sibelius: Violin Concerto 14. Elgar: Violin Concerto L15 A list of symphonies 1. Mozart: Symphony #38, #40, #41 (K.504, 550, 551) 2. Beethoven: Symphonies #3, #5, #6, #9 ("Choral") 3. Haydn: Symphonies #94, #101, #104 4. Schubert: Symphonies #8 "Unfinished" & #9 "The Great" 5. Schumann: Symphonies #1, #3 6. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique 7. Saint-Saens: Symphony #3 ("Organ") 8. Bruckner: Symphonies #4, #9 9: Tchaikovsky: Symphonies #4-6 10.Brahms: Symphonies #3, #4 11.Franck: Symphony in d 12.Borodin: Symphony #2 13.Dvorak: Symphony #7, #8, #9 "New World" 14.Mahler: Symphonies #5, #9 15.Sibelius: Symphony #2 16.Rachmaninov: Symphony #2 17.Nielsen: Symphony #4 18.Prokofiev: Symphony #5 19.Elgar: Symphony #1 20.Copland: Symphony #3 L16 A list of representative piano/harpsichord music: 1. Frescobaldi: Toccatas 2. Bach: Goldberg Variations 3. Scarlatti: Harpsichord Sonatas 4. Mozart: Sonatas #8, #11, #13, #15 (K.310,331,333,545) Sonata in D, K.576, Rondo K.511, Adagio K.540 5. Haydn: Sonata #52 6. Chopin: Ballades, Nocturnes, Etudes, etc. 7. Mendelssohn: Andante & Rondo Capriccioso 8. Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90, Sonatas for Piano D. 959, 960 F minor fantasy for piano 4-hands 9. Beethoven: Piano sonatas #14, 23 10. Schumann: Carnaval, Op.9; Fantasy in C, Op. 17 11. Liszt: Sonata in b minor 12. Ravel: Miroirs, Gaspard de la nuit 13. Debussy: Preludes 14. Liszt: Transcendental Etudes 15. Rachmaninov: Etudes, Preludes (inc. Op. 3 #2) L17 A list of chamber music: 1. Purcell: Trio Sonatas 2. Telemann: Trio Sonatas 3. Mozart Divertimento, K.563 4. Mozart: String Quartets K.387,421,428,458,464,465,590 5. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K.581 6. Mozart String Quintets (K.515, 516, 593, 614) 7. Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 76 #3 8. Beethoven: String Quartets #8, #14 9. Beethoven: Piano Quintet 10. Schubert: String Quartet #14 "Death & the Maiden" 11. Schubert: Piano Quintet "Trout" 12. Mendelssohn: String Octet 13. Schumann: Piano Quintet 14. Dvorak: String Quartets #10, #14 15. Dvorak: Piano Trio #4 16. Borodin: String Quartet #2 17. Brahms: Piano Trio #1 18. Bartok: 6 quartets L18 A list of modern chamber music: 1. Schoenberg: 4 quartets, Op.. 7,10 (w/soprano),30, 37 2. Berg: Lyric Suite 3. Webern: Quartet for Sax, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano. 4. Debussy: Quartet, sonata for flute, viola, harp. 5. Ravel: Quartet, duo for violin and cello 6. Shostakovich: Quartets, No. 8, 13-15. 7. Janacek: Mladi, Intimate Letters Quartet 8. Stravinsky: Octet 9. Babbitt: 2nd quartet 10. Carter: 3rd uartet 11. Quartets by Scelsi and Schnittke. L19 A list of viola and cello concerti 1. Haydn: Cello concerto in D op.101 2. Boccherini: Cello concerto in B flat 3. Schumann: Cello concerto 3. Dvorak: Cello concerto op.104 4. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a rococo theme 5. Saint Saens: Cello Concerto #1 6. Lalo: Cello Concerto 7. Walton: Viola Concerto, Cello Concerto 8. Bartok: Viola Concerto 9. Elgar: Cello Concerto op.85 10. Hindemith: Viola Concerto 11. Barber: Cello Concerto 12. Shostakovitch: Cello Concerto #1 13. Khachaturian: Cello Concerto 14. Moeran: Cello Concerto 15. Delius: Cello Concerto 16. Bloch: Schelomo 17. Penderecki: Cello Concerto #2 L20 A list of violin and piano music 1. Mozart: Sonata K.454 2. Beethoven: Sonata #5 op.24 "Spring" 3. Schumann: Sonatas op.105 & 121 3. Brahms: Sonata #3 4. Franck: Sonata in A 5. Faure: Sonata #1 6. Lekeu: Sonata in G 7. Strauss: Sonata in E flat 8. Respighi: Sonata in B minor 9. Saint-Saens: Sonata op.75 10. Lalo: Sonata 11. Grieg: Sonata #3 12. Pierne: Sonata 13. Debussy: Sonata 14. Elgar: Sonata 15. Janacek: Sonata 16. Walton: Sonata 17. Bartok: Sonata #2 ----- Q3. I heard this melody on the radio. How do I figure out what it is? First option: Call the radio station and ask. They're usually quite helpful about this sort of thing. We are presuming you know a little something about musical notation or at the very least, musical note names. Your local music library will have a number of dictionaries of musical themes that will help you identify the theme. See below in the reference books section. If after researching you still cannot find the theme, then post to the net with the theme represented as note-names. Q4. I heard this great piece on the radio, but when I went to the record store to buy a copy, I found dozens of versions. Which is the right one to get? This question is one that often confronts even the most seasoned record collectors. The decision of which version of a piece to buy on record is entirely a matter of taste. Experienced listeners often know the style of each conductor and can judge on that basis. If you are unfamiliar with a piece or with the versions available to you, you might want to start off by looking in the Penguin Guide (see "Reference Books" below). Though not always 100% on the mark, this guide will describe the differences between multiple recordings of a given work, and may enable you to choose the recording that is right for you. There are also magazines such as Fanfare, Grammophone, Stereo Review, Audio, and some of the high-end audio journals that review new recordings on a regular basis. Q5. How do I find out if [insert piece] has ever been recorded? *EVER* been recorded is tough. To check if there is a current release of your piece of choice, look in Opus, a publication put out by Schwann that lists all works currently available. Most record stores will either sell you a copy, or have a desk copy that you can use. If you're looking for an old vinyl recording, you'll have to check with a rare record dealer. Many maintain very extensive back issues of the Schwann catalog and can help you locate that rare gem. Current discs in print can be found in Phonolog, a large looseleaf book available at all record dealers. Akin to "Books in Print." Q6. What is that music in [insert TV show/movie here] ? We have a little joke in the newsgroup that no matter what movie or TV show, it's probably either Pachelbel's Canon or Carmina Burana. Anyway, here is a list of some movies and TV shows and the music they contain. 2001, A Space Odyssey Also sprach Zarathustra R. Strauss 2001, A Space Odyssey Blue Danube Waltz J. Strauss 2001, A Space Odyssey Lux Eterna Ligeti All That Jazz Spring from The Four Seasons Vivaldi Apocalypse Now Die Walkure Wagner Babette's Feast Don Giovanni Mozart Breaking Away Barber of Seville Rossini A Clockwork Orange Symphony #9 Beethoven A Clockwork Orange William Tell Overture Rossini A Clockwork Orange Barber of Seville overture Rossini A Clockwork Orange La Gazza Ladra overture Rossini Dark Eyes Barber of Seville Rossini Death in Venice Symphony #5 Mahler Die Hard Symphony #9 Beethoven Diva La Wally Catalani Elvira Madigan Piano Cto. #21 Mozart Empire of The Sun Suo Gan (Welsh folksong...circumflex on the a) Excalibur Carmina Burana Carl Orff Fatal Attraction Madama Butterfly Puccini Foul Play The Mikado Sullivan Forbidden Games Romance Yepes A Fish Called Wanda Barber of Seville Rossini Gallipoli Les Pecheurs de Perles Bizet Glory Original music James Horner Grey Fox Martha Flotow Heaven Help Us Hallelujah Chorus (Messiah) Handel Hannah and Her Sisters Manon Lescaut Puccini Huntley/Brinkley Report Symphony #9 Beethoven Hopscotch Barber of Seville Rossini Hopscotch Eine kleine Nachtmusik Mozart Jean de Florette Forza del Destino Verdi Kramer vs. Kramer Concerto for 2 Mandolins Vivaldi Lone Ranger theme William Tell Overture finale Rossini Masterpiece Theater theme Symphonie de Fanfare Mouret Moderns Marriage of Figaro Mozart Moonstruck La Boheme Puccini My Brilliant Career "Of Foreign Land and Peoples" from Kinderszenen Schumann Olympic Music ('84) Olympic Fanfare John Williams Olympic Music (Every year) Bugler's Dream Leo Arnaud Ordinary people/GE lightbulb Canon in D Pachelbel Platoon Adagio for Strings Barber Pretty Woman La Traviata Verdi Prizzi's Honor L'Elisir d'Amore Donizetti Prizzi's Honor Barber of Seville Rossini Raging Bull Cavalleria Rusticana Mascagni Room with a View Gianni Schicchi Puccini Room with a View La Rondine Puccini Sammy and Rosie Der Erlkonig Schubert The Shining Music for Strings Bartok Slam Dance Samson et Delilah Saint-Saens Someone To Watch Over Me Lakme Delibes Someone To Watch Over Me Gloria Vivaldi Somewhere in Time Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini Rachmaninoff Sophie's Choice Kinderszenen Schumann The Four Seasons The Four Seasons Vivaldi Trading Places The Marriage of Figaro Mozart Traffik String Quartet #8 Shostakovich Untouchables Pagliacci Leoncavallo Wall Street Rigoletto Verdi Witches of Eastwick Turandot Puccini Year of Living Dangerously Four Last Songs Strauss, R. Many of opera cuts can be found on one of the following recordings by Angel: Opera Goes to the Movies Son of Opera Goes to the Movies Q7. What are the best reference works on music in general? The supreme musical references is probably the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. This is a multi-volume set, about as large as your average encyclopedia, so you'll probably have to trek to your local library to find a copy. Two more obtainable books are a) the New Harvard Dictionary of Music (and the paperback version, the Concise Harvard Dictionary of Music), and b) The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Both of these are invaluable for all musicians and music enthusiasts. David Mason Greene: Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers (David Mason Greene) is a good choice for interested amateurs and general listeners (those needing less than Grove's, in other words), Greene is a great source because it's compact and includes a huge number of composers (2400). His information could be refined in a number of places, but there are few other source that fill the same need. There are composer biographies, almost all of them excellent, published by Norton/Grove. These are the dictionary articles, with worklist, bibliography, and index, and slightly updated. Some volumes cover several composers, e.g., Bach Family, Northern European Baroque Masters. Grove also has multi-volume special dictionaries for opera, American music, and musical instruments. When picking recorded performances with which you are unfamiliar, you might wish to consult the Penguin Guide. This book provides a good starting point, and while it doesn't get everything right, it does have some excellent reviews, and can do a lot to help you identify the differences between the myriad versions of any particular piece. Be warned, though. The Penguin folks have been known to have what some consider an unfair bias against some early-instrument recordings. So read some of the reviews with a grain of salt. There are also the "Opus" catalogs put out by Schwamm, the musical version of "Books in Print." Many people also swear by magazines like Fanfare, Grammophone, etc. for reviews. If you don't have time to read all those magazines, you might want to check out Stevenson's Guide to classical recordings. This publication synthesizes the reviews of about 30 different magazines. Thus you aren't getting only one opinion, but an overview of what all the various critics thought about a given disc. The Guide also contains a CD Guide Honor Roll, which lists the performances that have received a three-plus (+++) rating from at least four critics, with no negative reviews given from any other critic. In other words, if you buy based on this honor roll list, you're pretty much assured of getting a decent recording. This very useful publication is available at some record stores, or else you can order it from Stevenson Classical Disk Guide, P.O. Box 53286, Indianapolis, IN 46253. Subscription price is $31 per year, four editions per year. When trying to identify that theme you have running around in your head, consult Barlow & Morgenstern's dictionaries. "A Dictionary of Musical Themes" and "A Dictionary of Opera and Song Themes" are essential references. A good all-around historical reference book is "A History of Western Music" by Donald Jay Grout and Claude V. Palisca. More than one grad student has curled up by the fireplace with this tome in preparation for qualifiers. The Music Research Division of the New York Public Library has a telephone reference service. The number is +1 212 870 1650. Q8. What distinguishes classical music from popular music? Scholars go round and round on this one. Some say that classical music has more structure and "form" than popular music, but everyone knows that there is plenty of form in popular music. Others say that "classical music is an art, and popular music is entertainment." While that may in part be true, to make that assertion is perhaps to scoff at some of the artistry that exists in the popular venues. Today, classical music has an elite patronage, whereas popular music has more universal appeal. Also, classical music is generally considered to have a more unified and rigorous body of theory. Of course, these concepts did not exist at the time that most of the "classical" music was written. "Classical" music is repertoire music; when two artists play a piece, the results will be similar, the differences subtle. Compare different jazz versions or different pop versions of a song. One is likely to find much more difference there. Q9. What is the difference between an opera and a musical? Generally, a musical has dialogue with interspersed songs. Opera is generally sung through, the dialogue portions being replaced with recitatives (music which is intoned in a way that resembles speech). There are notable exceptions to this rule, namely Carmen (Bizet) and The Magic Flute (Mozart), both of which have spoken dialogue. The German name for operas with spoken dialogue is singspiel (pronounced ZING-shpeel). German productions pre-Wagner were always singspiel Many musicals, such as Les Miserables, Chess, Joseph, etc. are sung through, and are, in the classical world, often referred to as "popular operas" or "rock operas" to signify that they do bear some resemblance to "classical" opera. Another important difference is that in musicals, the principal singers also dance. In opera that never happens. Q10. What is the history behind Orff's Carmina Burana? "Carmina Burana" was originally a cycle of medieval songs. The text is rather risque poetry written by medieval students. Carl Orff adapted some of them into the best known arrangement, not surprisingly called "Carmina Burana," in the 1930s. Of the songs he adapted, some are in Latin and some are in Middle High German (much as Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" is in Middle English). The best known of the songs he used is "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" (a.k.a. "O Fortuna"), which was heavily used in the film EXCALIBUR. Q11. What are the words to the first movement? (the one in all the movies) Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi Fortune, Empress of the World 1. O Fortuna 1. O Fortune Coro Chorus O fortuna, O fortune, velut Luna like the moon statu variabilis, you are changeable, semper crescis, ever waxing aut decrescis and waning; vita detesabilis hateful life nunc obdurat first oppresses et tunc curat and then soothes ludo mentis aciem; as fancy takes it; egestatem, poverty potestatem and power dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts them like ice. Sors immanis Fate - monstrous et inanis. and empty. rota tu volubilis. you whirling wheel, status malus you are malevolent, vana salus well-being is in vain semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing. obumbrata shadowed et velata and veiled mihi quoque niteris; you plague me too; nunc per ludum now through the game dorsum nudum I bring my bare back fero tui sceleris. to your villainy. Sors salutis Fate is against me et virtutis in health mihi nunc contraria and virtue, est affectus driven on et defectus and weighted down, semper in angaria. always enslaved. Hac in hora So at this hour sine mora without delay cordum pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings; quod per sortem since Fate sternit fortem, strikes down the strong man, mecum omnes plangite ! everyone weep with me ! Q12. How do you pronounce all those conductors', composers', and performers' names? We don't have schwas and umlauts in ASCII, so I'll do my best. A *k indicates that the guttural k sound (as in chutzpah or Bach) should be used. #k indicates a palatal "ch" sound as in "reich." *n is the french "n" as in "bon." *r is the French r. "zh" as in "vision" Claudio Abbado ah-BAH-do Earnest Ansermet ahn-sair-MAY Arleen Auger Au-ZHAY Daniel Barenboim BARE-'n-boim Berlioz Bair-lee-OHZ Leonard Bernstein BURN-stine Bizet BI-zay Pierre Boulez BU-lez Dietrich Buxtehude DEE-tri#k BOOKS-te-hoo-de Chailly CHI-yee Chopin Sho-PA(*)N Couperin COU-peh*r-a*n Debussy De-bu-SEE Antal Dorati Ahn-TAHL DOH-rah-tee Charles Dutoit Du-TWAH Dukas DU-kahss Dvorak D'VOR-zhack Faure FAU-*ray Cesar Franck Say-ZAHR Frahnk Wilhelm Furtwangler VIL-helm FOORT-veng-ler Bernard Haitink BURN-ard HIGH-tink Haydn HIDE-in Herbert von Karajan HAIR-bairt Fawn KAHR-ay-ahn. Kodaly KO-dai Raymond Leppard LEP-pard James Levine Luh-VINE Liszt List Charles Mackerras Muh-KAHR-ass Neville Marriner NEH-vul MARR-in-er Kurt Masur Mah-ZOOR Zubin Mehta ZOO-bin MAY-tuh Monteverdi Mon-te-VARE-dee (not Mon-te-VUR-dee) Mozart MOH-tsart Johann Pachelbel YO-hahn Pa-*KEL-bel Poulenc POO-lenk (that's how he pronounced it) Ravel Ruh-VEL Reiner RHINE-er Saint-Saens Sa*n-SOH*N Schubert SHOO-bert Shostakovitch shash-teh-KOH-vich Smetana SMET-nuh Georg Solti jorj SHOL-tee George Szell jorj sell Tchaikovsky Chiy-KAHF-skee Verdi VARE-dee (not VUR-dee) Richard Wagner *RI#K-art VAHG-ner Bruno Walter VAHL-ter Webern VAY-bairn Weelkes Weelks Wilbye WILL-bee (Please do not send mail "correcting" the French pronunciations. I know there are many schools of thought on them. I finally settled it for the FAQ by asking a native Frenchman. Unless you can offer a very compelling argument the other way, it's staying. Sue me. Sorry, but I'm sick to death of my mailbox flooding every month with thirty opinions on how to pronounce Debussy. Thank you for your cooperation.) Q13. How are composers' works usually indexed? That depends on the composer. Many of the significant composers' works have been organized into thematic catalogs. For example, Mozart's works are generally catalogged according to the Koechel Verzeichnis ("Koechel Catalog"), and thus you will often see a work of Mozart referred to by its K (or KV) number (The Requiem, for example, is K.626). Bach's works are usually indexed with BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis) numbers. Similarly, Vivaldi's works are referred to with RV numbers, Buxtehude's with BuxWV numbers, etc. Other composers who published their works in collections have opus numbers. Thus, for instance, a Haydn string quartet might be Op. 77 #1. Some composers such as Handel have compositions referenced both by opus numbers and by a thematic catalog code (in the case of Handel, it's the HWV). Here is a list of the major thematic catalogs... B - Catalog of the works of Dvorak by Burghauser BeRI - Catalog of the works of Roman by Bengtsson BuxWV - "Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Buxtehude by Karstadt BWV - "Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of J.S. Bach by Schmeider (sometimes designated by "S.") D - Catalog of the works of Schubert by Deutsch D - Catalog of the violin concerti of Tartini by Dounias F - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Fanna F - Catalog of the works of W.F. Bach by Falck G - Catalog of the works of Boccherini by Gerard G - Catalog of the works of Torelli by Giegling G - Catalog of the violin concertos of Viotti by Giazotto H - Catalog of the works of Charpentier by Hitchcock Hob - Catalog of the works of F.J. Haydn by Hoboken HW - Catalog of the works of J.C.F. Bach HWV - "Handel-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Handel by Baselt J - Catalog of the works C.M. von Weber by Jahns K - Catalog of the works of W.A. Mozart by Koechel K - Catalog of the works of Rosetti K - Catalog of the works of D. Scarlatti by Kirkpatrick L - Catalog of the works of D. Scarlatti by Longo L - Catalog of the works of Debussy by Lesure LWV - "Lully-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Lully M - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Malipiero MS - Catalog of the works of Molter Op - Opus number, generally a chronological publication number that may have been assigned by either the publisher or composer or both P - Catalog of the works of J.M. Haydn by Perger P - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Pincherle R - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Malipiero as published by Ricordi RO - Catalog of the works of Gottschalk RV - Catalog of the works of Vivaldi by Ryom S - Catalog of the works of Liszt by Searle TWV - "Telemann-Werke-Verzeichnis" Catalog of the works of Telemann WoO - "Werk ohne Opuszahl" or "Work without opus number", typically unpublished works Wq - Catalog of the works of C.P.E. Bach by Wotquenne Z - Catalog of the works of Purcell by Zimmerman Q14. What's the point of having a conductor? Can't professional musicians keep time by themselves? Yes, professional musicians can keep time by themselves, but a conductor does significantly more than just beat time. A good conductor will add interpretation and shape to a piece of music by controlling the dynamics of the music and by indicating entrances and cutoffs with great precision. There are some orchestras that play without a conductor (the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra springs to mind), but even in that case, there is usually one instrumentalist who functions as the "leader" and who the other musicians look to for cues. Many pieces change tempo in mid-stride, and a single person making the choice of exactly when and how can make the transition occur with great precision. In a large symphony orchestra there is also the additional problem that very often the acoustics of the hall are such that the musicians on, for instance, the extreme right of the orchestra simply cannot hear what the musicians on the extreme left are doing, and thus it is necessary to have a common reference, namely, the conductor. While it is true that each musician can keep time, the accumulated error would eventually cause the rhythm to become murky. The conductor has yet another purpose, and that is to set the "tone" of a piece. Whether the conductor uses sudden, forceful movements or smooth and delicate strokes will in many ways affect the way the musicians interpret the music and subsequently, the overall color of the work. Q15. Will a "DDD" recording always sound better than "ADD" or "AAD"? What do those codes mean anyway? In the early days of the CD, the Society of Professional Audio Recording Services (SPARS) [pronounced "sparz" not "sparce"] developed a three-letter coding system to distinguish between the types of recording equipment used at different junctures of the making of a CD. The D indicates digital equipment, and the A indicates analog equipment. The first letter indicates the type of equipment used in the initial recording. The second letter indicates the type of equipment used for mixing and editing. The third letter is superfluous. It indicates the type of equipment used for mastering, which in the case of a CD can only be digital. Many people use the SPARS code as a barometer of the sound quality of a CD, and this is a wrong thing to do. The SPARS code doesn't, nor was it ever meant to reflect the actual quality of the CD. Between digital and analog recorders, neither intrinsically sounds better than the other. A recording made on a good Studer A820 fitted out with Dolby SR will generally sound better than a recording made on a cheap Sony TCD-D3 DATman, though the DATman will sound better than many cheap analog systems. In the end, both analog and digital systems have the ability to sound great or to sound awful. It all depends on the type of equipment and the skill of the engineer operating it. Many modern DDD recordings are so carelessly made that they don't sound nearly as good as recordings made 20 years ago. Then again, a good DDD can sound *excellent*, as can a good analog recording. You get the idea. Of course, neither method of recording says anything about miking. Even if the engineer uses the best digital equipment, if the mikes are not placed properly, the recording won't sound very good, and a good mic technique recorded to a walkman will in all likelyhood be more aesthetically pleasing. -- Gabe Wiener -- gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu -- N2GPZ Sound engineering, recording, and digital mastering for classical music "I am terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music will be put on records forever." --Sir Arthur Sullivan