# Special Melodies



## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I was just wondering if anyone here has special little soft-spots for particular melodies. Of course, the sheer volume of classical music means that we have beautiful melodies on offer in abundance, but I'm talking about _really_ precious melodies - just a handful of touching tunes that you place above all others.

I'm not sure quite what it is, but there are two themes that, for me, are the most sublime melodic lines I have ever heard and they give me a feeling like no other when I hear them.

The first is Dvorak's final _Slavonic Dance_:





And the second is the finale to Schubert's 20th Piano Sonata:





Of course, the immense lyricism of Schubert is no surprise, and he has many more moving melodies - the first movement of his _Arpeggione Sonata_ springs to mind, but the two pieces listed above make me feel something unique to those pieces alone - truly heart-wrenching stuff. So do you have any such treasures?


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## SPR (Nov 12, 2008)

...gads. Hard to single out a few isnt it?

I must admit many of the popular and well known melodies have stuck with me like some of the Brandenburgs. (perhaps that is one reason why they are popular... sort of like the anthropic principle).

One that leaps to mind however is the opening 2 movement of Handels Watermusic #2. (Prelude Allegro and Ala Hornpipe). Love those tunes.










Beethovens Ode to Joy is another. Is there a melody in all of classical music that is more memorable? I think it would have to be near the top of the list.

Funny and cool at the same time - an example of how pervasive the melody is:


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

at 2.13





Schubertian, although whether he knew Schubert's music at all I don't know.

I quite like a long lyrical melody whether it be in classical music by composers such as Mozart, or in popular music.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

This is what I immediately think of:






Or better yet:
















Or even this:






Which leads to this:






Possibly this:






I'll think of some more later.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Brahms' Symphony No. 4, movement 1 - the melody that seem to go "Farewell, farewell, farewell, farewell . . . " That's quite special.

There is a melody in one of the mid to late Beethoven piano sonatas that I always forget until I hear it again. It has a special quality of being forgettable in a good way. (I have forgotten it now!) Whenever I hear it I think, "That's Beethoven? It should be a theme from a great documentary and almost sounds post-romantic or even American." It is a melody of hope. If you know the sonatas, you probably know which one I am referring to.

Gosh, there are many many others.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Schubert for me, too. I've been listening to his _Piano Trios 1 & 2_ lately & these are both special (the slow movements are probably some of the most beautiful he ever wrote). & I'd also add the gorgeous _Notturno _for piano trio. What I like most about these works is that the pianist doesn't dominate the scene, the three players are equal partners, and Schubert writes gratifyingly for all of them.

But there are also special melodies in C20th classical. I suppose one has to have a more flexible definition of "melody." Some that come to mind are Marie's (solo) arias in _Wozzeck_ by Berg, the night musics of Bartok's _Piano Concertos_, & the first movement of Shostakovich's 10th can be said to be notable for it's melody as well. Of course, these don't give you a warm fuzzy feeling, but that's not always the point of music anyway...


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

SPR said:


> One that leaps to mind however is the opening 2 movement of Handels Watermusic #2. (Prelude Allegro and Ala Hornpipe). Love those tunes.


Speaking of Handel melodies, there is one underrated Handel melody I love dearly. It always make me feel in a good mood no matter how grumpy I am. It is the 5th movement of Handel's Organ Concerto No.. 14 in A. Track 16 of Disc #3 on this sample page:

http://www.amazon.com/Handel-The-Organ-Concertos/dp/B000VHOI64/ref=mb_oe_o

Believe me I searched high and low for a YouTube version but there is none.  That link is just a very small sample of the joy in this movement. It's those large interval leaps in the melody you hear briefly at first that make it sound so bright and sunny. This sample sounds a little rushed to me though.


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## Isola (Mar 26, 2008)

Oh melodies, how many I treasure! The first sprang to mind is the 3rd movement of Dvorak's Symphony 8, it's very much like the soundtrack of a grand fantasy film (or it indeed had been used in a film?):





I also love Schubert's melodies especially his popular lieder and impromptus such as - 



 .

And Glenn Gould's Bach Chromatic Fantasy: 




Same as SPR, I found many popular melodies stuck with me. Very, very often in the morning, I wake up with a melody ringing in mind - not necessarily the popular ones or the ones I listened to the night before, I'd turn on PC, find it, play it - the best breakfast before diving into the chaos of rush hour!


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## nimrod3142 (Apr 25, 2010)

I think the opening melody of Elgar's Enigma Variations is very special because Elgar asked us to guess what it was based upon. As it turns out, this beautiful melody was crafted by him as a joke relating to the mathematical constant Pi. He ingeniously worked both decimal Pi and fractional Pi into the first four bars of his Opus 36. Decimal Pi, 3.142, was used for the first four notes, scale degree 3-1-4-2. Even trickier was working fractional Pi, 22/7, into four measures. He did it by following the first 11 notes with "drops of a seventh" in the 3rd and 4th bar. (11 x 2/7 = 22/7). Pretty clever I'd say. He called it his "enigma" and no one had guessed it for over 112 years.


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

nimrod3142 said:


> I think the opening melody of Elgar's Enigma Variations is very special because Elgar asked us to guess what it was based upon. As it turns out, this beautiful melody was crafted by him as a joke relating to the mathematical constant Pi. He ingeniously worked both decimal Pi and fractional Pi into the first four bars of his Opus 36. Decimal Pi, 3.142, was used for the first four notes, scale degree 3-1-4-2. Even trickier was working fractional Pi, 22/7, into four measures. He did it by following the first 11 notes with "drops of a seventh" in the 3rd and 4th bar. (11 x 2/7 = 22/7). Pretty clever I'd say. He called it his "enigma" and no one had guessed it for over 112 years.


From what I know, it's all still a mystery..? What suggests that this Pi theory is correct, the fact that it "fits"? People sometimes see what they want to see...

I'd like to read up on it if you have some sources available.


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## nimrod3142 (Apr 25, 2010)

You are correct in saying that it is not yet accepted as the "official" solution as there really is no "official" decider. That is unfortunate. However I am confident that you would agree that Pi is the solution if you consider all of the many facts which support it. The paper covering this new research is being edited at this time for publication in the Journal of Current Musicology. If you want some more advance information I would be glad to give you a few more of the facts:
1. Indiana Pi Bill of 1897 attempted to legislate the value of Pi and was widely ridiculed before it was tabled. Elgar wrote his Enigma Variations in the next year.
2. Elgar was quoted as saying, "the Variations were begun in a spirit of humor."
3. Pi fits all the clues that Elgar gave in his initial program notes.
4. In 1929, thirty years had passed and no one had solved Elgar's enigma. He was 72 years old and in ill-health. His wife Alice had died as had many of his friends. Elgar wrote three sentences for the release of his pianola rolls. In those three sentences, he gave several hints at Pi to "confirm" that Pi was the solution (in a work that began with scale degree 3-1-4-2. I would be glad to discuss any points in more detail if this is not enough to convince you.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

If true, it's a rather prosaic enigma I'd say. I'd prefer to have left it a mystery in the same way I didn't really want to know who Immortal Beloved was.

I do notice that the variations portray some of his close_ circle _of friends, however.

Back on topic, I can't believe no one mentioned the two main themes (or is it one longer rambling theme) of the Hebrides Overture. A trite workhouse maybe, but nonetheless lovely.


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## nimrod3142 (Apr 25, 2010)

Hi Weston,

It is interesting that you mention "that the variations portray some of his close circle of friends." That is what lead me to consider what a circle might have that relates to music. The mathematical constant Pi came to mind and I when I vocalized the 3-1-4-2, I was amazed. That was it. However in doing the research necessary to write an article for a journal, I found the Indiana Pi Bill of 1897, and I found the word Enigma was handwritten and centered over the first four bars. I also learned that in 1912 he said that the piece was started "in a spirit of humour." Perhaps the biggest "A ha" moment came to me when I realized that his 1929 notes were his way of confirming/verifying that Pi was his enigma. 

You are not alone in being disappointed that the enigma was not a blockbuster but at least we can acknowledge the truth. It is interesting that such great music can be composed within such non-musical constraints.


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## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

Going along with Schubert:

15th string quartet, about 30 seconds in






This is the best link I could find, though I personally feel as though they're taking the tempo way to fast. But when taken slower, the melody is just gorgeous.

And this:






at 5:25 always makes me smile


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Nix said:


> And this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is it supposed to be the same link? I ask because that first one really is gorgeous, as you say. I'd really like to hear the other one if it's different. Thanks.

Some day I ought to binge on Schubert -- so much like Beethoven, yet in his own wide universe.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

nimrod3142 said:


> Hi Weston,
> 
> It is interesting that you mention "that the variations portray some of his close circle of friends." That is what lead me to consider what a circle might have that relates to music.


I'm not refuting the idea that the Enigma is Pi - I honestly don't care - but I just wanted to check that, however you genuinely arrived at the answer, do you recognise the gargantuan, massive, gaping flaw in starting out by considering the importance of a 'circle' because his music portrays his 'close circle of friends'? If not, then this borders on Bible conspiracy theories!


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## nimrod3142 (Apr 25, 2010)

Polednice said:


> do you recognise the gargantuan, massive, gaping flaw in starting out by considering the importance of a 'circle' because his music portrays his 'close circle of friends'?


I do not understand your concern about the method used to solve a riddle. How would you go about it?


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Well, I'm only talking about _that particular method_ (importance of 'circles' when thinking about a close 'circle' of friends') because it's completely ridiculous. It's a massive linguistic trap that would more typically be the resource of conspiracy theorists. What if we were talking about the importance of radii, circumferences or arcs? What if we were discussing Elgar's close group/band/troop of friends? The significance of such ideas completely vanishes when we replace a word with a synonym, and it demonstrates that patterns that were never intended can be found in _everything_ - just like people who play around nonsensically with Bible text to 'prove' that it predicts 9/11. If you do enough linguistic playing around - and it's not hard to make it look logical to a fool - you can make these things predict anything you care to think of.


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

I'm dismayed that no one's mentioned Tchaikovsky! ;_; Anyway, here's several melodies that are extremely precious to me..

Tchaikovsky - everything from the Nutcracker ballet
Tchaikovsky - piano concerto in bbm, opening theme
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 in Bm, 1st movement, 2nd theme
Schubert - piano sonata D 960 in Bb, 1st movement main theme
Schubert - everything from Die Schone Mullerin
Beethoven - piano sonata no. 30 in E, 3rd movement


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Tchaikovsky makes me think of waltzes and that makes me think of Johann Strauss and his waltzes. For example the main theme from Tales from the Vienna Woods or Blue Danube, to name just two.

Then there is Jupiter from Holst's Planets, big theme.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

starry said:


> Tchaikovsky makes me think of waltzes and that makes me think of Johann Strauss and his waltzes. For example the main theme from Tales from the Vienna Woods or Blue Danube, to name just two.
> 
> Then there is Jupiter from Holst's Planets, big theme.


I'd forgotten about Holst - but when it comes to something truly special, I think I'd go for Saturn.


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

The intermezzo in A major (Andante teneramente) from Brahms' klavierstücke op. 118

Listened to op. 116-119 yesterday, and I totally forgot how much I love that intermezzo.


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## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

Sorry- here's what I meant:






at 5:25.


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## classidaho (May 5, 2009)

I don't care if it's instrumental or vocal (tho I greatly prefer vocal), I could listen to 'Barcarolle' by JS Bach's cousin Offen Bach, every day of my life.

especially by these two gals!










I believe it to be a perfect composition with a unique build-up and ending and a absolutely wonderful in-between!


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## TWhite (Feb 23, 2010)

I can think of a whole myriad of 'good tunes' that get to me. Here are several:

That long, lyric clarinet melody in the third movement of the Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2. It goes on seemingly forever, but I really don't want it to stop. 

The big French horn theme that comes in near the end of Strauss' "Don Juan". The huge initial octave leap just grabs my attention. According to a French horn player friend of mine, hornists have added lyrics to the theme: "DON JUAN GETS LAID MORE THAN I DO--" 

The simple, descending scale from the tonic C down to the fourth and back to an accented fifth that begins the third movement of the Brahms Fourth Symphony. He makes an entire movement out of varying the step-patterns either ascending or descending, but keeping the same rhythmic pattern DA-DA-DA-DA-DAHHH--DAHHH and the result is absolutely exhilarating. 

The lyric second theme of Sam Barber's "School For Scandal" Overture. It just melts me right out of my seat. 

"Nimrod" out of Elgar's "Enigma Variations" and it's triumphant return during the Finale. Just breathtaking.

Tom


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## classidaho (May 5, 2009)

a close second would be 'Dance of the Blessed Spirits', Christof Willibald Gluck, performed in this album with flute and harp:










No matter how many ways or how many times I hear it, I must stop and listen, Chuck


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