# Music that gets better the slower or faster it is performed



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

It happens a lot in the classical music world that tempo can have an enormous effect on a piece of music. I've heard many pieces that I felt were performed either too fast or too slow for me to like it. The tempo has to be in the "pocket" so to speak, and then I like it.

However, there have been a handful of works in my experience that changed dramatically for the better when the conductor chose not to play in the "middle-ground" tempo of interpretations, but rather took the extreme of either side, either very slow or very fast, and it works even better to my ear! Neeme Jarvi is good at playing pieces at much faster tempo than usually performed, to an astounding effect of raised energy. However, he knows when to take some things even slower than usual, also having an astounding effect.

Anyhow, _ballet music_ is entirely affected by this principle. I will demonstrate:
Listen to this:




Now listen to THIS:




The energy skyrockets when this piece is taken a notch higher!

What pieces (in your opinion) get better the slower they are performed, rather than feeling the life sucked out of them? Conversely, what pieces get better the faster they are performed, and don't get the wind knocked out of them?


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Reinbert de Leeuw took Satie's music to the extreme in slowness. It really works in the Rosicrucian pieces (like Ogives.)


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## Guest (Nov 30, 2013)

I was about to post Satie, you sly little feller


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

I would say that some pieces get better in both directions. One good example could be Bruckner 8:

it gets "better" if conducted by Celibidache, BUT it gets "better" if conducted by Chailly as well 

Although at the extremes, both versions are illuminating.


Anyway, I like very much the Aria from the Goldberg as played by Glenn Gould (1981). I don't know if played even slower...


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

The _William Tell Overture_?


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

About 20% slower than most I've heard


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## DaDirkNL (Aug 26, 2013)

Haydn's Farewell Symphony.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Organ²/ASLSP by John Cage. The slower the better.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

This is kind of obscure, but Feldman's For Bunita Marcus is supposed to last around 71 minutes. Sabine Liebner stretches it out to 87 minutes, but the slowness works: the overtones between the notes get a chance to resonate more fully.


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## ProudSquire (Nov 30, 2011)

I've always liked the third movement of Mozart's string quartet No. 16, K.428 when it's played either fast or slow. I think the tempos work really well for this piece. It's exhilarating when played faster, but it's so elegant and proper when performed at a slower pace. Good stuff. :}

Here's the faster version played by the, Salomon Quartet.





Here's the slower version played by the, Franz Schubert Quartet.





TPS


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## nightscape (Jun 22, 2013)

The first movement of Bruckner's 6th. I've heard so many version of this played at such a dead slow pace as to be almost unlistenable. It's labeled "Maestoso" not "DOA". I like versions where the first movement is performed at an appropriate tempo or even a bit on the quick side.


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2013)

The Reinbert De Leeuw Satie is too slow, IMO.

Chailly's Beethoven's Pastoral is better tempo that the traditionally slower tempo.

In fact, I generally prefer faster tempos...some artists want to wallow in the music like it's a favourite item of clothing for their personal enjoyment, rather than something to be played for another's benefit.

(Yeah, I know you can't really wallow in clothing!)


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I have a recording of Gliere's 'Ilya Muromets' symphony that stretches to over 90 minutes (Farberman with the RPO on Unicorn-Kanchana) - which seems about 15 or so minutes longer than most recordings. I don't know whether the composer made cuts (I know some conductors have took it upon themselves to do so) but assuming he didn't it would be interesting to compare this recording to one with a shorter running time.


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