# Musical Sum-me-ups?



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

We have had lots of threads asking about which pieces you like best, or what pieces you'd choose to take to a desert island. This is different. On Facebook you have your profile and the pages you 'like' to give an idea of your unique personality. I am asking for a musical 'selfie' - the piece of music that if someone listens to, they will have a gestalt or epiphany of the sort of person you are.

*Serious replies* will be interesting because they will be analysing the 'flavour' of a musical piece.

*Less serious replies* will be interesting because of their wit & humour; though if someone says Beethoven's Fifth sums him/her up as a 'strong character who moves with the force of destiny', that is *still* analysing the flavour of a musical piece.

In either case, there should be some lovely links to investigate... 

So - what piece of music would you 'pin to your profile' as an indicator of who you are - or more to the point, who you aspire to be? 'Serious' posters will be giving something away about the image they wish to cultivate, and those who know them may demur a little... 

I would choose Lully, his suite from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, but in particular one of his Airs des Espagnoles. I like the second best, but the first will do & is all I can find on YouTube.






And here is the 'musical selfie' bit - this piece is a stylish, witty, teasing dance - well-behaved, cultured, conventional, but engaging. This is what I would like to be. (Well - I love dancing, anyway!)

Thank you for any replies. Now I've started this thread, I am wondering about its wisdom.
Shall I press the button?
Here goes, then....


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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

I am a day-dreamer.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Must be the first movement of _Symphonie Fantastique_.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

I'm as ornery as the cellist, and as excitable as the pianist. I also love Susanna Yoko Henkel's passion for her craft.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Well, it's got to be Bach, so what?

I think the Aria from the Goldberg variations - it is capable of infinite variety, complex and subtle and possessed of an old fashioned charm. Now who does that remind me of? 

Ah, myself.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2013)

The last detailed horoscope I read for myself (because some girl or other was curious) was alarmingly accurate. Or, that is, it WOULD have been alarming were it not true that ANY detailed horoscope is going to seem accurate. That's because we humans are pretty damned complex. Any description of any length and any detail is going to contain things in it that match who we are.

So I could name practically any piece and be right.

So instead, I'm going to simply say "all music" and leave it at that.

(You decide whether that's a serious answer or not.:devil


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Beethoven's Les Adieux piano sonata. 
Hate goodbyes, love hellos. 
A little moody too.

OOPS, did I say "moody"?


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Nielsen's own description of this movement from the 2nd Symphony "The Four Temperaments" - "Phlegmatic":

His real inclination was to lie where the birds sing, where the fish glide noiselessly through the water, where the sun warms and the wind strokes mildly round one's curls. He was fair; his expression was rather happy, but not self-complacent, rather with a hint of quiet melancholy, so that one felt impelled to be good to him... I have never seen him dance; he wasn't active enough for that, though he might easily have got the idea to swing himself in a gentle slow waltz rhythm, so I have used that for the movement, Allegro comodo e flemmatico, and tried to stick to one mood, as far away as possible from energy, emotionalism, and such things.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Itullian said:


> Beethoven's Les Adieux piano sonata.
> Hate goodbyes, love hellos.
> A little moody too.
> 
> OOPS, did I say "moody"?


I've got my eye on you !


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

What a difficult thread, but I must admit that Richard Srauss' "Ein Heldenleben" just about sums me up.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Vesteralen said:


> Nielsen's own description of this movement from the 2nd Symphony "The Four Temperaments" - "Phlegmatic":


Good one! I like how Robert Simpson describes the Phlegmatic: he would rather be disillusioned than illusioned.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Hm, I might do Prokofiev if I was extremely happy, Glazunov if I was generally happy, and Arensky if I was in a romantic/contemplative mood. Shostakovich if I were in a quirky mood.

So as of right now, this:


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

Interesting thread!

My "personality" piece would probably be the Samuel Barber Violin Concerto. It is elegiac, pensive, and autumnal - just like me! Especially that second movement...

The funny thing is, I prefer Barber's violin concerto to his cello concerto. I also prefer the piano concerto to the cello concerto. Wierd, huh?


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Any number less than 100 pieces wouldn't even begin to describe me


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

A difficult question but a piece which comes to mind is this:






slightly melancholic, but nevertheless calm and tranquil and ultimately at one with nature (or at least that is how I see myself ). But seriously, this concerto was the first full piece of classical music that I really connected with, so it holds a special nostalgic significance for me.


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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

A small intrusion from me -- I think this thread should be made compulsory for new TC members.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

The Andante from Mahler's Sixth suits me well, I feel. Contemplative with a hint of wistful sadness, complex (always more than one thought going at a time) with an outward air of simplicity and straightforwardness, and, despite all appearances and tendencies to burst out in anger or despair, warmly human and optimistic.


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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

Mahlerian said:


> The Andante from Mahler's Sixth suits me well, I feel. Contemplative with a hint of wistful sadness, complex (always more than one thought going at a time) with an outward air of simplicity and straightforwardness, and, despite all appearances and tendencies to burst out in anger or despair, warmly human and optimistic.


That means, all things good, eh? 

By the way, heard this Mahler andante for the first time. Quite an enjoyable piece of music.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Hm, I guess I would say Medtner's first violin sonata


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## ShropshireMoose (Sep 2, 2013)

Methinks I will go for Dohnanyi's "Variations on a Nursery Theme", there's wit and humour in there, also elements of dreams, and passion too, all of which would be elements of my personality, well I'd like to think so! A sense of fun, not taking oneself too seriously, but also an enjoyment of tranquil moments and a delight in contemplation which we seem in danger of forgetting in these mad, hectic times in which we live. Add to this a degree of irreverence which pleaseth me mightily, and it's not a bad summing up of yours truly.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Xenakis's _Pithoprakta_. That was the first work that came to mind. It describes me more for the way it was composed rather than how it sounds. He used computers and his knowledge of statistical mechanics to map a physical process (motion of air molecules) onto a musical work. Basically he was analyzing reality and trying to find a way to properly describe it. That's what I do almost everyday as a scientist.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

some guy said:


> The last detailed horoscope I read for myself (because some girl or other was curious) was alarmingly accurate. Or, that is, it WOULD have been alarming were it not true that ANY detailed horoscope is going to seem accurate. That's because we humans are pretty damned complex. Any description of any length and any detail is going to contain things in it that match who we are.
> 
> So I could name practically any piece and be right.
> 
> ...


Can you officially be our forum's pessimist? Or is that already a given?


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Times change and what not, so I have difficulties pinning down one piece to _sum me up_ in whole. I will speak to this year, however, for interest's sake.

2013 has been a struggle. This past year, I've suffered a serious knee injury (sidelining me from running for three months), had two bikes stolen, had to surrender my dog for adoption, and a few weeks ago, I broke my neck and back in a bicycle accident. Yet I'm still here, and I've focused on a process to continue looking forward.

As I was laying in the hospital in pain, unsure if surgery would be necessary or neurological issues would arise, I contemplated these recent _blows of fate_, if you will, obviously recalling *Mahler's* _Sixth._ Although minor issues compared to Mahler's, they parallel his message. But it's another work that truly resonates with me.

I first heard *Elgar's* _First Symphony_ earlier this year, not entirely buying into the program, but enjoying the thematic development. As the year went on, it grew on me, note by note.

I'm unsure what Elgar envisioned when he wrote the work, or what he was dealing with, but it's tremendously inspiring. I've written about it on the forum before, so I won't repeat it all, but the persistence of that _noble_ and _elevating_ theme throughout the work -- from anabolism to rehab, and hardship to peace -- is remarkable. Despite all the _attacks_, it perseveres.

It is encouragement and motivation in musical form, and thus, highly inspirational for me, or any individual for that matter. I can think of few, if any, pieces more biographic than this.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Incidentally, I appreciated your initial comments on Elgar's first when you made them awhile back, Avey, not knowing that your interest in the work had occurred in the midst of some personal hardship. Thanks for sharing--and best wishes!


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Ingélou said:


> We have had lots of threads asking about which pieces you like best, or what pieces you'd choose to take to a desert island. This is different. ...I am asking for a musical 'selfie' - the piece of music that if someone listens to, they will have a gestalt or epiphany of the sort of person you are....


I can think of three composers whose music is like that for me - Bernstein, Janacek and Walton. Its the mix of introspection and also directness in terms of emotion in their music, the often wild contrasts, a kind of restlessness as well.

I could choose a number of their works, but forced to choose one, *Janacek's* *In The Mists *will do, in terms of its mix of nature, visual elements and memory. A kind of solitude also. I actually love walking in morning mists, though they are rare occurences where I am.

The work is on youtube in two parts, Part I and Part II. Mikhail Rudy is the pianist, but I've got the recording by Rudolf Firkusny.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

Many pieces of Beethoven pretty much coincide with me. He's a wild, existential genius who didn't particularly care for the company of many people. I'm not nearly as wild or smart as he was, but I'm much better looking. 
:tiphat:


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## Guest (Dec 7, 2013)

Avey said:


> Can you officially be our forum's pessimist? Or is that already a given?


Hahahaha. Wow.

You got pessimism out of my post? Sheesh. You must have been really depressed to have been able to do that.:lol:

Well, it's a funny* world to be sure.

Anyway, for mms, _Pithoprakta_ was a favorite of some friends' and mine back in the day. That meant the Nonesuch recording on LP. Nonesuch or Turnabout or one of those adventurous labels then. (Edit: it was Vanguard.) And for many years into the CD era, there was still only that LP recording. Took forever to get a recording of that on CD. And even longer before there was a new performance.

Fortunately, both are spectacular.* (But I'm only saying that as a pessimist.)

*Subtle humor.

**Le Roux on Le Chant Du Monde and Tamayo on timpani.


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

Avey said:


> Times change and what not, so I have difficulties pinning down one piece to _sum me up_ in whole. I will speak to this year, however, for interest's sake. ...


Thanks for your post Avey. I wish you all the best and hope you have a speedy return to good health.

I have not heard Elgar's 1st, but must make some time for it now.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Hooray for Captain Spaulding the musical explorer to paraphrase Julius Henry Marx, brother!

If I "have" to choose, maybe George Crumb's Ancient Voices of Children not least because I love Lorca's Poetry! Really the work that turned me into an explorer!






/ptr


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

The Marx brothers are the one comedic gem Hollywood will never consider for a terrible remake. They are inimitable.


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Hmm, not an easy question but a good one . I think I'll go with the first movement of Haydn's symphony 104, just love it:






Or 'Nun schwanden vor dem heiligen Strahle' from the Creation:


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

scratchgolf said:


> The Marx brothers are the one comedic gem Hollywood will never consider for a terrible remake. They are inimitable.


There's a sort of unofficial don't-say-its-a-remake remake of A Night At The Opera called Brain Donors with John Turturro in the Groucho role. Its not that good, except for the final act where they ruin a ballet performance, which is very well done and worth skipping to.

(still thinking long and hard about which classical work I resemble... gotta say I feel a bit self-conscious about comparing the very ordinary me to some glamourous masterwork)


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Well, I'd say it is rather complicated, as I am more like a suite of pieces.  But let's try.

At times, I can be just like Saint-Saens' Caprice-Valse - generally cheerful, elegant and humorous, but also a bit sarcastic and witty; trying hard not to be imposing, but not exactly succeeding. 

Sometimes, I am also like the first movement of Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks Concerto - very correct, not emotional, objective, focused, harmonious, well-behaved, polite, a bit mechanical.

I can also feel like the first movement (if one can talk about movements in this case) of Schoenberg's String Quartet No. 1 - despaired and hopeless, but without much dramatising.

Finally, I am sometimes like Stravinsky's In Memoriam Dylan Thomas - sad, pensive, wistful, contemplative, but not without hope.

Well, that's it, and I haven't got any kind of bipolar disorder. 

Best regards, Dr


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

If I had free reign I wouldn't choose a classical piece. Rather I'd choose an overblown bit of progressive rock, one that tries wonderfully to cram way too much, words and music both, into each phrase, goes through various moods, some gentle, some awe inspiring, some raucous, with lots of oddball time signatures -- and most importantly it is one climax after another. *Yes' - Awaken*

If I must choose from the classical repertoire, it's probably the *Allegretto movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony.* It's kind of tragic heroic, but with an ostinato. Very inspiring to me.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Mahlerian said:


> The Andante from Mahler's Sixth suits me well, I feel. Contemplative with a hint of wistful sadness, complex (always more than one thought going at a time) with an outward air of simplicity and straightforwardness, and, despite all appearances and tendencies to burst out in anger or despair, warmly human and optimistic.


Well, darn. I can't listen to this until I complete my Mahler 6th deep listening. Maybe sometime this weekend. I'll give it an advance "like" anyway.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

scratchgolf said:


> The Marx brothers are the one comedic gem Hollywood will never consider for a terrible remake. They are inimitable.


I fully agree with you, and just hope that you're right!


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## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

Two by Beethoven - the Sonata Op. 28 "Pastoral" on the outside, and the 7th Symphony on the inside.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

hreichgott said:


> Two by Beethoven - the Sonata Op. 28 "Pastoral" on the outside, and the 7th Symphony on the inside.


So you're a handsome lad who likes to dance?


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## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

scratchgolf said:


> So you're a handsome lad who likes to dance?


Uh, sure. I like to dance, at least


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

hreichgott said:


> Uh, sure. I like to dance, at least


And now, as I know your name is Heather, I feel slightly ridiculous. May I revise?


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## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

Sure. No harm done.
extra characters


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## echmain (Jan 18, 2013)

John Cage 4'33". (I don't want anyone knowing too much about me)


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

echmain said:


> John Cage 4'33". (I don't want anyone knowing too much about me)


We will listen, and in the silence comprehend.


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## BillT (Nov 3, 2013)

I'm going to go with Rachmaninoff Symphony #2, Third Movement. After a bit of drama (birth), I started out as a baby (lovely clarinet solo), then moved into a long period of adjustment based on that theme, with quite a bit of passion, which I always hear as depicting the struggle of one person (like me) against all kinds of challenges. 

If you don't like me yet, how about Beethoven Piano Sonata #30, Op 110, Third Movement. Do you like me now?

- Bill


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

This piece I feel describes me much of the time. Passion, self-doubt, lonliness, fear, pain connected with love, despair.






On the other hand, I would also say that this piece describes me alot as well. Love of life, joy, gentleness, kindness, and a sense of humor.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

BurningDesire said:


> self-doubt


Yeah, that's exactly what one notices at the first place when reading your posts.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Aramis said:


> Yeah, that's exactly what one notices at the first place when reading your posts.


I'm afraid people are often more complicated than forum posts generally reveal Aramis.


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