# Most effective program music?



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

What so-called program music most effectively communicates its non-musical program? I’m thinking of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, which (it seems to me) can be heard as nothing other than an evocation of the countryside. Or maybe it’s just my conditioning!

Anyway, any thoughts on this would be welcome.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Debussy's Reflets dans l'eau. Even if a listener didn't know the title of the piece, the water theme would probably be obvious. The rippling arpeggios create a flowing sound that resembles a moving body of water. The music effectively communicates the idea of something being reflected in the water, because of the flexible rhythms (many tempo changes and irregular groupings of notes). These constantly shifting rhythms convey a sense of something insubstantial, shimmering for a moment and then disappearing.


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## Guest (May 27, 2017)

Obviously _not _Peer Gynt's Morning Mood...

http://www.talkclassical.com/showthread.php?t=49355&p=1247315&viewfull=1#post1247315


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

MacLeod said:


> Obviously _not _Peer Gynt's Morning Mood...
> 
> http://www.talkclassical.com/showthread.php?t=49355&p=1247315&viewfull=1#post1247315


That's true, it doesn't convey the setting very well, at least based on the results of that poll. But I think it does convey the feeling of waking up in the morning, slowly stretching and then gradually picking up speed. The melody seems to represent that process, with its slow opening that soon becomes faster and expands its range to include higher notes.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

It's pretty easy to get a general sense for the meaning behind battle pieces. It would be hard to confuse Wellington's Victory, for example, for something pastoral. Something like Liszt's Battle of the Huns is a little more nuanced, but it's still pretty easy to understand what is going on.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Sibelius' _Nightride and Sunrise_ is quite evocative.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> Debussy's Reflets dans l'eau. Even if a listener didn't know the title of the piece, the water theme would probably be obvious. The rippling arpeggios create a flowing sound that resembles a moving body of water. The music effectively communicates the idea of something being reflected in the water, because of the flexible rhythms (many tempo changes and irregular groupings of notes). These constantly shifting rhythms convey a sense of something insubstantial, shimmering for a moment and then disappearing.


Yes. I have a magical performance of it by Artur Rubinstein. Too bad he didn't record the rest of Images as well the complete Debussy Preludes. He seemed a natural for this sensual, evocative music.


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Pretty much all of Richard Strauss' tone poems


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Without giving it any thought, my immediate reaction is Smetana's _The Moldau_. My second thought is John Luther Adams's _Become Ocean_.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

KenOC said:


> What so-called program music most effectively communicates its non-musical program? I'm thinking of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, which (it seems to me) can be heard as nothing other than an evocation of the countryside. Or maybe it's just my conditioning!
> 
> Anyway, any thoughts on this would be welcome.


Kuhnau's Bible Sonatas
Some of the pieces in Messiaen's Catalogue d'oiseaux
Louis Couperin's Tombeau for Blancrocher


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## Schumanniac (Dec 11, 2016)

Beethoven's Coriolan Overture is my winner.

The alternating themes, the opening one illustrating Coriolan going to war, and the soft second being his mothers gentle pleads for him not to risk his life is strikingly accurate. Even if one does not know the story theres little doubt of the meaning behind of the terrifying opening, and the conflict of the soft theme urging in the opposite way, nor the end as they blend, with the softness winning turning into the sadness as Coroilan takes his own life.

Its the equal to his Egmont or any other overture of his, and the essence, the heart of the story perfectly captures the inner life of its characters. I love it so  A close second is the pastoral mentioned by OP.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Since American Public Radio shamelessly uses Vivaldi for 10 minute fillers before newstime,

as far as PBS radio is concerned, Vivaldi has the most effective program music.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

I feel like Julia Wolfe's_ Anthracite Fields_ would do amazing for this purpose. If only enough classical radios would play modern pieces .


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Peter Maxwell Davies' _An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise_

If you don't already know it, then see just how well it captures the spirit...


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Love-Death of Tristan & Isolde for obvious reasons!


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Actually I prefer ounces.


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