# Piece openings / beginnings



## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Violadude has a great thread running about the endings of pieces; I thought I'd do a similar thing relating to the openings.
For me there are some superb openings to music of all kinds, but among my favourites are Mahler's 1st - what a sound to open a huge symphonic output on: mysterious, evocative and just a little strange. Respighi's 'Fountains of Rome' has one of the gentlest, warmest openings I know - it reminds me of relaxed, sunny days in Dorset. Rachmaninov's 1st symphony has an opening which is repeated at the start of each movement in a kind of micro theme & variations. Britten's Four Sea Interludes opens with very high strings then hurried off-beat accented woods and then ominous brass chorale - effective and unusual.
Other openings I like include Prokofiev's 3rd symphony, Khachaturian's 2nd and 3rd symphonies, Strauss' 'Also Sprach Zarathustra', Wagner's 'Das Rheingold' and also the 'Flying Dutchman' overture.
They'll do for a start...


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

Yes to Prok 3! Fountains sounds to me like a clear frosty morning. A few other striking openings off the top of my head:

Heldenleben and Don Juan (Strauss)
Suntreader (Ruggles)
Symphony of Psalms (Stravinsky)
Mozart 25 Symphony and "Dissonance" 4tet
Ligeti Volumina for organ
Bartok Quartet 4

And how about this for an amazing opening ;-):


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

> And how about this for an amazing opening ;-):


Absolutely not my cup-of-tea


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## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

dgee said:


> And how about this for an amazing opening ;-):


STOP! Oh, sorry, "STARP".


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

The trumpet call which opens the _Trauermarsch_ of Mahler's 5th is just fantastic.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Schumann Spring Symphony. 
Strauss-Also Sprach Zarathustra. 
Respighi Pines of Rome. 
Mahler 8th Symphony.
Bruckner 7th Symphony.
Beethoven Emperor Piano Concerto.
Prokofiev Piano Concerto #1.
Wagner Die Walküre Act One.
Brahms Piano Concerto #1.
Schuman Symphony #10 (American Muse).
Mennin Symphony #7 (Variation Symphony).
Brahms Horn Trio.
Stravinsky Le sacre du Printemps.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Mahler's 10th opens with a dark melody for violas alone that later becomes the contrasting theme. Mahler's 9th opens with a collection of scattered motives that gradually coalesce into a theme; the orchestration here no doubt influenced the similar fragmented opening of Webern's op. 21 Symphony.


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

The introduction to Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe" (whole ballet) and also the "Lever du jour" section of Suite #2.

And what could be simpler -- and more effective -- than the opening bars of Copland's Appalachian Spring?


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

I second the opening theme of *Mahler's * Ninth. That simple melodic line has taught me more than a dozen books.

*Brahms's *Third or Fourth would be obvious, so I'll instead go with his Serenade in D, which from the four measures, you know you're starting on an epic journey, though in tight fashion, with limited, but close company, and somehow with the knowledge that you're going to end up somewhere good, not bad.

*Elgar*, In the South!, Alassio!

*Nielsen's* third S.Q. opens in terrifically bizarre fashion, but coalesces immediately into unexpected harmony.

*Prokofiev's* first piano concerto. I wish this was set to ballet. When I first heard this, that's all I thought about, how it makes you just want to burst forth, get moving, something like that.

And I would be remiss if I don't at least mention *Mendelssohn's *Magnum Opus, _the_ Concerto. That opening is _more _perfect than the rest of the work.


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