# Why a Particular Piece of Music Appeals to You



## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

I think there have been quite a lot of threads about broad generalizations of music and composers; while important and perhaps fun, this tends to squeeze out discussions about pieces of music itself. At the end of the day, it’s the pieces of music that offer us tangible listening experiences, as our listening senses respond to.

So, this is a thread about why you find a particular piece appealing. It does not need to be your “all time favourite”. Indeed, it could be a piece you were listening to for the first time just this morning, or a piece that you suspect you might find tiresome in future, but nonetheless enjoy it as at the time of your post.

This is not a thread about why you dislike a piece or why you disagree with another member’s liking of a particular piece. It is plainly and simply about why a piece appeals to you.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

I'll start.

Last night, I listened to *Cristobal de Morales'* (1500-1563) _Requiem_, performed by Gabrieli Consort under Paul McCreesh. Morales was a Spanish composer of the Renaissance.

It appealed to me because I found it remarkably timeless, despite being over four or five centuries old. As the voices sang in the extremely acoustic recording environment in a cathedral, it resonated beautifully and I imagined how startling the "premiere" might have been (despite the occasion was likely for the funeral for Philipp II of Spain). I felt I was transported back in time to its "premiere", giving me a flavour of what Spanish music of the Renaissance might have sounded like as it was for a highly functional state occasion. Despite this rather fanciful response, the music nonetheless conveyed succinct emotions that I clicked with in the year 2011.


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

Recently I have enjoyed a lot of music with prominent melodies that are very peaceful and serene. For example, the main theme of *Brahms Symphony No. 2* has a lovely opening theme and it retains a rather pastoral character throughout. I find it very relaxing. Also, I have been enjoying playing and listening to *Faure's Barcarolle No. 1* recently; the middle section is one of the most gorgeous tunes I've ever heard, despite its simplicity.

I would appreciate music recommendations similar to what I have mentioned above. Above all I cherish a soaring, singing melodic line, in the major mode.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I've been really enjoying Brahms' String Quintet #1 in F op. 88 lately. It just has such a lush, richly textured and vibrant feel, full of character and brightness. Its the kind of music I know I will continue to enjoy for a long time through repeated listens, it has substance. It also has a nice balance of cheerfullness with a touch of melancholy that makes me think of the changing of seasons.


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## Toccata (Jun 13, 2009)

A long-standing favourite work of mine is Monteverdi's Vespers (Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610). 

The version to which I'm most attached is a live recording from the BBC Proms 2010, with John Eliot Gardner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists. This is partly because I was in the audience for that concert. It was also a very good performance and I happen to like this ensemble. 

A very good recorded version is by Robert King/King's Consort/Hyperion.

It's such a beautiful work from beginning to end. It's quite long, some 90 minutes, and comprises a series of 13 psalms and other readings from the Catholic liturgy of the time. It's best heard in its entirety rather than the odd snippets which tend to get played on radio stations.

For sacred works, I like Monteverdi (and Schubert) because of their sense of reverence without being over-sentimental.


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

* String Quintet in C-major, D.956* by Franz Schubert

There is something transcedental everytime I hear this work. I felt like I'm ascending to heavens, full of bliss and happiness, there are angels singing in the background and the world under me is in peace. The first time, I've heard the second movement of the piece, I've bust into tears and I think all of the mistakes I've done in the past have been forgiven.. This quintet is a lovely masterpiece, a piece of art to the highest degree.

*Great C-major Symphony, D.944 * by Franz Schubert

My first symphony.. It's epic, titanic and magical. The first time I've heard the finale, ''oh my, there are running horses in this symphony!!''. The second movement is pure heaven.. It's like I'm walking in the park, enjoying the scenery, then a storm came out, I'm soaked but a minute later, the sun shines, smiling its face..

*Piano Sonata 21 in B-flat major, D.960*

Emotional. Teary-eyed. Divine.


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## Toccata (Jun 13, 2009)

peeyaj said:


> * String Quintet in C-major, D.956* by Franz Schubert
> 
> *Great C-major Symphony, D.944 * by Franz Schubert
> 
> *Piano Sonata 21 in B-flat major, D.960*


Excellent choices. I could so easily have put these down down as my overall top 3 favourite classical works, but I thought I'd offer something else for this thread (Monteverdi Vespers).

I just don't know how Schubert created such magnificent works. They seem super-human to me. They are quite long works but none of them has that laboured appearance that so many of Brahms comparable works seem to have. Beethoven is fine but doesn't match Franz' very touching abilities to quite the same extent. Mozart's works, although excellent technically, come from an earlier Classical tradition which is not quite so appealing to me as the late Classical/Romantic style of Schubert. Haydn tried but is not quite in the same league, and was even more stuck in the less interesting mid/late Classical tradition. The same applies in regard to later composers - Chopin, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Liszt - who are all very good but nothing of theirs compares with the super-quality of Schubert. If I were to finish the rest of my days on a desert island, just give me my Schubert collection to keep me happy.


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

Nice idea for a thread, HC.

*Elgar: The Spirit of England*

This is effectively Elgar's Requiem (for soprano, chorus and orchestra), written in response to the devastation of the 1st World War. It's not a long piece - about half an hour, written in three sections, to words written by Lawrence Binyon. I return to it again and again - perhaps once every two or three months, because it catches something essential about the human condition: about how to cope with extreme adversity and disastrous loss; how to express gratitude and admiration to people who have sacrificed everything; how to deal with the confusion that ensues when one's noble ideals lie in tatters.

One can hardly call such music a 'favourite': it's full of longing, and hope, but there's too much pain to be able to talk about it in terms of 'liking'. But it's profoundly human, in the sense that it speaks to our darkest fears and somehow manages to lift them into a region where they become energizing. Listening to it makes a day worthwhile.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Tchaikovsky's *Manfred Symphony* appeals to me on a more personal level than any other piece, both because - contrary to some well-documented opinions - I think the music is astounding, especially in the context of Tchaikovsky's usual style, and also because I have always adored the closet drama _Manfred_ by Lord Byron which it is based on. I feel such an affinity with the character Manfred that I can't help but feel as though I'm sharing in something secretive when listening to the piece. Incidentally, I also think that Tchaikovsky realises Manfred far better than Schumann did in his overture, though the latter is still a great piece.

Also, the fourth movement from Schubert's *Piano Sonata No. 20, D. 959* is something I particularly cherish, because never before has a melody haunted me so much as the opening theme from that movement. Literally for over a year, I haven't been able to get it out of my head, but I still love it every time I hear it!


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## Webernite (Sep 4, 2010)

Ravellian said:


> Recently I have enjoyed a lot of music with prominent melodies that are very peaceful and serene. For example, the main theme of *Brahms Symphony No. 2* has a lovely opening theme and it retains a rather pastoral character throughout. I find it very relaxing. Also, I have been enjoying playing and listening to *Faure's Barcarolle No. 1* recently; the middle section is one of the most gorgeous tunes I've ever heard, despite its simplicity.
> 
> I would appreciate music recommendations similar to what I have mentioned above. Above all I cherish a soaring, singing melodic line, in the major mode.


Brahms's early serenades have a definite pastoral character. The first one was originally a nonet, but I think this is Brahms's orchestral transcription. The sound quality seems a bit lacking (as with so many Youtube videos), so you might need a fairly high volume.


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## TresPicos (Mar 21, 2009)

One answer to the question why a particular piece of music appeals to me seems to be that I heard it in my youth and liked it then. I happened to have a record with Mozart's 12th and 17th piano concertos, so now they are my favorites. But would I simply have liked the 16th and 24th now if I had owned that record instead? I happened to have a recording of Chopin's third piano sonata, so when I listen to that one today, it moves me on more levels than his first and second, which were never a part of me in the same way.

A while ago, I wondered if I perhaps would never be able to connect to new pieces in the same way as those old ones, but then I did find some new favorites as well.



Polednice said:


> Also, the fourth movement from Schubert's *Piano Sonata No. 20, D. 959* is something I particularly cherish, because never before has a melody haunted me so much as the opening theme from that movement. Literally for over a year, I haven't been able to get it out of my head, but I still love it every time I hear it!


Ah yes, such a lovely piece.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Yes! I enjoy analyzing the "why" of music.

Well, as you all know, I love Prokofiev. I'll just name one work I like.

Piano Concerto No. 3. Let's see if I can put this into a few key words.

1. Tone
2. Contrast
3. Tangibility

Yep, I think that covers it.
I love the tone that Prokofiev creates with his impressionist ideas, that of extreme anticipation, optimism, energy. I'm generally a very optimistic person, so my mind is similar to his in that respect.
*Contrast*: He flips the switch with consonance/dissonance, and yet has an extremely high sense of aesthetic. Music has true value to me if it can have a contrast of emotions, tonality or ideas, and this work in particular has very sharp contrasts. He goes from soaring to biting to manic to calm and all around again.
He puts his entire self into his music, not making up some new identity. That's what makes his emotions so tangible, it's almost like he's speaking. He isn't programmatic though, in that sense. But he's just incredibly genuine, not caring what other people thought.

These were all general comments on his music, but that Piano Concerto in particular follows all that was noted above.
♩♪♫♬


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

TresPicos said:


> One answer to the question why a particular piece of music appeals to me seems to be that I heard it in my youth and liked it then. I happened to have a record with Mozart's 12th and 17th piano concertos, so now they are my favorites. But would I simply have liked the 16th and 24th now if I had owned that record instead? I happened to have a recording of Chopin's third piano sonata, so when I listen to that one today, it moves me on more levels than his first and second, which were never a part of me in the same way.


I'm fond of that music nostalgia! For me, it's with Mozart's _Horn Concertos_. I suppose a lot of people might have it for composers like Mozart, as he's likely one of the few composers you're bound to hear or listen to before any others.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Elgarian said:


> Nice idea for a thread, HC.
> 
> *Elgar: The Spirit of England*
> 
> ...


Interesting notes there. I particularly liked your reasoning expressed by your last sentence. I'm not familiar with this piece by Elgar. Given your enthusiasm for it, I am very tempted to give it a listen.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Elgarian said:


> Nice idea for a thread, HC.


Seconded. & a very positive idea too. This thread already has a nice vibe.

Well, a piece that I was listening to just this morning (& I have only known it for about two weeks) is *Charles Ives'* _Piano Trio _(his only one). I like the fragmentation in this piece. Ives often gives you some jumbled ideas and then sorts them out. Like in the first movement, the pianist accompanies the violin in one melody, then does the same thing separately with the cellist in another related melody, then they all play together in a combination/juxtaposition of the two introductory ideas. I like this kind of pushing the envelope, the innovation inherent in this piece. Listening to it for the first time, you simply don't know what's going to happen next. Of course, you get Ives' trademark ragtime rhythms and hymn tunes. The former abounds in the central movement marked TSIAJ (This Scherzo Is A Joke). The final movement has more of a Romantic feel, the main thing that grabs me about that is a kind of sad, melancholic and pensive hymn tune played by the cello. It's just such an understated ending that makes a huge impact in reverse proportion to it's basically unassuming nature. & what has this piece kind of taught me? - there's a lot of subtlety in Ives' music. He's not always brash, in your face and stereotypically American. We must remember that he was highly influenced by some European composers, especially Dvorak. Ives can even be a bit of a poet, as is proved by the final movement.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

listening and enjoy *Martinu String Quartet no.7*
the fast movement is fill with crispy and catchy violin sound. the fast notes in here make a good delayed effect. so to say the piece made me need to finish listening the piece therefore, enjoyable.


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## EricIsAPolarBear (Aug 18, 2007)

Also agreeing that this is a fine idea for a thread. Right now I am particularly drawn to *Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante* and the Scarlatti recordings.










I know next to nothing of Alessandro Scarlatti and the work of his son Domenico. It is unfortunate because I am unsure of which piece can be attributed to each composer. I know for sure that Sinfonia in C Major on this disc is Domenico's and it is magical in terms of its beauty and the brevity (approximately 4 minutes!). I possess no other recordings of this, and am unlikely too. There is just too many other works to explore! This, coming from a listener who prefers the works of Mahler and Sibelius may come as a bit surprising. It is playful from the beginning, with strong harpsichord chords, leading into a more pensive and perfectly placed notes: each one is just enough, and to take away one would be disastrous. This short work exemplifies the glorious and often overlooked compositions of Alessandro and his progeny. Admittedly, there is not much to offer in repeat listenings given how short and seemingly simple this short piece is. Yes it could be considered elementary. Yes it is gaudy at times. In any case, it is what I wake up to most days!


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## EricIsAPolarBear (Aug 18, 2007)

I must apologize for my poor grammar above, it is terribly early here and I've no coffee ! ! !


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## Ralfy (Jul 19, 2010)

It is related to a combination of works of art that serve as my current interest, such as the theme of "love-death" in relation to Wagner's _Tristan und Isolde_, Mann's _Death in Venice_, Nabokov's _Lolita_, and film versions by Visconti and Kubrick.


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

dam this is gonna be hard. I really have no explanation for why something appeals to me.
Im generally very conservative with music - in that it takes me a long time to actually listen to something outside of my knowledge and grasp it. Im just not very fond of it, new music always seems to just be there, and then disappear and makes me wonder what the hell happened. 

But i think what makes me tick to a piece the first time round, would have to be a sudden dynamic transition. listening to a piece of music in p and sf ranges is not really going to excite me, the dynamic range is too small, the rhythm might never change, the harmony might not appeal to me. I think thats why certain pieces (like say death and the maidens first movement) appeal to me first time around, because the sudden changes in dynamics, rhythm, and a quick and climactic buildup create interest and excitement - also the fact that its in a minor key makes it even more enjoyable. But i never actually appreciated the piece, until i heard the ensemble interpretation of it (bigger sound = bigger interest)

thats about as unbias as i can get about why i like something. But i must say its quite mysterious trying to figure out why i like the music i like, theres no definitive answer to it, and i dont think ill ever find one either.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Toccata said:


> A long-standing favourite work of mine is Monteverdi's Vespers (Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610).
> 
> The version to which I'm most attached is a live recording from the BBC Proms 2010, with John Eliot Gardner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists. This is partly because I was in the audience for that concert. It was also a very good performance and I happen to like this ensemble.
> 
> ...


In my collection I have Martin Pearlman with the Boston Baroque. It is not my favorite version. That would be something I used to have on cassette, a double cassette I believe. I cannot remember the name of the conductor or ensemble, but it was epic! This is indeed one of the most moving pieces in history. I think some of its phrases meander about unexpectedly before resolving or coming to rest. It still sounds a little unexpected hundreds of years later.

I think setting up an expectation and surprising us by not quite fulfilling that expectation, or delaying the fulfillment, is one of the things I find most enjoyable about music from any period. This is why Beethoven is so high on my list of favorites.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I have posted this before in this forum, but I still enjoy Schreker's prelude to Memnon because it reminds me a bit nostalgically of old epic sword and sandal movie soundtracks I heard growing up. Also for its unusual orchestral color effects.

I don't really know what the opera "Memnon" is about, but if it concerns the Egyptian warrior king, it is appropriate that these unusual rustling effects represent the waters of the Nile lapping against reeds on the banks. I can't even identify the instrument(s) used for the effect.






On the other hand, maybe it represents snoring.


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

I don't want to copy my raving, disorganized post from the Current Listening thread, but for the last couple minutes I've been thinking about what exactly in Messaien's _Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jésus (20 Contemplations of the Infant Jesus)_ appeals to me so much. I finally decided that it was the way that Messaien could find such ravishing beauty even in the use of heavy dissonance and the rejection of tonality. That's why it stands out for me as an even greater work than Boulez's _2nd Piano Sonata_, which sometimes feels like it demands a sacrifice in order to allow for "new musical languages" (in Boulez's case, serialism) to come to full realization. It's also a more all-encompassing 20th century work than Ligeti's Etudes. I mentioned the use of tritones in the other thread - this is a good example. Even in the quiet, reflective moments of mystic quality these tritones are used to good effect - and I find that this provides a good deal of tension in the piece without forcing it into "ugliness".

I'm going to continue listening to this cycle the next few weeks and try to organize my thoughts a bit further.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

You almost sold me on that Messiaen, Air. But I've chickened out and think I'll opt for a work called Illuminations of the Beyond instead. It seems a bit more accessible, but not as well known as the Turangalilialawhatever symphony. I don't have any Messiaen in my collection at present and I'm hoping these Illuminations will be a good introduction.


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