Likes: Beethoven's Fifth is one of them. After 6758392 listenings, it's definitely still "WOW!". I think that I'll nickname it as the "WOW!" symphony from now on.
Beethoven's Fifth is one of them. After 6758392 listenings, it's definitely still "WOW!". I think that I'll nickname it as the "WOW!" symphony from now on.
Last edited by Allerius; Nov-09-2018 at 23:08.
“To do good whenever one can, to love liberty above all else, never to deny the truth, even though it be before the throne.” - Ludwig van Beethoven.
Most recently the piece that I went Wow to was (yesterday) "Become Ocean" by John Luther Adams.
A long time ago I remember going WOW on first listen to Pink Floyd's record "Animals". There have been a lot of others in between and prior.
Recently, Thomas Adès' Totentanz for mezzo-soprano, baritone and orchestra. I heard it live, and it absolutely took my breath away. Can't wait for it to be recorded at some point...
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The two I remember from my early teens (many decades ago now!) are the opening of the Brahms Second Symphony, and a pirated version of the Mahler 3rd Symphony dating from the early 1950s.
Two Hungarian masterpieces: The Miraculous Mandarin and Kafka Fragments.
Zoltán Kodály - Sonata for Solo Cello
Schubert - String Quartet 15
Last edited by Jacck; Nov-12-2018 at 11:31.
Blancrocher liked this post
Philip Glass - Violin Concerto
Schubert - String Quintet in C major, D 956
Both made me go Wow on first hearing.
Both were discovered through Bulldog's voting games, and I'd never have known otherwise.
My fiddle my joy.
Blancrocher liked this post
But in most instances I need repeated listenings to really appreciate the music. One such case is Suk's Asrael symphony. It was not that interesting the first 3-4 listens, but now it is amazing. I did not like Beethoven at first listening either, especially his late quartets need some time to sink in. But when they do, they are some of the best and deepest music ever composed. So while the WOW effect wasn't there on first listening, it is there now everytime I listen to these masterpieces.Originally Posted by Jacck
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That's one of the only pieces I knew by Zoltán Kodály, but fairly recently I discovered his "Peacock Variations" (in part because of another member's mentions of it in a forum "project"). It's a very attractive set of orchestral variations.
There have a bunch of "wows!" in my life. Three that that I remember are:
1) Just out of high school (in the mid 1960s) and have gotten my first component amplifier with FM radio, turntable, large speakers, etc...stayed up late in the middle of the night to listen to my first moments of FM stereo radio through headphones...it was late and didn't want to keep siblings and family awake...wanted to listen to just a few minutes before toddling off to sleep. Well it turns out that I had just missed the opening announcement of the Budapest Quartet version of the Ravel String Quartet. Was totally entranced I guess as much as by the first moments of stereo headphone listening as by the music. Well I HAD to stay up to hear the announcement of what the music was and who played it. As I remember the other three movements were good but not as grabbing as that first movement...what a beautiful theme!
2) Alan Hovanhess' (spelling may be off of his name) "Mysterious Mountain" lush, grabbing harmonies that fill a brain with pictures of mountains, mist, etc.
3) John Adams "Harmonielehrer" First heard through late night headphones shortly after its release. Couldn't sleep much that night after hearing it. An amazing piece.
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