🎶 The Official TTF Music Thread! 🎶

[Aldarion]

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I believe I posted a movement from this some time ago. Here's the whole piece, performed this time by Hilary Hahn, who exhibits the virtuosity you'd expect, but also plumbs the emotional depths of the music -- all the more amazing, as she was only 20 years old at the time:

The Passacaglia (at 19:36 here) always brings me close to tears. The mental picture that sprang to mind, on first hearing it, was of a bird flying over a bombed-out city.

YMMV of course, but I'm reminded of a quote attributed to the composer:

"I look at the twentieth century, and I see only ashes".

Shostakovich was in the middle of writing the work in 1948, when the Zhdanov Decree on music was issued, leading to accusations against him, Prokofiev, Katchaturian, and others of being "formalists". As a result, he put the composition in a drawer, until after the death of Stalin, and in fact it wasn't performed publicly until 1956.

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

I believe I posted a movement from this some time ago. Here's the whole piece, performed this time by Hilary Hahn, who exhibits the virtuosity you'd expect, but also plumbs the emotional depths of the music -- all the more amazing, as she was only 20 years old at the time:

The Passacaglia (at 19:36 here) always brings me close to tears. The mental picture that sprang to mind, on first hearing it, was of a bird flying over a bombed-out city.

YMMV of course, but I'm reminded of a quote attributed to the composer:

"I look at the twentieth century, and I see only ashes".

Shostakovich was in the middle of writing the work in 1948, when the Zhdanov Decree on music was issued, leading to accusations against him, Prokofiev, Katchaturian, and others of being "formalists". As a result, he put the composition in a drawer, until after the death of Stalin, and in fact it wasn't performed publicly until 1956.

I've seen her live with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra before and she's breathtaking with her talent.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I'm envious. 😓

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Terminal cuteness:

How fathers of daughters keep from permanently melting into helpless puddles, I'll never know. 😁

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Meena and Arson are now both out of the country. You can hear an interview with them here:

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Big news for ABBA fans:

Mamma Mia! ABBA Is Back After Nearly 40 Years

The iconic Swedish pop group ABBA announced that Voyage will arrive in November, with a high-tech virtual concert to follow in 2022.

www.npr.org

Here's an interview with Bjorn and Benny:

 

[Olorgando]

Here's an interview with Bjorn and Benny:

I can let you all in on a little secret why S-eS is at least a closet fan of ABBA:

They make him feel young again! 🥲 Even Agnetha (the blond one) is the odd month older, while for the rest we're talking over three to five years older. 😬

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

The, um, "girls" still look pretty good to me. 😊

What's more, they still have chops!

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

And what's even more:

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Feeling romantic? How about a waltz?

(English captions available)

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Hey, where is everyone? I feel I'm missing out on some good music!

Well, in the meantime, I'll fill in again, with a little story about Brahms. When friends asked him why he still hadn't written a symphony, he'd say "You don't know what it's like, hearing his footsteps behind you, everywhere you go".

His First Symphony -- on which he worked for over a decade -- finally reached completion, and if you listen to the first few bars, it becomes obvious that he hadn't exactly shaken off the image:

Depending on your point of view, it's either rather sad. . .or hilarious. 😁

 

[Halasían]

I quite enjoy the 'new' FAUN! Have to say that Laura Fella is now one of my most favorite lead singers they've had, bringing them back toward the 'old' sound of Elisabeth Pawelke who left the group in 2008. Also, I was worried when multi-instrumentalist and backup singer Fiona Rüggeberg left the group after twenty years that she would be hard to replace. My worries were unfounded as Adaya has stepped in and filled the void wonderfully!

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Also, quite enjoy Laura Fella's other band Tvinna too

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

 

[Halasían]

Came across this beautiful cover of Crosby Stills & Nash's 'Helplessly Hoping' sung by Dea Matrona

 

[Ithilethiel]

With Christmas coming up and my present status (a few of my buds will understand) I'm loving this new song by Rhett Walker bc it's how I feel.

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

The Christmas Songs thread comes back tomorrow! Couldn't wait, huh? 😁