Give a Nod to Your Favorite Musical Narrative
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
This week's Showdown offered three works that typify the 19th century Romantic interest in program music, in which composers attempted to evoke a specific narrative or idea through music.
For most of the morning it was Mussorgsky’s famous 1874 promenade through a gallery of paintings by his friend Viktor Hartmann that led the race, if only slightly. But, ultimately, the piece of program music that perked a few more ears was Berlioz’s 1830 masterpiece portraying episodes in the life of a lovesick and self-destructive artist.
We played the winner at noon.
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About Showdown @ High Noon
Every Wednesday morning, vote for the piece you want to hear at noon.
Comments [9]
Well, heroes are in short supply these days, and who better than Reiner to drag out out.
I voted for Ein Heldenleben particularly since it features Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony. But from the photo associated with this contest, I would have thought one of your choices would be Eine Alpensinfonie, not Ein Heldenleben.
Strauss, the Shakespeare of music, had a remarkable understanding of human nature and its rites of passage. Ein Heldenleben is a fine example.
SNAPSHOTS AT THE SHOW!
I vote for the Strauss today, it seems the most explicitly programmatic piece of the three, and may get the least amount of air time on the radio. Thanks again for another fun contest!
My choice is Mussorgsky. I just like it better.
As director of the recent short film "Last Night's Symphonie" based on Symphonie Fantastique, my vote goes to Berlioz.
http://www.lastnightssymphonie.com
My vote goes to Strauss, which I don't recall having heard on WQXR before. The other two pieces are played A LOT!
Berlioz' unique chord structure is especially stirring and effective in this symphony.
It makes it almost pictorial.
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