RE: Breaking down the eras of Classical Music
Exceptional piece of work!! I do enjoy classical composers from all the eras, although, like you, I have my favorites. I know the purists rave about the talent and technical / mathematical precision of Bach and Mozart, but the Romantics do it for me. Chopin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Sibelius, J. Strauss. To me their melodies are much richer and more appealing than that of the earlier composers. (To me, a lot of Bach's work especially is kind of jittery and nervous. Sacrilege I know.)
And by the time you get to the Impressionists ... OMG!! Ravel wrote some of the most sensual music on the planet! And Debussy ... he's just beyond words. (Like "impressionist" itself suggests!) Art that is different every time you hear it.
I'll have to brush up on my Baroque period composers, maybe, since you seem so taken with them -- to better get where you're coming from. I know a few, of course, but not all that many.
Just don't get into opera, ok? I mean the music is great. Srsly it is. Those howling voices ... not so much.
Sometimes, I feel that the impression that the wider audience has of some of the composers (such as Bach and Mozart) come via the older "traditional" performances of their works. There is a good deal of compositional talent behind both those composers, but Bach has the most emotionally moving music in some of his arias and cantatas, whilst Mozart is just full of devilish wit! The Early Music revival of these composers, with a conscious realisation of their intentions for performance goes a long way to taking these composers out of their stuffy boxes!
I understand about the Bach seeming jittery, there is often a lot going on, especially in the instrumental works, but some of the slow movements and the arias are divine! (Check the 2nd movement of the a minor violin concerto, if you get a good performance of it!)
Anyway, I'm considering putting up the occasional post of lesser known composers. It's always good to remind people that there are better things than Mozart, Beethoven and Bach!
I'm with you on the opera though, Romantic opera is really not my thing. Although, Baroque and Classical opera, performed in a stylistically appropriate manner (those howling voices are a 20th century development that is best forgotten...) are really quite amazing! Especially the French Baroque operas of Rameau!
Glad you enjoy the later Romantic and Impressionist composers! To tell the truth, it has been some time since I've heard much of that repertoire, as I'm a specialist in the earlier Baroque and Classical fields..... Maybe, it is time to rekindle my interest!
Totally agree, except I also adore Bach and Mozart too. I didn't even know any of Sibelius's music until a few weeks ago, when a friend gave me a ticket for a Sibelius concert that she couldn't attend. It was incredible.